Page 65 of Ladybird

“Lower the drawbridge,” he shouted, but remembered hearing the abductor say that the night guards had been poisoned so they wouldn’t be able to help him. “Damn!” he spat, taking off on foot after Regina. Sure enough, when he got to the postern gate, it was open. He was still far from it but could see a horse and cart outside the exit with someone waiting in it.

He darted to the postern gate and crossed through just as the wagon lurched and started to move with two people and Regina inside. Hunter wasn’t about to let someone take or possibly kill the woman he loved. He ran after the wagon, diving for the back of it. He caught it, but his sword went clattering to the ground.

“Faster!” cried the man in back still holding onto Regina. Hunter pulled himself up into the wagon as it bumped and jostled back and forth. Once inside the wagon, he dove for the man, managing to knock the knife out of his hand. He pushed Regina to the side for her own safety and punched the man in the face.

“Save yourself, Regina. Jump off the wagon, now.” Hunter continued to fight and struggle with her abductor. The man was stronger than Hunter had thought he’d be.

“Nay! I won’t let anyone get away with stealing my bird,” said Regina, making Hunter realize that she wasn’t about to listen to him. Why should he be surprised?

Regina was determined to help Hunter catch her abductors, and the last thing she was going to do was to jump off the wagon and leave Hunter alone with two of the thieves. As Hunter and the man fought, she made her way to the front of the wagon, holding on to the side as the cart as it bounced back and forth over the rugged terrain.

She lifted one leg and crawled over the side of the wagon onto the driver’s seat. The driver looked over at her and she realized it was a woman. Somehow, that gave her even more confidence. She made a fist and swung, hitting the woman in the mouth. The driver fell off the wagon, and the horse ran wild pulling the cart with it.

“Oh, no!” she cried, trying to reach for the reins but she just couldn’t get them. She looked over her shoulder to see Hunter and her abductor still fighting in back of the wagon. When she looked back at the horse, in the moonlight she saw a big hole in the road approaching fast. “Nay!” she cried. The wagon hit the hole, busting a wheel and causing the cart to be half-dragged. The horse continued to run, pulling them behind it. She fell forward and thankfully managed to grab the reins. With one yank, she yelled out. “Whoa! Whoa!”

When the horse stopped and the wagon settled, she looked back to realize that Hunter and her abductor must have fallen out. She jumped from the wagon and ran back to lend her help. That’s when she saw Hunter on the ground on top of the man, holding the man’s hands behind his back. He clasped the thief’s wrists with iron shackles.

Hunter looked up at her and his eyes opened wide. “Regina, behind you!”

She turned to find the woman driver raising a large rock above her head. Regina tried to cover her head but was too late. The rock came down hard, smashing into her skull. Regina’s head throbbed with pain and she felt blood leaking down the back of her neck. Then, everything went black in front of her eyes. Her legs went limp and she hit the ground, unconscious.