Pirate Princess

Chapter 9

I rounded up my men to begin the chase of the runaway Pirate. She has almost a whole day’s ride ahead of us, but she doesn’t know the land like we do. Does she? I quickly shook that unnerving thought out of my mind. I discovered that the horse she had stolen was a newly caught wild mare that had not been broken. Surely Mysteri can’t get far on a horse like that.

My men and I will ride hard into the night and hope to gain some ground on her. The dog can’t ride a horse, so surely he will be slowing her down.

“Sir, where are we headed?” asks Eoj, my ever present right-hand man. He is the one who whipped Mysteri in the square. He’s furious that a woman could escape him and now he stares at me with a look of lecherous intent in his eyes. What is he planning on doing to Mysteri once we capture her…Do I even want to know… “We are going to pay the Fates a visit”, I say loud enough for all my men to hear. Complete silence greats my response.

I know they are not happy about this, for we have all heard the childhood bedtime stories of the evil winter wolves that hunt the woods up there. These wolves are said to suck out their prey’s souls and use them to make them smarter and more powerful. I shudder at the thought. As the wolves round up their prey, you are lured by images of beautiful women and then your soul is sucked out, leaving your body as an empty shell to wander the woods aimlessly. Does Mysteri know what she is getting herself into by going to the White Cap Mountains?

It’s finally nightfall and my men and I have entered into the thickest part of the woods. We have been on the hunt for Mysteri for four days and we have not found any sign of her. We have been hunted though by black figures and the Winter Wolves howls are steadily getting closer. I have been haunted by images of Mysteri and her beauty since entering the forest. I know my men are also being haunted by her beautiful form because they have falsely alerted that she was near. “Keep your eyes and ears alert for any signs of danger or the fugitive”, I whisper to my men over and over again. Fear can not creep into their minds or hearts or else the mission will be lost.

“You mean we aren’t stopping to make camp for the night?” asks one scrawny boy at the back of the line. “No, we continue to move.” I say as he stares back at me in wide-eyed horror.

The slight wind makes strange whistling noises through the trees as we continue to follow the game trail. Dark shadows play tricks on my mind. I think I see a glint of frosty green eyes high up in the trees. Just as soon as I see them though, they are gone. I can feel the heavy breath of the Winter Wolves rolling off of the snow on the ground. Their breath is leaving the ground slushy beneath my horse’s hooves.

“Sir, over here! There are hoof prints as well as dog tracks and booted feet. They must have stopped at some point to get a drink. I don’t see tracks though leading away from this spot.”

Interesting…”They must have taken to the water to disguise their trail. We will continue to follow the river until we see any more clues.” A wolfish howl pierces through the night air. We all look up in shocked horror. We have been surrounded by the Winter Wolves while examining the Pirates tracks.

“Ready your arrows” commands Eoj. The men follow orders and raise their arrows towards the Wolves. These wolves are iridescent and I’m not sure we can kill them. They look like spirits. “Ready, aim, fi…” shouts Eoj as a black shape falls out of the trees and lands on top of him. A knife is shimmering at his throat and emerald green eyes are staring back at me. Mysteri!

“Put your arrows down or else this guy gets it!” Mysteri shouts. I can’t see her but her green eyes give her location away. I signal for them to do as she says. “What do you want, Mysteri?” I ask with shaky breath.

“You!” and with that she tosses Eoj at my men. Arrows and limbs go everywhere in a tumble. A whinny comes from behind me and I am lifted off of my feet and onto the horse's back by a black arm that has snaked around my waist. “Hold on” Mysteri shouts at me and we take off pounding through the woods. The Winter Wolves don’t follow us but instead stay behind and keep my men at bay in their tight circle of terror. Will I ever see them again? “Where are you taking me?” I asked.

“I need you to help me figure out what the Queen wants from me and what I have to do with this stupid prophecy. The Fates are also going to help me with this.” All of a sudden, we burst through the last of the woods and are now on open land.