~Serah POV~
Branches tore at my gown as Tristan dragged me through the woods and behind us, hooves pounded and men shouted as I heard my father's voice cut through it all like a whip ... steady, cruel, detached.
"Bring her back alive! The child is proof, don't fail Lord Veylen."
My chest tightened, he didn't even say my name.
"Keep moving," Tristan's breath was rough, his grip like iron on my wrist "Don't look back!"
"You don't understand," I stumbled over a root, nearly falling "That was my father..."
"I know who it was and I don't care! He made his choice, now make yours and live."
"I can't outrun them," I gasped. My thigh throbbed where the blade had cut me and blood was soaking through the makeshift bandage. "They'll catch us, Tristan..."
He spun on me, eyes blazing. "Do you want me to carry you?"
"Uhn...no—"
"Then run! Because I swear Serah if you stop now you're handing Jethro exactly what he wants"
His words hit harder than the pain and I forced my legs to move.
The forest blurred with hunters shouting and shadows hissing, one of them nearly clipped me and I yelped. Tristan shoved it back with his blade, growling. "Stay by me, always by my side don't drift."
"I'm not drifting," I snapped. My chest heaved but some part of me burned hotter than the fear. "You think I'm weak? I'm not!"
"Then prove it by keep running"
I kept running and we broke through trees into where the river rushed wild, black waves glinting in the moonlight. Tristan pulled me down behind a fallen log, his chest rose and fell like a hammer.
"We can't cross here because the current is too strong but up ahead there's a ford where an old boat tied to the bank we need to make it there or we don't make it at all"
"They're close" I whispered immediately I saw torches flickering through the trees. I heard one of the hunters laugh... so ugly.
Tristan cursed under his breath and he pulled my arm, checking the wound. "Damn! You're losing too much blood"
"It's nothing," I said.
"It's not nothing or you think you can lie to me?" His eyes pinned me. "You think I don't see you shaking? I told you to stay close not to bleed yourself dry"
"I did not plan to get stabbed!"
"Then stop talking like you're already finished because I need you alive, your child needs you alive."
The way he said it, hit me hard. "Why do you care so much?" I blurted.
His jaw tightened. "Because someone has to, and you know my other motive so stop asking all the time."
For a second we just stared and my breath hitched.
Suddenly a horn sounded and Tristan's head snapped around. "They've split the group, we need to keep moving right now!"
We sprinted again, ducking branches, mud sucking at our boots, my muscles screamed. "Tristan I can't...."
"You can! Because if you stop I'll throw you over my shoulder and carry you and trust me you'll hate it."
Despite everything a laugh burst out of me breathless, broken, but real. "You're unbelievable."
"No time for joke please, left or right?"
"Right...wait left—oh gods I don't know" My panic flared.
Tristan gritted his teeth. "Then trust me!" He yanked me left.
Arrows whistled past, one nicked my sleeve and I shrieked which make Tristan spun, blocking with his sword, sparks flashing. "Keep your head down!" he barked. He caught one of the hunters with a kick, sending the man sprawling. "Go!"
We tore through brush and stumbled onto the riverbank, an old rowboat bobbed, tethered by rope. Tristan shoved me toward it. "Get in!"
"I've never rowed..."
"You don't have to, just hold on." He cut the rope with his blade, shoved the boat into the water, and jumped in after me, the current caught us instantly, dragging us downstream.
Torches flared on the bank and my father's silhouette stood above, rigid his voice carried over the water. "You shame us Serah, even now you choose the enemy and do you know what they'll call you when this is over?"
I stood in the rocking boat, clutching the sides. "I already know what they call me, but I'll make them choke on it!"
My father's gaze didn't even shifted. "You are no daughter of mine."
"You've denied me many times before, so I don't care!"
Tristan growled low. "Sit down before you fall overboard."
"I won't sit," My throat burned. "Not when he—"
"Serah!" Tristan snapped. "Your parents sold you, Jethro used you and Lydia mocks you. Are you going to let their words chain you again or are you going to fight?"
His words sliced straight through me. The boat rocked, spray soaking us both and for a moment I forgot the hunters, forgot the shadows. It was just me and him and the dark river.
"I want to fight!" I whispered.
His eyes softened just enough. "Then start by living."
The boat slammed into a rock, spinning as I screamed Tristan grabbed me, pulling me against his chest to steady me. My face hit the rough leather of his armor I could hear his heartbeat fast and steady. His arms tightened, strong, protective, too close that my breath tangled in my throat.
"This river's not taking you from me," he said near my ear.
Heat shot through me, confusing and fierce. "You think I'm yours to protect?"
"I know you are, until you decide otherwise." His voice was firm.
Another arrow hissed past, splitting the moment, hunters had followed downstream. One shouted, "Alive! Bring her alive!"
Tristan cursed, grabbed an oar, and steered us hard. "Hold tight!"
We spun around a bend, crashing through branches, shadows hissed on the banks but the river held them back, still, they followed, waiting for us to stumble.
"They won't stop!" I gasped.
"They don't have to," Tristan's eyes were grim. "They just need to trap us between them and the rapids, and the rapids are coming fast."
Up ahead I heard it a deep roar white water foamed where the river narrowed between jagged rocks.
"No no no!" My hands dug into the boat. "We are going to die!"
Tristan's jaw clenched. "We can't, you have to trust me Serah."
"I don't even know if I can...."
"You can, look at me." His eyes locked on mine, steady despite the chaos. "Breathe with me, one two, one two, don't break!"
I tried, my chest loosened enough to match his rhythm for one breath, one heartbeat, I wasn't drowning in fear I was anchored.
The roar grew louder and the boat lurched toward the rapids with hunters' torches bobbed along the banks, their shouts rising. Jethro's name echoed like a curse from their mouth.
And then over the thunder of water another sound furious, even the shadows on the banks stilled and the hunters hesitated.
Tristan's face drained of color. "No, that's not them."
"What is it?" I whispered.
"The hounds." His grip tightened on the oar. "Jethro's released his hounds"
Before I could ask, red eyes glared from the trees, dozens of them and the howl came again, closer, and closer.
The river dragged us toward the rapids, the hounds closed in on both sides and the hunters shouted, shadows hissed, water roared, there was nowhere left to run.