By The Light Of The Moon

Chapter 32

When Milly lifted her head and swiveled her ears for the third time, I stood up. I wasn't sure what she was hearing, but this wasn't normal behavior for her, and sitting beside a creek wasn't where I wanted to be at the moment.

As I walked over, her ears twisted back, then she looked up. I followed her gaze, scrutinizing the shadowy bushes and trees along the top of the ridge. I didn't see anything unusual in the dim moonlight, but I was getting jumpy and picked up my pace.

Right as I turned my attention to Milly, movement had my head jerking back up to see a man quickly stand up on the ridge and wave his arms in a sharp gesture. The air between us hazed momentarily, and even as I took a step back, something cascaded over me. I stumbled backward and tried to yank the netting off, now recognizing it as a fish net.

The weights and excess netting tangled around my feet, tripping me. Several men began rappelling down ropes as I tore at the netting, trying to get it off. I staggered to my feet and lifted it higher to locate the edge. The net was big enough it pooled around me, and my attempts to pull it off only made it twist tighter.

The first two men had reached the ground – my time was running out. I kicked at the netting, desperately trying to find an edge. It wrapped around my leg, making me stagger, and sending me to my knees. I grabbed my dagger and frantically sawed at the numerous cords.

"It's a trap!" I called out, hoping Shane hadn't already stumbled into a similar scenario.

The men were almost upon me, and I knew I didn't have a chance of escaping. With the clarity of thought that transcended my panic, I pulled off the necklace Shane had given me and threw it into the creek.

I had hired him as a guide, not a bodyguard, and no guide out there would risk their lives for a trader, regardless of how much they were being paid. Shane already said he had no intentions of getting caught by a vengeance-seeking war party. Returning his necklace was my way of letting him know that I was freeing him from the contract.

I continued to desperately hack at the ropes, freeing my head and both arms before callused hands grasped my arms and ripped my dagger from me. I was pushed roughly to the ground and pinned against the rocks and grass.

As hard as it was, I let my body go limp, offering no fight. With no weapons and my legs still trapped in the netting, I didn't stand a chance against trained soldiers. Nor did I want the one carrying a short club to have a reason to knock me unconscious.

They cut my backpack off and checked my belt and pockets for weapons, finding none. When I didn't offer a struggle, most of the men turned their attention and weapons to the forest. Two remained kneeling by me, their hands resting on my back as a warning not to move.

I heeded the silent order and rested my head against the cool stones as despair rolled through me. Despite our best attempts, we had stumbled into a trap. I wasn't sure what was going to happen now, but I was dreading it. I fervently hoped Shane had evaded capture.

Horse hooves pounded across stone and dirt, rapidly approaching. As they got closer, a rider called out, "Light the lanterns and watch the forest! The werewolf clawed out of the netting!"

They had underestimated Shane's werewolf form. I sighed in relief, although I knew I wasn't going to be so fortunate. As I appraised my situation, a hard knot formed in my stomach.

There were at least a dozen men present now, and after spending two weeks trying to catch us, they weren't about to let me out of their sight. There was no chance of slipping away unnoticed or tricking them.

A short series of horn calls came from the ridge above as lanterns were lit and crossbows were pointed at the trees. More horns echoed from various locations downhill, proof that we had sprung a rather large and well-planned trap. Even if I had managed to get onto Milly's back, they would have easily intercepted us, assuming they didn't shoot her or me to ensure we didn't escape.