The Huntress Race

Chapter Six: Iris Meets some Friends

I heard a yell from the direction that The Huntress had gone. It sounded like someone very familiar. I got up and sprinted along the small path Alex had forged while investigating. I never thought to ask her how she could smell blood, what did blood smell like? Leafy green trees blocked my way but I saw a small tunnel that Alex had crawled through. I followed it until I came across a scene of pandemonium. I saw another ripped up victim dead on the ground, it was the handsome man from race three. I was right, I did know the one who yelled. Standing a few metres away was Sally. She was holding what looked like a cricket bat. " Sally, have you seen-" I started but stopped what I was about to say abruptly. I already knew the answer. At Sally's feet lay a crumpled heap of black cloak. " What did you do?" I asked with exasperation in my voice. " She, she was going to kill Danny!" Sally cried pathetically. "Who's Danny?" I asked in confusion. Sally gestured to the dead guy on the ground. " But he's already dead!" I said. " No he's not, you can hear him breathing," Sally explained. I listened and heard a very soft rasping moan. " Oh my gosh, how is he still alive!" I exclaimed. He was so shredded up it was amazing he was still breathing. " Why did you think she was going to kill him?" I asked after tearing my gaze away from Danny. " Well, I came back to the clearing after searching for help, I found her crouched down in front of him with a dagger in her hand," Sally explained shakily. " That doesn't mean she was going to kill him! She might have seen danger and was getting ready to defend herself," I argued. " Oh, I didn't think of it that way. I suppose I was just a little on the edge," Sally murmured in embarrassment. " So you hit her with a cricket bat!" I yelled furiously. I had pushed Danny from my mind and turned away from Sally. What was I supposed to do? I had an unconscious ten year old, an almost dead man and the most annoying girl in the world at my disposal, this was not going my way. Then a thought came to my mind. " Sally, go back the way I came, you should be able to follow the trail. When you come to a camp wait there for John, I know that he's around here somewhere," I ordered. As Sally nodded and took off in the direction I had came I went to check on Alex. When I reached her, all I could see was a mound of black cloak. I rolled her on to her side and saw that she had a perfect example of a black eye. Above that she had a small trickle of blood running down her face. She was well and truly out for the count. That wouldn't stop me. "Alex! Alex get up, this is no time to take a cat nap," I said sternly as I shook her. "Don't like cats," she murmured in her slumber. I groaned angrily, Alex was going to be useless for a while. I couldn't bare the silence, when it was quiet I could hear Danny's gurgling breaths. I stayed beside Alex until I heard her make a sad moan. She blinked open her unhurt eye and moved to sit up. "Alex, are you okay? What do you remember?" I asked rapidly. " Cricket bats and cats," Alex said groggily. " Your fine," I said with relief. I failed to see the black frost retreating from her fingers. She slowly pushed herself to her feet and her eyes rested on Danny. With a yelp she scrabbled backwards hastily. "He's not dead," I explained.
" He will be in a few minutes if I don't do something," Alex answered gloomily.
" You can fix him?" I asked hopefully.
" Yes, I won't be much use afterwards though," Alex answered.
" You must save him, he doesn't deserve to die like this," I pleaded. Alex seemed to think about this deeply until she finally answered.
" Okay, I'll do the best I can," she answered.
She let out a chillingly realistic howl and another answered her. "Breaking Dawn and Shadowed Moon are on their way to take us back once I'm done," Alex informed me. I nodded and got ready to watch. Alex stood a few paces away from Danny and closed her eyes. She made some weird motions with her hands and a blue light built up between them. The blue light shot forward and enveloped Danny, instantly he healed, all his wounds disappeared. He sat up, perfectly well. Alex shut off the blue light and slumped to the ground. " Looks like he found another victim," I heard. As I turned around I smiled at the huge forms of Breaking Dawn and Shadowed Moon.
" Who?" I asked.
" You shouldn't know," Shadowed Moon answered.
" What happened? I was dying and now I'm fine," Danny exclaimed in terror.
" Why do you need to ask? You're not going to die, isn't that good enough?" I asked with an annoyed huff.
" I suppose," he answered, still shaking visibly.
Breaking Dawn nudged Alex to her feet, " Come on sleepyhead, time to move," Breaking Dawn said gently. Alex got to her feet with a wobble but caught herself and flashed everyone a tired smile. " Did it work?" Alex asked optimistically.
" It sure did, you did an amazing job," Shadowed Moon praised.
