Minstrel

Chapter #29 ~ Creak/Riptide/Stans

He was beautiful when he fought. His black hair blew in the wind as he spun and finished the wolf off. His eyes shown a stormy grey with rage as his glared at the wolves.

He shook with anger and the way he stood in front of her confused her. He was protecting her.

'Why?' Creak thought. 'Does he need to take me to the king alive?'

"ơཞ," Angel sang happily. "ɱąყცɛ ɧɛ ཞɛąƖƖყ ɖơɛʂŋ'ɬ ῳąŋɬ ყơų ɬơ ɖıɛ?"

Creak hated the way her heart skipped a beat at the words. That was ridiculous. How could Riptide care enough about her to protect her?
Creak didn't know what to think as Riptide watched the wolves and the wolves warily watched him back.

* * *

Seeing the fear in Creak's eyes as the wolf almost finished her off sent Riptide into a rage he had never felt before. The foul creature was going to kill her, but Rip wouldn't let that happen. He couldn't let that happen.

With a great battle cry, Rip ran right at the wolf and plunged his sword into it heart. He couldn't keep the crazed glare off his face as the creature fell to the ground. Creak looked at him wide-eyed. She was probably wondering why he would save her.

'Let her be confused.' He thought as the wolves circled them. 'I got better things to worry about.'

Not letting himself look at the beautiful criminal behind him, Rip focused on the wolves and accidently slipped a few seconds into the future.

The world felt brighter and it kind of hurt his eyes. The future was weird. Everything slightly glowed instead of being black and white like the past had been. The wolves around him growled with anger. He had killed one of their pack members and for that they would kill him.

'I'd like to see them try.' Rip thought with a glare as a grey wolf lunged at him.

Rip had seen it coming, so it was an easy kill. He positioned his sword where he knew the wolf would jump, so the creature landed stomach first onto it's pointed tip. It slid to the ground and Rip quickly ended its misery.

Glancing around at the three remaining wolves, one white and two grey, Rip narrowed his eyes.

'Come on!' He wanted to yell at them as the wolves kept their distance. 'There smart.' Rip thought. 'They've discovered I'm dangerous. They're making a new plan. They're waiting for me to make a mistake.'

Rip shifted his eyes to the red-eyed leader. "Come at me!" He yelled with his arms out tauntingly. His grey eyes narrowed and he growled. "I dare you!"

The wolf almost smiled at him. It liked a challenge. With a sharp whistle the beast attacked.

* * *

"Come at me!" Riptide taunted. He spread his arms and glared. "I dare you!"

Creak didn't know what he was doing, but she knew it wasn't smart. Maybe killing the first two wolves had made him a bit too cocky. She worried that he would get them killed.

Creak screamed as the white wolf jumped on Rip sending them both to the ground and knocking his sword out of his hand. Yelling, Rip held onto the beast and rolled across the snow. Creak would have watched the whole thing in horror if the other two wolves hadn't attacked her.
They both charged her and Creak scrambled to her feet. Running, she grabbed Rip's sword off the ground and held it in front of her. Her hand shook with fear as the wolves circled around her. She struggled to watch them both, fearing what would happen if they both attacked at the same time.

She wanted to look for Vern, but she couldn't take her eyes off the beasts. Doing so would definitely be the end of her. Creak smiled crazily. "I'm sick of waiting." She mumbled to herself. "Let's get this over with."

Taking a deep breath, Creak yelled and lunged at one of the wolves. She held the sword out in front of her as she slammed into the beast.

Creak had never used a sword before, but she figured if she just kept stabbing at her enemy it would eventually die.

"Kill it!" Gorgos laughed giddily. "Kill it! Kill it!"

"I'm trying!" Creak screamed as she repeatedly hit the wolf with Rip's sword. "It's a lot harder than Rip makes it look!"

Eventually her strategy worked and the wolf made one last whistle before it went still.

Covered in blood and breathing heavily, Creak turned to the last wolf. "You want a turn?"

The wolf's yellow eyes widened and it growled to show off its teeth. Slowly it crept towards her and Creak couldn't keep the smile off her face. If it wanted a fight, she would give it a fight.

"Creak!" A voice cut through her concentration and almost brought her to her knees. Stans. Her brother had found her.

She almost turned around, but the wolf's growl reminded her that she was still in danger. "Stans." She said without looking away from the wolf. "Don't come any closer."

* * *

Stans could hear the fear in his baby sister's voice. She didn't want him to come any closer, but she was in danger. Creak was his responsibly; she was his only family. She was the only one he loved; his only reason to live. If she died, he would die with her.

Seeing his little sister, bleeding and in pain, changed something in Stans. He wasn't scared anymore. He knew what he needed to do. He wouldn't stay away like Creak had told him. He wouldn't let her die while he still lived.

So when the wolf lunged at his sister, he stepped in front of her.

* * *

"Stans!" Creak screamed as the wolf relentlessly sliced its claws through her brother's stomach. "No!"

She grabbed the wolf and, with a strength she didn't know she had, threw it. The beast slammed against the ground and Creak ran at it with Rip's sword raised above her head. She wouldn't give it time to get up and attack anyone else.

Kicking the wolf down again, Creak slammed the sword down and straight through the beast's neck. Breathing heavily, Creak kicked the head as hard as she could sending it into the woods.

"No one hurts my brother!" She growled before the sword slipped out of her hand and she ran to Stans.