Untamed

Chapter 9

(BEN)

Ben tore through the forest on his horse. The few men with him were tracking Ellie's horse. When her horse came back without a rider Ben lost it. He would go after her and bring her back. Even if she was kicking and screaming. He had made a commitment to her and he was determined to uphold it. He would make her see reason then he would banish Ari. The alternative was too much to think about.

What if she had been thrown from her horse? Each fallen log caused his heart to nearly stop beating thinking that it was her body lying in the forest.

Ben was jumpy and on edge. His men knew it but they didn't say anything. They stayed by his side keeping watch prepared for anything. Surely they doubted his sanity. He was chasing after a woman that didn't want to be found.

The trail led to a stream where, to Ben's relief, he found Ellie's footprints in the soft mud. There was a large stain in the sand that looked a lot like blood and Ben stopped breathing. There was a deep impression like someone had been drug through the sand and into the bushes. Ben motioned for his men to investigate the drag marks.

"This doesn't make sense." Ben said as he looked at all of the prints and tried to imagine what had happened. He walked to the edge of the water where she had squatted to get a drink. She then walked back to her horse and there was a scuff mark where she had spun around. To face whoever had made the large prints behind her. Then there were the drag marks.

"Ben!" One of his men called and Ben spun around.

"We found a body." He said and Ben raced to him. The group looked down at the man who was tossed carelessly in the bushes. There was a deep gash in his thigh that had bled him out. A handle was protruding from the wound. Ben reached down to pull out a familiar looking dagger. He couldn't help but smile knowing that she fought then he focused on the situation. They went back to the river bank and looked at the footprints in the sand to figure out what had happened.

"Look." Said Peter pointing across the river. There was a set of Ellie's footprints leaving the water's edge. Ben nodded and the two of them crossed the water. They followed the prints that were spaced far apart. "She was running." Peter unnecessarily said.

"She was scared I wasn't there for her. I should have been there to protect her." Ben said through his teeth.

"This isn't your fault. She left before you had a chance to explain what had happened."

"I shouldn't have done anything that would need an explanation. I know whose fault it is." Ben said.

"I hope you're talking about Ari because there is no way that this is your fault." Said Peter.

"I should have banished her years ago. I should have known that something like this would happen if I allowed her to behave in such a way." Ben looked down at the footprints in the dirt. He could imagine her flying through the trees terrified. Finally they came to the end of the trail. Her footprints ended and there was another set of large prints. Ben held his head in his hands because he didn't have to imagine what had happened.

"They're deeper." Peter said as he looked at the large prints that overlapped with Ellie's.

"He... He carried her." Ben shook his head. She had been carried away.

"Let's keep looking." Peter piped up pulling Ben from his thoughts. "People don't just vanish into thin air. We will find her." Peter returned to the river bank to retrieve their horses. Ben squatted down next to Ellie's footprints. He was grateful for the lack of rain that allowed her trail to stay fresh. Peter had said that they would find her.