Chapter 10: The Final Ambush.
The forest was alive with terror, the once silent woods now filled with the frantic shouts of panicked raiders. They ran through the underbrush, tripping over roots and crashing through branches, their fear palpable in the way their voices trembled.
“How many of them are there?” one raider cried out, his eyes wide with terror as another trap snapped shut somewhere behind him, followed by a bloodcurdling scream.
“I can’t see them! Where are they?” another shouted, his voice cracking as he blindly fired his weapon into the trees. The gunfire echoed, harsh and uncontrolled, doing little more than disturbing the eerie quiet that followed each death.
Ava moved silently through the chaos, her mud-streaked body blending into the shadows of the trees. She was a ghost, invisible to the raiders but ever-present, her knife flashing as she took down one man after another. Each kill was quick, precise. The raiders didn’t even have time to scream before they fell.
“Where—where are they?” a raider stammered as he backed away from the latest body to drop at his feet. His breath came in ragged gasps, his eyes darting wildly in every direction.
Suddenly, the man next to him let out a strangled gasp, his throat slit cleanly by Ava’s blade. The raider whirled around, firing his weapon randomly into the forest, the rapid gunfire lighting up the night for a brief second. But there was no one to hit. Ava was already gone, melted back into the shadows.
Another trap snapped shut somewhere ahead, followed by more screams. The remaining raiders huddled together, their backs to one another, desperate to fend off an enemy they couldn’t see.
“They’re everywhere!” one raider yelled, his voice thick with fear. “How many of them are there?”
“They’re not everywhere,” a grizzled voice called from behind the group. Garrick, the raid leader, stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as he surveyed the carnage. “It’s just one or two of them. They’re playing with us.”
His words did little to comfort the men. They looked at him with wide, fearful eyes, but none dared speak. Garrick scowled. “Spread out! Find them!” he barked, but his command lacked its usual authority. His fear was starting to show.
Ava, hidden in the shadows, watched Garrick with cold calculation. She could see the cracks in his bravado, the way his hands twitched toward his weapon, the beads of sweat gathering on his brow.
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It was time.
She stepped out of the darkness, her knife catching the light for a brief second as she stalked toward him. “Looking for me?” she called out, her voice low and menacing.
Garrick froze, his eyes locking onto her. For a moment, neither of them moved. Then, without warning, Garrick bolted, his fear finally breaking through his hardened exterior. He crashed through the underbrush, his heavy footsteps echoing through the woods as he tried to escape.
Ava didn’t hesitate. She gave chase, her body moving with practiced ease as she weaved between the trees. Garrick’s foot caught in one of her traps, sending him sprawling to the ground with a yelp of pain. He scrambled to his feet, but it was too late. Ava was on him in an instant.
She tackled him to the ground, her knife flashing as it found its mark in his leg, disabling him. Garrick howled in pain, his hands fumbling for his weapon. But Ava kicked it away, her boot pressing down on his chest, pinning him to the ground.
“You killed my friends,” she growled, her voice low and dangerous. “And now you’re going to pay.”
Garrick gasped, his eyes wide with fear. “Wait—please, wait,” he stammered, his hands trembling as he tried to push her off. “I can pay you! Whatever you want, I’ll—”
“Save it,” Ava snarled, her grip on the knife tightening. “You don’t get to beg.”
She raised the knife, her eyes dark with fury. Garrick’s breath hitched in his throat as he realized what was coming. He tried to squirm away, but Ava’s boot held him firmly in place.
Just as she was about to strike, Talon’s voice broke through the haze of her anger. “Ava!” he called out, his voice weak but insistent. “It’s over.”
For a long, tense moment, Ava didn’t move. The knife hovered over Garrick’s throat, her chest heaving with rage. Then, slowly, she looked up at Talon. He was leaning against a tree, his face pale, but his eyes were steady. “Let it go,” he murmured.
Ava hesitated, her breath coming in sharp, shallow bursts. Her hand trembled as she stared down at Garrick, the weight of her emotions pressing down on her. But Talon’s voice pulled her back from the brink. She lowered the knife, her body sagging with exhaustion.
Without a word, she reached down and pulled a length of cord from her pack. She tied Garrick to the nearest tree, making sure the knots were tight enough to hold but not enough to kill him. Garrick whimpered, still trying to bargain, but Ava simply gagged him, silencing his pleas.
"You’re lucky he’s here," she muttered coldly, her eyes narrowing as she tightened the gag.
Talon’s voice came from behind her, grim and steady. “I wouldn’t say he’s lucky just yet.” He glanced toward the treeline, where the distant howl of wolves echoed through the night. “Looks like something else is hunting... and they’re not looking for revenge. They’re looking for food.”
Garrick’s eyes widened in terror as he struggled harder against his bonds, his muffled cries barely audible through the gag. Ava stood, casting one last look at the doomed raider before turning to help Talon walk.
“Let’s go home,” she murmured, sliding an arm under Talon’s shoulder.
As they moved through the trees, Ava’s grip tightened slightly, her voice softer now. “Thank you,” she said quietly.
Talon, wincing from the pain but still alert, glanced at her. “For what?”
Ava didn’t look at him, her focus ahead, but her voice carried the weight of her gratitude. “You know what for.”
Talon gave a small nod, understanding passing between them unspoken. Together, they walked into the night, leaving Garrick to the cold wind and the dark woods.