Atissa felt slow.

She was a good runner. In the woods of the Half-Moon Valley, nobody could match her. Well, some animals could. But none of the loggers. Not even uncle Tatros.

Right now, her legs felt heavy and she was afraid that they might cramp if she pushed herself too much. The places where the rope had been wrapped around were sore and bruised.

Atissa tried to ignore her pains but it was hard. Especially, when her tongue touched the insides of her cheeks. The bite had been deep.

Mark had told her to run and so she did. She felt guilty about leaving her friends behind, but she trusted him. They’d come to save her. I wish I had my bow, she thought while sprinting along the pier. With her bow, she could have done something about the monstrous snake. But unarmed?

Where should she go? Mark hadn’t said. She didn’t know anybody outside the palace, and she wasn’t sure if it was safe to go back there. Delios had been with Mark, but mistress Bel’Sara had warriors helping her too.

She felt a tingle on her neck. Predator.

Looking over a shoulder she saw Omiri coming after her. She was fast, faster than Atissa.

Only as I’m right now, she corrected herself, increasing her pace as much as she could.

Omiri was older and taller with longer legs. Walking, she always had a strange gate. Uncle Tatros had told her horse nomads had round legs from living in the saddle. According to him they even gave birth on a horse to accustom the children.

Atissa didn’t know if Omiri had been born on a horse but if she’d been it didn’t make her a slow runner. She needed a plan, or she would get caught.

The pier took a bent land inwards and Atissa saw the city’s shipyard up ahead. There was a forest of stacks of trunks and planks and other kinds of wooden components that Atissa couldn’t identify. Close to the water lay an unfinished ship. The outer hull was missing, and it looked like she was looking at the ship’s skeleton.

Nobody was working on it. She knew from Mark that the shipbuilders were currently preparing materials for the defense of the city.

Maybe she could lose Omiri between the stacks? Or set an ambush.

Another sudden tingle made Atissa take another glance over her shoulder. It was just in time. Omiri was only ten paces behind her, catching up rapidly.

Atissa sped up. How could she use the yard to get away? She headed for the closest stacks of planks and jumped.

There were wooden wedges between the planks to allow them to dry. She used the gaps to climb up the closest stack. Halfway up a hand closed around her right ankle.

Not yet, she thought. Instead of fighting the grip, Atissa pushed herself off the stack, spinning counterclockwise in the air. The sudden rotation ripped her ankle out of Omiri’s grasp.

She came down on the older girl, bringing them both to the ground. Atissa landed uncomfortable, her legs across the other girl’s chest. A short struggle ensued during which Atissa tried to get on top. But the way she’d fallen hadn’t been favorable and Omiri pushed her off with a little effort.

Both came to their feet almost at the same time. Atissa knew she couldn’t hesitate here. She was smaller and hurt. The moment she got her feet under her, she shot forward targeting Omiri’s legs.

She never got there.

Strong arms stopped her, gripping her belt and tunic and pulling her in.

Hug her, Atissa thought. If she hugged her tied and wrapped her leg around Omiri’s, she could make them both fall. Then her feet lost contact with the ground.

“Huh?”

Her shoulder met the ground first. Before her mind was distracted by the new pain, Atissa had half a heartbeat to marvel at the ease with which she’d just been thrown.

“Stop running!” Omiri shouted, with a heavy accent.

Atissa rolled to her back, bringing her legs between herself and the girl towering over her. Having watched her train, Omiri recognized the defensive posture. Her eyes hardened. But she also hesitated. She knew if she just moved forward and got tangled up in Atissa’s legs, she could get her knee broken. The easiest would be to hail down kicks while carefully staying out of reach. But that wouldn’t make your mistress happy, Atissa thought grimly.

She couldn’t stay like this either. Not knowing the plan, she had no way to tell who was profiting from a stalemate and Mark had told her to run.

Atissa started to scoot backward without taking her eyes off the nomad girl. If she could increase the distance enough, she could risk standing up though she wasn’t sure if that was even a good idea, considering the ease with which she’d been thrown just now. Omiri might just decide to drop her on her head the next time.

The other girl rushed her. She started moving so suddenly that Atissa almost failed to react.

With two long strides, Omiri closed the distance and caught Atissa’s right foot. The latter kicked out, but Omiri took the kick and violently pulled the foot to her right to move the leg out of the way.

She wanted to get past the legs to pin Atissa to the ground. Her attack had been fast and strong, but also unsophisticated. Atissa had trained for situations like this. With Omiri so close and Atissa’s legs connected to her upper body, Atissa reflexively reached out for her ankles. A moment later the older girl went down, cursing in a foreign language.

Upon hitting the ground, Omiri immediately tried to pull away her legs.

She is afraid I might break them, Atissa thought.

Omiri had truly paid attention. But this time it worked against her. While she scrambled backward on her butt, she gave Atissa the opening to roll onto all fours and sprint through the nearest opening of the forest of wood stacks.

After passing the first couple of stacks Atissa turned right, then left, then right again. She had to get out of her pursuer's direct line of sight. When she felt she had built some distance, she came to a hold. And listened.

