In The Night

CHAPTER THREE

~III~

In forests further than any resident of Bolham had ever ventured the territory seemed wild and unkempt and while no chipper chirps or playful squeaks of woodland animals could be heard, predators of callous nature hid behind the overgrowth and watched the two figures plow ahead, unaware of the dangers awaiting them.

"Put me down this instant, you savage!" Ainslie spat, still fighting against the captivity of his arms. They had been travelling for what felt like hours and Ainslie's throat was burning from the constant pleading. "It was you that snatched me away from my home! I know it was, you... you... beast!" Ainslie rocked violently from side to side with each laboured step of the determined man, his grip tightening around her with every thoughtless word that spilled out of her mouth. She was uttering nonsensical accusations; of course this man, this human man, was not the beast that captured her but Ainslie was terrified and felt so light headed - the obvious anger of the man, beast, whatever he may be, had her pulse pounding faster than a shooting arrow.

Her face was glowing with heat, her straw stained hair knotted, and her nightgown was scrunched in such a way that Ainslie thought she would pass out from how improper she knew it to be. If her father could see her now she would surely be disowned - right after this man was slain of course and she was saved from the one person who didn't seem to care about the rules of it all.

"Please, I beg of you! Just let me go!" She cried but to no avail the man still held her in his grasp and refused to utter a single word. Like an ungrateful child, she began to kick and scream but to no surprise she could not overcome his strength.

Ainslie body was suddenly flung away. It was then that the man's body shifted in stance, moving to crouch down low on the ground - resting on his knees. But what little relief she felt was short lived as a growling filled her ears. Ainslie whimpered and without thought scrambled backwards into the strong legs of the man as her eyes scoured through the trees and bushes. The feral grumble filled the air once more and this time had the man lunging in front of her just in time as a mass of brown fur came barrelling forward straight at them.

He tackled the animal in mere seconds and wrestled it across the filthy ground, narrowly missing each deadly swipe of it's claws. The animal seemed tiny against the towering power of the man and yet it was relentless in it's attack, baring it's blood stained fangs at its opponent with no fear.

Its fur was filthy and matted to its vibrating body - large chunks of its coat missing to reveal the scarred skin. Its muzzle was short but bared sharp teeth in a furious snarl.

Thrusting its jaw forward the animal sank into the man's legs with a crushing strength. The man cried out agonisingly as his blood began to seep across his icy skin and stain the earth. Ainslie felt sick to her stomach and could feel the empty hole inside her body begin to churn violently. She had to look away or risk losing what little nourishment she had from last night's supper.

His cries of pain was all she could hear now and tears began to slip from her eyes as Ainslie curled into herself, already knowing of her fate. She was to die out here, torn apart by a rabid dog until her corpse rotted away into the earth and she was only but a distant memory in the minds of her father and his staff. Darneil, her betrothed, would only care about the loss of her inheritance rather than the loss of her life.

Her only hope of being saved had been praying that Darneil's thirst for fortune would overpower any fear he had of the beast and that he would seek to rescue her. Now there would be nothing to save.

Another painful howl of the man burst through the air until unexpectedly, Ainslie heard a short sharp whimper and a loud, bone cracking snap.

She laid there across the ground, her knees pressed painfully against her chest with her arms curled tightly around them. Her body quivered and her tears continued to fall, streaming endlessly down her cheeks as she waited with bated breath for her inevitable death.