"I'm glad he's okay," Alex answered honestly. I grinned at her, I was seriously happy that I had found this kid.
"Who's she?" Danny asked.
" I'll tell you when the others get back," I answered. Alex shot me a panicked look from her deep amber eyes. I flashed her a calming look, these people would understand once I told them the truth, wouldn't they? We sat together in the shade of the trees, Danny was excited about being okay. Alex was lying with her head on Breaking Dawn's russet chest fur. Breaking Dawn and Shadowed Moon were having a whispered conversation with many glances in the direction of the forest. They looked worried but I wasn't, what could scare The Huntress and her pack? After about an hour we heard footsteps heralding the return of Sally. This time she had a familiar face with her. " John!" I exclaimed as I flung myself at him for a hug. He hugged me obligingly and laughed loudly.
" I missed you too partner," he joked as I let go.
" What is this injury I heard about? I can't see anyone who's hurt," he asked.
" You might want to look again," I answered mischievously.
John and Sally turned their eyes around the clearing again and then focused on the huge wolves. Their eyes bugged out when they saw Alex reclining on one of them as it lay in the sunshine. " What is going on here? Who are they?" John stammered in wonder.
" John, this is Breaking Dawn, Shadowed Moon and The Huntress," I introduced boldly. John just stared at Alex, his mind clearly thinking. Sally and Danny were both staring at Alex too. " You mean to tell me that we have been looking for a tall, muscular man, when all along The Huntress was a little girl?" Sally asked in disbelief. " That never stopped you trying to kill me every time we met," Alex snarled in reply. She and Sally stalked up to each other and stood eye to eye. They were both glaring daggers at each other. Alex clearly hadn't forgotten the cricket bat incident and Sally was furious, she had been dragged in to the nightmarish forest to look for a little girl. "You are The Huntress? I don't believe it," Sally snapped. Alex stepped closer threateningly and the two girls kept their stances. " Oh you better believe it, sister!" Alex growled sarcastically. That ticked Sally off. She rolled up her sleeves and took a swing at Alex. Alex was ready and caught her fist mid swing in her powerful hands. " You better believe it," Alex repeated coldly. Sally was scared out of her wits, she was shaking in fear, her eyes wide. "Ladies, break it up, there's enough of me to go around," Danny said. "Shut up!" Both girls snapped in reply. Before it could turn in to an over all brawl I stepped in. "Just listen to me guys, The Huntress isn't a force of evil we can capture. You have to understand that she is protecting us, her barrier keeps away the invaders. If we kill her or capture her the invaders will be able to wage war on us, the barrier will be destroyed!" I explained hurriedly. "
The barrier is already weakening from their attacks, the toll on me has been most great. The barrier is tied to me, I created it," Alex added. Silence greater her words.
"Wait, this is going too fast, what do you mean? The invaders have spared us voluntarily," John broke in.
"I mean, they didn't voluntarily spare you. They had too or be destroyed," Alex answered icily.
"In that case, why don't you just kill them all now?" Danny asked. I wanted to know the answer to this.
"It's complicated," Alex muttered in embarrassment.
"No it's not, just wipe them out now," I rebuked. Alex stared at me sadly.
"I can't," she said.
"What about being able to wipe out he worked with the flick of a finger?" John asked.
" I can do that, I just can't destroy the invaders, I told you, it's complicated," Alex answered.
" What's so complicated? Don't you want to save us?" Sally asked. Alex backed away, she seemed on the verge of panic. Breaking Dawn and Shadowed Moon stepped in,
"You would all be dead if she didn't want to protect you! What thanks do you give her? You attempt to kill her almost every night and day," Breaking Dawn snapped in her low voice.
John and Sally looked up in surprise, of course, they hadn't heard the wolves speak yet. I sighed, this was getting out of hand. Whatever reason Alex couldn't destroy them, it must be big. Sadly, Danny and Sally weren't going to let it pass. "why can't you destroy them, give us one reason why you can't go and smash their leader in the face with your powers!" Sally demanded.
"That's just it, the leader of the invaders isn't invading. Their leader is from here, he just wants to lead them and has proved as ruthless as them in every way," Alex said quietly.
"What's so complicated about that?" Danny asked.
"Have you ever seen the leader of the invaders?" Shadowed Moon queried.
"No, why?" Sally asked.
"He looks exactly like The Huntress but as a male," Breaking Dawn answered.
" That doesn't matter, you can still obliterate him regardless of his looks or position," Sally snapped.
"Don't you see? The leader of the invaders is my father," Alex answered in a sad voice.