The Forgotten Prophecy

Chapter 24

'What is your name, girl?' she asked the girl as they rode on her horse.

'Inerma.'

They dashed outside the city walls, the wind blowing their hair.

'Which way?' Ines said.

'In the woods,' she pointed to her right, and Ines kicked her horse to run faster. They entered the snow-white woods, the smell of dead leaves and pine trees hitting their noses. The dense foliage kept away the rays of the setting sun, and the women had to squint in order to see ahead. The horse's legs faded as they led into the darkness of the woods, yet they had to follow it for the sake of Matthew, ignoring the perils that might have been lurking.

The women dismounted the animal and scanned their surroundings.

'Follow me,' Inerma whispered.

Ines trailed behind her, trying to mimic the elf's light footsteps. Not a sound could be heard in the silence of the forest, only their breathing. They walked as fast as they could, but the fresh snow made it harder than they had predicted. After a few minutes of jumping and swearing at the torturing cold, they finally made it to a small clearing.

The women quickly hid behind some tall bushes. Dark figures stood out in the gloomy woods. They wore black masks that covered their whole faces, so it was impossible for Ines to recognise them. Who are they?, she wondered but couldn't find an answer. Ines crept closer to have a better view and saw them examine a man who was standing still, his face blank, his body rigid. Ines' jaw fell.

'That's Matthew!' she whispered to Inemra, her voice laced with worry.

Ines knew she had to do something before it was too late. There were around 6 masked figures; she had to act smart if she wanted to have a chance in getting Matthew to safety. She didn't know how skilled fighters they were, if they were at all. At least she didn't see them holding any weapons.

She took out her sword, ready to make a surprise attack. She slowly moved forward in alert, but her foot suddenly stepped on a small branch she hadn't seen. She put her weight on it, and it made a deafening crack.

All heads whipped towards her. They had detected her.

'Get behind me!' she barked at Inerma.

They jumped out of the bushes, charging at the masked men. The figures didn't look surprised and reacted swiftly. Few of them fought against them, and others raised their hands, forming a spell. Ines dodged their magic, but it took great effort; she was being hit from all directions, while at the same time she was trying to protect Inemra from their attacks.

The elf was clearly in the process of producing a spell, probably to summon an animal. Her eyes were white, and her body was unmoving. Ines took the blows, using her shield and her sword to repel any rocks and branches that came their way. She was barely managing to remain standing and wouldn't hold out for long.

Ines was about to fight back and attempt a counterattack, but she suddenly heard a thumping sound from behind her, like a swarm of people heading towards them. She turned around in panic and saw a dozen of people coming from behind the trees. Their eyes were pale and dead inside, their skin had turned ashen. They moved slowly and drowsily. Terror overtook her face.

Right then Ines realised they could never make it out of there alive. They were too many, and she was fighting alone. Her eyes glanced around for Matthew, her heart aching when she saw him still standing there, unaware of what was going on. They had obviously hypnotised him somehow. Ines saw a masked figure approaching him, and she got a bad feeling. While standing under her shield, she watched them take Matthew's sword and lift it above his head.