Demi~

"No..." I whispered. How could this have happened? I sit on the ground, my head in my hands .This whole thing is going WRONG! We haven't found any of the missing children yet, and we had found a little boy, dead. Now I was frustrated. 

"Should we hold a funeral?" Iyara said softly.

"Yes I think we should," Jeannie replied.

So we held an impromtu funeral, even though we didn't know who he was. A couple of the girls collected flowers, and the boys dug a little grave. When the sorrowful ceremony was over, we all continued on the path until dusk.

I was still upset about how little progress we were making when we set up camp for the night. While the campfire burned, I suddenly stood up and walked away, into the dark, spooky forest of trees. We are going to find those poor children. I thought, trying but failing to reassure myself. A branch cracked behind me, and I spun around. It was Bradley. 

"Please leave me alone," I said.

"Why aren't you with the rest of us?" he asked.

"I said, leave me alone please," I repeated.

"Ok, but-"

"Is it really that hard to just LEAVE ME ALONE?" I yelled the last part.

"Ok! Geez! It isn't safe out here, so come back soon."

"Hmph." I said to myself. Then I tried to think of where the children could be. A monster could have taken them, or maybe a criminal, though what would be their motive? A ransom? I sighed and sat down. 

After a while I stood up and started to walk back to the campsite. But then, someone clapped a hand to my mouth, grabbed my hands and tied them behind my back, and whispered: "We've got you now.", before punching me. Hard.

When I opened my eyes I was tied to a tree. I frantically looked around. Tied to the tree next to me and staring at me with wide eyes was little Jakob!  

AAA I forgot I was in this!! I just read through it all and I really hope it's not to late to jump in! If it is, you can disregard this post.

Caston~

I lay on my blanket by the fire, staring up at the canopy of dark leaves above me. I haven't been able to sleep all night, and the sky is just beginning to brighten. I can't get the image of that little boy out of my head... I close my eyes and listen to the crackling of the fire, but even that is no longer comforting, not after we found our camp burning.

I suddenly hear voices coming from the woods around our camp, and I sit up quickly. I relax when I realize it's just Zander and Macey, although they're arguing.

"We need to continue on this path, it's our best bet-"

"No, let's split up, we'll cover more ground-"

"That's a terrible idea-"

"Like you're so smart-"

They come into view and, seeing me awake, thankfully cease their bickering.

"Oh, Caston," Macey says. "You're up."

I nod, standing. No use trying to sleep now. "Should- should we wake the others?"

Zander nods. "I guess. We might as well get an early start since we didn't make much progress yesterday." He walks off to wake everyone else, and Macey rounds on me.

"I guess you heard us talking. What do you think? Should we split up?"

I stall for an answer, not wanting to anger either person, but I'm saved by Zander's shout.

"Where's Leilani?"

"And Demi!" Bradley adds. There's an immediate uproar.

In the panic, I notice a figure approaching the campsite and point. "Look, there! It's Leilani!"

Sebastion runs up to her. "You're back! Where's Demi? She was with you, right?"

Leilani shakes her head, and a feeling of dread settles over me. "Is she... gone?

"Haven't seen her since the funeral," Macey says. "We need to find her. Now."

Zander nods, apparently agreeing with Macey for once. "We do. Let's pack up and move out, quickly."

As I roll up my blanket, I close my eyes and hope fervently that she's alright. 

Demi~

"Where are those other two brats?" A man in dark clothing askes me. After I had woken up, he had started to interrogate me.

"I have no idea," I say truthfully, trying not to sound scared.

"You're lying and I know it. Tell me the truth right now or you die," he threatened.

"What do you even want them for?" I tried to stall.

"TELL ME RIGHT NOW!" the man yelled.

"I don't know! Truly! I swear!" 

The man contemplated this for a moment. Then he stood up and walked away. Well that was easy, I thought. But then he returned. 

"Since you have lied to me, you will be starved until you tell me where they are," he said firmly.

