Secrets and Guardians: Devious Intentions, H. Chambers [android based ebook reader txt] 📗

see anything unusual in a tall tree they passed, did not see the emerald green eyes watching them or the other strange creature next to him. Igmy had just become a tree guardian, just like Gadolin, but sadly for Igmy he didn't look like a tree trunk covered in vines. Instead he looked like a dead, decaying, misshapen tree trunk covered in Hairy Stereum fungus, not the best look even for a tree sprite. Especially when, like Gadolin’s 'vines', the big fungus looking blobs covering Igmy's body pulsated when he ran and on occasion burst like some huge acne spot covering Gadolin in a gooey residue. Igmy's face was lop sided and unlike Gadolin’s emerald green eyes, Igmy's were more of a milky yellow. Luckily for Igmy there were no mirrors in the forest. Gadolin had been teaching Igmy to walk, run and climb trees, he was doing really well considering he was only two days old, well a two day old tree guardian, he had been a lot older than that in his human life.

Adrenalin gave Ami the energy to keep up with rest. Mankin had had to put Lowe down as his size made it difficult getting through the trees. Although they went as fast as they could, it was obvious by the sound of barking it would not be long before they were caught. Mankin knew what he would do, when the time came, he could not take on the hounds and the men together and hope to survive, but he could do them a lot of damage and give the rest a chance.

Eventually they came to a small clearing, with a large mound in the centre. They stopped for a moment deciding which direction to take. To the left the ground seemed to slope down, possibly leading to a stream. Snapper started sniffing the ground and wagging his tail. He then sat on the mound. When the rest started heading out of the clearing Snapper just sat there.

'Come on Snapper,' said Glint, 'come on there's a good boy, COME ON!'

Snapper stood up and lowered his head facing the way they had just come and growled.

'Come on Snapper, you can't take on those hounds, they will rip you apart,' shouted Glint losing his patience, but Snapper wouldn't budge. Unable to wait any longer Glint ran after the others.

The ease at which Gadolin moved through the trees meant he could keep stopping to check on the pursuers and then easily catch up to the others again, Igmy was doing his best to keep up behind him. They were just about to carry on after Glint but stopped when they saw Snapper sitting on the mound. Looking back they could see the four hounds approaching, their large sleek black bodies, long pointed faces and ears. They looked vicious and Snapper looked doomed. As the hounds came into the small clearing Snapper lowered his head and growled. Taken by surprise the hounds stopped, looking at Snapper they in turn lowered their heads and began to growl. The pack leader moved slowly forward never taking his eyes off his prey, the others followed close behind. This would not take long. The leader crouched ready, with one leap he sprang at Snapper, who promptly disappeared down a rabbit hole. Confused by the sudden disappearance of his prey the hound looked down at the mound, at that same instance rabbits began to emerge dashing in all directions from different holes in the mound. Unable to stop themselves the hounds began to frantically chase the rabbits.

The scene was chaos and funny to Gadolin and Igmy. From his vantage point Gadolin could see Snapper slowly emerge from one of the rabbit holes and tentatively look around, seeing his chance he darted out and into the under bush. Unfortunately one of the hounds saw him and giving a howl to the others they abandoned the rabbits and chased after him.

Heading back out of the forest Snapper passed the men. The men stood still and looked as their hounds, nearly knocking them down in their haste, ran past them heading back the way they had just come. Shouting and cursing the men turned and tried to get them to come back. The hounds, however, had only one thing on their minds and nothing was going to stop them. On open ground the hounds would have easily caught him, but here in the forest Snapper, being small managed to keep ahead. When he ran out of forest, the hounds sensed their opportunity. Snapper, his heart ready to burst, bolted for one of the wagons, up the steps and through the little dog flap in the door.

Back in the forest the three men started arguing. Without the dogs they were uncertain of which way to go. How many were with the Princess? Jed had seen the circus act in Brinkton, the acrobats were also knife throwers and there had been a strongman and a Mankin. The other two, Burrell and Decker, had bows, if they could just catch sight of them, they might be able to take them down. The acrobats had knives though, what if they had doubled back in a bid to ambush them. Jed suggested they went back and got the dogs, but what if Garth came back?

Just then there was a noise from a tree not far from them, then the sound of a branch breaking. Decker raised his bow and sent an arrow into the branches. Something fell and made a loud 'thud' as it hit the ground. Jed ran, sword in hand to where it fell. Lying on the ground was a hideous demon all twisted and mouldy looking, despite an arrow sticking out of it, it was still alive. Jed raised his sword ready to hack it to pieces. Something grabbed his wrist and with inhuman strength lifted him off the ground. By the time Burrell and Decker reached him, Jed was frantically trying to wriggle his whole body so whatever had a hold of him would lose their grip. The other two stared opened mouthed at the thing in the tree; and then when the demon on the ground got up, arrow still sticking out of him, they were off. Jed stopped struggling and tilted his head back to see what had a hold of him. It was the tree itself, with two green eyes looking down at him. Jed dropped his sword, Gadolin dropped him. Jed ran in terror.

