Post by creamwolfgurl on May 12, 2007 1:42:37 GMT -5
I pushed through the mass of humans and other creatures, first just walking, then running, faster and faster. A sense of panic was racing through me and all I could think was. I have to get away. Away.
Behind me I could hear sprinting and the sound of feet dashing. I sped up, my eyes and mouth wide then suddenly; I was flying through the air, courtesy of somebody not moving out of my way.
I landed with a thump on the ground, winded and gasping. I could still hear running and shouting but now I didn’t care. I’d smacked my head on the earth when I’d landed and now the world was spinning dizzily in front of me so I couldn’t make sense of anything.
Rapidly, I heard the beat of wings and groaned at the shout that ensued. Jak! She’s over here.
I raised my head weakly. I’m meant to be running, I thought, I need to be. With this the only thought in my head, I staggered to my feet and shifted into a cat again. Then I looked around again, my vision clearer and hissed at Sairon, before leaping up a tree and disappearing. I concentrated and black wings unfurled from my sides. They weren’t big, didn’t need to be.
As I reached the top of the tree, I heard Sairon telling Jak where I’d gone and Jak’s voice was terse and worried. Without waiting, I flung myself off the topmost branches into the air and flapped frantically.
I was airborne, not a great flyer but I’d do.
I wheeled through the air for a moment before I got the flying sorted. Then I swooped below the tree line. I didn’t want to be seen and caught. I was going home and that was it.
What felt like two or three hours later, I was back as myself and walking quietly through the forest, completely lost but trying to find the way out. I’d gone past the stage of jumping at shadows into twitching at any sound. Except, there was no sound. The forest was dead silent and eerie. The phantom sounds that I heard were freaking me out so when I heard a stick snap loudly, I almost thanked it. Almost but not quite. Instead I changed again, into an owl as below the trees was dark.
The cheetah stepped out of the shadows and stared at me angrily. I could see that he had been anxious and now was completely pissed and taking the backseat, letting the cheetah’s instincts take over.
He circled me edgily, making fear coil into my gut and the owl hop around in a circle too, so my back wasn’t attacked. On silent wings, I launched myself into the air, trying to reach a high branch and comparative safety.
He leapt after me, paws somehow snatching me out of mid-air and slamming me onto the ground. I hadn’t cleared the ground enough to escape. Quickly, I racked my brain for something to change into, and a silver wolf lay on the ground instead of the owl.
I was still pinned though, and now the cheetah’s claws were digging into me. I growled and snapped at his muzzle, only an inch from mine.
Leave me alone! I snarled at him. He didn’t answer but regarded me angrily through fathomless green eyes.
Fear already planted, spread, coursing through me and from something in his eyes, I could see he knew that I was scared.
Jak! The words burst from me in a frightened howl. Leave me alone, you cruel stupid… I trailed off again.
The cheetah’s rage was like a living thing, and it grew at my words. Cruel? I am not cruel. You are Swift, you are.
I struggled again as a wave of terror swamped me, kicking and shaking myself. I wouldn’t give up, I wouldn’t.
Then he reached down and his jaws opened, only centimetres from my throat. Instantly, I was still, moving would just bring me closer to his teeth. I whimpered and closed my eyes. Okay, you caught me. Don’t hurt me. Please.
Shame ran through me, this was so horrible to be begging. It wasn’t in my nature and yet, here I was, crying and pleading.
I shifted again, back to my normal self, tears in my eyes as he towered over me. I forced the tears back, imploring him not to eat me was bad enough, crying like that would be worse. I was not going to cry in front of him.
Jak lay down, one heavy paw lying across me so I couldn’t run again. He didn’t speak and when I tried to move, he dragged me closer. Now I was silently yelling for help, on the outside I was silent and still but for an empty sob wracking me now and then.
I could only think of one way to escape and that was horrifying, but the way I looked at it, this was worse. So I summoned up what courage I had left and shifted, into a tiny lizard. To Jak, I hoped I just seemed to disappear but instead, I heard a cautious voice say Is she small enough yet?
Sairon! So he was here to catch me as well. His words didn’t impact on me until I was scooped into something small and confined.
I started to struggle but Jak, now human, warned me. “That bag cannot be ripped or broken so shifting to something big would kill you Swift. I don’t want that to happen, so don’t.”
