Descent of the Moon

Chapter 4: Taken

Tamrii ran into the house without a second thought. She had to leave, and so did her mother and sister.
"Anikka! Mother!" she shouted from the kitchen. They both came running from separate parts of the house.

"What is it Tamrii?" asked her mother with alarm. Tamrii pointed out the window, where the villagers were now much closer. Anikka's eyes widened.
"What did you DO Tamrii?!" she hissed.
"Some human boys saw my face..it was an accident," Tamrii hissed back, irritated. Now wasn't the time to argue. "We have to leave, quickly!" she continued. Ramisha nodded.
"Take only what we need. Ani, gather some food up into a pack quickly, and Tamrii get some blankets and clothes," their mother ordered them as she dashed through various rooms picking up other things they may need. Tamrii ran to her bedroom and pulled some clothes and sheets from her cupboard. She also grabbed Ani's bow and arrows and remembered the parcel from Ryle, still hidden under her bed. Shouts and angry yells could be heard quite clearly now from the advancing crowd. They were almost at their doorstep.

She ran back to the kitchen, their possessions heaped in her arms, and gave them to her mother to wrap up with the food and supplies. Ivo appeared at the door with Tokur.
"Hurry up Tamrii!" he said. Anikka nearly stabbed him, her little iron dagger in hand, thinking he was part of the villager mob.
"No Ani! He's a friend," Tamrii said quickly, lowering her sister's arm. "Now lets get out of here." They turned to head out the door just as the villagers reached them.
"Hey! It's trying to escape, it is!" a voice yelled. They caught sight of the other two psikani, Anikka and Ramisha.

"Look, more witches!"
"Monsters!"
"Burn them!"
"Don't let them get away!"

Frantically, Tamrii, Ani, Ivo and Tokur ran down the hill, away from the angry humans. Ramisha wasn't with them. Tamrii spun around, noticing that her mother wasn't with them.
She saw her mother still at the house, barring the human mob's way with a kitchen knife in hand. They were afraid of her, but they wouldn't stay put for long. After all, it was many against one.
"Mother!" shouted Tamrii, starting back up the hill. Ivo pulled her back.

"Just go Tamrii! Take care of each other!" her mother yelled back, ducking as a villager threw a pitchfork at her. They began to advance on her.
"Come on Tamrii, you heard her, we have to go!" said Ani, pulling her back down the hill, tears smarting her eyes.
This is all my fault.. thought Tamrii despairingly. And the thought flared strength into her.
"I wont let our mother die because of me!" she snarled and pulled herself onto Tokur's back, snatching Ani's bow and arrows from her.

Forward Tokur! she thought, and Tokur heard her. He sprang back up the hill with great agility while Tamrii strung the bow and nocked a few arrows. She let one loose at a villager about to stab her mother. He fell to the ground with a groan, the arrow protruding from his shoulder, the knife dropping from his hand. The other villagers let out a roar of outrage and now turned to her, throwing their torches and weapons in hopes of hitting her. Tokur dodged the missiles with apparent ease and Tamrii was unharmed by any of them. One of the torches landed on the straw thatching of her cottage's roof and her whole house was soon in flames. She shot a few more arrows at the villagers, each one finding their target. The humans took fright and fled back to their village, dragging their wounded with them, some still shouting abuse at Tamrii and her family.
"Abomination!"

Tamrii watched them flee, then leaped off of Tokur's back and knelt beside her mother. She had been too late; the villager had already managed to stab her before she had shot him with the arrow. A wound pouring with crimson blood was clearly visible just above her mother's stomach. Her dress was torn and already soaked with the red liquid. She was still alive, but barely.

"Tamrii," she breathed, her hand reaching up for her white furred face.
"Mother, I'm here," whispered Tamrii, taking her mother's hand in both her own. Tears were starting to drip along her cheeks.
"Tamrii, I have to tell you," Ramisha whispered. Tamrii waited.
"I'm..not your real mother," she said, her voice faint from pain. Tamrii gasped.
"Wh..what?"
Ramisha clenched her eyes shut in pain from her wound.