Chapter Fourteen (Pt.2)
Leah had to keep slowing Free down, so Maeve and Evalan could catch up. She wanted to ride fast and far as if to flee the darkness within that remained invisible to all but her. She knew her mother suspected something was amiss, but she also knew that Maeve would keep her thoughts to herself for Evalan’s sake.
Forcing a smile to her face, she looked over her shoulder as her brother started to close the distance between them. “Can’t your miniature horse go any faster?” she called.
“Don’t tease,” he shouted as he urged his smaller, robust horse on.
Maeve laughed as they caught up with Leah.
As usual, the twelve-strong warrior escort, with the guards, Eurik and Leos, maintained a suitable distance. The open countryside around them meant none could approach without being seen; the forest of Grimwood did not encroach this far south.
With Evalan now riding between them, Leah caught her mother’s grateful smile and nodded. It had been Maeve’s suggestion for Leah to accompany her and Evalan on a ride. A month after Holl, the young boy was still struggling to come to terms with the abduction attempt. As he seemed to be avoiding his friends, the hope was that spending time with Leah would ease his mind and lighten his mood. She started to talk of their time in Kurabar when she and Evalan had explored the marketplace and gotten lost.
“That was your fault,” said Evalan.
“My fault? How was that my fault? If memory serves me, you were the one who insisted on following that seemingly innocent-looking girl–”
“You were following a girl?” Smiling, Maeve’s eyes widened.
Evalan made a face. “It wasn’t like that. Tell her, Leah. Leah?”
She forced her attention back to him, but a frown now creased her brow.
“What’s wrong?”
She glanced back to where she’d been staring.
“What is it?” asked Maeve.
“I thought... I...” She shrugged and shook her head. “It’s nothing. What were you saying?” As Evalan repeated his words, Leah found she couldn’t dispel the unease that had crept over her mere moments before. Something was interfering with the energy streams around her, but she couldn’t work out what. She wondered if it was to do with her turbulent emotions.
“So, I wasn’t actually chasing that girl, was I?”
Leah exchanged a knowing glance with her mother. “I don’t know, Curly-top, you seemed very interested–”
“I was not.”
Their laughter was interrupted by a warning shout from their escort.
Leah pulled Free around to see the warriors racing towards them. Her eyes widened, her mouth hung open. Seemingly out of nowhere, a horde of brigands had appeared and was closing in on them. Her mother’s choked cry brought her to her senses. Leah reached for her sword and cursed; she seldom armed herself for these rides.
Six of the warriors, together with the guards, were still galloping towards them while the remaining six held their ground to engage the brigands.
“Ride!” bellowed Eurik as Leos smacked the rumps of first Maeve’s mare, then Evalan’s horse. They shot forward, Leah torn between wanting to fight by her comrades’ side, and wanting to protect her family.
They lengthened the distance between them and the pursuing brigands. But Evalan’s mount was already struggling; he couldn’t keep up with the longer strides of the bigger steeds.
Maeve checked her mare’s speed, and as she came alongside, leaned over to try and grab the reins of Evalan’s horse. Her mount jerked to a halt and reared up, screaming, twin arrows buried in its hind leg. Unable to keep her balance, Maeve screamed and tumbled off.
Leah cried out as the mare collapsed across the older woman. She pulled on Free’s reins and, throwing caution to the wind, manipulated the energy streams to drag the mare from Maeve. Leaping off, she fell to her knees and gathered her mother in her arms, gasping with relief to find her still alive.
Looking up, she realised Evalan was about to dismount, his face twisted with terror. “Stay on that horse.” Mentally, she summoned Free to her side as she struggled upright, Maeve still in her arms.
Leos appeared by her side. “Give her to me, Highness.” He leaned down and pulled his queen up to lay her across his saddle.
About to swing herself back onto Free, Leah paused, dark eyes taking in the scene before her. Her comrades lay unmoving, all except for two; there was no sign of Eurik. And the brigands were bearing down on them. Turning to Evalan, she dragged him off his horse. “Get on Free. Now.” She pushed him onto the saddle, ignoring his breathless sobs. She tossed the reins to Leos. “Get them out of here. Go.”
“My lady–”
“Go!” She grabbed a fallen sword and ran towards the nearest warrior who was still standing her ground. Leah allowed herself one backward glance and, to her relief, saw the guard galloping away with his precious charges.
“Commander...” murmured the warrior, only a few years Leah’s senior, as the other warrior was cut down.
“We give them as much time to get away, Rina.” And I’ll do all I can to keep us alive, consequences be damned.
The mounted brigands bore down on them. Leah waited for her moment, reached down the energy-streams, and yanked at the ones around the horses’ legs. They crashed to the ground, throwing their riders off. She and Rina charged the fallen brigands, not giving them a chance to recover, slashing and stabbing them where they lay.
One kicked out at Rina and she fell but managed to block his attack with her sword. He leapt to his feet, bringing his sword down on her; she rolled out of the way and lashed out with her foot.
Leah dodged and parried another who’d managed to scramble to her feet. She came at Leah like one possessed, not letting up her attack as she drove the dark-haired woman back. But one ‘thought’ from Leah and the brigand was shoved away. With a surprised cry, she stumbled, landing on her back. With no hesitation, Leah plunged the sword into the fallen woman’s stomach, twisting her hand as she did so, to stop her blade becoming trapped by the unavoidable suction of flesh; she snatched her sword free.
“Leah!”
She turned to see Rina set upon by two brigands as another awful truth tore through her senses. Twisting around, away from Rina, she saw more brigands getting closer to Leos. To her mother and Evalan. In that moment, nothing else mattered. Dropping her sword, she sprinted to the nearest horse; leaping on, she spurred it forward.
Forcing herself to concentrate, to ignore the fear that clouded her mind, the pain that pounded her brain, she directed her attention to the energy-streams between her and the brigands. She ‘pulled’ with all her might; the brigands at the rear struggled against an invisible hand that threatened to unseat them.
The brigands swept over them. Leos fell, taking Maeve with him. Evalan screamed.
Leah couldn’t see him, his small form surrounded by brigands. Her vision blurred by tears, she willed her mount to speeds it was incapable of. It took her a while to realise a rider-less horse was galloping fast towards her: “Free...”
She didn’t slow her horse down as the faithful steed caught up with her then turned to gallop alongside her, matching his speed with hers. Using the mental link that connected them, she steadied him and with her magic, leapt easily onto his back.
It didn’t take Free long to get closer to the brigands who were now riding their horses hard, in the direction of the Grimwood. This close to them, Leah knew she could bring them all down with her magic, so long as she didn’t collapse from the agonising pain first. The ones at the back were the first to fall as an unseen force hauled them off their horses. Drawing nearer, she spied her brother in their midst, sensed his panic... could hear him crying her name. Focussing her concentration, she readied herself to literally snatch him from them.
Too late she became aware of the knife flying at her. It sheared off her unprotected temple, shattering her fragile focus. Her vision blurred; she could feel Free slowing down... could feel his confusion. Struggling to stay seated, she realised the brigands were racing away, out of her reach. With Evalan’s fading cries echoing in her ears, she fell into unconsciousness.