Yngvild and the Forest of Dreams

Ambushed!

"Look! The sea!" Jerre pointed.

"The Sea!" Erik stood in his stirrups and stared at the sliver of sparkling blue between the rolling hills on our left. We'd just come out of the forest on the track that would take us through the fields to our rendezvous with the Seagull.

I felt relief when I followed Erik's finger to the horizon and saw the sun glittering on the waves. We couldn't be more than a mile or two from the sea.

"Keep going." Alfinna spurred her horse into Erik's. "We'll have plenty of time to look at it later."

I realised we'd stopped to look at the sea. I felt guilty as I nudged Whiteface with my heels to get her moving again. We met a farmer's track that was heading towards the sea.

Sheep grazed in a field to our left, the forest curved back towards the sea, and our track, on the right. Fences kept the sheep from straying too far, that wasn't something we worried about on Straven, the island wasn't so large that you could lose sheep.

When we met the Seagull I'd get to go home. I missed the simplicity of Straven. The safety of my childhood, the warmth of the fire in the old hall where the children ate. My excitement when I'd finally been old enough to eat in the new hall with the adults. I'd be back there in time to help prepare for the winter. Probably before—

A horse screamed and crashed.

I looked up to see Jerre rolling away from his mount, which was on its side thrashing its legs on the track.

Whiteface raised her front legs and whinnied, I held on tight and leaned forwards into her mane.

On the right, coming out of the woods, were dozens of soldiers. Archers. They were shooting at us as they came.

I pulled on the reins to make Whiteface turn away from them, and pushed her at a low fence. She launched herself over the fence and away from the noise.

Looking behind me I saw Jerre scrabbling onto a spare mount, urging the others to follow me.

I reined Whiteface up and turned her round to get a good view of our ambushers.

We were a little out of bowshot, but I strung my bow anyway, getting ready to shoot if the archers got closer. I pick the lead archer and draw my bow to aim at him.

He's shouting at the others, and I put the tip of my arrow to the top of his head and loose it. He's some way off, and I channel Kari to make the arrow to hit him.

While I'm watching the arrow drop the lead archer, unbidden my hands find the next arrow and nock it. I repeat my motions, taking aim at another archer that's trying to take the initiative and lead his comrades towards us.

Jerre is leading the pack horses as well as the other spares. Olaf, Noren and Alfinna race past me, spurring their horses on over the next fence. Erik is struggling, but close.

The Archers are still coming, two casualties isn't enough to stop them.

Erik's horse goes past me, he's taken an arrow to the shoulder, and there are three more embedded in his shield, with a fifth in the back of his saddle.

I draw, nock and loose three more arrows at three different archers. Their shooting slackens, but now it's all aimed at me.

I turn Whiteface and follow the others.

A horn sounds to my left rear, it's answered by another over to the right.

My heels encourage Whiteface to run faster. Her ears are flat, and her mane waves in the wind as we race to catch the others.