Winters' 3 Dears- The 12: Book Three

30. Annan Water

January Frost smirked and dabbed his dripping eye as Philemon came back from relieving himself with a stern look on his face. "Not what you're used to, city boy?" he asked and laughed.

Philemon looked down at the man reclining on a mat biting into a roasted squirrel. "I'm supposed to have found Ladybird by now and been back home," Philemon said. "Instead I'm peeing in bushes in this forsaken wilderness."

January snickered and looked at his nearby companions and China Doll. "Relax," he said dabbing his eye. "We're in Yellowstone." He raised his arms to indicate the untamed world around them: the towering trees, the roaring river of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and the sweet cold mountain air. "China Doll, play the erhu again. China Doll?" He turned his head to see her staring blankly. "Are you unwell?"

China Doll shook her head rapidly and picked up the instrument. She hated the moments when he asked questions like that. It was too human for such a beast.

Philemon watched all the men relax to the music. Looking at January he saw he had his eyes closed as if he didn't have a care in the world. He found himself a tree and was about to sit himself under it when a commotion came from the nearby woods. The music stopped and everyone looked up as the man sent after Ladybird and claimed he had been attacked by a wolf and another one of about the same height came out of the woods hauling a man dressed all in black.

Everyone was on their feet as the spy was thrown to the ground.

"We found him in the bush sir," the first man said. "He's certainly from the EAK."

China Doll pushed through the crowd and looked down at the man on the ground. Her heart sank when she saw it was Osprey. Their eyes met briefly before he turned away.

January squatted down in front of Osprey and grabbed him by his hair. "So, they sent you to spy on me did they?" he asked and all the while Osprey kept a tight lip and a brave face. "Do you know what we do with spies from the EAK? Huh?" He pushed him face down in the dirt and stepped on his neck. "Looks like we know how your girl has been staying ahead of us," he said to Philemon.

Philemon stepped forward to take revenge on Osprey but others held him back.

January removed his foot from the back of Osprey's neck and he sat up coughing. The sound of metal brushing metal broke the tranquil morning as January unsheathed his sword. "Get him up," he ordered and two men pulled Osprey to his knees. January looked into the youngman's brave eyes and smiled. "I'd shoot you," he said leveling the sword with Osprey's neck, "but I wouldn't want to draw attention to our location."

The blade shimmered as it passed through the sunlight. With a hissing sound it came back toward its target glimmering like silver. CLANG. There was a long pause and for a minute no one knew what was going on.

"China Doll?" the words left January's mouth.

China Doll thought her heart would pop out onto the ground as she stood between him and Osprey with her crossed blades blocking his.

"You're the spy."

Thrusting upwards China Doll pushed him backwards. "Run, Osprey!" she shouted pushing him to his feet. They dove into the woods with the Windstalkers right after them. "Run faster!" she shouted. A shot rang out and Osprey grabbed his arm. There was another shot, the bullet cracking a branch. They couldn't out run them. "Don't stop!" China Doll said to Osprey before she turned to face her opponents.

Quick as lightening she charged back toward them. With a leap she propelled herself through the air and added a spin to increase her velocity. Blades ready she clashed with the first Windstalker, knocking his pistol from his hand. You're not a killer. The words echoed in her mind but she knew this was a fight to the death.