Stranded on a Tiny Planet

Taken Hostage

Later that evening...

Traynar had arrived just ahead of Squadron 2 to rejoin Anu and relieve Hitalel. A brief search of the area marked with the signal of a flashing light from an energy staff allowed him to find them amid the treetops. They were positioned in sight of the lake and the giant, whom was now laying on his stomach at the lake's shore. He'd moved. He landed next to his mate and they embraced briefly. A feeling of relief relaxed the tension of his mind. She didn't get herself killed.

"What has happened?"

Anu gestured to the prostrate form, "He made it to the lake and drank and since then he's been sleeping."

He surveyed the massive sleeping form a moment and then lowered his voice, "So what did you do?"

"Leeching weed," she explained simply.

Traynar nodded slowly, "That might work." He incredulously shook his head but kept his voice quiet so Hitalel wouldn't be able to hear, "I still can't believe you're doing it...and that I'm letting you."

Anu's plumage flicked up sassily, "Regretting not turning me in?"

Her mate smirked and shook his head.

She laughed quietly at him. Although she neglected to tell him about her near crushing experience. Traynar was already wound tight over the whole situation; no sense making it worse.

"I will need to gather more leeching weed tonight." She stated quietly.

Traynar's eyes went wider and he said through grit dental ridges, "Now I think I need to turn you in."

...

All through the night Traynar, Anu, and the three other scouts kept watch. Nothing happened. As light began to return Anu stretched her stiff legs and tapped her mate's shoulder.

"Cover for me. I'm going to get more leeching weed."

He gave her a look that said he didn't approve but also that he wasn't going to stop her. The lavender-skinned female floated from her branch and flew down over the forest floor away from the other scouts. The dim, but ever brightening morning made finding the leeching weed much more difficult so it took Anu longer to find what she was looking for. At last, near the edge of a clearing in the trees she spotted the tell-tale tentacles of the weeds unfurling toward the light. She landed and began picking.

As she knelt, gathering a sizeable bundle she heard a twig snap audibly. Her plumage flipped up with alert and her eyes darted for the source. Nothing presented itself. All was quiet again save for the normal calls of the forest creatures as they awoke.

SNAP! CRASH! SNAP!

Anu's heart erupted into panicked beats when she startled, turned, and saw a huge, gray sand dragon charging toward her from the tree line to her left. She'd only seen such a beast from her history and scouting lessons which depicted them as the fearsome steeds of the Rogashay invaders. The intimidating sight of the lumbering scaly beast barreling toward her made her drop her bundle of weeds and fly off the ground.

She didn't get very high before she was struck from behind. Anu cried out as she hit the ground on her stomach and was forcibly pinned down by a sand dragon's clawed foot. It hissed next to her back, long wet tongue flickering against her head rapidly. She whimpered, shuddering as its foul breath wafted against her head. Out of the corner of her eye she could see rows of the lizard's small but numerous razor teeth flash.

"Ru'tra. Hold." A deep voice barked in a commanding tone.

The huge lizard hissed and lifted its head away, but kept its foot firmly planted into Anu's back. She couldn't see who it was, but she could hear him approaching. A foot clad in a leathery scaled boot stopped next to her head. To her left she could hear more feet hitting the ground and the movement of more sand dragons.