The aching in my thigh expanded as I dragged myself along, my chest heaved and my breathing quickened.
Panting, Maybel suggested, "Can we please rest for a bit? I can't run anymore."
Rolling her eyes, Alvinne pointed at the distant meadow ahead. "We can take a break over there."
I followed suit with a strong urge to just lay down and close my eyes.
Suddenly, Leiz shouted with excitement sparkling in his eyes, "Horses!"
"Where?" Looking around, I found myself staring at three figures munching on the grass. I headed towards the creatures, never taking my eyes off them. Their manes flowed in the wind and their muscular limbs grounded them even through an occasional gale.
As we crept closer, afraid to alarm the horses and still keeping a safe distance, Alvinne stated the obvious. "There are only three horses and four of us."
"Better than none." I paused. "Not to mention saddles are on the horses already from the farm."
Maybel piped up in her timid voice, "Does anyone know how to ride horses though?"
I shook my head and sank a little in my position.
Leiz raised his hands, followed by Alvinne.. Bewilderment and surprise hung on their faces. Alvinne knitted her eyebrows and pointed at Leiz. "Wait, you know how to ride horses?"
"That's one of the only things I do remember." He began to shift closer to the beige colored creatures
Positioning the stirrup, he buckled the metal loops together and pet the bridge of the horse's nose. The horse whinnied and shook his tail. Leiz backed up. Before I could stop him from doing anything stupid, he took off running in the other direction. He flipped around and ran back. As he got closer and closer to the horse, his arms rose up. He arched his back, and flipped in the air. The second before I thought he was going to crash to the ground, Leiz took hold of the reins and landed perfectly on the leather saddle.
Out of the corner of my eyes, Alvinne had a look of surprise and sentiment. Leiz trotted out to the clearing and brought the horses back to the group.
"Where did you learn that?!" Alvinne exclaimed.
"I have no idea." Leis raised his brows.
"I think it's from my hometown." Alvinne stated matter of factly.
"How do you even remember that?" I chimed in.
"What's your hometown?" Leiz interrupted.
Alvinne tilted her head back and squeezed her eyes shut. After a moment of consideration, she blurted out, "Verdan!"
"That's it! We are from the same village." Leiz beamed with enthusiasm.
"You've gotta be kidding me?"
"Do you really think I'm going to kid about the only thing I remember?"
Alvinne nodded at him and they went on like nothing happened.
We worked with the horse for a while. The sunlight began to withdraw itself, putting on a silky veil. The day was getting colder and darker. Travel became treacherous. Eyeing those two that kept on babbling on about the horses and Verdan, I waved my hand in front of their faces.
"Guys, we've got to go." I shivered uncomfortably.
Alvinne stared daggers at me for intervening in the conversation, but nodded and mounted on a white horse in response. Leiz pulled Maybel along, while I grabbed the reins and hopped onto mine.
As we were about to head into the hazy woodland, Maybel shrieked.
"What now?" Alvinne didn't even bother to hide the annoyance in her voice.
"D...danger. We can't go, we will be killed!"
We looked at each other, more reluctant of our decisions. I couldn't see the point in any more delays. "Waiting means to be found and captured, our only chance is to go." Maybel didn't argue. So, following Leiz's lead, we rode the horses past the gargantuan trees. The suspicious tension hanging in the air pressed against our shoulder, making me hunch my back. Occasionally, a flash of shadows would pass by us. I would try and concentrate on them, but they would be gone.
Maybel murmured under her breath as we continued to maneuver through the branches and wood. The horses moved as fast as they could. Everyone was getting annoyed with her.
"Tell us or shush!" Leiz said.
"The nuns." Maybel gasped.
"Cut it out." Alvinne had enough of this scene.
"The nuns, they are here, now!"
At the moment Maybel blurted the words out, something shifted in the forest. The silence grew thick, as if you could poke a fork in it. Even the horse grew slow and breathed in a whisper.
I could feel the tension circling us. Pulling the horse to a stop, I looked around. Suddenly, a slash through the air broke the silence. The first thing I could think of was to run.
"Let's go!" I yelled, I spurred the horse. It whinnied. The trees that I passed became a blur of green.
"There!" Alvinne shouted. I looked to where she was pointing. A trench.
I jumped off my horse, and left it wandering into the clearing. We scurried down, trying to huddle together and quiet ourselves so the nuns couldn't find us. The sound of footsteps clamoured right above us. The whispers of the nuns were crystal clear. We had no doubt they hunted for the four of us.
Maybel began to hyperventilate. Leiz pressed his hand over her mouth and she bit him gently. He yanked a hand back and caught Alvinne's angry stare, which forced everyone to press even closer together.
The nuns were right on top of us. They smelled like mothballs and bacon. I knew if even one of us peeped, we'd be toast.
Alvinne stood up and tossed a rock in the other direction. The nuns scrambled and we had a chance to make a run for it.
Leiz didn't budge.
"What? Come on!"
"There's no way we can get out of here on the horses without being seen," he said. "And I can't really make it on foot."
"We're not leaving you here."
"You have to go."
"No."
Leiz looked at me and bolted out of the trench. He ran, twisted, and folded in the air like he did before, landing on top of the closest horse. In a flash, he gathered the other two and they bolted in the other direction.
Alvinne ran up to me. "What does he think he's doing?"
"He just saved our lives."