What Lurks Behind The Trees

Nowhere safe

"Celia, keep your head down" Celia pulled her hood down to cover her face. They stopped at one of the nearby villages, a small one like Wilagorn. They were in need of shelter and food. "The guards have been here, people are talking about grey-eyed girls, that must be you and Laina," Ada said, putting her arm around her daughter's shoulders. 

"Stay in the tavern, I'll find a place for us to stay," Sam said leaving them soon after. 

They walked into a tavern. The hardwood planks creaked under their feet as they walked across, avoiding peoples eyes and sitting on a table at the farthest corner. They were welcomed by the aromas of food, their stomachs churned in hunger. The walls of the tavern were decorated with mounted animal heads and Laina's eyes darted around the tavern, a feeling of paranoia taking over her. Her heart started beating fast; she sensed a feeling in her gut, a bad feeling. "Mother, let's leave," she whispered. 

"We won't attract much attention here; if we walk around the village hooded, people will notice," Ada said. "Your uncle will be back soon,"

Laina started to break out into a cold sweat, her voice shaking as she spoke "Mother, something doesn't feel right,"

"Yeah mother let's leave," Celia said. Ada nodded and stood up, they both stood up with her. They made for the exit, but a large man stood in front of it, his whole body blocking the door, and two other men came and stood behind them.

"Grey eyes eh?" The man in front of them said, pulling Laina's hood off her head. She glared at him and slapped his hand away.

"Boys, we're gonna be rich tonight!" one man said smirking.

"Leave us alone," Ada said with a deadly voice reaching discreetly for the dagger in the belt under her cloak. Celia and Laina did the same.

The men laughed at that "Come on boys, take 'em"

They grabbed Laina and Celia by their arms and immediately Ada took out her dagger, holding it to the neck of the man that was behind her.

"Leave them," She said

The two other men took out their own daggers and put them against the girls' throats. They both sucked in a breath, fearing that this will be their last day. The few people in the tavern were staring at the scene, and whispers started to buzz around the place.

"Hey aren't those the girls with grey eyes?" a stranger said.

"Yeah, we could get some coins from that"

"Leave my daughters." Ada said

"Or what? Ya gonna kill him?"

Celia and Laina looked at each other and nodded slightly before they both took out their daggers and stabbed the men's hands. The men yelled and let go, making both girls run out of the tavern quickly. Ada took the dagger off the man's throat and dug it deep in the back of his thigh, causing him to buckle and collapse to the ground. She ran out to follow her daughters.

The other people in the tavern got up and ran out of the tavern to follow them. "Hey! Don't let them get away!" they screamed making other people in the village turn their heads at the scene.

"Uncle Sam! Uncle Sam!" Celia yelled as they all ran away from the group of men who increased as they passed.

Sam came walking out of one of the inns and as soon as Celia passed him shouting "Run!", he wielded his sword and ran with them, looking behind him at the swarm of men.

"What happened?"

"They found us," Ada said panting heavily.

"We need to get back to the horses." He said