Minstrel

Chapter #29 ~ Creak/Riptide/Stans

They were attacked just as the sun began to rise. Creak had been sleeping a dreamless, peaceful sleep when the sharp whistling woke her.

"Would you please stop, Vern." She rolled over to hit him only to have him catch her hand.

Creak opened her eyes, suddenly alert. Vern looked alarmed as he pressed a finger against his lips. Creak didn't need him to tell her to be quiet. An unsettling feel came over her and she shook with fear.

The whistles were high and sounded like young children shrieking in pain.

'What is it?' Creak wondered in her head.

"A sound of death." Gorgos said gravely.

Creak shook her head. 'But where is it coming from?'

The sound was all around them, but Creak couldn't find it's source. The sun threw shadows through the trees, leaving many dark places. Perfect places for horrors to hind out of sight.

Vern heard it before her. A low growl was their only warning. Bright red eyes glowed in the darkness of a pine tree. Eyes full of hatred and excitement.

"Run!" Vern yelled just as the giant wolf lunged at them. It landed in between them, keeping them separated. Creak ran for the trees, but another wolf jumped in front of her. She screamed as she stumbled backward.

Vern had run the opposite direction, but didn't make it far. The red-eyed, white wolf pounced on him, its long claws digging into his back. Creak ran as the creature lowered its mouth to finish off her best friend.

"Vern!" She cried as she slammed into the wolf, sending them both tumbling. They wrestled in the snow, both fighting to be the first to gain an advantage.

Vern got to his feet to help, but a pack of grey wolves ran in to circle him. Every time he tried to break their ring around him, they would snap their teeth at him. Yelling, Vern slammed into the ring only to have the four wolves pounce on him. Vern screamed and struggled under the creatures as they bit and clawed at him.

A few feet away Creak found herself on top of the white wolf. She wrapped her hands around it's thick neck and squeezed with everything she had. The creature made a desperate whistle as it's eyes began to bulge.

The whistle had been a desperate cry for help from a pack leader to it's pack. The other wolves could not ignore their leader. All four grey wolves left Vern, bloodied but still breathing, and circled Creak.

'Don't let go!' She screamed in her head as one of the wolves jumped onto her. The force took the wind out of her, but she still held the leader in a death grip.

The wolf on her back sank its teeth into her shoulder. Creak screamed as a thousand razors sliced through her winter coat and into her flesh. Her gripped was lost and she rolled off the white wolf in a desperate attempt to escape.

Tears in her eyes, Creak crawled as fast as she could, but it wasn't fast enough. A wolf jumped onto her back and trapped her. It's claws poked small holes in her back making her scream in pain.

'This is it.' Creak thought to herself. 'I'm going to die.'

As the pain threaten to sink her into darkness, Creak heard a battle cry come into the clearing. Her face was pressed to the ground and she struggled underneath the wolf.

She heard a sharp whistle of pain as the wolf above her was run through with a sword. The weight of the creature left and Creak was finally able to turn to look at her savior.

Riptide stood in front of her, his sword drawn and bloody. His eyes shifted as his watched the remaining wolves circle them slowly.

Creak couldn't help but admire him as he lunged at a wolf just a second before it attacked him. His early intuition left an easy opening to kill the creature. Rip slipped his sword under the wolf and let it's lunge carry it right into his sword.