The snarls grew louder, as the monsters in the dark closed in around them, hidden in the shadows. Enid could feel the terrifying vibrations in the earth beneath her boots, the crunch of leaves and the scurrying of the small animals, as the wolves finally broke through the clearing.
Their eyes glowed a sickening yellow in the dark as saliva dripped from their mouth.
Kaelith's grip on her waist tightened as her breathing hastened. She could feel him shaking along with her, the tremor from his chest against her back. But, no, it was different. Unlike hers, it was not from fear. No. It was from restraint.
He wants to fight. She realised belatedly, shocked. He wants to fight, but he's holding himself back.
"Not here." Thorien hissed, scanning the rapidly growing number of opponents, his eyes glinting a stark shade of crimson that had Enid looking away. In his tone, there was an unhinged sharpness that sliced through the night, carrying over the low growls.
His eyes were fixed on the few of the wolves that were growing bolder, coming closer and closer, "Her scent is already in the air. If we fight, it will spread. More of them will smell her, more will come."
Kaelith growled low in his throat, warning a few new wolves into stopping in their tracks. "You expect me to run? From these mutts?!" His eyes blazed, with fury and a need to fight.
Thorien's smile was sharp enough to cut stone, but he never looked Kaelith's way. In that humorless voice that was slowly becoming characteristic of him, he stated, "I expect you to run with her."
That seemed to have an effect on Kaelith, for the glimpse of something- Enid did not want to call it madness, she was scared enough not to- went away from his eyes. His breathing evened as he looked back at Enid and away from the predators in front.
Before she knew what was happening, the ground was swiped from beneath her feet. She gasped, her hands going to Kaelith's chest as he scooped her up like she weighed nothing. Her eyes looked down at the ground, disoriented, before she looked back at the man holding her.
Even in the situation they were in, her cheeks reddening at being pressed against the chest of a strange man. No, not a man. Something else! Her brain supplied helpfully. Something she didn't want to name.
My cheeks are not red! She shouted internally at herself, It's just him. He's just giving out too much heat!
"Hold on." He muttered darkly, his lips brushing the shell of her ear. Enid gulped. She knew her face was the colour of a tomato, and was only grateful that he was focusing on the danger they were in, and not her.
And then- they were gone.
The world blurred around them, as Kaelith streaked through the dark night, the forest a blur of shadows and moonlight. The scarlet light of the moon highlighted the land- the trees, the plants. Kaelith. Bathed in the mystical red light, that she had previously only seen from the small room of her cottage window, she felt like she was transported into another world.
The speed made her stomach churn, as she tried to free one hand from around Kaelith's neck and hold her belly, in a desperate attempt to delay the inevitable.
The harsh winds beat at her face, her eyes were watering, and she could not see ahead for the life of her. The only consolation she had right now was Kaelith knew where they were going.
Enid didn't know if she could trust him. But whatever he was- for he was not one of the mindless beasts she had seen and heard about- he had not killed her yet.
Her arm instinctively tightened around his neck in uncertainty. She had a feeling he had glanced down at her, but she couldn't be sure.
Thorien's footsteps were right behind on , right on their heels. Whenever she was able to glimpse back over Kaelith's shoulder- he was a blur of darkness.
Always too close, always watching.
Enid's mind screamed at her to panic, to struggle, to escape. To do something! But reality was more crushing. There was no way to go, no way she could escape. The wolves were right behind them, and the strangers- the dangerous strangers- who were taking her away was the only thing standing between her and their teeth.
Her captors- if she could even call them that- were her only protection.
The wolves were getting closer and closer. She could see their bright yellow eyes all around her.
They were keeping up.
Her hands tightened around Kaelith. Almost answeringly, his jaw ticked and he sped up. She could see Thorien had sped up too.
There was no knowing how long they ran for. Kaelith and Thorien were expertly maneuvering the attacks some of their hunters were making, swinging and evading.
Enid's heart was in her throat.
Either the forest was too large, almost endless, for there was no way these…these beings…with their superhuman speed hadn't covered a very large distance, or, and more possibly, they were going around.
With all the moving, Enid couldn't be sure.
Finally when it looked like the wolves were a bit behind, Enid felt like she could finally breath better.
But there were other questions clawing her throat, waiting to come out.
"Who are you?" She asked, almost demanded, over the rush of the wind. The danger was delayed, not gone. And they were not stopping. "Wh-What are you?"
Her trembling voice betrayed her nervousness.
Kaelith's gaze flickered down to her, uncertain, before he looked back over to his surrounding.
Enid opened her mouth to ask again when he lurched up and into a tree.
Her stomach heaved, as she put a hand to her mouth. The headache that followed felt like nails hammering on her skull.
She knew if this kept up, she would not be able to stop her stomach from revolting.
Thankfully, after the first lurch the rest of the way was relatively easy. She couldn't see the wolf they had probably evaded just then. She was not sure, but she was sure someone had scoffed behind them.
Probably her mind playing tricks.
She waited for her nausea to settle. They moved in silence for some time.
And then it was there once again. The question, on the tip of her tongue.
"Wh-wh. What, " she gulped, resolute against the motion."are, you?"
This time there was a snicker behind them. She was sure.
Kaelith took a deep breath above her, his pace slowing down from the death escape it had been to a fast roller coaster. His jaw ticked, a habit of his, she noted, before he let out a sigh and answered.
"You already know the answer, sweetheart."
She gulped at the answer.
The look in his eyes as he looked down at her was unreadable, and too quickly snatched away before she could make sense of it.