A Chosen Daughter

Chapter 36*E

The walk to the checkpoint was slow and fraught with tension. Leah's eyes were constantly scanning the trees around them, her ears pricked for the slightest noises. The women help each other; the stronger ones wrapping arms around the weaker ones, helping them to walk. They comfort one another with murmurs of reassurance.

They were only half way when Leah stops the group with quiet orders for them to huddle together. They comply immediately. All ten watch her with wide fearful eyes and bated breath. Up ahead the sounds of conflict rings in her ears.

Taking a protective position in front of the women Leah listens to the struggle up ahead; sounds of fists hitting flesh, grunts of pain, pants of exertion, spurts and splashes of fluids spilt. Fear and tension mounts and thickens amongst the small group, so much so, it's an entity, a twelfth person stood beside them. The women's breaths become shallow. Eyes flitting about them looking for a threat. Ears strained in effort to hear what Leah does effortlessly. Panic floods through their systems. Sobs rack their chests as they desperately try to muffle the sounds. All throughout Leah stands watching the path ahead intensely.

When the struggle ends with one final gurgle, silence weighs heavy in the air.

Then four set of steps head in their direction. Leah snarls and shifts into a fighting stance as four men appear.
"It's ok their from our pack" Helen one of the missing Eclipse women whispers, relief evident in her voice. Leah's stance doesn't change.

The four men stop in front of Leah and bow their heads respectfully "Luna" they chorus. The four women behind her gasp, while the other six silently show their surprise. "The two stragglers in this direction have been dealt with Luna, the path ahead is safe to travel now!" One of the men states. He has short tapered black hair, clean shaven cheeks showcasing a strong jawline and promient cheek bones. Leah eyes the men suspiciously pursing her lips before she questions "why didn't Lizzie deal with this situation?" Her tone hard and accusing.

A second man with faded buzzed cut black hair, a strong square jaw and grey eyes sat beneath thick dark eyebrows gives Leah a knowing look "Marie correctly decided that time would be wasted arguing it over with Alpha Chris!" Leah raises her eyebrows in a silent question "As Alpha Chris sees it, Marie is the only one you will contact should you encounter any trouble, as such he is determined to stay near her" continues a male with black hair in a styled tapered short Mohawk, nicely kept beard and moustache. Surprise flickers across Leah's face with his news. "She didn't want his assistance; telling him, he was needed at the checkpoint to organise the med team" he continues.
"She didn't want his company, he wasn't about to leave her to herself" the second man says and shrugs "We four plus two others was the solution" Leah nods thoughtfully. "May we escort you to the checkpoint?" The third man enquires. Leah nods again "what are your names?"

The first male steps forward "My name is Tony, Luna" he bows his head again "me and Mark will be the rear guard!" he indicates towards the male with light brown hair styled into a fawk hawk and trimmed goatee perfectly suiting his handsome features, who smiles not only with his full lips but blue eyes too as he bows his head. The male stood next to Mark steps forward, he was the third one to speak with the short Mohawk, looking more closely Leah saw dark eyebrows resting over possibly the deepest, warmest brown eyes she had ever looked into "I'm Ste and this is Peter" he indicates his friend with the short tapered black hair, the first male who had addressed the group, his eyes sparkle with sincerity neither blue nor green nor grey but an interesting mix of the three blended together "we will travel either side to protect our flanks"

Leah nods while studying them curiously. There was something about these four, she couldn't say what, but it was something ... good. As an initial instinct she couldn't help but trust these men, but it was experience that kept her wary.