The door swung open and the two soldiers charged in. They missed seeing all three boys pressed to the left wall. Gabriel signaled for them to run. Noah threw the pan in the direction of the soldiers, but didn't wait around to see if it found its target. One of the soldiers yelped in pain as the pan hit right in the middle of his shoulder blades. Noah let out a muffled cheer as he ran to his horse. The three boys had a pretty decent head start before the soldiers figured out what had happened.

The two soldiers rushed out of the house and after the three. Gabriel looked around trying to find any means necessary to keep these guards from reaching the boys. They ran past what looked like building material and Gabriel saw his opportunity.

"NOAH! Get the horses untied and ready to go. I'm right behind you," Gabriel yelled. He made a B-line for the materials.

Noah grabbed Theo pulling him to the side of the house as they watched Gabriel run off. They circled the house to the horses hoping to reach Gabriel before anything horrible happened.

Gabriel was able to reach the materials and quickly think up a plan. He picked up a piece of wooden plank and took a deep breath very much needed. He kept himself a bit hidden and watched for the soldiers. They came running up yelling at everyone to find the three boys. Gabriel saw his chance and swung.

The plank sliced through the air with ease whistling towards its intended target. The first soldier ran up and the plank found its landing. A loud thud broke through and the soldier doubled over clenching his abdomen.

"You son of a bitch," The soldier weezed. Still hunched over holding his stomach. At this point the other soldier was making head way and Gabriel booked it.

Theo was up first on his horses then followed Noah also holding tight onto the reigns of both his and Gabriel’s horse. They had made it past the commotion Gabriel had caused and waited a way up the road. Gabriel sprinted as fast as he could and practically jumped onto his horse. They were about to get their horses going but found they were blocked in. Several of the villagers stood as a wall and Riley led them.

"Riley, you have got to move," Gabriel said frantically seeing the uninjured officer making his way with the other much slower running.

"I can't let you go again. They’ll murder us all," Riley answered in desperation. Gabriel's heart broke because he had trusted Riley for as long as he could remember.

"I trusted you." Gabriel's voice broke a bit.

Riley stared blankly at him. Gabriel then realized then and there why Matilda was killed and how they knew to come.

Gabriel glared at Riley. “You fucking coward.”

"Grab them." Riley said calmy and stood to the side to watch. Gabriel looked around frantically and only saw one way out. Over the fence.

"You guys ever jump fences?" Gabriel looked at both boys.

"Uh no!" Noah was watching the men getting closer as he backed his horse away from them.

"Well todays the day to learn boys." And with that Gabriel ripped the reigns to signal his horse to start running towards the fence. Theo was right behind him.

"Goddamn you Gabriel," Noah yelled before following suit.

It was almost slow motion. Gabriel kicked one of the men that had grabbed his leg and sent his horse into a full sprint for the fence. Theo was able to follow easily as most of the men were trying to grab Gabriel. Noah pushed through two of the men with his horse. As all three managed to clear the fence, the two soldiers came into view. One sprinting and the other in a weird jog as he held tightly to his ribs. One of the men began to yell for anyone to stop the boys but between the chaos ensuing and the break neck speed of the horses, no one had time to understand what was going on. The boys were home free and were quickly making their way out of.

One of the soldiers yelled that range loud and clear, "We will have your heads, traitors!”

~~~*~~~

They didn't stop running until the town was completely out of sight. Gabriel had lead charge away but now that potential death wasn't number one danger, his head swam with more and more thoughts. Riley being a traitor all this time, where in the world did those soldiers come from, would there be more waiting in the next town? Gabriel was in his own world when a voice broke through.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"What the hell was that back there? Why were they chasing us, what did you do to piss of Riley…” Noah's rambling was cut short.

"I don't fucking know Noah!" Gabriel didn't mean to yell but the emotions bubbled over.

Noah huffed. Then continued, "Well you have a lot of explaining to do because royal guard don't just come after anyone. You do something that piss off the king?"

"Would you stop with all the questions? Jesus Christ! If you remember, Noah, you two are fucking runner.” He paused, "Riley ratted us out." Gabriel's face had gone from ghostly white to scarlet red. His whole body shook with anger. He didn't know where to go from here.

Noah back off leaving Gabriel alone. He felt a lump forming in his throat and tears threatening to fall. He felt eyes on him waiting for movement or anything. Quickly he tried swallowing the lump as best he could and harshly wiped his face.

"Come on. We've got to move before anything else happens," Gabriel muttered in a low voice keeping his eyes down.

