Page 75 of A Trial of War
Thank the gods they had escaped.
Branches clawed at my cloak, the night itself seeming to breathe hot and alive against my neck. Every heartbeat pounded in my ears, not mine alone, but Wyndfall’s and a handful of our trusted soldiers too. Their footsteps were heavy and sure behind me as we ran.
Commotion from the unknown soldiers chasing us echoed louder against the open night. They were somehow gaining on us, tracking us through the dark. Hunting me.
“Left!” Wyndfall said in a piercing command as we dove into the underbrush.
Branches and brush tore at the sleeves of my gown, but I didn’t dare make a sound. The royal guard chasing us had split into three companies. I could hear them on all sides, closing in on our location as we ducked into cover.
Wyndfall turned toward his soldiers. “Scatter to confuse them. I’ll stay with the princess.” A signal horn sounded from the west, followed by another from the ridge. “Hurry. We’ll meet at the rendezvous point at the northern edge of the lake.”
Our soldiers obediently scattered in groups of two, leaving Wyndfall and me alone. As we continued onward through the dark forest, voices boomed off to the side, signaling that some had split off to follow our false lead. But the main group still trailed us through the thickening forest.
And all because I dared to break away and do what I believed was right.
My foot caught on a root, and I stumbled, knee scraping against the dirt. My dress was torn, and mud was now in my hair. Wyndfall skidded to a stop and reached to help me up. He hauled me back onto my feet without slowing, his breath fogging from the exertion.
“Keep moving, Princess. If they reach the river before us, we’re done.”
“Let’s not let a muddy skirt slow us down, then.” Pausing our trek, I reached for the healer’s dagger Isolde gave me and sliced the ruined hem of my gown. “Better?”
“Better.” He chuckled. “Let’s go.”
A flash of torchlight split the trees ahead. We ducked low, hiding behind a fallen log slick with moss. I forced my legs to stay still as we knelt in the muddy water pooling under our hiding spot. The smell of smoke and horse sweat filled the air as riders thundered past. I bit down hard on the inside of my cheek to quiet my breathing, praying they would continue along the game trail we abandoned.
“Circle back and search the clearing!” a voice said, one I knew all too well. Avon, captain of the hunters, was following us. “We’ll find them.”
Gods above, no wonder they were still on our trail.
When the hoofbeats and sounds of voices faded, Wyndfall touched my arm. “We need to move. They’ll sweep back.”
I nodded, but my limbs trembled as I rose. The forest blurred at the edges as exhaustion pulled at my remaining strength. Still, if we stayed here, we were as good as dead.
We reached the river moments before the next horn sounded.Gods, how was it closer this time?The faint glow of torches weaved between the trees behind us as the rustling of wings echoed over the canopy.
“Go!” Wyndfall urged, plunging into the shallows. The water was icy, biting through my boots and stinging my bare legs under the skirt of my torn dress. We waded across, each splash a betrayal of the silence we desperately tried to achieve.
Then, a feral growl sounded behind us, more monstrous than any living thing I’d heard in my mortal life.
“What is that?” I asked in a rasped whisper.
“I’m not sure,” Wyndfall said. “It’s nothing I’ve heard before.”
Panic fluttered in my chest like a caged bird. “Whatever it is… I don’t want to find out. We need to get out of here, Wyndfall!”
“The water will help conceal our scent,” he said. “Hold your breath and dive beneath.”
Inhaling, I plummeted under the frigid surface. My lungs seized at the temperature as I kicked my feet along the bottom to swim a short distance to the other side. I didn’t have time to panic or go into shock. I needed to swim. I needed to survive.
When we reached the far bank, I broke through the surface, soaked to the bone, but still alive.
Wyndfall grabbed a handful of river mud and smeared it across my sleeves and neck. The cold grit shocked me, but I didn’t flinch. It was nothing compared to the waters we crossed.
“This will help.”
I nodded, sighing internally. Not even a week-long bath would be enough to feel clean again.
After picking up what remained of my skirt to wring out the excess water, we started running again, keeping to the shadows. Above us, stars beamed brightly against the blackened sky.
