Embers of Frost

Chapter 21 - Dawn (Part 2)

No sooner had Dawn began running, that the men yelled and chased after her, their footsteps getting dangerously close. One of them managed to almost catch her but she evaded him, his fingers pulling off her hood. She heard them gasp, one of them saying, "Shadows!"

That only made them quicken their pace. Dawn didn't dare to look behind her, in fear that it would only scare her. She found herself nearing the market street once more, taking the massive crowd to her advantage. She ducked into the crowd and slipped the hood over her head again, weaving through the people. They might be stronger, but she was faster and smaller.

"Move aside! We need to catch that girl!"

She hastily pushed past the people, almost crashing into a decorative stall. The man shook an angry fist at her, as she nodded apologetically. People were surprised at her actions, a few annoyed as well, but none tried stopping her.

Crash!

She spun around at the sudden sound, seeing a large fruit cart fallen over. One of the men who had been chasing her had tripped into it, covered from head to toe in apples, strawberries and the like. A woman started screaming, another man yelling curses. The man's companions tried pulling him out, but he was wedged right into it.

This will buy me some time.

"Might I interest you in a beautiful trinket?"

Dawn bumped against something hard, looking up to see a hooded man staring down at her. Deep sapphire eyes were boring into her, the ghost of a smile on his lips. She pulled away at once.

"I don't have the time for this," she said, sidestepping him.

But he imitated her movement smoothly, blocking her path again. "A beautiful necklace for a beautiful girl? The color will suit you well."

"Not right now," she growled, and stretched out a hand to push him aside.

But the man caught it easily, curling his fingers around her own. He pulled her close with ease, laying a firm hand on her mouth. "Don't make a sound," he whispered.

He hauled her away from the commotion and into an empty passageway. Her screams were muffled as she struggled against him. He didn't seem fazed in the least though, like kidnapping young girls was an everyday thing for him.

She opened her mouth and bit down on his palm. The man released her, clutching at his hand. "It could have hurt more," he said, shrugging.

That didn't hurt him? Is he even human?

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked, stepping away from him.

The man had the nerve to ponder upon her question, which only infuriated her further. "Helping you out, I suppose? And here I thought your friend was the feisty one. At least she didn't bite me."

That stopped her from hitting him again. "My friend?"

He nodded, though his hood was still obstructing most of his face. She couldn't even see his eyes clearly, forget the hair. "The one with the horses. She would have been hurt if it wasn't for me."

Dawn raised an eyebrow. "Hurt? I'm sure it would be the other way around, uh..."

"No time for introductions," he said, waving a hand. "You need to leave before they catch you for stealing."

"We weren't stealing!" Dawn protested. "It was borrowing... yes, borrowing! We just need the horses for some time."

"I don't appreciate lying people," he said, his tone harder. "I know you stole the horses, don't lie to me about 'borrowing' them. Old Ben doesn't react this way otherwise." He clapped his hands together. "Right then, follow me. I'll take you someplace safe."