Shift

Chapter 2

2

Vera Gasped. Her shoulder hurt, but she would’ve felt it if she’d died. And she should have.

She rolled over-and saw the man under her.

Scrambling up she wiped the dust from her hands and stumbled back. He wasn’t dead, just unconscious. She turned. And ran.

Not having her pendant made her more easily susceptible to the shift. But when she’d been running for her life, on high emotion, she hadn’t shifted. Maybe she couldn’t now.

Trying, she dug into herself to find it, and pulled it out.

It fizzled through her. She fell forward through the air-and landed on four paws, running softly through the woods.

Trees blurred, birds called. Vaguely she was aware of the press of darkness that came just before dawn. She’d been out for hours.

The brook widened and the wall came into view. Relief poured through Vera, and she shifted back. She scrambled up the tree and onto the wall. There was a heavy thud-thud and Vera looked over her shoulder. He had followed her. But he couldn’t get over the wall.

She thudded to the ground and reached into the nook where she’d hid the pendant. It was safe as long as she was wearing it, unconsenting, and conscious. She felt a weight life even as it settled around her neck. A grunt made her look up, and to her shock and horror she saw the man perched on top of the wall, and then falling onto the ground.

She didn’t know what she’d expected; exploding, dissolving, something. But he just stood there, on the wrong side.

At the same moment he saw the pendant around her neck and moved towards her. She turned and fled. Halfway to the gate of the inner ward she stated screaming, and then she burst out of the trees, flying across the grass. There was a commotion, two men were at the gate, and a third was running to it. They were opening it for her.

“Shut it behind me! There’s a man! Shut it!” She yelled.

“Vera, Vera are you okay?” Bane asked. Markus and another guard slammed the gate shut as Vera griped her old friend’s hand.

He came across the grass like a vision, the first faint beams of light appearing behind him as he ran, never slowing. Mere steps from the fence of the inner curtain he leapt into the air, part of a graceful dance, and hurled over.

“Run! Get out of here!” Markus pushed her away. He waved at Bane, “Go!” Bane drew his sword and held a dagger out to Vera.

“Here” he said as he pulled her towards the brook, trees, and cover.

Adrenaline and fear drove her. She heard cries and the sound of metal slashing flesh, and didn’t even miss a step. Tears splattered her cheeks.

They headed to the centre of the woods, the pond. Trees and ferns were thick here, and it may as well have been midnight for all the light. Their steps were muffled and they zigzagged, turned confusing circles and tried to be silent.

Running onto a hill Bane pushed Vera forward and straight into a steep ditch.

She grunted as Bane slid down beside her and they paused for a second, moving along it, and closer to the village. Bane hauled her over the top and together they ran flat across the open land, to safety.

Suddenly Vera felt a presence behind her, a fluttering of wings. Bane was there in an instant, slashing out, catching the man’s face, but the man was faster, grabbing the sword from him. Blood streamed into his eyes but it seemed to make no difference. Bane was knocked back as the man, still holding the blade of the sword, rammed the hilt into his face. Pulling it back, the man flipped the sword in mid-air. Vera twisted, saw the blade fly on its deadly course, and stepped in front of it.

She cried out as the metal dug deep into the flesh of her stomach. He let go in surprise. Nonfatal wound she thought. Will heal faster. She ripped the sword from her body and jabbed it at the man, it grazed his thigh and clattered to the ground yards away. Shock filled his face and he froze in place. Stepping forward and using the dagger Bane had given her, she stabbed him several times in short quick upward thrusts, each landing in his chest.

Birds have hollow bones, she thought vaguely. Made them swift, fast and light. And easy to break she thought viciously. Grabbing an arm with both hands she crushed it, flipped him and snapped his other arm, finally stamping into his knee with her foot. As he fell his head made a nasty crack and he was unconscious.

“Bane! Are you alright?” Vera knelt beside him.

“Me?” He scrambled up and pulled her bloodstained tunic up. The wound had already closed and was turning a healthy looking pink. Vera stiffed a gasp of pain. The adrenaline was beginning to wear off and she couldn’t believe she’d just attacked a forsaken assassin with a near-fatal injury.

“Wow, forgot you could do that,” He murmured. “You sure you’re fine?”

“Yes, now I have to take this to Sofi.” She patted her pouch to make sure the herb was still safely inside. He moved to follow her and she looked at the heap of a man on the ground.

“You should stay with him.” She said softly. He nodded.

“You were outside weren’t you? No guards-weapons?” He accused her.

“Later…” The look in her eyes told him as much as that one word. She had to save her sister.