There you are, she thought. Omiri was coming after her, but she wasn’t following her exact route. For a short moment, Atissa had lost her.

Looking around, Atissa searched for something that could give her an advantage. Mark had explained the importance of fighting where you’re strong, and your opponent is weak when they first met. It was one of the first things he’d ever taught her.

Hearing the other girl coming closer, Atissa snuck around the next pile of tree trunks. Her abilities to sense and track others were much sharper since her connection with Hermistos. The sound of footsteps smells carried by the wind - with a little concentration she could picture Omiri walking carefully through the forest of construction materials.

Atissa had to make a choice. She could use the man-made labyrinth for an ambush or continue fleeing. If Omiri guessed her direction wrong, Atissa would gain a head start that might just be enough to lose her.

A sudden change alerted her. The sound of Omiri’s steps had ceased and been replaced by the squeaking of bending wood.

She’s taking the high ground, Atissa thought alarmed.

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Now running was out of the question. Omiri would see her the moment she left the labyrinth and come after her. Atissa already knew she couldn’t outrun the other girl.

She heard Omiri walking on the wooden planks. She tried to step carefully, but Atissa’s Gift let her track Omiri’s movements with ease.

Pressing against the side of a stack, Atissa waited until the noise of bending wood told her that Omiri had passed her by.

What could she do? If she just hid here, she should be able to avoid Omiri for a while. But she didn’t know what was going on back on the ship. If Omiri received help, Atissa would be trapped.

No, Atissa decided, I can’t wait around to be rescued again. Hermistos had helped her as much as he could in his state. Mark and Delios had risked their lives to give her a chance to flee. From here on she had to make it on her own.

She ducked and quickly passed the lane between two rows of stacks, increasing the distance between her and her pursuer.

I wish I had my bow, Atissa thought. If she had, she would be the predator. And then she remembered something uncle Tatros had once told her. The difference between a hunter and a predator was the human mind. Animals had claws and teeth and superior senses. Humans had their minds. They could make bows and build traps. They also made wine. Uncle Tatros had been adamant about never hunting drunk.

Atissa might not have her bow, but she had her mind. She looked around for something, anything she could use. Her eyes fell on the wedges holding the planks apart. She made sure that Omiri wasn’t close and tried to pull on one. It barely budged.

Atissa nodded to herself. The weight of all the planks above was pressing down on it. She tried another further up. This one moved.

For a while, Atissa snuck from stack to stack testing and moving the higher wedges. While she worked, she was careful never to lose track of her pursuer. The other girl still hadn’t given up her search.

When Atissa was satisfied with her preparation, she moved on to the dangerous part of her plan.

She snuck down the lane between the stacks. Years of hunting in the woods helped her to control her anxiety about what she had to do next. She would let Omiri spot her. The other girl would charge after her and Atissa would lead her into the area she had prepared. For that to work she had to find the right moment.

Passing from the area with the planks to the piles of unworked trunks, Omiri came into view. The nomad girl jumped across the gap between two stacks and immediately ducked.

She was good, Atissa had to admit to herself. Omiri moved silently, avoiding any unnecessary movement. The way she held herself told Atissa that she was listening. Without Atissa’s Gift, this would have been a dangerous contest.

Just a little closer, she thought, watching the other girl on her perch.

In her mind, she pictured the route back. She planned to switch directions a couple of times. Omiri would follow her by jumping from stack to stack to keep track of her. Taking the more direct route would also make her faster. But Atissa wanted Omiri to catch up. Just not too quickly.

She crouched and considered her position. Could she risk going any closer? In front of her opened a broad lane. The stacks in the next section consisted of longer tree trunks. If she crossed it, there would be barely twenty paces between her and the nomad girl.

She decided to risk it.

The lane was a good spot to be discovered. She could pretend to walk right into Omiri’s field of view.

Atissa left her cover and walked into the lane. She forced herself not to look in Omiri’s direction, but all her other senses were focused on the girl’s movement. It had to look real.

A stone, the size of a toddler’s fist lay on the ground in front of Atissa. She kicked it weakly to the side. It flew less than two paces and bounced off a tree trunk. It was enough. Her ears picked up the almost imperceptible grown of wood as her pursuer’s body weight shifted.

Atissa waited for another two heartbeats and made another step, crossing into Omiri’s field of view.

Come on, move!

She needed Omiri to make a noise, so she could pretend to spot her. What should she do if Omiri just waited, hoping for her to come closer? Atissa couldn’t risk that. Any closer and she would surely be caught.

She listened. The nomad girl wasn’t moving. I know you are watching me, Atissa thought, walking as slowly as possible. Then she stopped and pretended to listen. She moved her head around, careful not to look directly into Omiri’s direction. It felt awkward. Was she too obvious? Should she just look up and pretend to discover the other girl?

Omiri took the decision from her. Atissa could hear her slowly rising from her crouched position. I can’t let her come down!

She finally looked in the direction where the other girl was hiding. Omiri’s head and shoulders were just appearing above the edge of the highest tree trunk. Atissa turned and ran.

