Page 14

Harok does not, cannot, reply. He simply says another word of Ambolk, urging his horse deeper in the forest.

Tobi looks over his shoulder, unable to believe what just happened. Behind him more of the Ambolk follow, some of them leaping the river as Harok had. Others are already dismounting to wade through leading their mounts. A few more have turned along the bank, taking the cart — and Baby — down to the ford.

Tobi hopes she isn’t frightened by the night’s strange turn.

Tobi says, “Are you going to tell me where we are going?”

Again, Harok does not reply.

However, Tobi carries on talking, for the sake of it, “So where do you live? In a tree or something? Is that where we are going? To your tree?”

How long will this journey take? The whole of the night? Perhaps longer? Will they have to break their journey in the trees? And if they do, will Harok take him then? Will he cover Tobi on the dirt ground like a beast?

But all that happens, as they rides, Tobi held close and tight on Harok’s lap, swaying on through the forest, is that the night grows ever darker and the moonlight filtering through the trees glitters and the horse trots on and on through winding pathways and hollow ways, worn through the trees and undergrowth.

The movement of the horse is starting to lull Tobi, if not to sleep — he is too concerned about what exactly will happen to him — but definitely into a state of resigned surrender, when he feels Harok move behind him, pressing close. Tobi feels Harok’s lips as Harok kisses the back of Tobi’s neck. Just once and quite chastely.

Tobi can feel a whisper of dampness on his skin where Harok’s lips touched him.

Tobi feels shivery all over. The hairs on his arms tingle. Tobi wriggles. He can feel something pressing into the back of his ass, where Harok’s thighs are spread around it. A distinct firmness. Harok’s cock.

Dek, Tobi thinks, remembering one of the Ambolk words everyone knows, as they ride on, deeper and deeper into the forest. If he is to survive this, at least until his father sends help, he will have to start trying to learn Ambolk as fast as he can.

Eventually, Tobi must have fallen asleep, because the next thing he knows, he is being jolted awake. He is still pressed to Harok’s body. Aware of the grassy musky scent of it all around him. The night is dark.

He turns his head and looks up at Harok. Blue eyes watch him. In a low tone, Harok says, “Velik.”

Harok’s body is tense. He looks over his shoulder. Tobi looks too. Behind Harok’s horse ride the column of Ambolk warriors, moving through the dark. A smaller party than the one that took the camp. Many of the Ambolk must have taken the different route. Riding with the cart and Baby’s cage by way of the ford, rather than leaping the river.

As Tobi is still turned in the saddle, an arrow zings past Harok’s ear and lands with a heavy thump in a tree trunk right beside them. Tobi feels Harok’s arms move, grasping tight and pushing Tobi’s head down against the horse’s neck. Harok makes a jerking motion at his horse’s reins and they stop, Tobi still held firmly in place.

Tobi stays where he is, pressed to horse flesh, breathing hard. He dare not speak or move. Where did that arrow come from? Are they being attacked?

Harok snaps something else in Ambolk. Tobi thinks he is being told not to move. He has no intention of moving. He feels Harok shift. He is pulling a bow from his back and nocking an arrow.

His body moves as he points his weapon into the dark trees. How can he see anything?

They wait. The silence pulls tense and breaks suddenly. Tobi hears the whoosh of another arrow and then a horrible thump of a man falling from a horse. Then another.

Tobi hears more sounds of arrows. He feels Harok lean his body down over Tobi’s, his big shoulders curling around him, shielding him as he fires his arrow then pulls another from the quiver on his horse’s flank.

Is this a rescue? Is this the Imperial Army come to slay the Ambolk for this treachery and take him back? Tobi feels a jolt of excitement.

“Exceli,” Harok shouts back at his men.

There are sounds now, cries and screams coming from the trees and being returned by the Ambolk. More arrows fly. Tobi hears more men fall.

Harok shouts, “Urynwud!”

Tobi feels Harok’s legs move as he kicks at his horse. The horse bolts forward. Tobi shrieks in terror. The first sound he’s made. The horse begins racing as fast as it did when Harok made it jump the river. They hurtle through the dark forest.

Then, the horse stops and rears up, making a terrible sound. Tobi feels Harok’s arm tighten around him, holding him firm so he does not fall. As the horse drops back onto its forelegs, Tobi looks down and sees it has been hit by an arrow, close to its throat.

The horse staggers. Harok kicks his legs and shouts something, “Elik, elik,” trying to force the horse to pick up speed again.

Tobi can see the animal is distressed. The horse can’t understand what Harok wants it to do. There is foam on its lips. Tobi knows a panicking animal when he sees one “Don’t,” he says to Harok, looking around. “Don’t. He’s hurt. He can’t do what you want.” Harok’s face is wild. His eyes dark and his expression monstrous.

Harok reaches forward. He snaps off the arrow shaft where it protrudes from the horse’s flesh, the horse makes a sound of pain and Harok kicks at it again and cries out more sharply, “Elik, elik.”