I didn’t answer too busy crying inwardly. I felt them begin moving toward the way I’d come and then I tried to think what to do. Surely they wouldn’t do something that could possibly kill me if I tried to get away. Hanging my life on a maybe was hard but I was claustrophobic and scared. So I cringed and hoped and changed. I changed into a replica of Jak’s cheetah form but for the fact I was a panther, black as night. The bag ripped easily and I snarled and leapt blindly, shifting as I did so into the red winged fox.
I heard Jak’s angry shout, Sairon’s yell of surprise. I leapt again, beating my wings frantically to get high enough to get away. I managed it, barely. I felt the swipe from Jak’s claws at my tail as I struggled for altitude. Glancing behind me at Jak’s frustrated roar, I flew into a thick bough and fluttered dazedly before dropping like a stone to the forest floor below.
Once more my vision was a blur of colour and my head in a whirl. This time it was worse, I could only just make out Jak’s face as he scooped me up and I dimly noted I was human again. His voice was dull and muted, Sairon’s an empty sound and I couldn’t quite think. The last thing I heard before the blackness creeping along my vision covered me completely was, “She’s concussed, Sairon, we’re miles away. What’re we gonna do?”
It was late when I surfaced beside a fire, shivering and bleary-eyed. I couldn’t remember what had happened until…ulp I looked up into Jak’s worried and furious eyes. I tried to make sense of my surroundings and realised the mood around me was grim. I was lying down, my head in Jak’s lap and Sairon watching me from the other side of the fire.
I tried for reconciliation. “Sorry guys.” I groaned at my voice; it was scratchy and weak.
Silence.
I tried again. “I really am sorry.”
Jak shifted slightly, making my head throb. “You should be. We’re trapped out here and you have concussion.”
I’d kinda noticed.
Sairon added in a voice hoarse with fatigue. And we’re lost with it too dark for me too find our way. That’s on you Swift, all of it.
Well, gee thanks.
I lowered my eyes in disgrace. Jak seemed to have a kind of mind-control with his eyes, his willpower pushing you to do things. I couldn’t handle that at the moment so I closed my eyes and pretended to sleep. Sairon dozed off; I could hear his funny horsy snores. And Jak just lay down, being careful not to hurt me, laid my head on his stomach and stroked my hair gently. It was so gentle and caring that I actually did go to sleep, though it took awhile. I was comfortable, warm-though my head ached- and deeply humiliated.
I woke first, with my head pounding and Jak’s hand still tangled in my hair. I couldn’t move without getting black around the edges of my eyesight so I lay as still as possible and waited for Jak and Sairon to rise.
They didn’t take long, Jak carefully disentangling his hand from my tresses and moving my head to the ground while Sairon flitted into the air looking for the way to the village.
They checked the fire was properly out then Jak lifted me up and began to follow Sairon towards the village.
Every step jolted me but I didn’t say a word. They were both still angry at me forgetting them into this mess. Which wouldn’t have happened if they hadn’t kidnapped me.
I don’t know how long it was until Sairon yelled we were getting close. I was half unconscious and in pain so I didn’t actually care.
Jak lay me down again and stepped away to talk to Sairon. Obviously I wasn’t able to get away now. I sat up and nearly fell over again, the world tilted alarmingly and my head spun.
No, definitely couldn’t get away.
Jak came back and picked me up again with ease. Privately I was wondering how he was doing that; surely I wasn’t that light.
In a matter of minutes we came in sight of the castle towers and Sairon leapt into the air again, to find someone and tell them what had happened.
The worst of the whirlies were gone and I pushed at Jak, wanting him to let me down. He ignored me completely and I shoved harder, trying to swing my legs down to walk.
Then Sairon swept around the turn in the trail ahead, leading someone. My eyes widened in horror.
It was the King.
I really didn’t like the king and he was looking at me now with almost a leer in his eyes. I could see that from here and stopped fighting Jak, instead trying to curl into him. My face was now turned to Jak's chest but I could hear the king speaking kindly in sympathy. “What’s happened? Oh dear, tell me later, this poor girl needs some rest.”
I don’t need rest I thought, I need you to go away.
But another concept was in my head as I was carried to the tower room. Why am I here?