"Fine! I don't care!" I retorted. 

"Shut up," he said and then left.

I sighed. I hoped that the rest of the group would find us, though I had no idea where Jakob and I were. And I wondered where Zena and Alana were...

"I know where them are," Jakob whispered then pointed toward where the sun was slowly rising.

The east. There are somewhere to the east. I thought But I will not tell that evil man even if he kills me. I will protect the children no matter what. 

That night was very cold but I finally fell asleep dreaming of a world where everyone was togther and no one went missing or died. 

Iyara’s POV

I swallow the tears that are trying to escape me. The fire, the little boy, and know my first friend is missing. I look at Spirit. I know she can track things, but after the fire? My measly human nose still thinks it won’t smell anything but smoke ever again. What about her hyper-sensitive dog nose? But I ask her to try with my eyes, then clear my throat. “Spirit can track Demi-“ My voice breaks, and no one is listening anyway. I try again, pulling some strength up from somewhere inside me. “Spirit can track Demi! We can find her!” I’m yelling, but no one is paying attention. Then someone steps on my foot, and I collapse, in pain. The burns are taking a long time to get better, and if someone touches me too hard it’ll hurt. I crawl over to a stump, and finally, finally, let the tears come.

Jeannie~

Jeannie shook, like a dry leaf in an autumn wind. She didn’t know how much more of this she could take. Iyara was crying, Demi was missing… Demi, the one who held the group together… Demi, the one who always, always, always had a good pep talk… Demi, who always, always, knew what to do, no matter what.

And not only that, but they weren’t any closer to finding Zena, Alana, and Jakob. 

And on top of that, the birds hadn’t stopped to chat with Jeannie for so long. She’d been counting on her ability to help her find the trio of missing children, and so far… it hadn’t. At all. 

Jeannie kept shaking, wishing none of this had ever happened. Wishing she was back safe and sound in the village, and that Alana was there too, and that everyone was okay, and that they hadn’t just found a dead boy, and that Zena was okay, and that Azi’s sister wasn’t dead, and that Sebastian hadn’t been attacked by a manticore, and that Demi wasn’t missing, and that Iyara and Spirit and Azi and Ben hadn’t been burned, and that Jakob was okay, and that…

She choked back a sob, trying to bring herself back from the would-be’s and back to the right now, and went to sit by Iyara, who was still shaking with silent sobs. Everyone else was rushing around, in their own sort of panic.

A bird flew down, from above the noise. It landed in front of Jeannie. She recognized it as a sparrowhawk. 

You’re looking for them, yes?

She nodded, almost imperceptibly.

The girl-- the older one-- she is with the boy. They’re tied to a tree. I can lead you there.

Jeannie felt a rush of hope, but then she realized what the sparrowhawk hadn’t said. “And the other girls?” 

I… do not know. They have escaped-- towards the east.

She held back a shriek of delight. “Thank you.” The sparrowhawk dipped its head in her direction and flew off, with the parting words,

I will return.

Jeannie, unable to contain herself, grabbed Iyara’s arm. Iyara yelled and winced. Jeannie let go like she’d touched a hot potato. “Oh, Iyara, I’m so sorry! But guess what the bird said!” Iyara stared at her. “The bird. Said something?” Jeannie waved her hand at this unimportant fact.

“Yes yes, but guess what it said,” she said dramatically. Iyara raised her singed eyebrows. “I have no idea,” she said. “It knows where Demi is. And Jakob. AND it said it can bring us there!” Jeannie squealed. Iyara’s eyebrows crept even higher up her forehead. She opened her mouth to say something, but the younger girl was gone. 

“Ash! Azi! Sebastian! Leilani! Caston! Zander! Bradley! Macy!” she shouted elatedly. They turned to look at her. Sebastian’s eyes were full of disapproval. “How can you be happy at a time like this?” he wondered, rather rudely in Jeannie’s opinion, but nothing could burst her bubble now.

