Once Upon A Time Frozen Over: Shards of Secrets (Book One) [COMPLETE]

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN - THE BLOOD GANG

Present Day

East Forest

"Does anyone hear that?" Kristoff asked, his head cocked to one side, listening to horses galloping up the west path.

"Yeah, someone's coming," Anna replied nervously.

"Hurry, hide the horses," Evie said frantically.

They ran over to the south path to their horses and led the steeds down it a few yards before hiding them in the trees.  They quietly ran through the forest, stopped right before the clearing and stayed hidden behind the thick of the trees and boulders.

The Blood Gang rode up the west path into the clearing and stopped in the middle of it.  There were fourteen men on black horses and one additional man, leading a horse drawn, fully enclosed, wooden cart.  All the men were dressed in black leather armor and long, black capes, (that were all too familiar to Kristoff), and carried multiple weapons on them.

It had been three years since Kristoff had seen them, but he knew it was the Blood Gang.  He could never forget that foreboding sound of rattling chains and the clanking of their many weapons — or the sinister look in their soulless eyes that reminded him of all the innocent lives they have taken.  He couldn't believe this was actually happening...he didn't want this to be real.

Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and Evie watched them intently through the trees.

"That's them," Evie whispered.  "That's the Blood Gang."

"That's them?" Anna asked.  "They look so scary."

"What did you think they were going to look like, tree elves riding on unicorns?" Evie said sarcastically.

"They look like they want to rip someone's head off," Anna observed. 

"Yeah, Flynn's," Kristoff said.

"What are they doing here?" Anna asked worried.

"Uh...to rip Flynn's head off," Kristoff repeated.

"Everyone, be quiet!" Elsa demanded in a hushed tone.  "They might know something that could help us.  We need to listen."

All the men dismounted their horses.  One of the men threw his axe into the ground and shouted, "Now what?  Which way do we go?  There's a path in every direction."

Angus took a drink from his flask of whiskey and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.  "Ah, shut yer geggie!  Why must I be cursed with ye numpties!" he shouted, closing his eyes and throwing his head back as if he were wishing the Valkyries would fly down and strike every one of the men with lightning.  "One of our watch men saw Rider heading north from the East Village, which means he came from the south path.  So, he has to be headed up the north path out of this part of the kingdom...ye bunch o' knapdarlochs," Angus said before he swore under his breath.  He walked to the center of the clearing, "It looks like the beast we've heard aboot has been here," he said, noticing the paw prints on the ground.

"That must be what we heard on the way here," one of the men said to Angus.  "And look...other people have been here too," he continued, showing him foot prints on the ground.

"The beast must've gotten them.  Go up the north path an' make sure it's clear — I don't want to be its next meal," Angus ordered four of the men.

"Yes, sir," the men replied in unison.

One of the men walked over to the enclosed cart and opened the doors to grab a trap.

"What are ye doin'?  I told ye to go check the path, not get a trap," Angus said angrily, slamming closed the doors to the cart.