Kidnapped

Chapter 2

Ash cut off a grape shoot. "Why are you so against being a scout?" He tossed the shoot away and cut another one.

"I'd rather stay." Fern trimmed her own vine. "It's exciting out there, but we'd probably get eaten, or worse, bitten by some sort of monster."

Ash snipped another shoot with his shears. "At least your hair's blonde. I stick out like a sore thumb here." He gazed toward the forest, where Nelgen stood guard. "Out there, no one would care about our parentage. Besides, I hear werewolves and werecats don't normally bite people. I mean, Thorne got exiled for it."

"One bit Mitch," Fern snapped. Wasn't that proof enough for Ash? Then again, he hadn't been there when Mitch ripped Violet apart. Fern glanced at the dark forest. Being here in the gardens was as far from Refuge as Fern wanted to be. Out here, no wall stood between the humans and the forest.

"Thorne's not like Mitch." Ash eyed the forest. "He came here looking for help, and we locked him up. He has plenty of reason to want us dead, but he hasn't attacked anyone."

Fern glanced at Nelgen. He cradled a rifle and scanned the forest surrounding Refuge. Though the forest was technically part of Refuge's territory, no civilians ever went farther than the edge. Bandits, werewolves, and even vamps hunted in the dark places.

Ash clipped off a few more tendrils. "Let's hurry. Maybe Robiel's still talking about Fort Roland."

More than likely, Robiel had finished discussing the fort and moved on to talk of trading. The trading talk was always boring. Robiel would go on and on about how one random town had a shortage of corn, while another had too many sheep. The most exciting thing would be if Robiel found a stash of silver or some other thing that had been hoarded before the vamp apocalypse.

Fern went back to trimming grape vines as the sun rose to its peak.

"The humans hate us." Ash shot a glare at Nelgen, who seemed more interested in the twins than the forest. Why couldn't Nelgen have guarded the people planting potatoes in the other field? Had he just wanted to annoy Ash and Fern?

"Some people like us," Fern said.

"Those loser boys like you because you're different," Ash snapped. "They're not real friends. They just think you'd look pretty hanging on their arms."

Nelgen stepped off the mound of dirt and walked to the nearest trees. Fern looked away. The last thing she wanted to see was a guard relieving himself. She went back to trimming the vines.

Something large, probably horses, crashed through the forest. Fern looked up.

A trio of horses charged past the edge of the fields and between the rows of grapes. They loped straight toward Fern and Ash.

"Run!" Ash shoved Fern toward the walls of Refuge.

A rider on a red horse cut them off.

"Help!" Fern shouted.

Ash charged the rider, his tiny sheers raised like a weapon.

A huge tawny werecat burst from the trees, leaped over a grape arbor, and pounced on Fern.

Fern punched the werecat in the nose.

It roared.

Fern punched it again, landing a blow on the werecat's lips and teeth.

A gunshot rent the air. The werecat stumbled, then ran. Another bullet slammed into it, and the feline fell in a heap.

One of the riders swung off his horse and returned fire. The other two bolted. One of them had Ash slung over the saddle.

Fern leaped to her feet as the last rider, the one who had shot at the wall, climbed back onto his horse and raced after the other two.

The riders bolted into the forest and out of sight.

Guards raced through Refuge's gates and into the open fields. More guards and gardeners ran from one of the other fields.

Where was Mom? Fern searched for the telltale blonde hair her mother sported. Finally, she spotted her mother stumbling through the field. One of the girls held her arm.

Fern raced to Mom. "They took Ash."

"Are you okay?" Mom's cloudy eyes gazed past Fern.

"Everyone inside," a guard shouted. "Now!"

Fern grabbed her mother's arm. "This way."

The guards herded them through the gates and into Refuge.

Two guards dragged Robiel through the gates ahead of Fern.

Once they were through the gates, Fern shepherded her mother to Robiel. The guards had eased him to the ground. Blood stained one shirtsleeve.

"What happened?" Fern asked the nearest guard.

Robiel propped himself up on his good elbow. "Got shot in the arm and fell off the wall. My ankle's in a bad way. The arm's just grazed."

"He was trying to get a good shot on that cat," the guard said.

Fern knelt by Robiel. Her knees shook too much to keep standing. What was wrong with her? Robiel had never gotten this shaken up because of action.

"Are you okay? Did it bite you?" Robiel asked.

Blood dripped from Fern's hand. She must have sliced her hand open on the werecat's teeth.

The next part is posted on my blog: https://jessilroberts.wordpress.com/tag/kidnapped/