Eagle People by W.R. Benton Read Free Book Online Page A

dark, with a quarter moon out. It was then she felt her friend touch her arm and heard her whisper, “I am here.”
    “Stay behind me and we'll make for the horses. I may have to kill a guard. If so, I will touch you and you stay in place. Once the job is done, I will return for you.” She handed one of the blankets and the water bladder to the woman.
    “I understand.”
    Staying in the dark shadows, they made their way slowly to the herd. Seeing a young boy guarding and on the other side of the animals, she helped Theodosia onto the back of a horse and she'd just mounted when a warning yell was heard in the village. They've found the dead shaman! Ada thought and then yelled, “Ride!”
    Arrows passed them in the night and one flew very closely to her nose, but missed. She leaned forward on the animal so she presented a smaller target, and kicked the big animal in the ribs. She shot forward and soon passed Theodosia.
    After a mile or so, she slowed down to a fast walk, knowing the horses couldn't keep the fast pace up for long. As they moved, she glanced at the stars and headed west, toward her People. When she glanced overhead, she saw the sky was clear, so no rain would wash their tracks away.
    An hour later, Theodosia said, “I hurt.”
    “Were you hit back there?”
    “I felt a blow to my back, but no pain until just a few minutes ago.”
    “Damn, not good. Pull into the small clearing off to the right and stop where I can take a look at you.”
    “There is no light.”
    “The light of the moon will be enough, if you've taken an arrow.”
    “I don't want to die!”
    “No one said anything about you dying. Now, get off your horse and let me check you.”
    In the dim light, Ada could see where an arrow had taken her in the shoulder, high, missed the bone, and was sticking out front.  She broke off the arrowhead, which brought a loud gasp, and then pulled the arrow out of her back. She'd lost a lot of blood.
    “You'll be fine, just through your shoulder. I'm going to bandage you up and then we need to ride again. If your start feeling weak, let me know, okay?” she said and then thought, we have to keep moving, injury or not.  If they catch us, we'll die a horrible death.
    Ripping part of her blouse and Theodosia's, she soon had the injury bandaged.
    “Here, I'll help you mount and then we need to get moving. I don't think they'll follow us at night, but by God, they'll come as soon as the sun comes up.” Ada said, but thought, I hope my bandage job stays on you or you'll bleed to death way before sunrise. But we have to keep moving, no matter the risk.
    They moved all night, due west, and just as a false dawn was seen, Ada turned north and rode up a wide but shallow stream for almost five miles. Then she cut the back out of her shirt, tied some patches of material on the hooves of each animal, and grinned. It wouldn't completely eliminate the tracks, but it'd reduce them a great deal. She checked on Theodosia's injury, which was bleeding again, then cut the back out of her shirt as well and bandaged the wound once more. She stuck the bloody rags in her pant pockets, not wanting to leave any evidence behind.
    An hour later, when they entered a patch of mixed hard and softwood trees, she dismounted, and made a trap. She'd learned to make the trap early in her warrior training and it was a simple one. A thin vine crossed the trail, about three inches above the dirt, and a limb with five sharpened stakes tied to it was held in place by a simple release line. A stake in the ground held the release line tied to the limb taut and ready. The trap worked well in moderate weather, but if it turned too cold or icy, the trap would freeze in place and not work. Once the trap line was moved, by a human or animal, the release was pulled from the holding stake and the limb would swing over the trail, impaling anyone in it's path.  It struck with a great deal of force.
    She checked her friend's bandages once more, and