26
They fled into the woods.
The nearest path was only wide enough for two horses to run side by side, forcing them into a bottleneck. Tommy observed his surroundings from atop his white mare. Tall trees with leaves in full flower stood on either side of the meandering path. This forest wasn’t as dense as those he had seen in Ithanar, but there was no way they could get the horses over that uneven ground.
Clutching the reins, Tommy bent low to whisper to his mount. “You can do this.” The mare didn’t seem to notice his encouragement; she wasn’t smart like Midnight, but she was a good horse.
Gray shapes rushed past him on both sides of the path, enemies moving through the forest. By the Almighty! Those things were fast! They moved with a speed no ordinary person could match. He suspected
