Maxi tore her gaze away from the goblins just as the knights fired a barrage of arrows at the charging horde. As she frantically spurred Rem on, there was an unpleasant ringing in her ears.
Then, something fell from the trees.
Maxi was too out of breath to scream. She clutched at the reins as Rem reared to buck off the goblin that had latched on to the poor horse’s head. Maxi grabbed on to Rem’s neck for dear life. The goblin let out a strange yip and maintained its vicious grip. After getting worked up into a frenzy of bucking and rearing, Rem changed tactics and bolted down the mountain.
Maxi yanked at the reins, but it was no use. The goblin bared its teeth and anchored itself with one arm coiled stubbornly around Rem’s neck. Maxi instinctively made a fist-sized flame spark on the monster’s face. The goblin screeched and let go, finally falling off the horse. The mare’s graceful forelegs ruthlessly stomped on the goblin’s bulbous head.
Maxi squeezed her eyes shut. Rem continued to trample the corpse for a while, but she eventually stopped and dropped her head in exhaustion. Hot tears streaked down Maxi’s cheeks as she clung to her mount. She felt as though she had been tossed about by a tempest.
When she finally looked around, the forest was silent. She had no idea where she was in relation to the others. Rem had galloped down the mountain at such speed that it hadapparently taken no time for Maxi to be separated from the party.
Taking shallow breaths, Maxi waited. The knights would find her.
—
The forest remained deathlystill. Maxi gnawed her lip as her eyes roamed the trees for any sign of movement. Rem snorted impatiently and began to paw at the ground.
Just how far am I?
Maxi started at a sudden rustle behind her and whirled around to see something dart into the bushes. Her arms prickled with goosebumps. Ignoring the sound of her own heart beating in her ears, Maxi pressed her heels into Rem’s side, clenching the reins tightly.
As if conjured from her worst fears, the monster hiding in the bushes flew at her like an arrow.
It was another goblin.
Maxi spurred Rem with everything she had. The goblin charged at them wielding a club as Rem galloped over the twisted roots on the forest floor. The goblin was not as nimble as the mare, and its foot caught on one of the roots, sending it tumbling down the mountain. But Maxi was taking no chances, and spurred Rem on. She had an ominous feeling that more creatures lurked behind the rocks or trees, waiting for the chance to swallow her whole.
When they finally came to a stop, Rem slumped onto the ground in exhaustion. Maxi shakily dismounted in time to avoid getting crushed by the horse’s bulk and frantically checked her surroundings. Her pounding heart felt as though it might explode, her nerves so tense they might snap at anymoment.
What should I do now?
Maxi wiped the sweat from her brow and tried to get her bearings. After two frenzied sprints on Rem, her sense of direction had become completely muddled. Close to tears, she bit her lip. What if the knights did not find her? Would she have to spend a night alone on this mountain teeming with monsters?
A shiver ran down her spine when the image of the harpies feasting on the drake carcasses came to mind. Overwhelmed with fear and helplessness, Maxi crumpled to the ground, buried her face on her knees, and began to sob. The fear that she might become just like those carcasses was too much. She thought she understood now why Riftan had been so against her venturing away from the castle. The wide world was far more terrifying and dangerous than she had ever imagined.
No, Maxi. This is not the time to weep. It will not make things any better.
Striving to calm her rising emotions, she wiped her tears away with a knuckle and surveyed her surroundings once more.
To her right was a steep slope. To her left, a gentle incline densely lined with trees bordered a soaring rock face. The party had been heading northwest, but Gabel had said that they would take the northeast path out of the mountain since their route had been cut off. If she traveled in the same direction, she would eventually cross paths with them.
The only other option was staying put and waiting to be rescued.
For a moment, Maxi just sat and looked up at the cloudysky through the lush leaves. Taking a breath, she rose and coaxed Rem upright.
She would not leave her fate to the knights. She had to find a way out by herself.
Gabel said there was a village at the foot of the mountain. I can meet up with everyone there.
Maxi was off course, but if she could reach the summit, she surmised that she should be able to see the village. Having a plan made Maxi feel calmer. Looking up at the sun, she roughly estimated her direction and urged Rem back up the slope.
The fact that Maxi still had energy amazed her. Despite her numb feet and convulsing leg muscles, she kept up the pace. There was no knowing when the goblins might come after her again. She had to force herself to keep her gaze fixed forward. It did no good to waste energy constantly looking over her shoulder.
The dense forest went on for a while. Then the trees ended abruptly, and a gentle hill came into view. Maxi looked about, wondering if she had reached the summit already. Thickly trunked trees bordered the grass field like a fence, and high mountain peaks rose on either side. Maxi guessed that it was merely a ridge. After assessing the sky again to check her direction, Maxi plopped onto the ground to let Rem graze. She wanted to unsaddle the horse so that she could rest properly, but Maxi could not muster the strength to lift her own arms, let alone the horse’s tack.
She stretched her legs and, after recovering her breath, dragged the saddlebags down to lighten Rem’s burden as much as she could. The mare snorted and shook her head before returning to the long grass. Maxi crouched next to herand took out the leftover potato and jerky from her bag. She was too tired to feel hungry, but she knew she had to eat to replenish what energy she could.
Her stomach felt shriveled from anxiety, but she forced the food down, then crammed mandrago roots into her mouth to chew. She looked up at the pale sky to check her bearings again. Her back ached, but she was more than willing to endure a little pain if it meant that she could clear this mountain before nightfall.
