"The wheel has gone loose!", Axel cursed. However, he was fast to act, and he held her as he stepped out of the carriage. The coachman had already descended from the front, and Axel took one of the two horses attached to the carriage.
"Neera, quickly!", he said to her. Neera allowed him to help her mount the horse, and he jumped in after her. Behind them, the hooves drew even closer. The coachman took the other horse, and Axel edged on the horse with the reins, causing the horse to dart at a maddening speed.
Neera's hair came loose, and with her good hand, she pulled it away from Axel's face as she gritted her teeth, the pain from her hand becoming unbearable. Axel had good horsemanship, so he was able to swiftly move through people and houses as they entered the town. His coachman, who was by their side at first, was nowhere in sight anymore.
