posted by Paul Keetch at
1:57 PM
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I can hear the sound of horses’ hooves—they are coming at a full gallop and will be upon us soon. We have to find somewhere to hide, but where to go?
“Into the forest,” I tell them, grabbing Isaiah by the collar and pulling him along with me. “We have to get into the forest before they arrive, or we’ll never have a chance.”
“Into the forest!” screams Minerva, bordering on hysteria. “We can’t go into the forest! The Dogs of Alamaidy live in there.”
“So the stories go, you’re absolutely right. But I’ve never seen them and neither have you. What I have seen are the guards from the castle, riding high on their horses, with swords in one hand and shields in the other. They ride without holding onto the reins—that’s how good they are. I know that when they come around that bend in the path and see us standing here, they will cut us down without a moment’s hesitation.
“I will take my chances in the forest, dogs or no, gods or no, rather than face certain death by the soldiers’ hands. The gods I can reason with, the dogs I can elude. But these men are worse than either. Worse even, than both combined. And unless you have a death wish, which I am certain all but you, Minerva, do not, I suggest you follow closely behind me. We will be safer in the forest if we stay in a group.” She flinches, as if I’d hit her.
“Are you sure there are no other choices?” asks little Alexander. He’s a brave one, always thinking. He may one day lead the rebels, if I can keep him alive.
I kneel before him and put my hand on the ground. I motion for him to do the same. “Do you feel it?” I ask, looking him in the eyes. He nods by way of an answer, but never once does his gaze waver from mine.
“That is what fifty horses, coming at a full gallop feels like. Remember it well. I know only one thing for certain, and it is this: those fifty men will kill us. If we run, they will hunt us down. If we strike back, they will make our suffering linger. That is all I know for sure, young Alexander.” He nods again. He is ready.
I look up at the rest of them and can see that they, too, are ready. Even Minerva who, it would seem, doesn’t have a death wish after all. Rising together with Alexander, we run as a group into the forest. There is an immediate sense of danger and almost immediately the sunlight is blocked by the canopy above us. Just as immediately we can hear the sound of horses’ hooves pounding the trail we left only moments earlier. We stop, fearful that we may have waited too long to take cover, but the horses gallop on and we are safe … for the moment.
/pk
By
Paul Keetch, at 4:02 PM
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