The sound of the carriage wheels rattled harshly against the uneven ground, a grinding cacophony that mirrored the desperation pounding in their chests. The horses' hooves pounded mercilessly on the dirt path, kicking up clouds of dust as Victor's voice cracked through the night air, as they made their way into a stony road situated in between two stony valleys.
"Hi-ya! Hi-ya!" he bellowed, snapping the reins with a ferocity born of fear. The horses, already foaming at the mouth, pushed themselves harder, their strained breaths cutting through the chaos.
Inside the carriage, Evan sat against the rough wooden planks, his face pale and glistening with sweat. Across from him, Vin gripped the edge of his seat, nagging uncontrollably as he panick laced his speech.
"How did they find us?" Vin demanded, his eyes darting to the forest beyond.
"You said the perfume would throw them off. How did they track us so easily?"
Victor didn't look back as he shouted over at Vin,
"It doesn't matter! We bought time, didn't we? Days, even! Now shut up and focus on getting out of here alive!"
Vin shook his head, his voice bitter.
"Time? Time for what? We're on their land. They know every trail, every shortcut. They'll cut us off before we even realize it." He leaned back, his voice heavy with resignation.
"Face it. Our chances of escaping are slim."
The carriage swayed violently as the horses began to falter. A few Hours had passed since they'd fled under the cover of night, and now, with the faint glow of dawn creeping over the horizon of the valley the two sided stoney valley they had just entered, their beasts of burden were near collapse.
Victor cursed as one of the horses let out a sharp, pained neigh and stumbled, nearly dragging the other down with it. The carriage lurched to a stop.
"What the hell's going on?" Vin snapped, jumping down and rushing to the front.
He found Victor struggling with the reins, his face red with exertion.
"They're burnt out." Victor growled, running a hand over the trembling horses.
"Burnt out?!" Vin's voice rose, his panic palpable.
"Do you see those knights? They're right behind us! We don't have time for this!"
Victor spun on him, his eyes blazing.
"You think I don't know that? What do you want me to do, huh? Beat them until they die on the spot?"
"Damnit!" Vin roared in fright.
"I should slit these useless horses throats for giving up so easily." He added in anger as his eyes darted to the dagger sheathed and tied on Evan's waist.
"Wow. That would really solve all our problems wouldn't it? Can you ever think without shoving your head up in your-" Victor's enraged reply was cut off as Evan spoke up, attempting to keep the two prisoners from ripping each other apart.
In this case, it would be Victor that would be during the ripping.
"Shouting won't solve anything," Evan interjected, stepping down from the carriage. He moved toward the back, scanning the horizon with narrowed eyes. The distant barking of hounds reached his ears, a haunting sound that sent a chill down his spine.
Right then, the system notification popped up again, only this time, more annoying than the last time.
[Ding!]
[ You are now facing the Trial for Courage.]
[ Task 2: Intellect.]
'This isn't the time!' He thought inwardly.
"They're close." he muttered, more to himself than the others.
Vin and Victor's argument faded into background noise as Evan's sharp senses caught something else—a faint, rushing sound, barely audible over the chaos. He turned his head, straining to listen.
"Water." he whispered, his eyes darting toward the stoney valley to their right, climbing to the top with almost no effort.
"What?" Vin asked, stepping closer as he gazed at Evan in utter confusion.
"There's water up ahead." Evan said, pointing toward the incline.
"It could be a river or better, it could be civilization. We need to move. Now."
Vin hesitated, his expression torn between skepticism and urgency.
"You're insane. If there's a village near that water, it'll be the first place those knights will check. Have you forgotten, We're in their land?!"
"Then we keep moving past it." Evan snapped.
"Or would you rather stand here arguing and wait for them to catch us? "
Victor, taking only a moment to think, returned his gaze at Evan.
"Okay kid.... I'm in."
Wasting no time, he darted to the valley and in less than a minute, he successfully climbed to the top of the valley, leaving only Vin down below.
Nevertheless, Vin still remained skeptical, almost as though he preferred to be a feast for the hounds than to go on with Evan's plan.
"You're kidding me!!" Vin yelled out at his travel companions.
"It's now or never Vin." Victor replied as they awaited Vins next move.
Before Vin could respond, the hounds' barks grew louder. The knights had spotted them, their torches flickering ominously in the distance.
The knights, sighting the stopped carriage, wasted no time to release the hounds which darted forward in an unbelievable pace- barking loudly as drools of saliva escaped their mouths with each step they took.
"Climb!" Evan shouted, grabbing Vin's arm and shoving him toward the valley.
They scrambled up the incline, the ground loose and treacherous beneath their feet. Vin, his legs shaking with exhaustion, slipped, his body sliding back toward the edge.
"Evan!" he screamed, his hand outstretched.
Evan reacted instinctively, grabbing Vin's arm and holding on with all his strength. Victor, already at the top, reached down and grabbed Evan's other hand. The three of them formed a precarious chain, their grunts of exertion blending with the sound of the hounds reaching the base of the valley.
Below them, the dogs had already made their way to the bottom of the valley. There, they snapped and snarled, their red eyes glowing in the dim light as their barks grew louder and louder..
"Vin, you have to climb!" Evan growled, his arms trembling under the strain.
"I can't!" Vin cried, tears streaming down his face as he stared at the ravenous beasts below.
"Please, don't let go! Don't let me fall!"
Evan's jaw clenched, his mind racing.
'Vin.... This was the same man who had killed that innocent couple without hesitation. A murderer, who killed for pleasure, begging for his life. How pathetic. He didn't deserve to live....'
He gritted his teeth softly.
'...So why the hell am I still holding on?'
Victor shouted something, but Evan didn't hear it. His thoughts were a whirlwind of rage and confusion. With a guttural roar, he tightened his grip and pulled, dragging Vin up until he could grasp the edge of the valley.
Vin scrambled onto solid ground, collapsing in a heap, his chest heaving with sobs. Evan and Victor followed, their bodies aching from the ordeal.
"Get up," Victor barked, pulling Vin to his feet.
The sound of galloping horses spurred them into action. Without another word, the three of them took off into the forest, as they sprinted toward the sound of running water, hoping it would lead them to salvation—or at least buy them more time.