Attaly was shaken awake as she was pulled from her horse. She opened her
mouth to ask where they were, but Alth – who had pulled her down – held a
finger to her lips. Attaly nodded, and looked around. They were in a sort
of wood.
We must have passed the dessert in one night, she thought.
Hooves thundered past, shaking the ground. Attaly looked toward the noise, worried. It seemed there were thousands of horses. The lead stopped, a panic numbed Attaly's senses. Silently, Alth pulled a brown cloak from his pocket. Unfolding it, he threw the cloak over Attaly. Before her eyes, her hand disappeared. She turned to Alth, but he could not see her. Alth, worried that she might be panicked enough to run, gripped her invisible hand and whispered urgently, "It's an invisibility cloak. You'll be fine if he suspects anything…unless he has a Visibility Sensor with him…but I doubt it."
Attaly nodded, realized he wouldn't see it, and whispered, "All right. But who's out there?"
"King Raleigh." Attaly held her breath as she heard a single horse walk nearer and nearer to their hiding spot. Looking behind them, Attaly saw the rest of her companions. They would be easily spotted if the king came much closer…
Before thinking, Attaly picked up a rock and hurled it far to her left. It hit the ground with a bang, and the horse stopped advancing. Instead, it turned, and galloped over to where the rock was. It gave the companions time to creep deeper into the forest. When at last they felt a safe distance from the army, Alth pulled a bedroll down from his horse. He tossed it to Attaly, who, startled, dropped it.
"We'll make camp here for tonight. You can use my bedroll; the rest of us'll use the leaves." Without another word, he made a pile of fallen leaves, lay his head upon it, and said, "Rahm and Darr, you take first watch. You other two-" he gestured to Cal and Griffith-"you'll take the second watch. The boy and I will take the third."
"Very well," Griffith said, his voice tight with agitation. The others lay down as the rogue and wizard stood at opposite ends, keeping watch.
"And I?" Attaly asked Alth.
"You sleep. We're keeping watch to protect you."
"Very well," Attaly said, sounding the world like her brother. She spread out the bedroll, then lay down. Before she drifted into sleep, she heard the man mutter, "More trouble then she's worth…but she'll need to be trouble…for the God, at least." A smile touched Attaly's lips, and she fell into a blissful dreamless sleep.
We must have passed the dessert in one night, she thought.
Hooves thundered past, shaking the ground. Attaly looked toward the noise, worried. It seemed there were thousands of horses. The lead stopped, a panic numbed Attaly's senses. Silently, Alth pulled a brown cloak from his pocket. Unfolding it, he threw the cloak over Attaly. Before her eyes, her hand disappeared. She turned to Alth, but he could not see her. Alth, worried that she might be panicked enough to run, gripped her invisible hand and whispered urgently, "It's an invisibility cloak. You'll be fine if he suspects anything…unless he has a Visibility Sensor with him…but I doubt it."
Attaly nodded, realized he wouldn't see it, and whispered, "All right. But who's out there?"
"King Raleigh." Attaly held her breath as she heard a single horse walk nearer and nearer to their hiding spot. Looking behind them, Attaly saw the rest of her companions. They would be easily spotted if the king came much closer…
Before thinking, Attaly picked up a rock and hurled it far to her left. It hit the ground with a bang, and the horse stopped advancing. Instead, it turned, and galloped over to where the rock was. It gave the companions time to creep deeper into the forest. When at last they felt a safe distance from the army, Alth pulled a bedroll down from his horse. He tossed it to Attaly, who, startled, dropped it.
"We'll make camp here for tonight. You can use my bedroll; the rest of us'll use the leaves." Without another word, he made a pile of fallen leaves, lay his head upon it, and said, "Rahm and Darr, you take first watch. You other two-" he gestured to Cal and Griffith-"you'll take the second watch. The boy and I will take the third."
"Very well," Griffith said, his voice tight with agitation. The others lay down as the rogue and wizard stood at opposite ends, keeping watch.
"And I?" Attaly asked Alth.
"You sleep. We're keeping watch to protect you."
"Very well," Attaly said, sounding the world like her brother. She spread out the bedroll, then lay down. Before she drifted into sleep, she heard the man mutter, "More trouble then she's worth…but she'll need to be trouble…for the God, at least." A smile touched Attaly's lips, and she fell into a blissful dreamless sleep.