“Are we fighting them?” Eric asked.

“We don’t have a choice,” Tim replied as he racked his brain to find a way to defeat their opponents.

The Hulvans had the advantage of reach and speed. They had only defeated the first horseman by catching him off guard. Then, an idea popped into Tim’s head. It seemed like a risky one, but it was the only one he had.

“At the last moment, we go after the one on the right,” Tim said. “You focus on his weapon, and I’ll focus on the rider.”

Eric blinked. “What about the other one?”

“I’ll try to avoid him,” Tim replied. “If we can deal with one in the first exchange, we’ll have a good chance of winning this.”

“That is if we can win the first exchange unscathed,” Eric warned.

“If you have a better idea, I’m all ears,” Tim shot back.

The horsemen were almost on top of them now, and it took all his mental fortitude for Tim to hold his nerve. He waited as long as he dared before darting to the side, dodging the tip of the spear, and narrowly avoided being trampled by the horse that was in a full gallop. He heard the horse whinny as its rider pulled on the reins as he wheeled around for another charge. The rider they had singled out was two horse lengths behind his companion. Eric deflected the man’s spear with his sword, and Tim aimed his own weapon at the rider’s leg.

The man grunted in pain as the tip of Tim’s sword bit into his thigh. To his surprise, the Hulvan then catapulted from his saddle and flew in an arc before landing with a sickening crash on the hard stone surface of the Divine Path. Tim blinked and took a step back to see that Eric had deflected the man’s spear into the ground where it had embedded itself, launching the rider off his horse.

The boys whirled around to face their remaining foe who had begun his second charge with his spear pointing at Eric. Tim glanced over at his friend who had planted his feet and raised his sword in front of him. Tim moved up to his friend so that they were standing shoulder to shoulder. The thundering of hooves filled his ears as the rider closed the distance.

Remembering his dagger, Tim unsheathed it and hurled it at the horseman, who deflected it with his gauntleted free hand. In doing so, he took his eyes off Eric for a moment. The boy seized the opening and darted forward to grab the rider’s spear arm. The tall boy attempted to haul the rider off his horse, but the Hulvan clung on with his legs, supported by a hand on the pommel of his saddle. The momentum carried Eric off his feet and the horse whinnied in protest at the unbalanced load on its back and slowed down to prevent itself from falling.

Tim then grabbed onto his friend’s waist to help drag the man off his horse. He looked up to see the Hulvan let go of the pommel and reach for his sword. Tim then dug his toes into the dirt and tugged down with all his might. As the man wrapped his fingers around the hilt of his sword, the boy’s combined efforts finally bore fruit, and he toppled off his horse and landed in a heap on top of the boys.

In the chaos, Eric managed to land a punch on the man’s jaw. The man went limp for an instant, and Tim, who had lost his sword in the melee, grabbed the man’s arms as Eric scrambled to his feet.

“Eric, your dagger,” Tim gasped through gritted teeth as the man flailed around to free himself.

Moonlight glinted off Eric’s dagger as he drew it. He leapt on top of the man, and the air rushed out of Tim’s lungs as he felt the weight of two men on him. Moments later, the man went limp, and the weight lessened as Eric climbed off their foe.

“I’ll go see if the other one survived,” Eric offered as Tim struggled to push the Hulvan’s body off.

With his heart still pounding, Tim gingerly got to his feet and surveyed their surroundings. The two horses were standing nearby, eyeing the boys warily, and there was no other sign of the Hulvans.

“He’s dead,” Eric called from the high road.

Tim went limp with relief. “Well, at least we have horses now,” he remarked.

“I’m quite looking forward to catching up with Nate,” Eric said darkly. “I’m going to give him a piece of my mind.”

Tim looked at his friend blankly. “Nate?”

“Huntsman,” Eric snapped. “I think I heard Old Horatio calling him Nathan. Come on, help me round the horses up.”

The horses were obedient, and the boys quickly rounded them up. Soon, they were riding down the Divine Path, hot on Huntsman’s trail.

“Can you believe that man?” Eric sniffed.

