Page 95 of Arrows and Gems
She put an arrow in a shoulder and backpedaled. Another guard went down with an arrow in the back of his leg. Tucker engaged the other, knocking the man’s bow from his hand and sliding his sword through his opponent’s belt. The leather was too thick to cut, but it made the guard stumble forward. Tucker grabbed the hilt of the sheathed sword and drew it himself.
The horses were almost upon her. Helena turned and sprinted for the nearest tree.
Behind her, she heard the ring of metal. Either Tucker was in another sword fight, or the soldiers who went after Cap had reached sword range.
He should have taken them out instead of worrying about her.
The horses’ harsh breath sounded behind her. Any moment now, she would feel the bite of a guard’s sword. Unless they hoped to capture her, which wasn’t an improvement.
Where was Laurent? He should have joined the fight after triggering the snares.
“Duck!”
Helena dove forward, launching herself into one of the rolls Tucker had taught her. A stinging pain bit her right shoulder as she went down.
Above her, someone cried out, and a body toppled to the ground as the horses galloped past.
She scrambled back up as the remaining rider turned his horse. Bracing her feet, she reached for an arrow, then looked down in panic when her hand came up empty.
Her roll must have been sloppy. Her arrows were scattered across the ground instead of in her quiver.
She turned to run again, but the rider’s shoulders jerked before he slumped forward.
As the horse ran past, Laurent dropped out of a nearby tree. “Are you all right?” he gasped.
“No thanks to you,” she snapped. “Where were you?”
He scowled. “I took out those riders for you. Should I not have?”
Holding back her annoyance, Helena gave him a tight grin and faced the road. “You’re right. Sorry.”
Laurent would never be her favorite person, but he shouldn’t suffer the effects of her fear.
She took in the current state of things. Cap had incapacitated the remaining guards. Tucker strolled between them, collecting money pouches and satchels from the ones that couldn’t resist.
Since tying a good knot remained outside Helena’s grasp, she left binding the uninjured guards to Laurent and Cap. Instead, she collected her scattered arrows, then set about relieving the guards of theirs.
“Do you have a medic?” Cap asked as he secured the leader’s wrists. “Your men will need care.”
“What does that matter to you?” the leader snapped. “You claim to fight for the people, but then you attack the king’sguards—”
“If the king’s guards would protect the people and swear allegiance to the man whoshouldbe king, I would leave them alone,” Cap said calmly as he pulled the knot tighter. “However, I do not wish them dead. Do you have a medic?” he repeated.
The leader nodded toward a middle-aged man who was snapping an arrow shaft sticking out of his own thigh. “Right there. I suppose it makes sense that an outlaw would support a murderer for king.”
Cap paused as he turned away. “I am not a murderer, nor would I promote one. But you could swear allegiance to Prince Cedric and support his sister as regent, instead of a usurper.”
After rescuing the medic’s supplies from Tucker’s collection, Cap signaled to Helena and the others. They gathered the stolen items and retreated south.
Helena’s shoulder began to burn, but she ignored it. The medic might untie his companions. Reaching cover was more important than a little cut.
Besides, Cap was running with one eye closed because of the blood dripping into it from a gash in his forehead. If he could wait, so could she.
He led them below a rise before turning west. About a mile later, they stopped at a small stream.
“We need to clean up before we reach the village.” Squatting on the shallow bank, he scooped up a handful of water and wiped it across his face. “Any dust that we need to brush off? Blood to rinse out of your clothes?”
Tucker held his arms out and looked himself over. “I only have a little—oh, whoops, I have something on my hem.”
