Sorrel strained her eyes to try to make out what was thundering towards them, but it, whatever it was, pounded up so much dust that she couldn't make out any features to it.

She grabbed Cloud's arm and ran towards the horse. "Something that big can't be good!" she cried, jumping up onto the horse's back. "Quick, Cloud, get up!"

Little Cloud leapt up behind her and held on tight as she urged the horse into action. She chanced a look back over her shoulder and saw to her horror shapes in the dust cloud. They were catching up.

"Sorrel! Whatever's chasing us there's more than one of!" Cloud yelled, struggling to be heard over the pounding of the horse's hooves. "Can't we go any quicker?"

She looked back again and saw hundreds of dark animals racing towards them, large bodies shimmering in a haze. She dug her heels into the horse's side and called out sharply to push him to greater efforts.

The black horse galloped flat out, eyes wild and breath coming in grunts of effort. The animal turned his head in surprise as the creatures charging after him started to draw alongside.

"They're Albeck deer!" Cloud cried. "In full antler too!"

Sorrel concentrated on controlling the horse as the huge deer jostled past them. Albeck deer were the largest species of deer in Aldenland and both the males and females had great, twisted horns. It was obvious something had spooked the animals and their panic was starting to spread to the horse.

"Okay boy, keep calm, it's okay!" she cried to the horse as it struggled to keep moving with the stampede. "Everything's okay!"

The deer barked and pushed, each fighting for space. They barged into each other in their alarm and knocked into the frightened horse. One stag, its thick head heavy with antlers, pushed sideways into the horse, catching it on the chest.

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The horse screeched and kicked out in the middle of the stampede, flailing out at the deer. Stags veered away from the dangerous hooves and Sorrel clung on tight to the reins as deer bodies brushed against her legs.

Hold on.

The muscles in her thighs burned as she gripped the saddle, pain jolted up her spine. An angry back kick from one of the deer struck the horse again in the chest and the creature bucked and reared.

Little Cloud screamed and Sorrel knew he had lost his hold on the horse.

#

The dust cloud trailed away into the distance, the wild deer still charging and not likely to stop for some time. The horse danced about beneath Sorrel as she searched desperately for her friend.

"Cloud!"

There was no answer. Where is he?

She dismounted the horse and, keeping a tight hold of its reins, searched for him among the heather. "Cloud? Little Cloud, answer me!"

There was a groan. Then a muffled voice said, "I hate it when you call me Little Cloud."

She found her friend curled up in a ball in the very middle of a gorse bush. She blew a sigh of relief and hid a smile as she helped him up with trembling hands. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Cloud brushed his clothes down and then held up his scratched hands. "Do I look okay?" he said, annoyed. "I can see you laughing, Sorrel, it's not funny!"

She smiled and patted his shoulder. "I know, sorry. You'll be fine." She went to the horse's head, leaving Cloud to grumble, and stroked the animal gently on the nose. "What's happened to you then, boy, are you hurt bad?"

The horse jerked back and winced as she touched a deep wound across his chest. He whickered and pulled against her until she managed to calm him with soothing words. "There, there! Shh, shh, shh! Cloud, those deer've injured our horse."

Cloud joined her and looked at the injured animal. "I've got nothing to put on it," he said, recovering from his scare. "We can't ride him like this."

Sorrel had become quite attached to the magnificent black horse and she stroked his neck comfortingly. She sighed. "I wonder what scared those deer?"

Cloud shook his head. "What do we do now?"

Keep going. "We'll just have to walk to Winter," she said, determined to walk to the ends of Aldenland if she had to. "Where's Bartram?"

They turned their gazes skyward and looked for the raven. The sky was clear. No sign of the bird.