Begin Again

Chapter 17

(RYAH)

I struggled against the arm around my waist and tried to bite the hand that was covering my mouth. My arm was trapped down at my side underneath the arm at my waist. It was impossible to swing my dagger without hitting myself in the process. I still tried to drive my dagger backwards into the thigh of the man behind me.   

"Hey!" Hissed a voice in my ear. "We're trying to help you!" I froze and stopped struggling immediately. Perhaps he would let me go and I could stab him then. "Do you promise to be nice?" The voice whispered in my ear. I nodded and the hand hesitantly uncovered my mouth and the arm released my waist. I spun around and shoved against the chest of the man making him stumble back. 

He looked at me with wide eyes and his arms raised at his sides with his palms facing me as a show of being nonthreatening. He was eyeing the dagger in my hand. I spun around as I looked for Anna. She also had a man behind her with his hand over her mouth. She wasn't struggling against his grasp. 

"Let her go!" I demanded raising my dagger to point at him. 

"Now there's no reason for all of that," a feminine voice said from behind me and a woman appeared out of the dark. She moved silently and she had a bow over one of her shoulders. Even in the dark I could see the bright red flame of her hair. "My name's Ellie, what's yours?" She asked casually. 

"Ryah," I whispered. 

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Ryah," Ellie said holding out her hand to me. I took it and she gave it a slight shake. "What about you?" She asked looking in Anna direction. "Jericho you can let her go now."

"Anna," Anna said. 

"It is wonderful to meet the two of you," Ellie said. "Now, we need to run." 

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"What do you mean they escaped?!" He roared.

"We came over to see them and they were gone!" 

"How could this happen? Where is Charles?!" He demanded. 

"Charles is dead," One of the men answered with his head low. 

"What? Who killed him?" 

"We told you, it's the Red Demon in the trees." 

"The Red Demon?" 

An arrow was brought forward as proof. The head had been buried deep and it was a dark red color. It was clear that Charles had died a quick death just by the location and accuracy of the arrow. The men had found him laying face down in the dirt with the arrow protruding from his back. The women that he had been guarding were nowhere to be found. 

"Yes sir, the Red Demon killed him." One brave man spoke up.

"And did any of you see this Red Demon? Did any of you see him?"

"Her," Said the brave man. It was clear that he instantly regretted his decision to speak up. 

"Her?" He hissed. "You were outsmarted by a woman?" 

"Shes a Demon," several of the men replied. A murmur went through the men that had gathered around the treeline. They remained as far back as possible. They knew of the deadly accuracy of the Red Demon. One man had drawn the short stick and he was given the responsibility of retrieving the arrow. He had sprinted forward to the prone figure on the ground put a foot against his back and grabbed the arrow. With a strong heave he pulled it free and without wasting a second he sprinted back to the group of men. 

"She's a woman which means that we can kill her. Where did she take the Lady Ryah?"

The crowd of men remained quiet. Either they didn't know where the Red Demon lived or they just didn't want to go there. There was a muffled reply.