“Robert! Siouxsie!” cried the pirate. “Stop him!!” Robert was getting tired but found the strength to launch more fireballs. The hot projectiles sailed through the air three at a time in bursts to strike the beast or the man atop it but none found their mark. Morell tried to get up but his aching foot would not allow him to get off the ground. He watched in pain as the horse drew nearer and nearer to it targets. Siouxsie cast as fast as she could to strike the man but the bolt went wide and torched a useless patch of grass. Robert fired the last burst he could muster but the horse was too fast to land a shot. Hoxley still couldn’t see and had somehow set her spear out of view where she couldn’t feel it. Her hands frantically searched the grass but could not find the lyythium spear. The horse was only a few strides out when Atticus managed to raise a shaking sword as a last measure of defiance against the horse likely to maul him as it passed. Unable to see, Hoxley threw herself flat to the ground and covered her head in hopes she might survive the attack.

  And that’s when it happened…

  Steeled by the courage of his companions, the prince, seeing the faun who’d saved his life, cower in fear for hers, charged into action. With Lyythium shield gripped tight, his feet sprinted swift and true across the morning field to meet the horse at its target. No rational thought filled his mind, only the desire to defend the defenseless from a foe who would not relent. Not since the day on the bridge when he meant Hoxley had he run so far so fast. As the sun shone behind him as he ran, he yelled a mighty battle cry to not only run toward the charging attacker but run foolishly into the path of it. And there, in a moment equal parts bravery and selflessness, Prince Damron raised his shield ahead of him and dove at the rider a full stride before he could reach his target.

  Everyone watched, their hearts in their throats as should have been a deflecting blow to bounce off the side of the horse became something else entirely. The animals significant and speeding mass should have swatted the boy aside like an errant bothersome fly. But armed with a shield crafted of lyythium, the magical abilities were not too unalike from Morell’s mace. Its arcane properties not only negated any damage Prince Damron might have sustained in the collision it also in turn magnified his dive to knock the horse off its path entirely! For him, the leap was no more unsettling than leaping off a bale of hay to land upon the ground. For the stampeding warhorse, the devastating impact knocked it off its hooves entirely to send it flying, missing Atticus and Hoxley by mere inches! No one present watching had ever witnessed such a thing. And when it slammed to the ground on its back, it smashed the rider beneath. Loxo and Robert rushed to check on them as Siouxsie helped Morell limp over as well.

  “Did you see that?” Robert said with astonishment while Loxo reached down to pull the price to his feet.

  “You know, your highness…” The pirate stated as a matter of fact. “You have a perfectly good sword in your hand. What were you thinking by diving into the path of a speeding steed?”

  “I- I don’t know what I was thinking.” The boy said, looking down at Hoxley still trying toget her bearings. “I had to do something.” Prince Damron poured some water on his hands and flushed some against the faun girl’s face. His hands went to work trying to get the excess out of her eyes so she could see. After a moment, Hoxley could see again and looked up to find everyone around her.

  “What happened?” she asked.

  “I’ll tell you what happened.” Said Atticus, finally managing to push himself up to his feet. “The prince did a heroic thing by throwing himself against the riders horse to keep it from mashing us to jelly.” She looked up to him.

  “Is this true?” she asked. Did you save our lives?”

  “It’s true! It’s true!” said Siouxsie excitedly as she helped Morell to hobble nearer. “I saw the whole thing! The prince just tackled an entire horse!” To their rear, the horse bucked and kicked on the ground and a man yelled out in pain.

  “Wait here.” said Atticus, his beady eyes narrowing to slits. “I’ll finish them off.” The witch gave his pointed weapon a flip and stepped away from the group.

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  “Is that it?” asked Morell “Is it over?”

  “It’s only the last of the horsemen, for now.” Scowled Robert. “On your feet, Hoxley.” He said, pulling the faun to her hooves. Once upright, Prince Damron handed her weapon back.

  “I’m glad you’re alright, Hoxley.” Said the boy, also pouring a little water on a handkerchief I he had in his pocket. “Here, put this on your wound, it should help keep the bleeding down.”

  “Thank you, your highness.” She smiled, applying it to her forehead. “I’m in your debt. Is anyone else hurt?” she asked.

  “I twisted my ankle on a snake hole.” Said Morell as he grimaced in pain. No one else made a claim.

  “If a bruised ankle and a gash in my forehead are the worst of it, then we must be blessed. Atticus? How are you?”

  “Battered.” He huffed. “Nothing more.”

  “Where will we go?” asked Siouxsie.

  “Anywhere but here.” Said Atticus, returning to the group. His weapon was slicked with fresh blood. He gave it a flick to paint the grass crimson. “We shouldn’t stop. There may be more horsemen. Where there are horsemen, others can’t be too far behind.”

  “Then we must carry on quickly. It will be impossible to cover our tracks in this tall grass for some time so we must put as much distance between us and them as fast as we can. Gather your packs. If we hurry, we may reach Steelbriar by midday.”

  “I thought we weren’t going to Steelbriar because it’s dangerous.” Said the prince.

  “Everywhere is dangerous.” Grumbled Robert, who seemed to sag a little now that the rush of battle had passed. “Better to be somewhere we might be able to hide If the enemy thinks its dangerous all more reason to go there to try and lose them.”

  “Our destination is to find our way back to Oldvale.” Said Hoxley “Hopefully once we’ve arrived, we’ll meet up with Ignatius again. From there, I have no idea where we’ll go. In the meantime, all we can do is continue to walk away from danger.”

  “I don’t know how fast I can walk.” Said Morell, still grimacing.

  “I can bandage his ankle and wrap it tight.” Added Siouxsie. “It will help a little but it would heal faster if I had some snow or ice to pack upon it.”

  “He’s not going to walk. I can carry him and Robert upon my back.”

  “I can walk.” Grunted Robert.

  “You need your rest.” Said Hoxley.

  “Give me the witch.” Offered Atticus “I’ve got my wind back. I’ll carry him in his sling.

  “Loxo, carry Morell’s pack.” Hoxley said. The pirate, already busying himself with relieving the dead horsemen of their coin purses, looked up with surprise.

  “But I have my own pack to carry and it’s really quite cumbersome as it is.” He said, stuffing handfuls of items into it.

  “Yes, and for now we must share the burden of the wounded.” She paused to dab away more blood from the cut between her eyes. “We are blessed that no one is more gravely injured than they are. We need to leave quickly lest more soldiers arrive.” She said glancing back over her shoulder to the west before looking to the prince. “Your highness? We’ll follow your lead.”

  “My lead? But you always lead the way.” The boy said with some surprise.

  “Yes, my vision is hazy from the wound and we need sharp eyes at the head to keep watch for danger. Siouxsie will keep pace with you.” The witch girl gave a nod of agreement.

  “Four eyes are better than two!” She said with a smile.

  “Alright then.” Said Prince Damron, shrugging the shield to sit higher on his arm. “Let’s go. The sooner we reunite with Ignatius the sooner we can make a plan to unseat my uncle.”

  “Would anyone like to hear a song?” asked Siouxsie.

  “I could stand to hear a song. But a musician shouldn’t play a song for free.” Said Loxo before fishing a coin from the handful of money pouches he’d picked from the dead horsemen. He pinched a copper from one then flipped the coin end over end through the air and Siouxsie grabbed it mid-air.

  “As long as you don’t play too loud.” added Hoxley. “My head feels like a piece of wood being split by an axe.”

  “No Piggy Piggy.” Mumbled Robert from his hammock hanging off the spear over Atticus’ shoulder.