“I didn’t think I’d ever say this, but I’m glad that we’re back on horseback,” Tim breathed.

“Do you think you can handle a quicker pace?” Eric ventured. “I’d quite like to catch that treacherous little worm before we reach the main army.”

“It looks like we’ve done it,” Tim remarked, pointing straight ahead where they saw a lanky figure riding a horse that was obviously struggling. “You don’t think we hurt the horse, did you?”

Eric turned to Tim and raised an eyebrow. “We’ve killed three people and you’re worried about the horse?”

Tim shrugged. “The horse wasn’t trying to kill us, was it?”

Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

A smile spread across Eric’s face. “That’s right, isn’t it? That was your first kill. How did it feel?”

Tim blinked. “I honestly hadn’t given it much thought. There was just so much going on.”

Tim glanced over his shoulder and tapped his chin thoughtfully. “I can’t even remember what he looks like.”

“That’s probably for the best. Some men lose their nerve after their first kill,” Tim jumped as the gravelly voice spoke next to him. He turned to see that Huntsman was now riding alongside. “You boys need to quiet down. We’re in enemy lands, you know?”

Eric swung his fist at Huntsman’s head, and the lanky man dodged it and smirked. “I’ll let that one slide, boy, but if you try that again, I’ll have your guts.”

“You have some nerve!” Eric cried.

“Quiet down,” there was steel in Huntsman’s voice, and the boys were cowed momentarily out of reflex at being spoken to in that manner by an adult. “You two have to see the bigger picture. It was vital for me to escape so that I could warn our forces of what’s out there.”

“And what’s that?” Eric ventured.

“Hulvan cavalry,” Huntsman replied. “Looking to strike at our army’s rear.”

“I expected you to be ahead of our army, to be honest,” Tim remarked.

Huntsman scowled. “I would have been if it weren’t for those lumbering giants back at the Narrows. We were just fortunate they weren’t looking to meet our armies head on, or they would have been taken off guard.”

A sly grin then twisted Huntsman’s lips. “So, why are the two of you trailing the main army?”

Tim felt his cheeks go red. “We fell asleep, and they left without us.”

Huntsman let off a hearty chuckle. “You two are truly idiots.”

“Hey, we were tired,” Eric huffed.

“Well, never fear,” Huntsman declared. “To make up for my abandoning you back there, even though it was the right thing to do, I’m going to save your hides.”

“How?” Eric demanded suspiciously.

Huntsman’s eyebrows shot up. “Why, you’re accompanying me as I bring news that could save thousands of Carthun lives.”

“How many Hulvans are tracking the main army?” Tim ventured.

Huntsman gave Tim a look and the boy shrugged. “We’ll need to deliver the message should anything happen to you.”

Huntsman rubbed the side of his cheek and grunted. “There are just under a thousand Hulvan cavalrymen shadowing our armies. They are all well trained and well equipped. The cream of the Hulvan military.”

“So what?” Eric scoffed. “They have less than a thousand to our over ten thousand. Let them come, they’ll be crushed.”

“You don’t know a thing about war, do you, boy?” Huntsman chuckled.

“Then enlighten us if you’re so smart,” Eric huffed.

“Our army is deep in enemy lands,” Huntsman explained. “If they can catch them off guard, they can inflict devastating losses. That they’re tracking our army from the rear tells me that they’re targeting our supply wagons. Think about it, if they burn our food, we will have no choice but to turn back and they will be able to launch harassing attacks on us at will. If we’re not careful, we’ll lose half our army without achieving anything. King Storian was very clear about one thing. Carthus cannot afford a third mustering.”

Tim nodded thoughtfully. “That makes sense.”

“No it doesn’t,” Eric choked. “We rode past several fields that were ripe for harvest. So what if they burn our food?”

Huntsman’s smile grew broader. “The crops are there, but the Hulvans have moved all the tools, milling stones, harvesting tools and the like away.”

Eric blinked. “Why? Are they abandoning these lands for good?”

“Perhaps,” Huntsman mused. “Or perhaps it’s to lull us into a false sense of security.”

