The brothers ran through the trees as the heavy pounding of paws followed behind them. Branches scraped against their arms and faces while roots rose from the ground like traps waiting to catch their feet. Kael pushed past a low branch and glanced over his shoulder, his breath growing heavier as the dark shapes of the wolves moved between the trees with frightening speed.
"They are gaining on us," he said.
"I know," Edris replied while scanning the forest ahead, trying to find a path that would slow the beasts without trapping them as well.
Another growl echoed behind them, closer now. Kael could almost feel the heat of the creatures' breath in the cold forest air.
"We cannot outrun them forever," Kael said.
"Then we make the forest work for us," Edris answered.
They pushed through a narrow stretch of trees where thick roots rose from the ground and twisted across the path. The space forced them to slow slightly, but it forced the wolves to slow as well.
