Chapter 14 - Blood Red

The day had started out just as ordinary as any other for Serenity and Tlen. Well, as far as things go around Fayrah, yeah. The snow was slowly receding along their journey, and by midday it reached just above their ankles.

Serenity had been staring intently at her feet so she wouldn't trip and fall in the frozen snow. Besides, she was thinking. She was beginning to have mixed feelings about Tlen. She really liked him, and she didn't want to abandon him or runaway or anything. After all, hadn't it been her who agreed to let him protect her? Right? On the other hand, he had kept the secret from her this long. All she wanted to do was scream at him and pull her hair out in frustration. But somehow, she was able to keep her anger under control and inside.

Questions swam in head, buzzing around like bees. They were hardly visible long enough for her to grasp before it disappeared and the next one popped up. Why had she agreed to let him stay with her? Why had he kept his secret for so long? Why not just tell her? Why? Why? Why?!

But out of all the questions, one answer came up. He's protecting me, she thought. Not just from Zarayne, but from himself.

Serenity stopped walking and looked up. Tlen heard her stop and turned around. “Tlen, I-I'm sorry,” she stammered. Tlen looked at her with questioning eyes.

“Why?”

“I-I don't know. For ever doubting you, I geuss. But, what I said earlier, I meant it. Please stay with me.”

Tlen smiled and walked back to where she was standing. He took her hands in his. “Don't worry.” He turned his head and looked around them. Serenity followed his gaze and noticed for the first time the beauty of the mountains.

Almost as far as the eye could see was white. Mountains surrounded them on all sides, save for a small gap ahead of them where green forest poked through. The glare of the snow on the mountains made her squint her eyes, but even so she could tell just how for they'd come.

Serenity looked back at Tlen who was smiling again at her. “Well, can't we sled down? What are we doing all this walking for?” she asked with a playful tone to her voice.

Tlen raised an eyebrow. “On what?”

Serenity smiled mischievously. “You're big enough.”

Without warning, she pushed him down the steep slope. Laughing and screaming, they tumbled down the hill. Finally they reached a small leveled area with Serenity under Tlen. The two smiled at each other. But as they looked into each other's eyes, their smiles faded. It was in that moment that Serenity realized she wanted to be with Tlen. If there was anyone that she could chose to protect her, it would be him. Tlen leaned his head closer to Serenity as she closed her eyes.

Something sharp dug into Tlen's back.

“Miss me? I sure hope not.”

There was no way Serenity could forget that voice. It was the wolf. All around them wolves were packing in, much more than their first encounter. Tlen cursed inwardly for letting his guard down when he felt something soft brush against his side. Serenity was reaching for the dagger in his felt. He silently urged her on, doing the best to make contact with her eyes which were glued on the wolf's head.

“You owe me a kiss,” she whispered to him. Despite their circumstance, Tlen smiled.

The wolf continued talking with its venomness voice “Maybe you should just run home to your momma, boy. That's all your good for anyway. Then I'll take the girl to where she's safe. Truly safe.”

Then her hand found the hilt of the deadly knife. Her fingers wrapped around the cool leather. She closed her eyes shut for a moment, gathering all the courage she could muster. As fast as she possibly could, she drew the dagger and thrust it in between the wolf's eyes.

Blood dripped from the wound as the wolf yelped and staggered backwards. The blood mixed in with the color of his eyes, making it impossible to tell which was which. But he was still alive.

The wound Serenity had inflicted to the wolf gave Tlen just enough time to jump up and whip out his huge sword.

“You want her, come and get her!” he said through clenched teeth.

Serenity leapt to her feet, her fingers tightly clasping the bloody dagger. Her knees shook so hard they threatened to knock her over, but she continued to hold up the dagger menacingly.

Standing back to back, Tlen and Serenity turned slowly around. Then the first wolf jumped, followed by all the rest. The melee was on.

Tlen got the first two with his sword while Serenity kicked one hard in the chest. Another one came at the side and she managed to stab it in the neck. The fighting raged on until Serenity let her guard down, just once, but it was enough time for a wolf to grab her hair and pull her down. She screamed in pain and swung her arms wildly to prevent being attacked unaware. The wolf holding her hair was slowly pulling her backwards.

But she realized what was happening too late. As she watched Tlen slowly get smaller, Serenity began screaming, trying desperately to get her voice above the snarls of the wolves. The wolves were trying to get her far enough away from Tlen so that he wouldn't have a chance to save her or stop the wolves.

Serenity struggled to reach the wolf pulling her with her knife and managed to stab his paw, cementing him to the frozen ground. Tlen turned his head, almost costing him his life. A wolf jumped from the side, knocking him the ground. He grabbed a second dagger from his belt and thrust it into the wolf's skull.

Running, slashing, and shoving, Tlen fought desperately to get to Serenity's side. His eyes a mask of fury and hate, he stabbed any wolf that dared get in his why. Wolves flew every direction as Tlen's deadly blade sliced through them. Finally he reached where Serenity was being held.

The wolf holding her hair starting chanting strange words that she couldn't understand and a light beneath her started to glow. Serenity's stomach rose to her throat. They were trying to make one of those portal things and take her straight to Zarayne! With the remaining courage Serenity possessed, she fought as hard as she could, but other wolves pinned her down.

Until two of them went flying. Tlen swung his sword again, causing another two to launch in the air. Serenity leapt to her feet and started kicking and slicing with the dagger at anything that moved. Finally, there was nothing left of the wolves but their bloody remains.

Serenity was shaking so hard her knees gave out beneath her. Tlen caught her in his arms and started walking in the direction they were headed.

“We'd better get out of here.”

“I second that,” Serenity mumbled from his arms.

Tlen smiled. “Nice job I don't think I've ever met a girl who's fought that well without passing out.”

“Is that a complement? Oh, here's your dagger.”

“You keep it. Trust me, I've got plenty more where that came from.”

Serenity smiled as Tlen started walking again back down the mountainside.

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