~~~*~~~

The days after were swimming with tension. Noah was still a bit sore with Gabriel snapping at him, but was slowly letting it go. Gabriel didn’t really notice the way Noah had been acting after the incident. He didn’t really care at this point. The main mission now was to get over the border and hopefully be safe.

Collectively, begrudgingly Noah, decided that it was best to keep moving. It was tough though. The anxiety of what could lie ahead made for challenging camps. No one really got any sleep and eating was completely off the table. Gabriel took them around the towns and they stopped only when Theo fell off his horse. At that point they were all too exhausted to travel and set up camp. Both Noah and Theo were passed out before a fire could be started. Gabriel decided to keep watch for a few hours.

At some point Gabriel had fallen asleep. They all woke up midday the next day and only because the sun was beating down on them. It was not a fine afternoon for travelling but alas it had to be done. Gabriel estimated that they had another town to go before the border. At the sound of the Border being so close, this lifted their spirits a bit and the fact that no other indications they were being followed.

They moved quickly and had passed the finally little town by early evening. However, the site of smoke caught their attention.

“What do you think it is?” Noah road up by Gabriel.

“A structure is on fire. This isn’t a regular burning of crops.” Gabriel signaled for his horse to start in the direction of the smoke.

Noah turned back to Theo who only shrugged. Noah turned forward and yelled, “What if it’s a trap?”

“Don’t care.”

So they followed Gabriel. What was waiting for them was nothing short of terror. It was the last town that they were to stop in before travelling to the border. It was gone. Burnt to ash. Smoke as black as night rose to block out the sun. Gabriel jumped off his horse as he contemplated going in to search for survivors. His gut told him it would be a waste of time. Everyone was dead and he knew it.

“Oh my god,” Theo mumbled. His eyes stung from the smoke and with one deep breath he began to cough.

Gabriel turned back realizing this wasn’t a place for them. “We need to go.”

Noah looked up from his brother. “What if there’s…”

“There aren’t any survivors.” Gabriel interjected.

“There could be.” Noah urged. There had to be someone who could tell them what happened.

Gabriel hopped on his horse and strode over to Noah. A shadow fell over his face and his eyes darkened. “No one survive a direct kill order from the king. Now come on.” Theo gave Noah a sympathetic glance before following after Gabriel, but Noah didn’t move.

“No. there has to be someone who survived. What if we’re the last people to be here and they die.”

Gabriel stopped but he never turned his attention to Noah. “They’re better off dead.”

How could you say that!” Noah choked out. The smoke was getting worse as the wind shifted.

Gabriel turned around this time staring Noah dead in the eyes. “Because war doesn’t fucking care who you are. It eats away out any goodness and leaves sadness and heartbreak. Those people are better off living in another life then barely surviving this one.”

Noah glanced back at the town then again at Gabriel. “We can’t give up hope though.”

“Hope was long forgotten by these people. Everyone outside the walls of Líadain are barely making it. You are about to understand the reality of those not fortunate enough to live in the royal city.” Gabriel gestured to the rubble. “This here is a reality of war that you better get used to seeing.” Gabriel began riding off. Theo was stuck in the middle of both of them. He didn’t know which side to pick and it made him sick.

Noah however was about to start a war all his own. “How dare you think I don’t understand war.”

“YOU DON’T!” Gabriel was at his wits end. He had stopped his horse and turned around heading back to Noah. He grabbed a fist full of Noah’s tunic pulling him close. “You may have been poor, but you spent ten years in those walls with food and a pillow. Never once were you worried that you wouldn’t have anything to eat for days or the fear that you would end up dead.”

“I know enough to not fight.”

Gabriel laughed. “You’re fucking excuse if you chose not to fight at all.” He shoved Noah away and rode ahead.

Noah opened his mouth to say something but Theo shook his head. It wasn’t worth it. “We can’t fight with each other. Right now we need to stick together.” Theo tried being the reasonable one. “But he has a point.”

Noah looked offended that his brother would side with someone else.

“Just listen to me.” Theo huffed. “We don’t know what this war has done to anyone outside the walls and we only left because we would have to fight for the king. You know we wouldn’t have left if it wasn’t for that so don’t act like you understand what these people are going through out here.” He left without Noah saying another word. Noah was left speechless.