With a roar of frustration, Abraham shot up the hill to where Lydia had just disappeared over. Jason was just about to bound after his friend, when Eric pulled up next to him and grabbed his reins.
"Don't go. The soldiers need you here."
"I need to go with my friend, so that I can rescue my other friend!" Jason replied furiously.
"I know you want to go, but you're the Savior of Alepp. You're the one who will give hope to us. And if someone takes you away, what heart is left in these men is going to be gone. Many of them have already lost their homes, and families. The enemy plunders, and he is very crafty, we're doing all we can to survive. Please stay."
Jason was tore, he looked up the hillside as his bestfriend disappeared over the crest, but he knew he needed to help the Allepians. He sighed, he knew what he had to do. "I'll stay, just as long as you send a couple of men to catch him and give him provisions and some form of protection. Oh, and Frodo. You must go."
Frodo whined. He didn't want to leave his master, he knew that the hard things were just beginning. Jason calmly dismounted from his horse, and bent down toward the dog. He laid his hands on either side of the big dogs face and stared into his chocolate brown eyes, after a few moments Jason nodded and the big dog nodded and wagged his tail. Before leaping away, he gave his master a quick lick and raced after Ab. So did two other riders.
Sterling watched after his two companions as raced away, and a sense of dread and foreboding settled over his heart. Wondering whether they would live to see each other again and make it home safely? Someone called his name, so he turned his horse and rode slowly to where Commander March and Sir Evans was sitting on their horses.
*********************
Ab and Frodo had been pursuing the pirates through the forest for three days now. The two other men, Ryen and Clatvin, had brought provisions with them, but they hadn't known they would be gone for three days. Abraham shifted his body in the saddle as he rode behind Ryen, who was trying to discern the pirates tracks. Frodo was next to his right stirrup, and Clatvin was just behind, keeping an eye out for the marauders.
Ryen shot up, and whispered quietly, "They were just here. Maybe ten or fifteen minutes ago."
Ab quickly replied, "Then what are we waiting for? Where did they go next?"
"That's the problem. They don't. They just stop right here."
Clatvin spoke up for the first time, "Then where could they have gone?"
Before they could so much as look at each other, there was a shout, and the group of fifteen pirates slid down from the trees surrounding them. Ab and his companions whipped their swords out and fell back into a tighter circle to try to reconnoitre. But they didn't have any such time, because before they could formulate plan, the pirates charged and attacked the four.
Clatvin and Ryen charged forward, and Frodo and Ab wheeled around and attacked those who were charging from the back. But the battle was lost before it had even begun, the pirates were confident in their numbers. But the companions still fought, knowing that a brutal torturing would happen to them if they were captured. Clatvin felled three pirates before he fell from the saddle from a spear thrust to the thigh, and would've died there and then, if Ryen hadn't charged over to him and had his horse stand as a shield between the pirates and his friend.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the trail, Abraham had dismounted, finding it easier to fight on foot, and had already wounded four men, and killed one. Frodo was doing desperate fighting, and had already made short work of three other surprised pirates. Finally a pirate charged them, who looked like he was their captain, since he was bulkier than any by far. Frodo was wounded with a quick backhanded thrust in the right haunch. Whimpering, he collapsed in the dirt. Ab barely had time to recover from his surprise, just parried the blow intended for his neck from the champion pirate.
Just as Abraham was trying to get a good footing to defend himself, a quick pirate leapt in from behind and dealt a glancing blow with the back of his hilt to Ab's head. When Abraham collapsed, the pirates let out a yell of triumph as they turned around to deal with Ryen and a struggling Clatvin. Pulling a bow from the pack on Ab's horse, the big man pulled back and shot. It's sharp tip found Ryen's throat. He was dead before he hit the ground. With a cry, Clatvin struggled to his feet, but he could no more defend his comrades body then stand. With an air of confidence, the big man walked toward Clatvin and thrust his spear into the young man's stomach. Making the life's blood run freely.
The champion spoke gruffly, "Pick up that man there (pointing to Abraham), and leave the dog. We can move quicker. I don't have the heart to kill anymore today." The other pirates guffawed, and tied Johnson to the back of his horse, and led him deeper into the woods. Leaving bodies behind.
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