Chapter 113

The war is here.

Scarlett's POV.

No, no, no... I wouldn't let this happen. I wouldn't allow my body to give out on me when I was so close to getting away. I wouldn't!

For the first time since I got out, I felt outraged. Why did I have to slip and fall now of all times when it was crucial for me to keep moving. I didn't even let angry tears blur my vision but thar was one of the worst possible things that could happen to me now. I needed to see properly and be alert. I already felt lucky as it was that I hadn't run into any enemies because I wouldn't stand a chance in a fight with them.

Again, I didn't know if it were my ears or if the battle was just that loud but the roars and cries I heard sounded louder than they should be. Closer. Again, I didn't dwell on it because there was no time left for dwelling and worrying. The only thing I needed to do was go.

I summoned another bount of strength, strength I didn't know I still had left in me. I awkwardly rose to my feet, shaking off the think mud that had casted itself around my legs like boots and carried on. If I thought about my back I would stop because thinking and feeling went hand in hand. If I stopped to think, then it was set that I would stop to feel the pain too, and I knew that that pain was unbearable.

I drew my feet along. They were dead and tired it I needed them to move for a little while longer, or at least until I found a safe place to hide and wait the war and rain out. Slow, I was too slow. I hated it. And what I hated more was that there was nothing I could do to increase my pace. Almost my whole body was on the verge of giving up and if I had the luxury of stopping to think about it, my body should have stopped working long ago.

A cry that sounded alarmingly close filled the air and it made me stagger in my tracks. I risked a look at where some of the warriors were fighting and I almost gave up right there. There were already bodies littering the ground and I didn't dare look to see which of the packs they were from, or even worse, check to see if I recognized any of them.

What made me nearly give out was the fact that they seemed closer than before. Those warriors that had been nothing but dots a short while ago where blobs now, bigger and more pronounced. I was sure if I looked carefully I would be able to identify any of them if I knew them.

What was happening? The battle looked odd. Where was Rush and Beta Ben? Where was the Alpha King because I knew he would be on the field as well. Derek too and Beta Raymond were no where to be found and I wondered. Was it not a war? Maybe they had sent a few warriors to cause unrest in the pack and Rush, Beta Ben and some others has gone ahead to do the same in theirs?

My brain started throwing possible answers after possible answers at me and I shut it all out. I didn't want to think about any of them.

I turned to face where I was heading and walked on, slowly. So slowly. I just prayed this little luck I had of not running into anyone lasted because if it didn't I was definitely going to be a goner. It felt almost funny that I was afraid of running into the Hidden Moon pack warriors instead of Derek's own warriors. Alpha Richard's warriors all knew me and thought there was no point to keeping me alive anyway so no one would hold it against them if they just went ahead to kill me for trying to escape. But the same could not be said for Derek's warriors because I wasn't around them as much all through the time I spent there, so maybe they didn't know me well. And with the way I looked now, even the ones who knew me would find it hard to identify that it was truly me. They would all just see a heavily injured and defenseless she wolf trying to get away from the war. I didn't think they would be bad enough to kill me if I appeared like that to them.

Another cry rang out and this time, I knew I wasn't imagining things or thinking them up. They were getting close to me which didn't make any sense. I wasn't a battle genius or anything remotely close to that but it was common sense that the defending pack would try to lead the one that was attacking away from the pack house and away from the women and children, but thar wasn't what was happening. It was as if they were going which ever way they were lead to, and that way was close and closer to the pack house.

It was impossible to quicken my pace so I prayed they would go slower than they were approaching. Rush, Derek and the others were still a no show and a feeling that didn't I didn't like one but was starting to take root in my chest. There was something I was missing and it disturbed me that I couldn't figure out what. A piece of the puzzle was her to be placed and I was left wondering exactly what kind of game both the Alphas of the packs were playing. Where were they even?

The rain and wind has calmed down a bit, but that was it. Just a bit. It was still pouring and it was still windy. Some trees still struggled to stay rooted to the ground while others fought to hold on to all their branches. If I could just get to the forest now then the trees would be the canopy covering me. It would only be slightly better but even that was better then being directly under the raging elements of the sky. I was soaked to my very bone and the rags I had on cling to me like it was my skin itself. My own skin was paper thin and almost non existent from malnourishment.

I didn't know why something told me to turn around, and I didn't know why I decided to obey it. But when I did, every ounce of blood I had left drained from my head and settled at my feet. The sight before me got me stuck and rooted to the ground like one of those trees that was fighting for it life.

From under me, the ground rumbled like it did before and I was left wondering if I should still chuck that time up to the weather. I looked at the forest ahead more carefully than I had since I got out here because the rumbling ground seemed to be originating from it. It was like something was coming from that direction.

I turned back again, watching the warriors approach and a sinking feeling was all I felt. I didn't like where this was going one bit. Please Moon goddess, let it not be what I was thinking.

"Damn it move you stupid legs!" I shouted powerlessly, as I stared at my legs that were nothing more than stumps. Tears bordered my eyes but I was too angry to let them flow. This couldn't be it! I felt like screaming but my shout would be drowned out by the rain and it would take too much energy.

"Come on please," I whimpered, like begging would make any difference. I just couldn't go down like this, not without fighting some more. As long as I could still think and as long as my heart was still beating in my chest, I would fight.

Through sheer willpower and strong- headedness alone, I moved my foot forward. I felt like I could conquer anything after that. I could do this, I thought, then started repeating the mantra I had formed in my head over and over again. I knew I could. I could make it.

Slowly but surely I advanced forward at a snail's pace, and I didn't bother to glance back as the warriors fought their way forward, approaching me slowly. I could hear them well enough. The cries and groans of some of them were gutteral and I shivered just thinking about the gruesome wounds some of them would go down with.

The forest looked like a daunting creature the closer I got and the steady rumbles I heard from it made my stomach sink. What was going on in there?

I chanced another look back at the chaos fastly unfolding and I swallowed when I sighted Rush. He was way back and he looked like he had already gotten in on the fight but right now, he stood barking orders at the surrounding warriors. I didn't like this one bit, and Alpha Richard was yet to show. When would he make his grand appearance?