Yngvild and the Forest of Dreams

Pursuit and Evasion

Jerre decided to check on our trail now that it was daylight while I lit a fire to cook breakfast. I was shaving some dry sticks for kindling when Jerre re-appeared, wide-eyed.
'Stop lighting the fire. We need to move.' He pointed away from the road we'd come off.
'What?'
'There's a cavalry squadron approaching, I saw them come over the ridge on the other side of the valley.' Jerre was untying the ropes he'd slung round the trees to stop the horses from straying overnight.
'How long have we got? Noren's still asleep.'
'They were moving at a slow canter, maybe ten minutes?'
I threw the saddle on Whiteface and tightened it as fast as I could. Then I did the same for Noren's horse. Even at my fastest I was no match for Jerre's expertise. He'd coiled the rope, loaded it on one of the pack horses and saddled the three spare horses before I'd done two saddles. I left him to finish the last two horses while I helped Noren onto his saddle.
Noren still slept. 'Noren, wake up!' I tried shaking him awake, but it had no effect.
A bugle sounded, a dipping and rising signal. I looked to Jerre. He stood stock still and held up his hand. When the bugle stopped he said. 'That's the signal to trot, they're at the top of our hill.'
'Can you help me with Noren please?'
'Leave him be, they're passing through.'
'How can you tell?'
'There would have been a different bugle call if they'd wanted to spread out and search the woods.'
'We still ought to move on. Farther away from here. We should follow the stream. Round the other side of the hill.'
'That might be good, but let's wait until this squadron have moved past.'
Jerre was staring at me. I stared back. Jerre started to smoke. It was billowing off him. He was smiling. Didn't he know he was on fire? He started moving towards me. Maybe he wanted help?
The trees were dancing now. Whirling green around my head.
Jerre caught me in his arms and held me tight. Smelt delicious. My toes tingle. So does my face. No more fire. No smoke.
#
Smoke. Fire crackled. Not a hallucination. My eyes were still closed. I could feel heat on my face, external heat. Not embarrassment. Although embarrassment followed fast on the thought. I opened my eyes to twilight, or was it just the leaf canopy dimming the daylight?
'Yngvild, you're awake!' Jerre jumped up from the small fire he was cooking something on.
'What happened?'
'You fainted, and stayed asleep.'
'And the cavalry?'
'They've gone past, a dozen squadrons through the day.'
'Is Noren awake?'
'Not yet, he sleeps still.' Jerre nodded at Noren's sleeping form. 'When did you last sleep Yngvild?'
'Three days before I fainted. I spent the first night infiltrating Beretha, the second getting us back to the Citadel at daybreak, and the third watching over Noren. I dozed a bit in the breaks, and when I could in the saddle.'
'I think we can stay here a bit longer, get some rest for you and give Noren a chance to wake.'
'I made arrangements to meet with the Board of Trade people from Beretha a bit North of here. Near an old temple a few miles from a fork in the River Cobre.'