Once again Gentry and Casper found themselves
crossing the barren expanse of land north of Bartow, forever in the shadow of
the Atlian Mountains. There was no escape from the wind. It attacked them from
all sides with a bitter chill that still carried traces of winter even though
spring had come long ago.
As the sun began its
slow retreat, Gentry found an outcropping of rocks and proceeded to set up
camp. He was delighted to see that his fire took hold despite the pervasive
wind.
We might actually stay warm tonight.
He had been staring at
the flames – lost in thoughts of Daria and Luca – when the sound of hoofbeats
echoed in the distance. Many hoofbeats. The unexpected sound filled him with
dread.
In all the years Gentry
had spent traveling the desolate road north from Bartow, he had never
encountered another soul this late in the day. There were still traces of
sunlight remaining, so Gentry scrambled up the nearby boulders in hopes of
seeing what was coming his way. The boulders were no more than twenty feet high
at the most, but they were high enough to give Gentry a better vantage point of
the lands south.
His eyes narrowed as he
searched the horizon. It did not take long to spot the cloud of dust in the
distance. The riders were too far away for Gentry to make out how many were
traveling in the party, but he guessed there were at least a half-dozen
horsemen based on the size of the dust cloud and the sound of the hoofbeats. He
could not fathom why so many riders would be on this particular road this late
in the day. He only knew it likely meant trouble.
Fortunately, they were
farther away than he would have guessed by the sound of the hoofbeats. Perhaps they have not seen my campfire yet. It
was a hopeful thought – but he knew better. He had been burning the fire for
over an hour. They most certainly saw something. He knew there was no time to
lose. He must tear down the camp and hide – or run – fast!
He slid part of the way
down the boulders before deciding to jump in order to save some time. He
immediately regretted that decision. In his haste, Gentry failed to notice the
pile of loose rocks that littered the ground at the base of the boulders. His
ankle rolled awkwardly in the landing and he cried out in pain.
Cursing himself, Gentry
hobbled along towards the fire. He grabbed one of the blankets that he had used
to keep Casper warm at night and began swatting furiously at the flames. The
horse let out a nervous neigh as Gentry desperately tried to put out the fire.
“Quiet, Casper!” Gentry
barked.
For once, Casper
listened.
With the fire finally
out, Gentry focused his efforts on the rest of the campsite. The tent came down
quicker than expected, and he began dragging the tarp and his remaining baggage
behind the outcropping of rocks. He led Casper behind the boulders and sank
down low – gingerly extending the leg with the throbbing ankle out before him
as he slid to the ground.
Ironically, Gentry now
found himself grateful for the wind. Its erratic gusts would make pinpointing
the source of the fire that much harder. He just hoped the faint remnants of
his campsite were far enough away from the road to escape the attention of the
riders.
Please
do not let them see it, he begged to the heavens. It is too late to run.
Gentry closed his eyes.
At first, it was hard to discern the sound of the approaching hoofbeats over
his own beating heart – but the stampede of rhythmic clopping eventually grew
louder and louder, overtaking all other sounds. He held his breath and waited.
It would not be long now.
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