Back to Page One
-----"CHILDREN OF THE FOREST! CHILDREN OF THE HUNT! THERE STANDS ONE BEFORE YOU WHO HAS CAUSED THE SUFFERING THESE LAST MOONS! BLOOD IS ON HER HANDS! BLOOD THAT BELONGS TO THOSE WHOSE MEMORY YOU CARRY! SHE IS ONE WHO FOLLOWS THE DARK WITCH! I OFFER HER TO THE PREDATORS’ WILL! IN THALES’ NAME, DO WHAT YOU WILL!"
-----"NO!" Andra screams as she launches herself in a crazed motion as if to silence Broactor. In an unbelievably quick motion, the Priest of the Hunt sidesteps her advance and grabs her by the back of the collar and her belt. With a heave, he turns her and sends her forward in a path between the two large animals.
-----Amythiel stands mouth open as if in shock. The bear and the cougar now give a space between them and the woman. The large predators slowly begin to circle Andra, a rising growl starting to emerge from each animal. The woman falls to her knees suddenly shaking in terror.
-----"I can’t stand to see this!" Amythiel turns her back to the scene and stares at Raven, Sol and Rand. "This can’t be right, can it?" The disapproval is evident in her face.
-----Sol looks uncomfortable, but disagrees with Amythiel, "You try explaining to Jon and Kylne why this is 'wrong'. You don't have to watch, or even be here if it makes you uncomfortable." Though Sol is facing the direction of the proceedings, he doesn't seem to be focusing on anything.
-----Raven says, "She knew what she was doing was evil, but she did it anyways. Her actions caused the death of many good people. Earlier she bragged about how powerful her evil god was, let’s see if her faith will now pay off."
-----Raven yells to Andra, "Do you now see how wrong your god is? Why do you want to hurt the living? The path you are taking will only lead to more suffering and your painful death. Renounce your god and the children of Thales might forgive you."
-----Rand turns to the others and says, "I agree with Amythiel, this just isn't right. I don't like what Andra has done any more than the rest of you but does she deserve this?"
-----Sarah turns to Rand and quotes a story from her childhood....
-----"Now this is the law of the jungle
-----As old and as true as the sky
-----And the wolf who will keep it shall prosper
-----but the wolf who will break it must die."
-----She stares at Andra and the predators, a look of pure malice on her face.
-----"Goddess! Protect me!" Andra yells into the night. She then turns toward Broactor and the others pleading, "Damn you! Don’t I even get a weapon to protect myself?"
-----Broactor coldly replies, "WAS THERE ANY PROTECTION OFFERED WHEN THE CHILDREN OF THALES SUFFERED FROM THE CURSE?!" The Priest of the Hunt raises his club high overhead and then thrusts his arm down smiting the ground with the weapon.
-----With that, the two large animals close in on the woman. Suddenly the bear swings its great paw down and cuffs the woman knocking her off her knees. With a force that knocks the wind out of her, she lies sprawled on the ground. As the bear bellows above her, the cougar sweeps one paw across her legs, the claws ripping through her clothing and flesh. As the woman screams in pain, the bear grabs her arm in its jaws and begins to move back dragging the woman behind it.
-----After being dragged a few feet, the bear suddenly drops Andra and she lies bleeding and weeping on the ground. The two animals begin to sniff and circle her again. The bear nuzzles her roughly with its snout rolling her over as it growls. As she falls over, she again faces the cougar, which snarls loudly and jabs one paw at her chest.
-----As the woman collapses, the animals circle her one more time, growling and roaring. Then as suddenly as they appeared, the bear and the cougar run off into the darkness. Andra’s form lies prone on the ground, but her chest heaves as she gasps for air.
-----"They could have killed her!" Amythiel yells as she runs to the fallen woman’s side.
-----"YES!" Broactor replies with his arms crossed, "BUT THE PREDATORS CHOSE TO MARK HER, SO THAT ALL OF THALES’ CHILDREN WILL KNOW HER FOR WHAT SHE IS!"
-----As the Priest of the Hunt turns from the site to rest in the shelter, he also tells Amythiel, "YOU MAY TEND HER, BUT DO NOT BRING HER FORTH! I WILL NOT GIVE SHELTER TO THOSE WHO ARE ENEMIES OF THE HUNT!"
Go to Page 3