The Chase

'Talia!' Cedric called out to her mind. 'Talia, are you alright?'

'Cedric!' Talia screamed inside his mind's ear. 'He paralyzed me and grabbed me. He just jumped out the window. We're outside!'

Without hesitation, Cedric jumped out the window with Cecil and Andre following closely behind. The two men were still in human form, relying on Cedric's better senses to lead them to where the intruder had gone.

The courtyard was one of four that surrounded the inner structures of the sprawling inn. It was still snowing and the ground was pristine. Darkness had fallen hours ago, turning every tree and shrub into grotesque gnarled shapes covered in a crystal white shroud of death.

'Hang on Love. Don't be afraid. I'm coming!' He mentally spoke to her.

'I'm not afraid. I'm pissed! He's done something to me and now I can't talk and I can't move!' She responded. 'Thank heavens I can still breathe and see what's going on.'

The paltry lights shining through the windows of the various rooms that ringed the courtyard were barely bright enough to light up the courtyard, but with Cedric's heightened senses, he could see the footsteps that made it to the center of the courtyard.

There appeared to be the fluttering of wings on the snowy ground, and then the footsteps ended at that spot. For all intents and purposes, it seemed as if the interloper had simply disappeared.

The intruder was no longer on the ground. He was hovering above the ground on wings of some sort.

Cedric surveyed the area with quick wolf eyes. Surrounded on all sides by walls of the inn's rooms, there was only one direction that the intruder could have escaped—straight up.

'He sprouted wings and jumped! We're on the roof top!' Talia was shouting at him.

He looked up.

There was nothing above him but the thick clouds overhead. To his left however, there was a small dark impression on one of the rooftops.

Someone had jumped up onto the roof to the left and had sprung away.

'I see you Darling. Hang on Love!'

"Grrrrrrrr." He turned his head and growled at the men. "Either transform and follow me or stay here until I return."

He pointed at the dark divot on the roofline where the footsteps continued and turned away from them.

Leaping up with his powerful legs, the werewolf form of Cedric reached out with his long sinewy arms and caught the roofline, swinging his body upward with ease.

He landed onto the roof with a muffled thud and sniffed the air, catching scent of the familiar roses and lavender scent of his woman.

Cecil and Andre looked at each other with a nod and quickly transformed into their werewolf selves. They leaped onto the roof alongside him, sniffing at the air to catch the scent he was following.

There it was.

The roses and lavender scent was as out of place on the roof as the distinct metallic smell of blood wine that exuded from the intruder.

Bogged down by Talia, the intruder would not be able to go too far or too fast. Cedric only need to catch a quick sight of him to establish and determine the direction of his path.

'He's flying but he's carrying me and we're low to the ground. We're heading for the village.' Talia was telling him.

Leaping off the roof, Cedric's furry white form dashed through the snowy terrain, followed by a second white werewolf with green eyes and a dark brown werewolf with grey eyes.

He leaped up, catching a low thick trunk and swung himself up onto one of the trees.

This time of the year, there were no leaves to obstruct his view through the barren branches. With his super werewolf vision, Cedric could see a movement up ahead.

It was the kidnapper, still holding onto a limp Talia. He was swooping towards the center of the village.

'I see you Babe. I'm coming!' He whispered to her.

"Grrrrrrr!!!" Cedric sounded out the alarm and launched himself forward at breakneck speed. He continued to follow her scent as it led him into the village below.

As he got closer, he could see the interloper, still holding onto Talia's limp body, making his way towards the center of the village.

He was heading for the church!

=============

Talia could not move, but it didn't mean she could not see. She kept her eyes wide open so she could monitor where the man was taking her.

Although it was scary being hauled away like a morsel of meat that had just been caught by a predator, Talia kept her wits about her.

Cedric's mental touch was comforting. He knew she had been taken. He was coming for her. The knowledge emboldened her even though she could not control her body at all.

'Cedric. He's taken me into some large building. I don't know exactly what building it is, but it's at the center of town.'

'I saw. He's taken you into the church.'

Once they entered the church, it was almost pitch black and Talia was effectively blinded.

The man ran up the aisle of the church and placed her on the altar table like some sacrificial lamb, but she was grateful that at least she hadn't been dumped on the floor.

The large polished wooden altar was the only flat surface in the entire church that was not in direct contact with the cold floor.

'He put me on the altar and is running back towards the doorway. Be careful Cedric!'

'Hang in there, Love. Just leave it to your mate.'

Talia gave him a mental kiss and stared up into the darkness of the vaulted church ceiling.

Suddenly, a gush of cold wind blew in as the double doors of the church entrance was thrown wide open.

It was so dark she could not see much, but she could hear the sounds of the gale blowing across the entryway as the sounds of heavy footsteps rang through the church aisle.

There was muffled struggling as grunts and growls rang out into the cavernous church interior. A howl of protest preceded crashing sounds as pews fell over at the back of the church near the entryway.

She could hear more footsteps and wrestling sounds as the men came closer to where she was.

"Aaaaaahhh!!!" Someone yelled.

A crash sounded as something heavy was thrown against a stained glass window.

Suddenly, she could see flashes of light. They were lobbing energy balls at each other!

A few more stained glass windows broke as bolts of energy whizzed back and forth.

"Aaaaarghhh!!!" Another loud scream happened and a thud sounded as a body hit the pews near the front of the platform where the altar was placed.

Suddenly, the ceiling chandelier lights flared on.

Talia's eyes were blinded by the light for a moment. She blinked and tried to focus on the scene before her but the altar lights shone directly into her eyes dazzling her and she could not see much.

'Talia! Are you hurt?' She could hear Cedric calling in her mind's ear.

'Cedric! Where are you? Are you okay?' Tears began spilling from her eyes. Please let him be okay.

"I'm fine Darling. I'm fine." He called out, over the expanse of the church.

'Oh thank heavens!' She gave a shuddering gasp.