The Gypsy Rose

“Get my horse,” commanded Ashton, “I’m going after that girl.”
It only took moments for one of the sailors to bring Prince Ashton’s horse to him. Pointing at two of the sailors he said;
“Get your horses, and the dogs, catch up as soon as you can.”
“Yes Sir.” Replied one of the men, obediently.
He spurred his stallion forward, and they flew across the pristine white beach. The girl wasn’t more then two hundred meters away from him, and he was closing in fast on her. He concentrated on her, memorizing her features for future reference. She appeared to be about average height, with a slender build and couldn’t have been more then two or three years younger then him, 16? Maybe 17 years old? Physical exercise didn’t seen to be a stranger to her, given her toned legs, which griped the sides of her wolf, or was it just an over grown dog? Ashton couldn’t tell. As Ashton closed in on the girl he noticed that there was a tattoo on the back of her lower left thigh. A Blue diamond.
Ellie could hear the pounding of hoof beats on the sand behind her. She hadn’t yet glanced back at her pursuers, in fear that if she did she would get an arrow in the eye. She shuddered at the memory from when she was young; a captain had come back from war, shot in the eye. She could still see the blood and clear eye fluids oozing out of his eye socket.
The hoof beats were closer now, deciding to risk it, Ellie looked back. A man, bit older then her was ten meters away, and closing in fast. If she got caught, the Hittites would probably kill her, and if she got caught and didn’t get killed by them then her father would kill her for going to the ship.
“Into the woods Xander.” She said and they veered off into the underbrush. Xander maneuvered through the jungle with out a problem but Ellie could hear the crashing of the horse’s hooves racing after her.
They approached a pool that was fed by a waterfall, and flowed into the ocean.
“Go home boy.” Ellie said as she slid off his back and dove into the crystal depths of the jungle pool. Gracefully she swam across the bottom of the pool, under the waterfall and pulled her self up on a ledge. Crawling across the ledge she perched on the far edge, still hidden behind the waterfall, but with a clear view of the man who was following her. She pulled her knees up to her chest, and watched him intently. His amber hair fell just above his eyes, which were a warm chocolate brown. Just then a movement behind him caught her eye, making her gasp.
Ashton pulled his horse to a halt and slid off its back. The overgrown mutt disappeared into the underbrush, but it was girl he was after. He had seen her dive into the pool. Its clear waters looked inviting, but the girl was nowhere to be seen. A movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. By the time he turned around it was too lat, venomous fangs sunk into his arm. It was a viper, and a big one too, easily as thick as his calf. Ashton yelled out in pain, but he could already feel himself going, his vision becoming blurred. Just then a blur of black and sea foam green flashed across his vision, and the viper’s fangs were wrenched from his arm. Then everything went black.
Ellie was quick but not quick enough. By the time she got to the other side of the pool the giant viper had already sunk its teeth into the man. Swiftly she garbed the viper by its jaw. Forcing its fangs out of the man’s arm. The serpent withered in her grip, attempting to sink its fangs into her. Without hesitation Ellie pulled out a dagger, which had been concealed under her tunic and stabbed the giant snake repeatedly between its eyes. It twitched once more and then lay still. Serpent blood dripped down her forearms as she wiped the sweat off her brow.
Ripping a strip of fabric off her tunic she bandaged the man’s arm, to keep the venom from spreading, the venom wasn’t deadly, it just stunned, the man would come around soon.