Page 41 of Ava's Legacy of the Dragons
Were they talking about the evil sorceress? Had she sent these men?
The leader shot his comrade a warning look, causing him to fall silent. Then he turned back to Ava. "You have to choose: the brat or the dragon egg!"
Lilly implored her with her eyes not to give up the dragon egg, but Ava shook her head almost imperceptibly. How could she ever leave the girl to these brutal thugs?
"Decide now or the little one dies." The leader pressed the blade against Lilly's throat, and the girl recoiled in fright. Fear was written all over her face and Ava's heart clenched at the sight.
Suddenly, a deep voice echoed through the cave. "Wrong, you must decide whether you want to live or die!"
Stunned, Ava focused her attention on the shadow that had appeared behind the masked men and had already knocked out the first one.
Kilian?
With a precise sword maneuver, he knocked the blade out of the leader's hand and delivered a targeted blow to the neck of the man holding Lilly, causing him to collapse unconscious.
Lilly was free. She jumped up and ran to Ava while Kilian dueled with the leader.
"Run into the forest!" he shouted.
Ava hesitated for a moment, wanting to make sure Kilian wasn't hurt, but Lilly pulled her along.
"He can handle it without us!"
The little one was right. They jumped out of the cave, slid down the rocky slope to the clearing, and ran into the forest on the opposite side. But apparently, the three hooded figures in the rock cave weren't the sorceress's only henchmen. Countless footsteps and the rustling of leaves followed them through the forest. A glance over their shoulders was enough to know that half a garrison was hot on their heels.
Lilly raced ahead, pushing one branch to the side after another, while Ava ran crouched behind her, clutching the dragon egg tightly to her chest.
"You can't escape us!" one of the fighters shouted. He gained on them, caught a corner of Ava's gown, and tried to pull her back.
Without hesitation, she turned to the side and pulled, causing the fabric to tear and set her free again. She hurried after Lilly, who ran faster than many adults. But their pursuers were too numerous and had thoroughly explored the area—probably too well for them to escape. Although Lilly zigzagged and set an incredible pace, the hooded figures encircled them until Lilly finally ran into one. She pushed herself away from him,wanting to run in another direction, but more attackers were standing there. Ava turned around, about to run back and take the lead, but they were already surrounded.
There was no sign of Kilian. The leader was probably holding him back. But even if the dragon fighter had already defeated his opponent, he would be too late.
The attackers stepped closer, self-satisfied. The circle tightened, forcing Ava and Lilly to stand back-to-back, slowly turning to keep an eye on the hooded figures.
"Let the girl go!" Ava demanded, but their pursuers only laughed.
"It's too late for negotiations!" One of them stretched out his hand demandingly. "Give us the egg!"
"No!" Ava pressed it protectively to her chest with one arm, while with the other she reached for Lilly and grasped her hand.
The little one cried out angrily, "You're scum if you follow Elora! She doesn't care about you! She only cares about power!"
The fighters paid no attention to her words but took another step forward. One drew his sword and raised it.
How could they escape now?
An arrow whistled through the air and hit the fighter in the arm, causing him to drop his sword. Another arrow struck a different attacker in the shoulder, and another in the back, making him to fall to the ground. A veritable hail of arrows ensued, coming from all directions.
Quickly, Ava pulled Lilly down into a crouch.
The hooded figures cursed, drew their weapons, andsearched for the invisible archers, creating a gap in their circle. Ava spotted it immediately, pulled Lilly with her, and crept into the forest. To be safe, they kept their heads down as the barrage of arrows continued uninterrupted.
Were these the dragon fighters?
Between two bushes appeared the face of a stranger, barely older than Ava, who put a finger to his lips in warning. He didn't belong to the dragon warriors, as was evident at first glance from his linen clothing, but the main thing was that he was on their side. He waved for them to follow him, which Ava promptly did. She pushed Lilly in front of her and brought up the rear. That way, she could keep an eye on both the girl and the egg.
The stranger confidently led them through a narrow clearing deeper into the forest. Eventually, the shouting of their opponents grew fainter, and their helper stood up straight and turned around. Then, as if on cue, Kilian appeared beside them. He positioned himself in front of Ava and Lilly, holding his sword ready to defend, and gave the stranger a suspicious look.