“I know where Demi is! And Jakob!” Jaws dropped. Eyebrows raised. Little by little, the story of the sparrowhawk came out. Sebastian frowned at the end. “Did it say anything about Zena and Alana?” he asked urgently, grabbing her by the arms.

Jeannie involuntarily took a step backwards. “Yeah. They…” Sebastian looked like he was about to throw up. “They escaped. To the east. The sparrowhawk didn’t know where.” The look of nausea immediately receded from his face. “I hope they’re okay…” he muttered. Jeannie looked away. “Yeah. Me too.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sooooo... do what you want with that. I thought I'd spice it up with a little magic, and make things go well for our poor charries for once XD 

Demi~

That day was the worst day I had had for a while. I hadn't slept well at all, I hadn't eaten in 24 hours, and I was tied to a tree with no way to escape. And I was probably going to die soon. 

The man in black walked over to us. "I have no need for you to stay alive," he said to me. "So you have 2 hours until you die." I shuddered.

Where is everyone? Maybe they just moved on without noticing I was missing, or maybe they noticed I was missing but continued on. I wish they knew Jakob was here too. And for the first time in all those days away from our village I thought: I miss Father. I want to be back home. 

Soon enough, the EVIL man returns. With a knife.

"Please! I am no good to you dead!" I pleaded trying to change his mind.

"No you are, you definitly are." he pointed the knife at me. "Three," he chuckled. "Two," I squeezed my eyes shut, very very frightened. "On-"

"DON'T YOU DARE HURT HER!" a voice shouted. I opened my eyes. Standing about 20 feet away was Iyara, Zander, Jeannie, Bradley, Macey, Azi, Ash, Caston, Sebastion, and Lelani! 

Bradley's POV

I linged at the man in black, pinning him to a tree.

"Now tell me what you're doing to her and let her go, or things are gonna get really ugly." I said, putting my hand near his neck.

He nodded, but as soon as I let him go, he pinned ME! And it was REALLY uncomfortable.

Sorry it was so short, I ran out of ideas.

(Sorry I've been gone so long!) 

Azi ~

Despite the throbbing pain in my left hand and on my legs from the burns that the fire left, I managed to keep pace with everyone else as we rode, breathless with anticipation, after Jeannie. Ben, whose leathery paws are burnt even worse that my hands are, is carried in a sling against my chest. He grumbled and hissed about it at first, but now he's too tired to do more than glare.

While we ride, I drop back to where Iyara is riding and pull up next to her. She's wrapped in rudimentary bandages where she was burned, and Spirit lies across the saddle in front of her - like Ben, too tired to walk on her own.

"Are you okay?" I ask softly, looking her over to see how hurt she is.

She narrows her eyes for a moment, then softens as she realizes that I mean her no harm. "I'm... not great," she admits quietly. She rubs her burnt arm, unconsciously, and I wince empathetically. "With everything going on... I just really want to find Demi and those kids already."

I nod in agreement. "Gosh... this trip really has been a disaster, hasn't it?" I ask, and in spite of myself, I laugh. Iyara gives me a funny look, but soon enough she joins in, and it's the others who are looking at us strangely. We laugh and laugh, because despite everything, we have become a team, a unit that may fight within itself sometimes but will always come out stronger than before. We may have had our rough spots, but now we are united in our quest to save one of our own and find the children that went missing and ripped a hole in our town - and this time, we have a lead. For the first time, we have real hope.

***

A little while later, we start to smell the muted remains of a campfire, and the next moment we catch a glimpse of tents through the trees. We dismount our horses a safe distance away, and approach quietly. Suddenly, I hear raised voices, and see Demi and a young boy who must be one of the missing children, tied to a tree. A man in black is threatening her with a knife.

"We need a plan!" Jeannie whispers, but there's no time. If we don't act now, who knows what that man is going to do to her.

