“You did this, Morell?” he asked.

  “I didn’t mean to!” the boy cried as tears streamed down his face. “I didn’t mean to.. I didn’t, I didn’t…oh no..” Morell then proceeded to bend at the waist and vomit all over the dead man’s feet and legs. “Uuurrrgghhh! Oh, I’m so sorry. Here it comes again, Uurrrrgghh!”

  “Morell did this?” he asked Hoxley a second time.

  “Yes, his mace and the rest of our weapons are magic, made by Bohga the cyclops.”

  “Have you never killed before?” Ignatius asked Morell.

  “No, never! I don’t want to kill anyone!” He slobbered. “I just want to collect mushrooms and fill my book!” Hoxley looked to Ignatius and the others with worrisome eyes. Poor Morell had lived a sheltered life until she and the prince had come into it. He wasn’t prepared for the trials and pains that come with being in the wild. First, he lost his only grandfather, then his home, now this. With no words left to use she pulled him close to her and hugged him tight. He continued to cry on her shoulder, his whimpers so pitiful that no heart in the group wasn’t softened by them. Ignatius closed the space between them and he too put his arms around the boy. The others followed suit; first the prince, then Idris, followed by Siouxsie. They all huddled together to comfort him. Outside the group, Robert stood on his own and looked on, keeping his distance until Siouxsie beckoned for him to join. He grumbled something sour before finally relenting.

  When he could cry no more, Morell let go and dried his eyes. He returned the shield to the prince before standing straight and taking a breath.

  “What do we go now?” he asked all the faces around him

  “That’s a good question.” Said Ignatius. “Hoxley, Siouxsie saw reinforcements of soldiers coming up the far side of this crest. We have to turn back.”

  “But this the only unguarded path left to us. How many are there? Ten? We could fight ten, couldn’t we?”

  “Morell could fight ten on his own!” said Siouxsie which managed to get a smile out of his companion. “He could fell a hundred in five swings!”

  “There’s far more than ten.” Ignatius told them. Too many for us to fight. We’ll have to retreat. The twins and I will create a diversion to slow them down then we’ll follow.”

  “That sounds like a good plan. We’ll stop and retrieve our packs at the campsite and continue on. Be careful, each of you, they may have archers.” She said, her nose bleeding a little bit. “There are no healers on this mountain so we must be careful, all of us.”

  “Then that settles it.” Ignatius nodded in agreement. “You heard her, everyone. Do your part! Keep alert! Twosome, you’re with me!” The witches took a few steps back before taking up their brooms and launching into the night sky where they quickly became invisible.

  “Come on, everyone!” She said. “We have to move quickly to get off this mountain and there’s no time to waste! Follow me!”

  The companions hurried down treacherous slopes, their boots and hooves slipping and sliding through the snow as they moved. With the added ice beneath, it was more like controlled falling than running. It didn’t take long before they arrived back at the overhang where their belongings still lay waiting. They situated their packs and wrapped themselves in the blankets for warmth.

  “It’s good to have this back.” Morell smiled as he pulled the magic garment about himself.

  “Oh no.” said the prince looking down the mountain. “Hoxley?” The centaur situated her things before joining the boy with the anxious expression on his face.

  “Yes? What do you see?”

  “Look there.” He pointed. Hoxley’s eyes followed where his finger led them to discover what had caused him to look so grim. On a plateau not a thousand paces away, dozens of torches could be seen moving in paired unison toward them.

  “I count at least thirty torches and not every soldier carries one. There could be close to fifty soldiers in that column.”

  “So, what do we do?” asked Morell

  “We can’t stay here. If our only option is to fight the fifty in front of us or take on the two dozen on the other side then we have to take our chances with the smaller enemy.”

  “How can we fight so many when we are so few?” asked Idris.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  “I don’t know.” Hoxley said, hefting her spear. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. Everyone, get ready to move, we have to climb the hill again.”

  “We have to climb the mountain again?” Idris protested.

  “I’m sorry Idris, but we must. Give me your packs, it will be easier if I carry them on my back.” They did as they were told and loaded her down. “Go! Run!” Hoxley pointed to the peak with her spear. “We have to make it to the crest of the mountain before anyone else does!” Everyone took off at a frantic pace to climb the pass. Boots and hooves tromped together through the snow and ice. As they ran, Hoxley took hold of the witchle hanging around her neck and blew Siouxsie’s tones.

  Toot, TWEET, toot, Tweet!

  Legs barreled on to climb as fast as they could, arms pumping in time. The cold night air burned their lungs. They were almost to the crest when Siouxsie appeared out of the night and flew low enough to float alongside them as they ran.

  “Hoxley? What are you doing? You’re running the wrong way!”

  “There’s been a change in plans!” Hoxley huffed as she ran. “There are more soldiers coming up behind us! We’re completely cut off!”

  “Then what are we going to do? Robert and Ignatius are slowing the soldiers on the others side but they’re not stopping!”

  “I don’t know! But if we take the high ground that may be something! I don’t know what else to do!”

  “I’ll tell the others!” The witch said as she produced her own witchle and blew it. “We’ll meet you there!” Like a shot, she vanished high into the night air. With everyone sprinting as fast as they could manage, it wasn’t long before the four returned to the place where they’d recovered the prince. Bodies of soldiers still lay in the snow where they’d fallen. Morell took great measures to avert his eyes and keep his distance from the one he’d killed. The highest crest of Faustacon Mountain consisted of a wide, flat-topped rock that was large enough for a dozen people to stand upon. It took a great deal of effort to climb the six-foot-tall lip to mount it. No sooner than they’d stepped upon it, the witches returned to land before them.

  “What’s happened?” asked Ignatius. “Is Siouxsie correct in saying that the other way is blocked?”

  “It’s true.” said Hoxley “I believe there are more soldiers behind us than in front of us.”

  “That’s very troubling.” He pondered

  “Let me burn them.” Robert hissed.

  “We don’t want to burn anyone.” Ignatius told him with a look of surprise. “But I’ll keep that in mind…you just might get your opportunity.”

  “But what can we do?” asked Siouxsie

  “We’re not leaving our friends to die, that’s for certain.” Ignatius told her. “But we need a plan if we’re going to give them a chance to escape somehow. Hoxley?”

  “We’d need to find a weak point in their formation. Perhaps a place where they’re fewer in numbers and punch through to make a run for it.”

  “How would we know where that is?” asked Idris “It’s so dark we can barely see the outlines of the ones in the front of their formations.”

  “I…I don’t know.” She said. “The only advantage we have for the moment is this high ground. They can’t rush us here. Perhaps witchly magic can frighten them off. Bullies often back off if you swat their nose hard enough.”

  “Here they come.” Said Siouxsie as she looked over her shoulder.

  “And on the other side.” Morell said, looking back the way they’d come. Hoxley took it all in; they were trapped in both directions by dozens of soldiers quickly advancing. They would be on top of them in mere moments. Hoxley tipped all the packs from her back and stomped the end of her spear upon the flat rock.

  “Then let us give them a fight they’ll not soon forget! Those men mean to capture or kill the prince! As long as I draw breath, I’ll not let him be taken to bondage or his death. I will not surrender!” She scanned the faces of her group. “What say you?”

  “No surrender!” The prince bellowed, raising his sword.

  “No surrender!” Idris repeated.

  “To protect the prince!” declared Morell, holding his mace high with renewed vigor.

  “No holding back!” said Ignatius.

  “No holding back!” said Siouxsie

  “No prisoners.” Grumbled Robert.