“I can’t take out that many!” James exclaims. “Not in the dark anyway, I can’t be sure to even get them.”
As they continue to fly across the plains, he begins to get an idea. Hating to do it to the poor horses, but he’s got no choice. Concentrating hard, he begins creating a patchwork of holes behind them in the ground. Each is seven inches in diameter and a foot deep. Any horse putting its leg in it will have it broken, especially at the speed they’re going.
He creates his orb so the riders behind them will know in which direction to follow them. “What’re you doing?” cries Jiron. “We’re trying to lose them not attract them!”
“I want them to follow right behind us,” he says, voice strained from the effort to talk, and create the holes behind them at the same time. It’s taking far more out of him to create the patchwork of holes than he’d expected and it isn’t long before he begins developing the beginnings of a whopper of a headache.
Suddenly, a horse can be heard crying out in pain behind them as it sets its hoof in one of the holes. Then, several more cry out as they, too, get their legs broken.
“What’s happening?” asks Fifer as they slow a fraction.
“Sounds like their horses are in distress,” Jiron says as he glances behind them. More and more horses begin crying out as they step into the holes.
After several minutes of creating the holes, James stops and they ride on at a reduced pace for a few minutes. The horns behind them have quieted and the sound of pursuit has fallen off as well. “I think that slowed them down a little,” he says. From the sound of his voice, the others can tell that bit of magic had taken its toll.
“Sounds like it,” Miko says.
They ride on for another half an hour before the sky to the east begins to lighten up. Glancing behind them as the light increases, James is relieved not to see any sign of their pursuers.
The mountains begin to fall off behind them as the range moves more to the west. To the north, a large body of foot soldiers appears far in the distance ahead of them, moving to the northeast. They stop abruptly and turn around, moving southwest to avoid them. Soon the army is out of sight behind them.
Far off to the west, they begin to see smoke rising from a large structure sitting along the base of the mountains. “That army must have just come from there,” supposes Jiron.
“Think they left anyone there?” asks James.
“Why?” asks Fifer.
“If they didn’t, it might be a good place to hide until night,” he explains. “Why would they go back if everyone there is dead?”
“Good point,” says Fifer.
“But they might also be using it for a forward staging area,” Jiron says. Pointing in that direction, he says, “Look, you can see people moving around the structure.”
Straining to see, James nods as he makes out several people moving there. He says, “You are right. Better not chance it.”
Several miles to their north is another line of trees. Indicating them, Jiron says, “Maybe we could make it there before anyone sees us.”
“Maybe,” replies James as he sits there and thinks a moment.
“We gotta go somewhere,” Miko says in exasperation. “We’re kind of exposed sitting here.”
“To the trees then,” decides James and everyone nods agreement.
They turn their horses north and break into a gallop. To the east, they can see the tail end of the marching column of soldiers in the distance, but hold to their course.
It’s a very tense time as they make for the trees, James expects to hear horns from all direction when they’re discovered. But as luck would have it, they make it to the trees without being spotted. Or if they did, whoever saw them took them for their own. After all, they are behind the enemies’ lines.
They move deep within the forest and continue with their northward trek. The sun continues to climb in the sky as they forge through the forest, not making near the speed they had on the plains, but are definitely less likely to be discovered.
Deeper into the forest, they come across a small river as it flows southward. Tired and exhausted, they stop at a clearing near it and take a rest break. Breaking out their food, they have a quick meal before continuing on.
“How much further do you think before we reach their lines?” James asks Fifer.
“We’re already past where they were when we went south after Lord Pytherian,” he replies. “No telling how far they’ve pushed north since then. Lythylla is only a day or so to the north, I would think that’s where we’ll find the bulk of their armies.”
“That one we saw moving around the forest,” Jiron says, “do you think they could have been on their way there?”
“Likely,” says Fifer. “But who knows for sure?”
Once they’re done eating and the horses have had a rest, they remount and begin moving north through the forest again. They decide not to follow the river northwest, instead they head due north, hoping to avoid anyone that might be using it.
The day progresses as they continue through the woods, sometime after noon they hear a rustling ahead of them. Suddenly, four men with longbows step out of the trees, arrows knocked and ready. Several others step out with them, one comes forward and says, “Stop and identify yourselves.”
“You Madoc’s men?” James asks.
Nodding, the man waits for their reply.
Fifer steps forward and says, “I’m Fifer, belong to Miller’s band.” Indicating the others, he says, “These here are friends.”
The man eyes him suspiciously and says, “Don’t know any Miller’s band and you’re not familiar. What business have you here?”
He glances to James and Jiron before replying. “We helped rescue Lord Pytherian from the Empire, got separated from him, and now are trying to get back to friendly territory.”
The man signals the archers who lower their bows. “Heard he disappeared,” the man says.
Nodding, Fifer continues, “He was taken in a raid, I believe there was treachery involved. We separated several nights ago. He went north while we diverted a force bent on capturing him to allow him time to get through to our side. Last we saw of him, he was heading in this direction.”
“You’ll have to come with us back to our camp,” the man tells them. “Our captain is going to want to hear what you have to say.”
Fifer glances to James and Jiron who both nod their heads. He turns back to the man and says, “Lead on.”
The man turns to one of his men and whispers something to him. His man then turns and begins to run northward, disappearing into the trees.
“My names Erwin,” he tells them. “Don’t be alarmed, he just went ahead to let them know you’re coming.”
James steps up, and offers his hand. When Erwin takes it, he says, “I’m James, and this here is Jiron and Miko.” Each nods their head to Erwin when they’re introduced.
Erwin begins to lead them through the forest, his men flanking them as well as bringing up the rear. “The camp’s not too far away, about a mile or so,” he tells them. They walk the rest of the way in silence. Soon, they begin to see a camp opening up in the trees ahead of them. From the looks of it, several hundred men call this camp home.
As they approach, they see a man in woodsman attire standing at the edge of the camp waiting for them. He’s flanked by several men, bodyguards by the looks of them.
“That’s Captain Alerin, he’s in charge of these woods,” explains Erwin.
“Captain,” he says when they come near to where he’s waiting, “these men here are James, Fifer, Jiron and Miko. They claim to have helped Lord Pytherian escape from the Empire.”
The captain’s eyebrows rise slightly when he hears that. “Great news indeed, but where is Lord Pytherian?”
James steps forward and replies, “We were separated from him several days ago. We drew off a group of soldiers in order for him to escape. Last we knew, he was heading in this direction.”
“He hasn’t passed through these woods, or I would’ve known it,” states Captain Alerin gravely. “Hopefully, he went around them and found a safe route that way.” He gestures for them to follow as he moves over to a large tent. Coming to it, one of his men moves and opens the tent flap for him.