Will Of The Fates

4.

"Backup?!" Hanna hissed, eyes on the arrow stuck in the tree beside where she'd been

"Yes!" I snapped as I pushed myself off the ground. I ran to my horse first and wrapped her reins in my hand. "Pyr! Walls!"

She raised her hand without a word. Two narrow walls shot up on the side of my horse, it startled my mare enough for a neigh. "This side too!" I yelled out as I turned my horse around to move to the safety of the cart.

Pyr frowned, but she raised her other hand. The walls that shot up by me were lighter in colour, and seemed less dense. Despite her high mana, it seemed like she had a limit to how many of these she could sustain at once.

I moved my horse beside Hanna's. She pushed herself up onto her feet as Pyr let the farther of the two narrow walls collapse on both sides now that I was closer to the cart.

Hanna grabbed my hand and yanked me towards her. Her eyes were narrowed at me. "How did you know th-"

"I heard the bow." I cut her off as I pulled my hand out of her grip. I moved past Pyr to stand against the narrow earth wall. "Did anyone see where that came from?" I spoke out loud.

"No." The man from before replied. I tensed up as I turned my head to see that he had dismounted and that he stood by my horse now. He really was tall. "You should have expected backup."

"Kiss my ass." I snapped back as I turned to peek beyond the earth wall. The forest wasn't very thick. I could see for quite a distance between the trees but I spotted no one. A frown formed on my face. "Pyr, can you sense anyone?"

"I can't do anything with these walls up. You do it." I could hear the strain in her voice.

"Can't." My reply was curt as I remembered the strangers around us. "Hanna?"

"Hold on."

There was silence for a few seconds before I felt a gentle wave of mana pass through me. It sent chills up my back and made the hair behind my neck stand up. Air. She's an archer, of course her element is Air.

"There is... one archer there. And I don't... I don't sense anyone else."

I frowned at Hanna's observation. One archer, out of my sight... which means out of everyone's sight. And no one else?

"Check again."

Hanna groaned. I felt the mana pass through me again. "I only sense one."

"Only one lookout?" I mumbled to myself. "How far?" I asked out loud.

"Fi... Fifty... or more meters."

She sounded uncertain. I don't think she's accurate.

I turned my head up to meet Pyr's eyes. She looked down at me from the horse. "What?"

"Can you sense anyone?"

She frowned. "Not with these up."

I looked at the wall behind me. The one around the cart was the biggest. "Pippa, can you hear me?"

"Y... Yes." There was a timid reply from inside the cart. The man beside me raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Get on the floor. Flat." My eyes moved to Pyr. "Drop the wall around the cart. Is that enough?"

Pyr's lips twisted to the side as she was quite for a few moments. She nodded once. "Just barely."

"What about an attack once you sense them?"

Her lips pressed together as she thought some more. "I... I'd have to drop a wall. If they're beyond what Hanna said... I can't guarantee a perfect hit."