30

Izabelle's heart beated faster as the howl tore the silence of the starry night. Her hands, pale white as a Lily, almost rivaling those of the beast himself, gripped the reigns of the beautiful stallion tighter than before.The graceful stallion neighed and quickened his pace as a response. Followed closely behind was the beast's stallion and howls of the wolves. The horse, though usually faster than the wolves, were tired from the hours of travel with a person and luggage on top. The wolves, hungry for a meal after weeks in the torrid snow filled winter, were faster than who had his life on the line. 

"No, this not how I want to die!" Izabelle exclaimed and bugged her horse to go faster. The tired horse tried to comply and maintain a decent speed without getting slowed down every few minutes. The fact that the wolves were behind them was know to him but fatigue had set in long ago and the day break was near. The tired horses on their respective master's commands galloped as much as they could.

"Izabelle! Do not deter from this road! Just run! " The beast, who hadn't found it right to utter a word until now, shouted seeing Izabelle stuck in fear in top of the horse. How could he have done so?  Here was a girl, young as she was,  helping him without a thing in return. The human part in him acknowleged the fact that she was a good person indeed and not like the previous one who had somehow found that he had wealth far more than the small winter castle.

Listening to the beast's worried words brought Izabelle back to her senses. Was this how brave she was? All those dreams about traveling and exploring the world and this was all she could muster without running into trouble? No, her self respect wouldn't let her give up now.  The wolves were in sight, one look behind and Izabelle could see the pack of them. Suddenly she realized something.

Red wolves, a kind of native to the place.  She had heard about them before. Read them too in a book under the name 'Legends of the old and new'.  The pack of wolves who made their prey and their belongings vanish, the Red Wolves. They are said to be magical creatures. However they are also said to be in a fight with another being of the unknown. These were wolves of a legend and they were on their tails chasing them with anticipation of a delicious meal.

"Izabelle!" The beast called out amongst the huffing and howling breaking Izabelle's trail of thoughts.

"Our horses won't be able to do this for much longer! These are the Red Wolves! We need to get out of this territory!" Izabelle screamed against the oncoming wind. Her voice, half reached the beast's ears and half floated away into nothingness. In this run, the beast at some point had run further ahead of Izabelle.

From what the beast heard and could make out was what he knew. A sudden act of valor struck his mind and he commanded his horse to slow down a little, just enough that they were a foot or so behind Izabelle. The horse neighed loudly and obeyed.

"You run ahead. I have power enough to hold them until you escape. However I can not do it until you are out of sight for I don't have the power to wake you up if you are unconscious again." The beast commanded, his plan was set in motion as soon as the words ended. Stopping his horse in his tracks, he turned around to face the oncoming wolves. 

"No!" Izabelle didn't know what to do. Forcing her mind to remember all she could about the legend of the Red, she watched helplessly as the beast, no the prince, stood in front of the wolves.  She just hoped in her heart that the Prince had enough power in him to fight off the seven wolves. 

With tears in her eyes and mind set on a goal, Izabelle caressed her horse as she rode him further away from the wolves and the prince.