Everyone stood.
“Sir, thank ye for the ride, we greatly appreciate ye. We’ll be departing here.” Kade set a bill on the seat as they all stepped to the ground.
Fabian drew one of his swords and held it at the ready. His other hand wrapped around Kelly’s wrist, and he pulled her toward a horse. His sword sliced through the horse’s harness like it was butter, disconnecting it from the carriage.
“Hey! You can’t do that!” the coachman stood and yelled at Fabian.
“Apologies, sir, we will make it right later.”
The snarling grew closer, and Kelly felt defenseless without the ability to use her power. Sure, it was new, but it would still prove useful in a fight.
The growls grew closer, encircling them.
Fabian motioned her closer. “I am going to get on, then I will lift you on behind me, understand?”
She nodded.
Fabian leapt onto the horse with the expertise of a practiced rider and cut the connection between the two horses before offering her a hand. She took it, and he pulled her up onto the animal with amazing ease.
The horse chuffed again as the coachman continued yelling at them.
The others moved in front of them, guarding them from the dogs coming up.
Except they weren’t dogs. Large figures made their way closer, and the subtle light from the houses and streetlamps made their fur glisten. Their tall ears were straight forward, and twelve sets of hard eyes locked onto Kelly, intent on their prey.
She couldn’t help but be intimidated as the biggest wolves Kelly had ever seen surrounded them. The largest one, a beautiful black-and-silver beast, was in the center of the pack, leading them all as they closed in on the group.
The horse snorted and stomped his hoof. He actually stepped forward then, challenging the wolves.
The one closest to them snarled and charged them, leaping from the ground with its mouth poised for the horse’s neck.
Kelly held on tight to Fabian in fear.
The horse reared up and kicked the wolf hard in the face. Bone cracked, and the animal let out a yelp before it landed on the ground.
The rest of the pack came at them at once. Kelly tried to keep up with everything that was going on, but there was too much movement. Eleven to four didn’t seem like good odds, and to top it off, the majority of them were coming for her.
A white wolf came at them first, teeth bared as it flew through the air straight at Kelly. Fabian’s sword flashed in front of her, taking it down just before its jaws found their mark.
A yelp sounded to their left, and Kelly looked over to see a wolf lying lifeless before Kade.
Asmund punched one straight in the nose when it came at him.
Kade yelled as a set of teeth clamped down on his leg, but he paid the bite back tenfold with a blow to the wolf’s back. A crack sounded, and it fell, lifeless.
Kade rushed to them, kicking a wolf and launching it into the air as he passed by Ginna, who was holding her own with a short sword.
“Go, get her out of here! I’ll hold these off.”
Fabian gave him a nod, and the horse turned and carried them off with speed and grace. They wound their way through the streets, mostly staying away from traffic. After at least a mile of weaving their way through the neighborhood, Fabian let the horse slow just a little.
“There is one still following us. I am going to jump off and take care of him. You hold on, the horse will stop and wait.”
“But how will…”
She didn’t get to finish. In a show of gymnastic prowess, Fabian pushed himself to standing, then jumped up and flipped backward over her as the horse moved on.
Luckily, the driving harness gave her something to grab onto, and just as she had a solid grip, the animal slowed and turned, giving her a view of the fight.