Coal made a grunting noise. “That’s nice of you.” He was still a royal though, still one of the fastest, strongest males. He didn’t need to make pacts.

Flame laughed. “Not in agreement then?” He paused. “That’s a pity.”

They continued to run on the bank of the river. Aside from the fact that humans would easily tire, they would also not be able to move very fast while sticking to the water. There was a distinct possibility that they were on the wrong trail but his gut told him that this was the way that the females were headed.

It didn’t sound like the others were growing closer. For now though, it was just himself, Flame and the four trailing males, one of whom was a water prince and the other the water king. The young prince was not much competition. Torrent on the other hand.

The forests on either side of them grew thicker. The currents within the river grew stronger and the banks deeper. The water cut a sharp left up ahead as the river began to meander.

The females had gotten further than he would have thought possible. They ran on. The mud thick beneath their feet. The air crisp in his nose.

He sniffed again and Flame did the same. There was a hint of citrus, something floral and berry in the air. It was a scent he hadn’t smelled before. By the reaction of the males around him, the scent of human females was up ahead. The water prince roared. One of the others growled. The whole group surged with renewed strength. They were on the right path. Adrenaline coursed, this reinvigorated him and he picked up the pace.

Unfortunately, it reinvigorated all of them. Flame surged forward with a roar. They would be just around the bend.

****

Pauline stumbled and fell to her knees with a soft gasp. Julie turned, the other woman struggled to get back onto her feet.

The tiny woman gave her an attempt at a smile. She looked exhausted. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know how long I can go on like this,” Pauline whispered.

“We can’t stop now,” Candy whispered back.

“Just a little bit further.” Julie added, keeping her voice as low as possible.

Just then, a loud roar erupted from somewhere behind them. They all turned. There was a sharp bend in the river about a hundred feet behind them.

“Shit,” Candy murmured. “We need to move. Now.” She began to run.