Preface

Flight from Calormen

"Faster Brind! We have to move faster!" Kendra urged glancing back over her shoulder. The five soldiers on horseback were steadily growing closer to them. She hugged her arms tighter around Brind's waist, trying not to let the motion of their own running horse knock her off.

"I'm trying to move faster Kendra, but this stupid horse won't go any faster." Brind shouted as he dug his heels into the side of the black stead. "We just have to make it to the desert, then we'll be safe."

His words weren't as reassuring as they should have been. Kendra knew about the desert, and how dangerous it was. To her it was a bad choice either way, die here at the hands of the soldiers or allow for the heat and barren wasteland take them. Not wanting to think about it any longer Kendra buried her face deep into her friend's back shutting her eyes tight.

Kendra took to humming the lullaby that her mother would sing to her. It always did the job of calming her down getting her to sleep. It was no use this time, however, as the beating sounds of horse hooves rang in Kendra's ears. She couldn't hear herself think.

WHOOSH

A new sound passed just beyond her right ear. Reluctantly Kendra opened her eyes and turned back to the Calormene soldiers. Once a friendly pursuit had no turned into open fire. One of the soldier's had shot an arrow at the children just hardly missing Kendra by mere inches.

"Brind! They're firing at us!" she cried.

He turned only for a second, for it was all he needed to see the each of the soldiers aiming arrows at the two. With another sharp kick the horse finally picked up speed. Brind leaned forward attempting to make them more aerodynamic. The arrows came rushing their way, each one missing their target, but not by much. Kendra let out a frightened cry and went back to hiding her face in Brind's back.

"We're almost out of the kingdom, look!"

Brind knew that Kendra was not about to remove her face from his spine, but he ignored the twinge of pain as the bridge of her nose dug into it. It was just some words of encouragement that he knew was greatly needed at this time.

"It'll be over soon, hold on."

"I am holding on!" Kendra shouted.

She wished that she could turn back time and change the events that led to this flight from Calormen. If only Brind hadn't picked up that small silver and gold box. If only he hadn't given the small trinket inside to Kendra. If she hadn't fought over being sold, it was something she and her parents knew they would have to deal with some day. Why did she have to resist, and why did Brind have to save her? It all came down to the brass locket that hung around Kendra's neck, and was now bouncing against her chest.

More arrows came flying in their direction. Brind let out a small cry of pain as one of the arrows grazed his left shoulder. Kendra glanced behind her to see how close the soldiers were, and to her great relief they had fallen back.

"Brind! Brind they're slowing down!"

"Good." Brind said through gritted teeth, he didn't know how bad his wound was or how deep. It stung a great deal and the blowing sand wasn't helping at all.

"Where do we go from here?" Kendra asked relaxing her grip slightly. Since the Calormen soldiers had now slowed to a stop and were practically out of sight, she felt more a ease knowing that no more arrows would be aimed to kill.

"I don't know. We keep going North I suppose. Through Archenland, and then Narnia."

Brind wasn't sure what he was going to accomplish by fleeing their country, or what kind of counsel of company he expected them to receive once they did reach Narnia. What he was sure of was that he and Kendra were no longer safe to step foot back in Calormen. The Tisroc and his soldiers wanted the two children dead, and the locket back in his grasp. Whatever the locket entailed, it was enough to kill for.

Brind suspected that the brass locket was not your average piece of jewelry. Had it been, the soldier's would have ripped it from Kendra's neck without asking for it first. All of these questions and worries plagued Brind's mind, while a more important question should have been the priority. How were they going to survive the desert and the lands beyond?