Delphi sprinted back to the corral; she knew the commander would only be a short distance behind her.
As soon as he recovered from that kick to the groin he would be on her tail and angry! He looked like he would be fast too…
By the time she arrived back at the rock corral, she was sweaty and panting.
"Girls! The guards have arrived," she croaked out. "They'll be here any minute. We have to go!"
"Oh shit! That doesn't give us much of a head start," said Feifei.
"Let's go girls! Grab your stuff and make it snappy," Delphi called as she recovered her breath. "We have to assume they've found the boat, so take everything you can because this will be it."
The girls rushed about gathering up their stuff and loading it into bags or around their necks and waists. The horses weren't nearly ready to carry both people and luggage, so their escape would be a real challenge.
Alton had recovered sufficiently from that agonising knee to his nuts to be up and pounding down the road, somewhat tenderly, finding plenty of evidence of the girls' footprints leading north.
That little minx! he thought, admiringly. He'd just been honey trapped! He never thought he would fall for something so basic. Still, there were no regrets…
Alton blew a high-pitched whistle as he ran. If the men were in earshot they would join him.
Niko and his team, who were less than a mile away, heard Alton's whistle.
"Sounds like he's found them," said Niko. "Let's go men!"
The girls could hear that whistle now too, and it sounded awfully close.
Delphi hoped the Emperor's guards been briefed to capture them alive not dead, or they would be vulnerable to arrows while they tried to escape. These men were elite marksmen, and she didn't fancy their chances if the guards managed to lay eyes on them.
"That's it girls, no more time!" she ordered the women who were still scurrying about scooping up their gear. "Lili, Feif, grab your horses and pull the logs clear so we're not trapped in here!"
Niko and his men hit the road to the north and they could see Alton up ahead of them. Niko blew his own whistle, and the commander turned and slowed for them to catch up to him.
"What's the story Commander?" asked Niko as they converged and kept on running together.
"I found Miss Chastain by herself. She was fetching water down at Swan Lake. I nearly had her, but a tubiàn crocodile attacked us and she escaped and ran off. I followed her trail and when I hit this road there were lots of prints. This is the route they've taken."
Niko took in his lieutenant's bloodied lip. He'd get the details of this derring-do escape by a chit of a female later…
"They can't have gone far," said the commander. "When we spot them, split into pairs. Magnus, Niko, and Bo, Cormac. Try to take any one of them down. They're a tight knit bunch and I can't believe Miss Chastain will leave any of them behind. We only need to catch one to entice the others back in a rescue mission."
"Yes Sir!" they called.
"Trail thins here Sir," said Niko, watching the prints disappear.
"Check if they left the road."
"Over here!" said Magnus, pointing to a clear human trail through the dirt and cropped grass.
They peeled off the road and pelted down the bush trail.
The men burst into the clearing just as the last of the girls were leaving, galloping north. There was a short moment of hesitation as the guards took in the unexpected sight of the girls on horseback, before Commander Meyer tried to recover the situation.
"Niko! Magnus! See if you can catch up to the laggards!"
They were the fastest runners among the five of them; they both shot off.
Alton had an arrow nocked and trained on the final brumby that was exiting the bush clearing.
It would be Delphi of course, he thought, chuckling with admiration; bringing up the rear and making sure all of her girls got away cleanly.
"Miss Chastain, stop or I'll shoot," he shouted at her.
Delphi stopped her horse on a dime and turned the pony to face him. She looked directly into his eyes with a small mocking smile, trying to decide if he had orders to kill her or not. He continued to hold the arrow.
Time for a high stakes gamble, she decided. Knowing that dirty Emperor, she was betting on 'not'!
"I don't think you will Commander," she called back at him. "I'm betting you have orders not to damage my pretty little face!"
She smiled her best false-sweet smile at Alton, then raised both hands and gave him a double-finger flip-off, turning her horse back around and kicking it into a gallop.
Alton chuckled, waiting a few beats before he decided to take the shot, making his own bet, that she was athletic enough to land safely after he shot her horse out from under her.
Having seen her naked, which he appreciated very much, he knew without a doubt that she was fit. He aimed for the horse's leg.
Alton loosed his arrow at the last possible moment, when it was clear his men were not going to catch up to her, but before she could round the bend.
The arrow hit Delphi's horse in the back left fetlock. The brumby let out a wild whinny and collapsed onto its front knees, propelling her over its head.
She was somewhat shocked that he'd shot her horse out from under her, but not at all surprised that he hadn't shot her in the back. Their orders were to capture them alive then…
She hit the ground and rolled, scooping up her belongings before taking off at a run.
Alton smiled with satisfaction. He knew this girl could take the tumble in her stride! He set off after her.
Feifei was riding just ahead of Delphi as she came off her horse.
"Feifei! Ruby!" she called as they rode on without her. "I need another horse, urgently!"
Feifei and Ruby were each leading a riderless horse they planned to use as spares and pack animals.
Feifei looked behind her and saw Delphi running with all of her gear; Niko and Magnus rapidly bearing down on her.
She nocked an arrow and pointed it at the two men.
"Stop right there or I'll kill you both!" she yelled.