Lord, help us.
Audrey had to use every bit of her self-control to keep calm, though the panic tried to squeeze her throat. Evan and Hugo might be lying in tremendous pain, half-buried by stone, while she quietly stroked this horse. But keeping the animal calm was the only way they could pull those boulders out.
When Levi stepped out of the way, she tugged the lead to signal Chaucer forward. Philip had taken over holding the tow rope around the horse’s chest, which allowed her to focus on encouraging him forward.
Chaucer moved to obey her nudge, but the instant the rope tightened around him, he halted. He was probably following his training, as the rope pressed over the place she’d used with her thumb to back him.
“Come on, boy. Walk forward.” She gave two strokes to his neck, then tugged the rope again.
He stepped to obey, but once more, when the strap around his chest tightened, he paused. She gave a harder pull on the rope, taking a small step herself. “Walk, boy. Walk forward.”
Behind her, Levi’s voice rumbled. “Walk on.”
Chaucer hesitated, then leaned into the harness rope and took a small step. The rope pulled tight, pressing into his flesh. The horse eased back to loosen the pressure, but she added more encouragement to move forward, both with her voice and steady pressure on the lead line.
“Walk on, boy. Walk on.” She used the same phrase Levi had spoken, in case the horse had been trained to it.
Again, Chaucer leaned into the rope. If it had been fastened to a cart or loose branch or something that moved with little effort, he might’ve been fine. But this stone wouldn’t budge.
“Come on, boy. Pull hard. Walk on.” She tugged harder on the lead line, using every bit of encouragement she could manage.
The gelding responded, leaning into the harness rope for several heartbeats before easing back.
“Again.” Philip had moved back to the shadows where the rope was tied around the boulder.
Once more, she urged Chaucer forward using voice and touch. The gelding responded, pulling into the harness for several seconds, longer this time than before. It still didn’t seem like the rock moved at all.
“Again.” More urgency filled Philip’s voice, infusing the same within her.
“Walk on, boy. You can do it.” She tugged and coaxed the horse forward, and he leaned into the harness even longer this time.
When Chaucer eased back, he coughed as though the harness had been cutting into his air supply. She should wrap something around the rope for padding. Why hadn’t she thought of that at first? She scanned the length of herself, but the only clothing thick enough that could be easily removed was her coat.
With fumbling fingers, she let Chaucer’s lead line hang, then unfastened her buttons and slid her arms from the sleeves.
“What are you doing?” Levi shifted behind her. Chaucer stayed still, as she’d expected. His training really was remarkable. No wonder Levi loved the gelding.
She didn’t take time to answer, just slipped her coat between the harness rope and the horse’s chest, wrapping it once and stretching the padding as far around the animal’s shoulders as possible. “That should help.”
“Once more might do it.” Impatience rang from Philip’s voice, and she readied herself for the next pull. Two men’s lives depended on them.
“Here we go. Come on, boy. Walk on.” She put everything she had, every form of encouragement she could muster, into urging Chaucer forward. Behind her, Levi did the same, their voices weaving together as the gelding leaned into the harness. His haunches tucked underneath him as he utilized his full body in the effort. This had to work.Lord, move that rock.
“Keep going!” Philip’s voice rang out just as Chaucer would have slackened the rope.
Audrey tugged the lead line harder, infusing her urgency into the horse.
Chaucer responded, pushing into the harness again. Straining. Then he stepped forward.
“It’s moving!” Excitement filled Philip’s tone as Chaucer labored even harder.
He managed another small step. But then, exhausted, the gelding eased back from the pull.
Audrey stroked the horse’s neck, murmuring encouragement into his ear as a reward for the hard work. From the darkness, Philip was yelling into the rock, trying to speak to the men trapped inside.
Excited voices came from behind her. “Is there an opening?Do you hear them?” Brielle sounded more hopeful than before.
“Quiet.” At Philip’s snap, the entire room silenced, straining for the sound of any muffled voices.
