Chapter 3 #2
The arrow flew toward the furthest dakya lurking in the trees, and Iryana was already drawing again. She fired two more arrows, both at the alpha, before she turned and ran, her heart beating wildly in her chest.
She needed to get as many of the beasts’ attention as she could, get as many to chase as she could.
There was no way the dakii would be more than annoyed by her arrows, but she could hear them racing after her. That was one thing they learned early. The beasts didn’t seem able to resist a chase.
She pumped her arms and legs as fast as she could, trying to keep her momentum despite her feet dragging in the snow and sliding in the mud that pooled in every low spot.
She knew why it was such a risky tactic, why it was more dangerous if it failed.
Leading a chase meant risking your life, but death wasn’t the concern.
If the dakii could be led far enough away, they would give up on the post, even if the runner was eventually caught instead of slipping away.
But if the dakii weren’t led far enough away, they would circle back.
Then the post would not only be down a fighter, but the adrenaline in those remaining would have flagged and injuries would be harder to ignore when they had to fight again.
She wouldn’t let that happen, couldn’t get caught. At least not yet.
Trying to ignore the thudding of huge, clawed paws hitting the ground and the growls of the dakii chasing her, Iryana focused on the earthy, damp smell of the mud and the sweet, grassy aroma of the pines that grew stronger every day.
She was exceptionally grateful for the hour-long runs she went on most days, up and down the sides of her valley.
Thankfully, she was passing through a part of the forest dense with pines, most of the longer branches higher up and out of the way of her wild flight.
She just had to avoid the snow banks that were too deep, the obscured logs draping across her path.
Hopefully, the beasts were as slowed by it as she.
Iryana didn’t have the benefit of being air-forged to run faster or of earth-forging to keep the ground from slowing her down. Nor did she have the safety net of metal-forging to fight off the dakii if they caught her. But she had her shield, and she knew the valley.
The dakii were fast but large, so they had trouble darting around the trees after her. They growled, the deep sound sending shivers down her back, and Iryana gasped with relief when she spotted the large tree she had been aiming for.
Iryana zigzagged between the last few clusters of trees, increasing the distance between her and the dakii, and raced toward the large Istrin pine.
She stopped in front of it, her feet skidding over the earth, and turned to face the dakii.
The alpha barreled right toward her, black teeth glistening with dripping saliva and silver-blue mane whipping wildly behind all six of its horns.
The rest of the dakii followed close behind.
She braced herself, breath shaking, and shoved her magic out as hard as she could. The translucent white shield expanded around her, the back just grazing the tree trunk.
Iryana hoped the shield would hold, that the plan would work. Hoped that even if she died, she would draw the dakii away.
The alpha slammed into her shield, and even though he didn’t touch her, Iryana was jolted back. A huge crack echoed through the forest as the tree behind her split apart.
When the dakya lunged again, Iryana threw herself to the side, letting it land on the still-falling tree as she crashed onto soft snow. She rolled, stopping when her body hit a tree, then quickly pulled herself up.
The alpha was already recovering, the second almost upon her. But she heard the wonderful sound of the rest of the pack running toward them.
It was working; she just had to get them further away.
Her eyes locked with the alpha dakya. His eyes were dark and wild, rage pouring out of them as if promising her death.
She had the pack’s attention, and now she had to lead them as far away as she could before they caught her.
Iryana bolted back into the forest, running as fast as she could.
Bushes and bare branches snagged the hem of her dress and scraped against her boots, pine branches cutting her cheeks and her arms as she ran past. She was going too fast to avoid them entirely, weaving through the trees with the densest brush she knew of.
A tug to her head nearly sent her sprawling, but it was just the black-dyed scarf ripping off her head, claimed by one of the trees.
Iryana risked a look around her.
The leaner, faster dakii were gaining ground off to either side of her, the alpha falling back to let the others close in on her.
She ran harder, her muscles burning. The dakya on the right got closer, so she veered left.
She desperately tried to maintain enough distance from the gnashing teeth and then cursed as she realized they were herding her toward a less-dense part of the forest.
