They crawled. They sweated. Blaise got ahead of Downie. She didn’t wait for him. He’s such a wet sock. He was breathing really loudly. She could hear him clearly, even from here. Shut up, Downie. If they could just reach the trees they would be away with no one knowing.

  Then Blaise felt the pain in her leg. She tried to ignore it but it wouldn’t go away. It was that pain she got in bed sometimes, where she had to grab her toe and pull to ease the spasm. She tried to dismiss it but it would not be ignored. She rolled onto her back, desperately trying to reach her toe. Gods in the sewers! Blaise gritted her teeth and stretched.

  “Ho!” shouted a voice nearby. “Over here!”

  Gods and devils! She had been spotted! She heard the horses galloping toward her. She managed to grab her toe and straighten her leg and the pain subsided. It didn’t matter. They were going to get her now. She was fast but she could not outrun a horse. Blaise tried not to think about what they would do to her if they caught her, so of course she could think of nothing else. Better to die than that. She would have to chance it.

  “Here! Over here, you bloated maggot spawn Gods-abandoned cowards!” A cracking teenage voice somewhat undermined the bravado of the words. Downie. He was standing up, running away from her on the far side of the stream, away from her, away from the woods. The horses leaped the stream bed not twenty feet from her. They closed on him, lances levelled. He turned just before they reached him and her eyes met his. His face was white with fear but the eyes were pleading with her, beseeching her to run. Then there was a terrible thud and so much blood. I don’t want to be saved by him! He’s no hero!

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  Blaise turned and ran.

  The horsemen were calling to each other again and one turned to come after her. She was too far from the woods. She could see the end of all this, both of them dead and the whole village killed. Downie, you idiot! You could have just stayed hidden! Blaise was crying now, her breaths coming in wheezes. The hoof beats behind here were louder.

  Blaise made a desperate leap to the left, out into the fallow field. The rider’s lance struck empty air. He had leaned into it, anticipating the impact, and was off balance. He wheeled his horse around twice to regain control, then leaped the ditch and gave chase through the field. She might step in a hole. That would be the end of her. But the horse might do the same.

  Blaise had gained a few precious seconds. She sprinted like a hind. The forest edge was close, now. Protecting her face with her arms, she dove into and through the first bush. Thorns ripped at her arms and body. Rolling to her feet, she began running a zigzag pattern among the trees. Did I make it?