'Sorry Gad,' said Igmy trying to dig out the arrow.

Gadolin jumped down from the tree.

'It's OK. They will probably agree not to tell anyone, won't want people thinking they are mad, here let me give you a hand with that,' said Gadolin.

They both tried to pull out the arrow. Eventually Gadolin had Igmy lying on the ground with him standing on top, legs either side of the arrow pulling for all he was worth but it still wouldn't come out.

'How about we just snap the shaft off, the head will work its way out eventually,' suggested Gadolin.

It did not take long for the three terrorised men to make it back to the wagons and their horses. Burrell collapsed on the ground holding his chest, he was getting too old for this. Decker went to his horse and took off the saddle bags, inside one was a small skin of brandy, taking a swig he went and sat next to Jed and Burrell.

'Well what are we going to do now? There's no way I'm going back into that forest,' said Decker glancing across at the dogs who were now just sitting staring at the back of one of the wagons.

Jed sat up, 'What are we going to tell Garth?' he said.

'A little terrier out witted the dogs and we fled the forest from a demon that looked like a dead tree!' said Burrell.

'Two demons,' corrected Jed.

'OK. One demon that looked like a dead tree and one live tree that looked like a demon, still doesn't sound that good,' said Burrell standing up. 'I think I'll get those stupid hounds tied up,' he added.

With the dogs tied up, Snapper's head appeared out of the door flap seeing his chance he ran back to the forest. The men searched the wagons for food, ending up settling for some dry biscuits, cheese and fruit.

'If we go back to Kerdred without the Princess, he'll give us to the Nefkins for sport,' said Burrell.

'That's if he is in a good mood,' said Jed with a mouthful of cheese.

'Oh demons spawn, here comes Garth now,' said Decker.

The three men stood and looked towards the approaching riders.

'That's not Garth,' said Burrell.

'I feel a sudden change of loyalties coming on,' said Jed. 'But let’s just be cautious, they may think we have killed the Princess and not give us a chance to explain.'

'Let's sit down, harder to kill a man when he's sitting down,' added Decker.

'Is that so? Never found it a problem myself,' replied Burrell.

'There's only four of them, you two could probably take them down,' said Jed hopefully, feeling a bit nervous without his sword.

Burrell and Decker lifted their bows and aimed.

The oncoming riders stopped, they were still a little far away for an accurate shot. Two of the riders turned their horse’s side on lifting their own bows ready to return fire.

'What do we do now?' whispered Burrell to Jed.

'Guess we do what Decker suggested,' Jed whispered back.

Ghale and Ebblin, controlling their horses with their legs, slowly approached the sitting men, arrows aimed steadily at them. The three men raised their hands. Breaker slid down from Hugo and casually walked past the snarling dogs. Picking up the two bows off the ground he wandered over to one of the wagons and brought back a length of rope. Knowing what was coming the men obediently positioned themselves so Breaker could tie them up. Once that was done everyone began to relax a bit, except the dogs. Snarling and barking they pulled on their restraints. Breaker looked across at them and nodded to Ghale and Ebblin.

'Don’t kill the dogs, they're just doing what they were trained to do, if you let me loose I’ll calm them down,' begged Burrell misunderstanding Breaker’s intention.

Breaker looked down at Burrell and then walked over to the dogs, standing in front of them, just out of reach of their snapping jaws, he stared at them. They were still snarling and lunging at him, but he didn’t flinch. Ghale and Ebblin had lowered their bows and were watching intently. The dogs began to tire, realising they couldn’t intimidate this man and being unable to reach him, they began to quieten. Breaker still didn’t move. Bella got down from Glint’s horse and tethered it to one of the wagons, their own horses would not stray, so she left them to graze. She then joined Ghale and Ebblin who were sitting quietly waiting for Breaker to finish with the dogs. The dogs finally stopped growling, but were still visibly nervous and unsettled. Breaker turned his back on them and sat down. The pack leader, feeling less threatened sniffed at Breaker’s back, a few minutes later all the dogs were either sitting or lying down. Breaker then very slowly lay down on his back so that his head was within reach of the dogs, none of them reacted.

'Now,' said Bella addressing the men, 'start talking'.

Jed told her everything, even about the demons, he didn't expect her to believe him, but she just nodded now and again.

'Where's the little dog now,' asked Bella.

'When I tied up the hounds he bolted back into the forest,' said Burrell.

Ghale, Ebblin and Bella walked away from the men.

'Lowe and the Princess will be fine, Glint will get them through the forest, we should get going now,' said Ghale.

Bella nodded her head. 'I know, it's just hard to leave them. Lowe said she had been unable to see anything past her going into the forest, I just worry what she meant by that.'

Glint, Lowe,