Carack

Carack Ch4 p6

As they started down they heard the sound of footsteps, someone was coming out of the castle and at speed. Cam broke into a run, but although N’zar picked up his pace, with his heavy burden he could not keep up with him. Gerent, in the rear, glanced back up the steps to see if he could recognise who was coming after them. The figure framed in the light of the opening at the top of the steps and looking down on them was the tall figure of Madron. Gerent saw something glinting in Madron’s hand and in the same instant saw it thrown at N’zar’s retreating back. Gerent flung his injured arm up to try to deflect the dagger from its path and so instead of it hitting N’zar’s back it sank into Gerent’s arm just above the elbow. Madron howled with rage but did not follow; he could not reach the gate before they did anyway. Gerent clamped his other hand over his wound, feeling the point of the dagger protruding through the front of his arm, and raced on down, hardly losing a step, in pursuit of N’zar and Cam. Spilling out onto the lowest street in front of the gate, he found that Cam was holding the guards at bay with a sword and trying to open the gate, he rushed forward, passing N’zar to help with his one good arm. The gates swung open and the three of them ran through, once outside Cam led the way as he turned left to run around the castle walls and from there reach the safety of the hill and trees beyond.

They slowed to a walk as they climbed the wooded, steep hillside. Gerent began to feel a little sick with the wound and the loss of blood, which he could feel trickling down his arm. He dropped back gradually from the others, when N’zar noticed he stopped, hoisted Wampa off his shoulder and passed him to Cam. He joined Gerent.

‘Keep up,’ he said in a fierce voice, ‘or is this part of a plan to get us recaptured as traitors? We have one burden do not become a second. Methinks tis impossible for us to trust thee, even though thou dist sound so plausible in thy speech.’ He grabbed Gerent by his good arm and yanked him forward. Gerent felt he could cry, he was in pain, no one could trust him and he could trust no one; all he wanted to do was go home and leave them to their game. Gerent hardly noticed where they were as he was pulled, stumbling, along by N’zar, but he was glad when they eventually stopped. Cam crouched down, ‘Here I think,’ he said and rolled Wampa off his shoulder to lay beside him. N’zar nodded, ‘We rest here.’

N’zar threw Gerent to the ground where he rolled over in agony and lay clutching his arm, too tired and scared to complain. He couldn’t reach to pull the dagger out and thought that even if he could the bleeding might get worse and so he left it, pulled himself into a sitting position against the rough bark of a tree and tried to doze until daylight.

He was woken by a kick on the foot from Cam, dawn was just breaking and there was a light covering of dew emphasising the musty smell of the bracken and moss all around. The day promised to be hot. Gerent felt weak and dizzy already, but knew he had to try to get going, Wampa was moving about, stretching and N’zar was lying on his stomach further up the hill peering over the ridge.

‘Come on time to get moving’ said Cam.

‘I don’t think I can.’ said Gerent and Cam reached down and pulled him roughly to his feet, ‘My arm!’ complained Gerent in pain.

‘That break will mend it is well bandaged,’ replied a disinterested Cam, he was looking in N’zar’s direction.

‘Do you think it would be Ok to take the dagger out now?’ Gerent asked swaying. Cam glanced at him with shocked concern.

‘What dagger?’ he asked and then saw the handle emerging from Gerent’s arm, ‘Oh merciful Buccas milord, when did this happen? Let me look.’

He examined the arm and then making Gerent sit, he called Wampa over.

 ‘Use my shirt,’ he said taking it off, ‘tear it into bandages, quietly! It’s only a flesh wound, passed clean through milord, but you have lost some blood. No wonder you were slow last night. I’ll bandage it up and you should be fine. I have to pull out the dagger though, sorry but it will hurt and I can’t risk you making any noise so I’ll have to gag you.’ Gerent nodded and using one of the strips that Wampa had just torn Cam bunched and pushed it into Gerent’s mouth, then gave a quick but firm pull on the blade handle to remove it from Gerent’s arm. Gerent tried not to make any noise but the pain was intense, and he could not help but cry out, however due to the gag what came out was a muffled grunt. Gerent pulled out the gag out from his mouth as Cam bandaged up the arm. N’zar crawled back down toward them from the ridge top, he watched Cam bind Gerent’s arm and said, ‘No sign of Agatha yet, what’s to do here?’

‘Dagger wound.’ Was Cam’s brief reply as he bandaged, ‘happened last night I guess.’ Gerent nodded.

‘It was Madron, at the top of the steps,’ he said.

‘Oh’ was all N’zar said, then he turned and went back to his former position. Soon he was signalling them with his hand to get down and be quiet, they could hear the rumbling sound of a wagon coming along the top of the hill.

‘It must be Agatha.’ Cam said in a low voice, ‘’Zar’ll just wait to see if she’s alone before we let her know we are here and can go with her.’

Gerent thought he heard the sound of a horse cough further back down the lane from the way the cart had come.

‘I think she’s being followed,’ he whispered, ‘I’m sure I heard another horse just then.’

Cam looked at him anxious, ‘Stay here,’ he whispered, ‘I’ll scout round.’ He went off along the hillside at a crouching run and Gerent soon saw him appear from the undergrowth next to N’zar. The two had a rapid whispered conversation and Gerent could see that they looked concerned. After a short while they both turned and crawled back down to Gerent and Wampa.

‘Looks like we don’t get a ride,’ he said, ‘we had better get out of here as no doubt when they know this is where we were to meet Agatha, they will search the area. Stay quiet and stay low, follow me,’ He grabbed Gerent by the arm and bent double set off along the side of the hill as silent and as fast as he could. He kept to the thicker wooded areas where possible and Wampa and Cam followed, looking all around to see if they were spotted.