It Has Come

Chapter 2; "Escape"

The bone-thin gargoyle was sweeping easily through the thick, wet air, releasing blood-curdling screeches all the while. Mystery had started to become spooked, inciting her to gallop ever faster, splashing up mud and puddle water behind her hooves. Hedge was the same.

"Mistress Willow," Eric's voice came sharply from a few feet ahead of me. "Keep going. I will try to buy us some time."

I opened my mouth to protest, not wanting him be hurt, but he stopped me by suddenly pulling a dagger from inside his coat. Eric forced Hedge to stop and turn around to confront the snarling, screeching creature.

I heard the gargoyle screech again, but it seemed to be in more pain than simply threatning us. I wanted to turn around and help Eric myself, but he had told me to keep going, and I didn't even have a weapon to attack it. My eyes started to well up with tears of worry and I bowed my head to the wind. I shut my eyes tightly, disallowing the salty beads to flow. Mystery's hooves seemed to be able to find only the patches of ground that were the most difficult to navigate. In an adrenaline-filled moment, the form of the stables was suddenly looming over us in the fog. The doors were open and as Mystery and I practically flew into the building, I flung myself off her into a pile of soft hay. I jumped up and ran to the wide doorway to look for Eric and Hedge; hopefully there was no more gargoyle. 

A sudden shout sounded through the mist. Eric, I thought with relief. It sounds human.

The shouts were relentless and I tried to make out what he was saying.

"GET READY TO CLOSE THE DOORS!" I heard Eric's voice, clear and strong, but sounding panicked. I saw the dark form of a tall man on a horse emerge from the fog, but couldn't see the gargoyle's.

Then I heard the screech and Eric streaked past me on his horse.

The creature was speeding closely behind Eric. It had a deep gash that was dripping blood onto the muddy ground below on its chest. In a split second, right before it entered the stables, I shut the heavy double doors in its horrifying face and heard bones splinter and crack. Eric came over in that second and padlocked the doors from the inside.

I felt my knees buckle and myself crumple like a ragdoll. Before I hit the ground, strong arms caught me and brought me gently to my feet.

"Thank you, Eric," I murmured, leaning heavily on his chest. His arms remained around me. I pulled away and lay down in the hay. Eric stood straight and tall as he always did, as if nothing had happened and he was simply fulfilling his duties as a butler by watching over the daughter of the master and mistress of the house.

My eyes that had blurred over with terror from the gargoyle were clearing up again. I saw Eric properly for the first time since he had battled the creature. A gasp escaped my lips.

He was cut all the way around his body. His suit was shredded, revealing his torn skin. He had a large gash on his cheek that was still dripping blood. He had retained a long scar across his eye; and yet, through all these undoubtedly painful wounds, Eric stood as he always did, as if nothing had happened.

But something had happened.

Something colossal had happened.

Something that made me speak.

"What was that?"

I said it at a normal volume, an incredulous tone, and it was so bizarre for me that Eric looked at me with concern. He abandonned his post at the foot of the mountain of hay to come and sit next to me.

"It is something that will not happen again, as long as I'm here," he told me softly, looking away from me. I felt a spark of trust go between us. I relaxed, and he noticed, so he stood up again. This time, though, he didn't assume a post of vigil; he walked into one of the unoccupied horse stalls and I didn't see the rest.