Before Ashlyn Applewhiskers was able to communicate her escape plan, the door from behind the thrones creaked open. Aro, Caius and Marcus sauntered back in. The mice suddenly scattered, their fur a multicoloured blur as they ran into a crack in the wall. As they did before, the three Volturi descended onto their thrones.
"So, my young friends," said Aro with a secret smile upon his milky white face."Have you pondered our most magnificent offer?"
"Yes we have," I said.
"I hope for your sake you have come up with a pleasing answer," said Caius icily.
"We will NEVER join you," said Alice fervidly.
"What a waste," Aro said, shaking his head sadly. "The three of you could have contributed a great service to our coven."
His expression turned cold and calculating, as if considering our fate.
Marcus gazed mournfully in our direction and I was in no doubt what the Volturi were planning to do. By refusing to join their coven, we had sentenced ourselves to death.
"Alice, Renesmee, Ella," Aro said in a voice dripping with undisguised menace."Please kneel in front of my throne."
Alice, Renesmee and I hastily held hands to lend strength to each other.
"Oh how lovely," giggled Aro, clapping his hands together like an excitable child. "Holding hands truly augments this grim occasion."
I closed my eyes and silently called out for help from the mice and any other animals that might be nearby. The silence stretched on painfully.
Suddenly I heard an unexpected rustling coming from the corner of the room. I opened my eyes to see truly spectacular sight. Animals poured in through every available doorway, window and crack in the wall!
"This is because of you!" Alice said to me in amazement. "You have communicated with the animals and now they are here to help us!"
I saw a growing group of martens running, their short, furry legs propelling them forward. Their dark brown coats and undivided yellowish throat patches glowed like backlit sunlight.
They fanned out in front of us and formed a protective line separating us from the Volturi.
The expressions on the faces of the three Volturi members turned from menacing to open-mouthed shock. They stood with alarm.
Next, I heard a "wow, wow, wow" sound. Suddenly red foxes streamed in, the dim lights turning their red fur to fire.
They poured towards the Volturi. One particularly angry fox jumped aggressively towards Caius, who retreated in fear.
![[picture of holding hands]](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/5b45f7_390ad6e3c9d64a558efea77ba78d2d95~mv2.jpeg/v1/fill/w_800,h_651,al_c,q_85,enc_auto/5b45f7_390ad6e3c9d64a558efea77ba78d2d95~mv2.jpeg)
Next I felt a breeze slicing past my head. I looked up to see a river of grey and brown and yellow sparrows flowing through a crack in the window.
"Get these insatiable creatures off me," demanded Aro apoplectically.
I smelled the lingering remnants of hay, straw and tree roots on the pelts of hundreds of weasels.
They wound their densely furred bodies around the Volturi's legs like fur stoles.
Aro, Caius and Marcus lost their balance and fell to the floor. I tasted dust as Ashlyn Applewhiskers, Hannah Honeytail and Josie Jellypaws scurried up my chair and sat back on my lap.
"Now is your chance - follow us!" squeaked Josie Jellypaws.
"Follow the mice!" I told Renesmee and Alice frantically.
We fled hurriedly out the door and followed the three mice through the dark building. We burst out of the front door of the Volturi castle and into the dimly lit streets of Volterra.
"What shall we do now?" asked Renesmee.
"There's a night train leaving Volterra in 10 minutes," said Hannah Honeytail. "If you move very fast you can catch it and get away from the Volturi."
"Can you see into the future yet? Is this a good plan?" I asked Alice.
"I can't see anything into the future so I don't know," she said.
"Let's heed the advice of the mice," Renesmee said.
We hustled forward purposefully, propelling ourselves through the deserted streets in the direction of the night train. As we turned a corner, a large dark car unceremoniously blocked our path...
Soundtrack:
While I was writing this chapter I was listening to:
Excellent work as usual Ella.