Monsters of the Night

Chapter Fourteen

"Nearing the ship." Stig said, turning to Lydia, Thorn and Jemma. "Will someone finally tell me what this is all about?" 

"No time." Jemma said.

"Put this rope around your waist." Thorn commanded Jemma. "If something goes wrong, we can bring you back in a hurry."

Jemma nodded, grabbing the rope and carefully tying it around her waist. Once done, she looked up at the Skandians.

"I don't know how many time I need to tell you I owe you, because you keep piling on more kind things to repay you for."

"You don't need to repay us." Hal said. "You're a Heron."

Jemma smiled, turning to the ship. 

"Now, I don't have Jesper's keen eye for small details," Stefan spoke up. "but I do believe there is a man, carrying a small bundle."

Jemma turned to where he pointed, squinting her eyes slightly. 

"That's him." She confirmed.

"Ready the Mangler." Hal commanded, then turned to Jemma. "You ready?"

Jemma nodded, climbing up on the railing of the ship. Thorn gave her an arm to balance herself. She took a deep breath, readying herself, before performing a neat leap, diving into the sea. 

"Good luck Jemma." Thorn said gravely, watching as the rope went over the railing of the ship.

...

"There they are!" David pointed to where the Heron ship could be seen.

"Is that Jemma?" Maddie tilted her head slightly, as they watched the woman perform a neat dive off the side of the ship. "What's she doing?"

"What does it look like she's doing?" Halt said exasperatedly. "She's going after Ruth!"

A crowd was gathering behind them, as they stood, hopelessly watching. The Rangers that had been gathered for the conference were spilling around them, having followed them from the hall when they saw them hurrying past to leave the castle.

"Let's just say," Will muttered to Gilan, "if she pulls this off, she's going to have a lot of support from the Rangers and the Araluen people. It'll be good for the conference."

Gilan nodded gravely. "Let's just hope she makes it back."

"I'm here!" A voice called out from behind them, as Jesper finally made it down. 

Jesper moved to stand next to Gilan, greeted with a grin, before looking to the Heron. 

"Damn." He said quietly, gaining the attention of the Rangers near. "They left without me."

Gilan rolled his eyes.

...

Jemma took a deep breath as she popped her head above the water when she was near the ship. Coughing quietly so that she would not be held, she struggled to get a hold on the damp side of the ship.

Finally she did so, and pulled herself up. The rope trailing behind her, she climbed up until she could hop over the railing. She quickly emptied the water that had gathered in the basket Edvin had handed to her, and tied it to the edge of the railing before hurrying through the ship. 

When she found Ruth, she stopped. The baby had been left in the middle of one of the cabins, alone. 

Warily, she entered the room, quickly running over to Ruth and picking her up. 

The head of the baby rolled off and she gasped, watching as the piece of fruit rolled away, and dropping the rest of the bundle.

"Looking for this?" A voice called out.

Jemma turned around. "George."

"Jemma Treaty." George said with a grin.

"Tames, actually." Jemma tilted her head. "Give me Ruth."

George held the girl up higher. "What, this child?" 

"That child is the princess of Araluen." Jemma said quietly. "Return her to me."

"It gets so tiredsome." George turned to walk around the room. "Females, taking over. Ruling over us, making their way into the ranks of the Rangers. What will be next? Female Knights?"

George turned to Jemma with a nasty grin. "I will not have it. I will not have females ruling over me. Do you hear me? I WILL NOT HAVE IT!"

"That doesn't give you the right to kill people." Jemma put her hands out, as if to calm him, then dove forward, knocking him into a wall, grabbing Ruth and leaving the room.

She made it to the deck when she was pulled back. Turning around, she saw George pulling on the rope attached to her waist. She quickly grabbed the rope from her belt and swung it behind her, severing the rope.

...

"She cut the rope." Lydia gasped, handing moving to cover her mouth.

"We can't get her now." Thorn turned to Hal, as did most of the Heron crew.

"She's on her own, now." Hal said gravely. 

...

"She cut the rope." Will said with a frown.

"She had to." David said quietly. "It would have been a danger now."

They continued to watch as Jemma turned to face the figure that was George, preparing to fight.

"May the Lord be with you, Jemma." Cassandra prayed.

...

Jemma gasped as George lunged forward, grabbing her neck. She elbowed him off, then grabbed the basket, cutting on handle so she could get it quickly off. She hurriedly placed Ruth inside, worriedly studying her as she realised the baby had yet to wake up and cry.

"You drugged her." Jemma glared at George.

"Of course I did." George scoffed. "How else would I get her out of the castle without her waking up?"

"You're despicable." Jemma scowled. "Drugging a child?"

"It was for the greater good." George shrugged, then lunged.

Jemma evaded him, using one arm to clutch Ruth in her basket close, the other to fend off George, as other men on deck moved forward to attack.

Jemma lunged to the side jumping up on the railing, almost slipping, before she raced along it, dodging the men. At the far end of the ship, she hooked the basket onto a pole, grabbing the longbow that was hooked over her shoulder, and began to shoot at the men.

She ran along the boat, continuously shooting until she ran out of arrows. Bobbing her head above the railing at the other end, she signalled to the Heron.

Turning, she raced back to Ruth as the Heron prepared to shoot the Mangler.