She should have realized where they were leading her. Her stomach dipped as she briefly wondered if they had done so intentionally. But no, she knew the forest and they didn’t. They’d have passed through it only once just to enter the valley.
The further she got, the better chance her family had.
Based on the number chasing her, only a few could have stayed behind—and they could handle that many.
Especially if the enforcer helped, though she scrunched her nose up at the thought.
Her lungs were burning, her muscles on fire, but she hadn’t led the dakii far enough.
That desperation alone kept her on her feet.
Iryana threw out her shield again and dove to the left. Something collided with her magic but she didn’t stop to see what. Iryana scrambled back to her feet and headed straight toward the side of the valley, where the edge was a cliff too steep for the great dakii to climb.
Sweat dripped down her back despite the freezing chill seeping through her snow-dampened clothes and mud-soaked legs. Her long, golden-brown braids flapped behind her as Iryana dodged each tall silver tree.
Her body begged her to stop, to give up, but Iryana needed to see that her family was safe. That the post was safe. But she knew if she kept running, the beasts would eventually catch her. She needed to get out of the valley, get to higher ground. Iryana turned toward the sides of the valley.
The dakii were right behind her, but then the cliff was rising above her through the canopy of dark, waxy needles. The ridge before her was a decent distance from their hanging valley, far enough away to lose the dakii.
Iryana leaped onto the wall and started to scramble up it, holding out her shield a foot or so beyond her body.
The dakii reached the cliff moments after she did, leaping up and crashing into her shield.
Iryana cried out, digging her cramping fingers harder into the wall. Don’t fall, she begged herself as bits of dirt and rock fell down in front of her face, forcing her to stall.
Her whole body jolted every time the dakii ricocheted off her shield. Her teeth clenched as she forced breath after breath through her nose. Slowly, she resumed her climb.
Iryana thought she was safe once she’d climbed higher than the dakii could jump, but then the cliff shook. Her fingers scrambled for better purchase as she clung, head bowed as loose clumps from the cliff-side tumbled down over her back.
Panic seized her as she looked down at the dakii, just to watch as another one backed up, took a running leap, and launched itself at the cliff.
Everything shook, rattling from the impact, with more dirt and rocks falling.
She watched as the beast fell back to the ground, struggling to stand after how hard it had thrown itself.
The dakii were unnaturally obsessed.
She gasped as one of her hands slipped; the dakii growling below her. With a grunt, Iryana swung herself back up and climbed as fast as she could with the dakii throwing themselves at the cliff.
The cliffside was steep, with patches of half-dead plants interspersed along the exposed rock. The small ledges were enough to pull her body up, but they were also slick, the shallow roots of the plants easily ripping out.
Partway up, Iryana paused on a particularly good ledge, and looked down as she caught her breath.
Two of the dakii still paced at the bottom, no doubt hoping she’d fall, while the rest just watched.
Iryana could feel their eyes on her, even when she turned and began to climb again.
Her palms were sweating as her fingers clung to the rock.
There was a reason no one was supposed to scale the valley cliffs.
Every couple of years, one of the villagers would dare to try and be found in pieces at the bottom.
It wasn’t a good way to go; the fall wasn’t enough to kill you instantly.
Iryana had been climbing them for years due to equal parts desperation and stupidity.
When Iryana finally made it to the top of the cliff, where the slope higher up into the ridge wasn’t as steep, she looked down to see the dakii leaving. She crouched, hiding most of her body from view, and waited.
The dakii slipped into the trees and Iryana expected them to continue on, but they lingered.
She could barely see glimpses of their blue-gray fur, but they were just…
waiting. Iryana frowned, brow furrowing as she considered them.
The way these dakii fought, the way they chased her—she couldn’t deny they were using new tactics.
That realization seized her muscles like a fall into freezing water.
The dakii were still learning.
The adrenaline would only let her ignore her injuries for so long, but she couldn’t lead them back to the post. They seemed to have no intention of giving up the chase yet. Locked onto her like they were, could they smell her even so far away?
Iryana shuddered at the thought.
She turned in the opposite direction of home, heading along the top of the cliff just barely in view, leading them even further away. From her count, they were all still there. She would not turn back until they gave up.