The Sapphire Broach

Chapter 15 (rough draft)

"What was that?" Ivy sat up and heard Sweetie whinny.

"Wolves."

Wolves! What were they to do? It was too dark to see anything, but the wolves would be able to find them.

They howled again, much nearer.

"Kenric!" She crawled toward his bedding and bumped heads with him.

"Ouch."

"We have to light a fire," she cried.

He placed his hands on her shoulders and his touch momentarily eased a few of her fears. Then the wolves wailed again.

"Yes." He stood and ran to Sweetie. "Gather whatever sticks and branches you can find. I have some matches in one of these packs. Hurry!"

Ivy crawled around and grasped anything her fingers touched and gathered it into a pile. Kenric knelt beside her and struck his match. It caught the kindling, and lit up the area. In its light, she gathered more branches while he added it to the growing fire.

Sweetie continued to whine and the sound of the wolves neared.

Ivy knew they needed larger branches to keep the wolves at bay, but there was nothing large nearby. She glanced at Kenric tending the fire, then crept just passed the range of its light into the surrounding trees. Branches littered the ground and she quickly gathered an armful and raced back to the pile.

She stepped into the woods again and collected a few more large branches. Then she heard a growl and a twig snap in front of her. Several sets of eyes glowed in the darkness.

Slowly she righted herself and took a trembling step backward. She dared not run or make any sudden movements. The wolves moved nearer and bared their teeth.

"K-Kenric," she tried to call his name, but only a whisper escaped her constricted throat. What was she to do? If only she had a weapon . . . then she remembered the bundle of sticks in her arms. She could use one to beat off the animals.

She continued to back up and hoped to reach the light of the fire before any of the wolves charged. Her surroundings came into clearer focus with flickering light and she knew she was near.

Then a wolf charged.

She screamed and dropped the sticks except for one which she swung like a club and hit the wolf in its snarling maw. Another darted forward followed by a third. She swung again, but missed and the wolf bit the hem of her dress and pulled her forward.

She struck the animal on the head with her stick, then she heard a swish of metal. Kenric jumped in front of her and impaled the wolf with his sword.

"Get back to the fire!" He struck another wolf. Then he backed up and pushed her along behind him.

They reached the fire and the wolves closed in. Ivy thrust her stick into the fire, let it catch, then swung it around to keep the wolves at bay.

Sweetie's whinnies became nearly a shriek.

Kenric took the torch from Ivy. "Build a second fire! Over there."

"Why?" she called over the pounding of her heart.

"They're going to get my horse! I'll keep them back while you build the fire, then bring Sweetie and we'll stand between the fires."