Timeless

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter 23

Shaw spurred Conall onward, charging through the forest, chasing Darrach's whoops of glee and triumph. Hatred burned in his heart for the man he had once called his brother, betrayel and grief searing his stomach and the memory of . . . no. No! He needed to stay focused on the hunt, on his prey. He'd kill Darrach, rip him to shreds, destroy him. Shaw didn't know where his men were, if they had followed or stayed with Iain and . . . and her. It didn't matter. This was his fight. He was doing this alone.

Darrach had had his horse tied outside of the nearest hut. The beast was well trained, used to fire and panic, so al long as both stayed well away from him, he stayed calm. After . . . after shooting . . . Darrach had vaulted onto the beast's back and taken off into the trees. Shaw dug his heels into Conall's sides, urging him to go faster. The traitor had a good few minute head start. They needed to close the distance.

A tree came out of nowhere, slamming into Shaw's chest and sweeping him out of the saddle. Shaw landed with a grunt, the breath whooshing out of him, and didn't have time to suck in another before Darrach was on him, fists pounding into his face with crazed fury.

"Love has made you soft, Wolf, weakened you! You pine for your love, but lack the strength to avenge her death!" Shaw roared in fury at Darrach's taunts and twisted beneath him, using the man's weight upon him to his advantage. Once Darrach was off balance, Shaw was able to throw him to the side. The pair rolled, struggling against eachother.

"She was mine! She was mine and you took her from me!" Shaw screamed at Darrach, straining to damage any part of the man's, no, worm's body he could reach.

"No more than what either of you deserve!" Darrach screamed back, getting a few of his own licks in. The two rolled again.

The forest ended in a cliff. Shaw watched it grow closer, thinking, planning, even through Darrach's blows and the pain he was already in. Suddenly, Darrach writhed in his arms, twisting and flailing, pinning Shaw to the ground and producing a dagger from his boot.

"If you love her so much, join her!" He raised the dagger high, plunged it down. Shaw grabbed Darrach's wrists as they decended, straining to keep the blade from sinking into his chest.

"You first," Shaw shove Darrach's hands up with all of his might, buying himself a second to release one hand to pinch the traitors' already broken and bleeding nose. Darrach also released a hand from the dagger, reaching up to tear Shaw's hand away. Shaw let go before he could and used both hands to maneuver the dagger around and into Darrach's body. They froze, both staring at eachother with wide eyes.

Darrach slid off of Shaw, towards the clif, and just sat there, stunned. Shaw pulled his knee to his chest and kick the blade deeper into Darrach's body, with the added benefit of sending him toppling over the cliff. Shaw hadn't counted on Darrach's last burst of strength, allowing him to catch Shaw's foot and pull him along.

For the first few second, Shaw was terrified. But then he simply closed his eyes, and waited to see Ri once more.

The End

But there's also an epilogue, so hang on.