“But how will their people eat?” Eric protested.

“That’s the thing,” Huntsman replied. “I don’t know where their people are. Peasants are normally bound to their land, but I’ve seen no sign of any.”

“Perhaps they’ve all been called up to the army,” Eric pointed out.

“Even the women, the children and the elderly?” Huntsman shot back.

“Can we go forward with the attack on Estos with such a large force roving about our rear?” Tim ventured.

“An intelligent question at last,” Huntsman grinned. “The answer is it depends on how many defenders they have at Estos. The defences there are formidable, but they need significant manpower to be effective.”

“So dealing the cavalry force a decisive defeat will help us considerably,” Tim mused.

“Now you’re getting it,” Huntsman tapped the side of his head. “If we know they’re coming, we can plan for them and perhaps lure them into a trap.”

“Ours is an important mission then,” Eric said importantly.

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you,” Huntsman snapped. His head snapped to their left abruptly and held up a finger, demanding silence from the boys.

“What is it, Nate?” Eric whispered, earning himself a dirty look from Huntsman.

“Nate?”

Eric shrugged. “That’s your name, isn’t it?”

“Never call me that again,” Huntsman growled.

“So, what do you see?” Eric asked innocently.

“Tracks,” Huntsman snapped. “I think the Carthun army made camp up there.”

Tim peered into the night and saw the path of trampled grass leading up towards a small hill about half a mile away. He turned to Eric and whispered, “We probably would have missed that.”

“Yes, it’s fortunate you bumped into me,” Huntsman beamed as he led them down the path.

“It’s the same for you,” Eric protested. “You’d have been skewered by those horsemen if we hadn’t found you.”

“I’d have slipped away if you hadn’t shown up,” Huntsman coughed, trying to hide his embarrassment. “How did you find me in that grass, anyway?”

“I just felt your presence,” Tim replied.

Huntsman looked at him and blinked. It’s in the interests of the kingdom for me to hone my craft, so I’d appreciate it if you were a little more specific than that.”

Tim shrugged. “I can’t explain it. I just knew you were there somehow.”

Huntsman frowned. “It’s bad news for me if people can just ‘sense my presence’. I’d be out of a job in no time.”

“What is your job, anyway?” Eric ventured.

“I’m an infiltrator,” Huntsman declared proudly. “I go behind enemy lines, find out where their armies are, their compositions, and commit acts of sabotage if I have the opportunity.”

“You can’t be very good if you got caught on your first try,” Eric remarked.

Tim snorted and lowered his head to hide his broad grin. Huntsman growled. “Listen here, you little shit…”

“Halt, who goes there?” came a voice from the bushes up ahead.

“We’re friendly!” Tim cried at once. “We are under the command of Lord Carver!”

“Don’t go shouting your secrets for all to hear,” Huntsman hissed. “We don’t even know who they are yet.”

“Tim is that you?” the voice asked.

Tim took a moment to match the voice to a name and a broad grin crossed his face. “Gareth, am I glad to hear your voice.”

A short boy with a youthful face popped up from behind a bush. If Tim didn’t recognize him, he would have sworn he was but a young child.

“Lord Carver told us to bring you quietly to him,” Gareth hissed.

A second boy jumped out from the bush. He was a chubby boy who was two years older than Tim and Eric.

Tim beamed. “John, you’re here too.”

“Almost all of us were called up,” John replied. “Anyway, you’d better get a move on. The two of you are in so much trouble.”

“Were we the only ones who were left behind?” Eric asked sheepishly.

Leonard’s eyebrows shot up. “Of course you were! We looked high and low for you.”

“At any rate, we need to get you to Lord Carver before anyone sees you,” Gareth said anxiously. “He said it was a matter of life and death. Sir Francis was furious that two lads from his province were the first to desert.”

“We didn’t desert,” Eric protested. “We just overslept is all.”

“Boys, there’s no need to sneak around,” Huntsman said, grinning broadly. “The three of us are going to stroll in through the front door and any lord who wants to punish us are just going to have to grind their teeth in frustration.”