The General's Daughter

Chapter 10

I hadn't wanted to close my eyes, but once I was in the soft hay and relative darkness of the loft, I didn't have much choice. My body seemed to shut down of it's own accord and I slept like dead.

That is, until Reed shook me awake.

"Hey!" he hissed. "We have to move! Hurry!"

Instantly alert, I sat up. "What is it?" I was afraid though I had no idea why. Whatever had caused the urgency in his voice couldn't be good.

"Whoever you stole that horse from is here," he said. "We don't have much time."

My face went white. Already? How would I escape them a second time?

"Come on!" Reed urged when I didn't move.

"Where?" I stood and followed him to the ladder.

"Do you want to waste time discussing it, or do you want to get away?"

Taking his point, I shut my mouth and hurried down the ladder after him.

The barn door was open, so I could see three men talking near the house and gesturing toward the corral. Judging by his clothes, I guessed that the one man was Reed's step-father. It was obvious that the other two were more of Garvan's men.

"They'll see!" I said as he moved to the back door.

"Not this way, they won't," he disagreed, pulling the door open. "It's out of view of the house. But if they come closer, they will, so don't waste time."

It was the way he snuck me into the barn. He promised then that his step-father wouldn't see us, but it was considerably more frightening with them all standing fifty feet away.

Reed closed the door after us and ran to the forest that sat twenty feet behind the barn. Knowing it was my best shot, even if they did see me, I followed.

Once I felt like I was deep enough into the trees, I risked peeking back to see the men all heading for the barn.

Reed had gotten me out just in time. I faced him again as he was trekking on.

"The horse!" I said stupidly. Obviously it wouldn't be wise to try and steal it again, but it was going to be a long walk without it.

Reed paused and turned back. "Well if you'd like to go ask them to borrow it, be my guest."

Pursing my lips, I caught up to him and he started moving again.

"How are we going to get to the kingdom without it?" I asked.

"Well Princess, we're going to walk."

I was glad he was just teasing me and had no idea about Alex.

"Through the forest?" I asked skeptically.

"Not entirely," he said. "But considering that the road is back through the village, and the fact that those men are already relatively close to finding you, it's probably wise to stay off it as much as possible."

"You won't get lost?" I asked in amazement.

Reed laughed. "I grew up playing in this forest. I know my way around."

He hiked silently for a few minutes before speaking again. "Why'd you steal the horse anyway?"

I balked. Was he trying to decide what was the better deal? Doing what he said or turning me in for stealing?

He glanced at me when I didn't answer and smirked.

"I don't care that you did it," he said. "I'm just curious why you'd need to."