My breath caught. To learn to ride a horse…I’d never even considered it. There was no point when I would never have a horse to ride. When I eventually returned home, it would be a completely useless skill. But to be able to ride on my own horse while I traveled with Harthon and his men…well, that would be a gift, which is why I said, “Yes.”
“Then you’ll learn.” In that low timbre, it was like a vow.
As thrilling as the possibility was, it didn’t make any sense. Escape would be much easier on horseback. He’d be equipping me with the skills to run. Surely, he knew that, so I didn’t swallow my question. “Why would you offer that?”
“Because you being able to ride is more important than the possibility that you might run off. If you run, I’ll catch you, but your ability to ride could decide whether you live or die in battle,” he answered.
My excitement instantly vanished. Speaking of my potential death had a way of doing that. “Do you plan on encountering many battles?”
“They’re a common occurrence in my world.”
As if he’d spoken it into existence, the patter of racing hooves suddenly sounded in the distance. They quickly got louder. Harthon pulled us to a sharp stop, whirling the horse around to face the man who was flying toward us at full speed. The scout’s eyes were wide, face flushed with sweat.
“Twenty-five men, not three minutes behind,” he called out in a panicked rush as soon he was within range.
Harthon jolted us into action, rearing the horse back around as he yelled, “Get to the tree line! Scatter, surround, kill.”
Then Harthon’s heavy bulk pressed me forward and down as we raced across the terribly long field. I ducked my head, heart lurching into my throat. I could hardly hold onto the pommel. Only Harthon’ssuffocating weight kept me from sliding off as the horse bolted.
Unless Harthon had other enemies angry enough to trespass on his land, these were Koerlyn’s men. If there were twenty-five of them, we were outnumbered by ten.
Chapter 6
We swept under the trees, and his men veered into the woods around us. Harthon’s firm arm roped around my stomach as he yanked us to a stop.
“Cal!” he bellowed, and a second later, the green-eyed man was beside us.
Harthon gripped my sides and all but tossed me into Callen’s waiting hands. “Stay on the outskirts. Keep alert. There could be a secondary group with a planned delay.”
Callen planted me in front of him, and then we split away from Harthon, moving too fast for me to track. We passed a row of familiar men behind a group of trees, but Callen kept going, pushing up an incline. He pulled us to a halt behind a thick tree trunk.
Heavy breathing met my ears, and I realized it was mine. Not a sound came from Callen. I turned to face him. Lethal focus etched his features as he watched the direction from which we came.
Okay, sothiswas Callen, third-in-command.
“What did he mean, about the secondary group?” I whispered.
He didn’t move as he answered. “They could have a few men wait behind the others and circle around the fight, assuming their target is sitting on the outskirts or running away.” Gone was the happy-go-lucky ease with which he usually spoke.
“What do we do if that happens?”
“You do exactly as I say, and I kill them,” he instructed, meeting my eyes for a brief moment.
My nod was jerky.
Although our view was obstructed, it was clear when the band arrived. First, stomping hooves became a rumble as they neared. Soon, there were shouts as arrows whistled through the air. And then the bone-rattling sound of Harthon’s men crying out, the noises more animal than human, as they surged in, leaping from their horses as our attackers did the same.
From where we sat, we could see only the edge of battle before trees obstructed our view. Three of Harthon’s men fought in a triangular formation, taking on five men in blue tunics and metal chest plates. One of the attacker’s hits struck, but Harthon’s man merely countered with a slice to the neck.
“Are these Koerlyn’s men?” My voice shook with adrenaline.
“Most likely.”
“Who’s their target?”
“You. Though killing Harthon and the rest of us would be a massive bonus,” he said, confirming what I’d already assumed.
Harthon’s comment about Koerlyn torturing me after capture rang loud and clear.