I look around desperately for something that could help us, but it's no use. The man raises his hand, and my protective instinct takes over as I leap out of where I was hiding. "DON'T YOU DARE HURT HER!" I shout, as the others emerge behind me, defiant and ready to fight.

The man smirks, like he knows something that we don't, and all of the sudden, the clearing is filled with men and women, all armed and dangerous looking. Demi looks at us, both frightened and relieved, when all of the sudden the two opposing sides spring into action.

I've never felt lucky to have grown up in the streets before, but now, I'm glad that I know how to fight dirty. Normally I'm left handed, but since my recent burns I'm only able to wield my dagger in my right hand. It's awkward, but it works. I force my way through the fray, elbowing and slashing and pushing and pulling, untli I make it to the tree on the other side and kneel down. I cut Demi and Jakob free quickly, then grunt as kicked face first into the ground, rough hands coming to grip my injured arm as I gasp involuntarily. Through the corner of my eye I see Bradley, pinned by the man in black.

Eyes going blurry, I groan in pain as my arm is wrenched behind my back and a heavy weight forces me into the ground, dust filling my mouth. I hear the sounds of battle around me, but they're dying down. We're outnumbered and we know it, and soon it becomes clear: we've lost. The evil men who help Demi and Jakob captive have now captured us, and there's nothing we can do.

All I can hang onto now is the fact that somewhere, out there, Demi and Jakob have escaped. At least now, maybe they can find the other children and bring them home. Our fates are much too uncertain to know.

*sigh* Just when things were looking up for this doomed adventure… XD

Jeannie~

She wished for so many things. Like for Demi to come back. Like for everyone to be okay. Like none of this had ever happened. But none of that was happening, and as much as she didn’t want to, she had to face it: everything was going wrong. 

She wanted to cry. She wanted to scream, to throw a tantrum. She… didn’t know what she wanted anymore. A sob tore from her throat, but she didn’t stop. Even when so many tears were running down her cheeks she could hardly see. Even when she was gasping for breath. Even when the sun had set and the forest was dark. 

She pushed Seafoam on, at a canter, first, then a trot, and then a walk. By now, the mare’s steps came only every so often, and there were long stretches of stillness. She hardly had to pull on the reins to let Seafoam know they were stopping, and dismounted shakily, her face still wet from sobs.

Her saddle was stained with tears, and the pale purple saddle pad was dark with sweat and mud. It’ll be fine, Jeannie. It’ll be okay. She repeated it to herself like a chant, untacking Seafoam and grooming her automatically. For the first time since they’d begun this nightmare of a rescue mission, she didn’t talk to her mare as she groomed her. She felt too empty inside for the little joys to do much filling.

The group ate silently, went to bed silently. She didn’t know if anyone else was lying awake, crying inside, no more tears left. She didn’t know if anyone else felt so empty it hurt. But it didn’t matter anymore. She wanted to fly away, never to return. She wanted to leave it all behind her and not give it a second thought.

But somewhere, a tinny voice inside her was appalled. No. You can’t desert them. That’s despicable. You volunteered. You have to see this through, Jean-Elisabeth Lucas. And Jeannie knew the voice was right. But all the same, she imagined herself as a bird, flying through the sky. And there were others with her. She imagined that they were Alana. And Demi, and Jakob, and Zena, and Sebastian. And Iyara, Caston, Leilani, Bradley, Zander, Ash, Macy and Azi.

She imagined everyone was okay. And slowly… she could feel herself becoming not-quite-so-empty. She blinked, wiping away a couple escaping tears. She pushed herself deeper into the blankets she was sleeping in, closing her eyes, trying to tell herself that it would be okay.

~~

Let's just hope it gets better from here on in. 

@Luminesence, I'm little confused about what happened in your chapter, since in my post (Azi's) the characters all just got captured but now it seems like they're free again? I think that once they're captured they could learn some more infomation about this group of evil men and then figure out an escape. Really good writing by the way! I could really feel the emotions coming across from your charrie.