The Chronicles of Guertanna: The Sword of Light and Shadow

Chapter XXII

For a moment there, the only thing they saw were bare scary trees, rocks, snow...and ice. There was nothing special about the portal, except the howling of the wolves that was warning them for danger. The cold winds ran even more often, making Rinna tremble. They walked slowly, burying and unburying their feet off the ground. It was even more tiring for them than in the sand. The cold made their muscles contract, making them heavier and less probable to move faster if any time was needed.

Suddenly, Rinna felt how a branch of a tree hit her head. "Ow!" She yelled and looked behind to see Kenor.

"What?" He wondered, "I didn't do that."

Another branch hit Kenor. "Ow!" He looked around, feeling that strange magic, suddenly seeing the trees getting nearer, "What's happening...?"

Rinna gasped when a branch tangled in her ankle and lift her up. Kenor looked at her, "Rin—" He said, but a second later he was dragged by other branch.

Rinna was hanging face down, her ankle aching in so much strength. She materialized her sword and cut it, falling softly on the snow. She stood up and helped Kenor cutting the branch; he fell in the soft snow and immediately stood up. He grabbed her hand and murmured a slow "let's go." They ran, chased by the branches of the trees, feeling how they started entwining to get their feet. The cold breeze painting their cheeks of a soft pink, taking away their breath.

The creaks of the bare trees sounded moving, the roots from the trees came out of the ground, making Rinna trip over. Kenor looked back at her and extended his hand growling. His temper was already been altered. If they can get out of the forest, they won't need to worry about the trees anymore. Finally, after some minutes of running, they found the exit. They made a last jump while getting away from the trees and landed in the snow.

She sat in the snow, looking back to where the trees were all twisted, using their branches as hands and trying to stretch and get them. After a moment, the trees twisted back again in their place, putting their roots underground. Rinna tried to stand up without shaking, feeling how her air escaped from her lungs. She closed her eyes for a moment to settle down her thoughts and find peace. She felt again that mysterious power, dark magic, but she didn't know how to describe it.

She was about to turn, but Kenor was still sitting in the snow. "Don't move." He said. Rinna stopped moving, her eyelids blinking and her eyes darting everywhere to see the problem.

She tilted her head to one side and finally found it. Five, maybe seven wolves were staring at them. Gray wolves, eyes dilated and in grim gaze. They were like shadows, coming out of the forest. The first one she saw was completely fixed on her, his tongue licking his lips in desire. She held her breath; the motionless moment was killing her. She couldn't just stay there, watching how she was stared as a meal. Ready to be attacked. In her hand she started creating her sword, ready to attack first.

"Don't...even...thing about it." Kenor murmured gritting his teeth, staying still as he could.

The first wolf started growling, showing its teeth and inclining his body backwards. And that was enough for Rinna to react. She swung her sword against the wolf, the magic in it pushed the wolf to one side. The other ones just stepped back. Once the hit was made Rinna gained confidence, but as soon as she notice the first wolf was recovering, she lost hope. The wolf stood up, a little dizzy and unsteady. When he finally looked up he stretched its paws, raised its head and growled at Rinna. Not a growl that a dog will usually make, but the one that can be pictured in your worst nightmares of a monster. The wolf had sparkly blue eyes, which made him even more terrifying.

"Oh, great," Kenor stood up from the snow, "He was a simple wolf," He said sarcastically, "Now it's a mad wolf with strange magic, good job Rin..."