Nomad {Editing}

::Chapter 30:: Claustrophobic

By the time Robert had caught up, Charlie was half way down the corridor and plunging further into the darkness. He didn't give his brother as much as a cursory glance as he went further and further into the maze like tunnels of his father's highest chambers.

A yell quickly sounded from somewhere behind them alerted them to the fact that the enemy had returned to their feet quicker then they had had hoped for. But this knowledge deterred neither brother.

Skidding to a stop as they reached the nearest corner, Charlie looked back for two reasons.

First he wanted to see how much leeway the pair had in their charge, knowing that he and his brother were much worse off in their condition then the enemy. They had been through much more in the recent weeks.

And the second was that he wanted to make sure the rest of his friends had escaped the room.

Past the running heads of the wolves and the running man, Charlie spotted his father, Briar and Violet slipping from the room in silence and in the opposite direction. Down towards the cells at in the depths of the palace.

They're strong, but their not awfully smart, Charlie acknowledged but there was little time for him to dwell on this small victory.

He took off running after Robert, not daring to look back a second time at how much more distance they had lost.

But he and Robert had the advantage that they had known these halls since they were little more then pups. Charlie may not have been here in years, but it was like muscle memory as his paws found the familiar footfalls as they bounded on.

The darkness and the maze like corridors of the palace also played in their favour. Dodging left and right as erratically as they could in an attempt to throw their trackers off their scent. They fought on and on, harder and harder.

Yet it quickly all came tumbling down as they skidded into a dead end. Be it because of a wrong turning, or just a forgetful memory it didn't matter. They were trapped and had two choices left to them.

Fight their way out of here.

Or die trying.

Charlie skidded as he lunged but it didn't stop him from colliding hard with the first person he met. Dragging the wolf to the ground he ripped into every piece of fur or skin he could get his fangs on. And didn't discriminate between which was which.

Before he had even landed again from the jump, the others were barraging him with their own defensive attacks. A blow to the back of the head from the crossbow was coupled to fangs tearing into one of his paws.

A cry tearing from his throat before he could stop it, pretending to have lost it was quickly becoming needless. It wouldn't take him much more for the game to become real as he fought on, harder and harder.

Robert was quick to come to his aid, and forcefully tear anyone near Charlie away. Not necessarily out of honour or kindness, but for the need to make sure that the young wolf didn't kill him as well if it escalated much further.

Soon their movements became nearly synchronised, but the odds weren't in their favour. They were outnumbered, the enemy was much stronger and they were cornered against a wall faced with an opponent who wanted them dead.

Part of Charlie was certain this would be the end.

Even if that thought had crossed him multiple times in the last week alone.

Time after time the two brothers were thrown from the fray, sometimes into a wall, other times into each other and occasionally the fell only to the ground with horrendous thuds. They were tiring, and the enemy was beginning to view this like a game of cat and mouse.