Princess of Asroph: Journey to Davelher Cliffs

~FIVE~ Betrayal

The night's wind pushed back Arabella's curls, forcing a chill down her neck. She started to grow drowsy to the rhythm of Hera's soft trots in the grass, but the occasional hoot of an owl or distant wolf's wail jolted her back to alertness.

She'd never ventured off at night before, grasping that she had no knowledge of the potential creatures that could seek to attack, but then she recalled her skill with her bow and Hadrian's with his sword, and the thought relaxed her just a bit. They'd be just fine; she must retain hope.

Then Arabella's mind wandered off again to the noises of the forest, her eyelids growing heavy. Her head dropped, and she jerked it upward, startling Hera.

"We can make camp now if you are feeling weary, Your Highness," Hadrian offered.

Arabella rubbed an eye, meekly nodding. She wanted to get the best head start, but the thought of traveling through the night and being exhausted all the next day didn't sit right with her. She needed to be awake and vigilant, even if it meant taking a few hours to rest.

"That may be best, yes."

~

Hadrian set up a couple of tents as Arabella started a roaring fire using her tinder box. She grabbed the dryest pieces of wood she could find in the area, along with extra if the blaze died. She rubbed her arms as she sat before the flames, watching Hadrian finish up the second tent.

Another howl in the distance; Arabella grew concerned as she listened.

"Hadrian? What types of creatures here should we worry about?" she asked hesitantly.

"Wolves, the occasional ogre, bares...." Hadrian trailed off as he saw the wordiness sparkling in Arabella's eyes under the light of the campfire. "But fret not. I will take watch tonight."

"Are you sure? We don't have many hours to rest."

"I am trained to be vigilant and rid exhaustion. I will be fine," Hadrian assured. "Go to bed."

Arabella yawned as she stood to grab her bedroll. "Alright. Wake me if you suspect danger."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Arabella stepped into her tent and spread her bed across the grass, immediately collapsing as she curled in a blanket. It was strange to her how just a few hours ago, her life was incredibly different. Her brother wasn't cursed, and she was having a great time at the ball. Had Jedrigg not come along, she wouldn't be here huddled for warmth, fearing for Asroph's safety. Then the burden pushed down on her again, like a tree had fallen over her tent.

Her thoughts plagued her as her body gave in to sleep, oblivious that even more change was almost upon her.

~

Hadrian sat by the dying fire with a heavy sigh, eyeing the princess's tent across from him. As the smoke lifted to the trees, he thought deeply about his mission, not to uncover a silly gem. He knew what he had to do, regardless if he enjoyed it or not. Refusal would lead to his demise, and that alone was all the encouragement needed to execute the plan.

"She must not return to Asroph." The command repeated in his head, haunting him more than the distant howls of a pack of wolves.

He allowed an hour for Arabella to fall asleep, then he would carry out his duty. The knight fished out his dagger, twirling it in his fingers as he prepared for what was to come. Slowly, Hadrian rose and crept to Arabella's tent. He pushed back the entrance with caution, finding her sound asleep in the grass, peaceful. He glanced over his shoulder one last time, checking to ensure there were no dangers in the trees. After taking in the stillness, he closed the tent door.

Hadrian knelt down beside the sleeping princess, his dagger raised above her hitching back. He took in a breath, his eyes sealed shut tightly. Just as he went to plummet the blade into Arabella's back, a sound halted him.

The horses outside were frightfully whinnying, followed by the sound of snarling and barking. Hadrian holstered his blade and pulled open the tent to discover giant, black wolves attempting to bite at Abraham's legs. The massive dogs jerked their heads at his presence, growling with drool falling to the grass. They appeared unlike any wolf he'd ever seen, black as night, blood-red eyes, and their bodies translucent.

The knight's sword lay before the dying fire, just a few feet away between himself and the strange wolves. Without another thought, he fearlessly charged with a yell.

~

Arabella awoke to the sound of screaming—Hadrian's screaming. She jolted and instinctively grabbed her bow, quiver, and bag. Once she exited her tent, she was horrified to find Hadrian beneath a pack of giant wolves, kicking and screaming as their teeth gnawed on his flailing limbs. Abraham and Hera were nowhere to be found.

The princess shakenly reached for an arrow, aiming for the first wolf she spotted in hopes to free Hadrian. She fired her weapon, astonished to notice that the arrow went through the wolf and sunk into the ground. This alerted the pack, and two of them turned to her, viciously snarling with hunger radiating in their red eyes.

They melted into the grass, their shadows darting to her. Arabella had never seen a creature like this, but now wasn't the time to wonder what they were.

She bolted from their path, rushing to the campfire with sudden adrenaline punting through her. In the distance, Hadrian's cries had ceased, telling her exactly what she needed to know. He had perished.

Arabella grabbed a thick branch from the pile of burning wood. As she turned, a shadow bolted to her, and a wolf emerged from the ground with bared teeth ready to sink into her neck.

Arabella frightfully screamed, bringing down the piece of wood against the wolf's transparent body. She knew that if the arrow wouldn't pierce them, then this was undoubtedly useless as well, and she prepared to meet the same fate as the knight. Yet the wolf whined at the flames, its form dissipating before her eyes.

The second wolf backed away at sight, its ears drawn back. Before she could strike it, a growl emanated from behind, and her weapon was jerked out of her hand by the jaws of an unexpected wolf.

Arabella ran as it prepared to lunge. Soon the entire pack was chasing her through the trees. The dark night made it hard to see where she was going, but anywhere was safer than her camp. She shrilled into the night, tears brimming in her eyes as she anticipated the wolves to catch up to her.

A shadow stretched across her running feet, stopping a few feet before her and molding into a wolf, growling fiercely. Arabella cut a right as it snapped at her, missing her dress by the skin of its teeth.

Her chest was caving in. She couldn't run much longer as she felt her legs shaking until suddenly, a light caught her eyes from the left. A glowing ball was levitating between the trees, beckoning her with its hypnotizing radiance. It distracted her, causing her to stumble and fall.

"This way!" Something whispered to her.

Arabella pulled herself from the ground as the disturbing noise of barking grew louder. She rushed to the soft glow, seeing another appear beyond it, then another. They created a trail for her, lighting her path fairly.

"Arabella..." another whisper zipped by her ear.

The princess huffed as she glanced back to check on the wolves, but suddenly, there was no longer any terrain to run upon. She lost her footing, tumbling down a bumpy hill. Arabella cried as she rolled down, the glowing orbs no longer in her sight.

The thought of becoming a wolf's meal overwhelmed her as her head struck a tree.