And Omiri followed.

Turning right, Atissa left the brought lane and ran straight ahead until she heard the sound of bodyweight hitting wood. Omiri had crossed the lane by jumping the gap.

Atissa turned left. A moment later she heard the noise of another impact. It was working. Now she just had to stay ahead. Her body arched in protest but for the moment the excitement of the chase helped her to push the pain aside.

The next landing sound was a little closer. They’d moved back into the area with the plank stacks. Their flat surface was much easier to run on than the round tree trunks. Omiri would catch up rapidly now.

But it will also convince her to stay up there until she can jump right on top of me, Atissa thought. It was working.

At the next intersection, she changed directions again. As soon as she had turned the corner, all the little hairs on her neck started to stand up. Danger.

This time her instinct had been late. A couple of paces in front of her the long body of a huge snake was crossing her path. The monster was hunting too.

Atissa’s instincts screamed at her to turn and run. A wooden thumping sound behind her made her snap out of it. She couldn’t turn back. And so, she sprinted straight ahead.

If she could pass before the monster noticed her, she had a chance. Maybe.

Atissa jumped.

As she flew through the air, she withstood the urge to look down at the snake’s body. She focused only on the lane in front of her. The moment her feet hit the ground she fell into a sprint again. All thoughts of managing the distance between her and Omiri were gone. Against the girl she at least had a fighting chance. She couldn’t wrestle the giant snake.

She sensed the snake turning to pursue her. For an animal that size it was frighteningly silent. And it was fast. Not as fast as a sprinting human, but still unnaturally fast for a snake.

As the stacks of planks flew by, Atissa considered running straight out of the maze. On open ground, she would be able to outrun the snake. But she couldn’t outrun Omiri and if the nomad girl stopped her, the snake would catch up too. It had already followed her all the way to the shipyard.

Hearing the thump of Omiri landing on another stack, Atissa made her decision and turned left. If she wanted to get away, she had to take her out.

Afraid of the monster, she’d left her planned route. She’d been able to build up some distance to the monster but now she had to guide Omiri into her trap from a different direction. Could it still work?

She reached an intersection she recognized. Right after on the left was the first stack of planks she’d prepared.

Focusing, she tried to gauge the distance to each of her pursuers. Omiri was close behind. Jumping from stack to stack had allowed her to catch up rapidly when Atissa had changed directions. The snake was further behind and much harder to track. The wind, coming from the lake, carried Atissa’s scent toward the monster, while not giving Atissa much to work with.

Atissa stopped at the short side of a stack of planks on Omiri’s route and picked up the piece of wood she’d leaned against it before. Above her head, several of the wedges between the planks pocked out on the outer side of the stack. The wedges were pieces of wood, about twice as broad as a man’s thump and long enough for two to three planks to rest on them. Each stack in this area was five to six planks broad.

Pressing against the side, Atissa waited. This was the tricky part. If she’d guessed wrong and Omiri didn’t jump on this stack, she would have to move immediately.

The next thump sounded from much closer by. Two more jumps, she thought, raising the piece of wood in her hand. She hooked it vertically behind the wedges she’d partially pulled out. Pushing it sideways would rip out multiple wedges at the same time. Since Atissa had removed the ones in the middle of the planks already, multiple levels of the upper third of the stack would suddenly only be supported on one side. The slanting and the weight should make everything slide sideways. Whoever stood on top in that moment would feel the ground go out from under her. If it worked.

The sound of her pursuer landing two stacks away made Atissa hold her breath. One more.

She heard Omiri take three steps and then the sound of the wood as it flexed back after she pushed off.

Thump.

Pressing against the wood, Atissa felt the impact of the landing vibrate through her body. She almost pulled reflexively, triggering her trap.

Wrong side!

She’d heard and felt it. Omiri had overshot and landed on the far side of the stack.

What now? The wedges she was going to pull weren’t supporting the planks on that half of the stack. Atissa hesitated. Her heartbeat drummed in her ears. Omiri took a step. And another.

Should she just risk it? On instinct, Atissa turned around and ran. The moment she left her hiding spot, she could hear Omiri changing directions.

Atissa turned left and ran along the length of the next two stacks. Omiri was basically right above her now.

At the next intersection, she turned right. And stopped. Standing in the small gap between two stacks, she was out of Omiri’s line of sight for a short moment. The wedges above her were prepared. She raised her piece of wood and waited. To which stack would Omiri jump? Atissa only had a heartbeat to put her lever into place.

The sound of feet on timber. Then the push-off.

The right one, she thought. Atissa wanted to turn and hook her lever into place when the impact of Omiri’s landing sounded right above her. The nomad girl had landed almost directly at the gap in which Atissa hid.

Don’t see me, Atissa prayed, whipping around and pushing her piece of wood into place on the other stack. For a short moment a shadow fell on Atissa as Omiri passed over her.

Atissa pulled.

Wedges came free and dropped to the ground. Timber hit timber as the gaps between the planks closed. Some of the top planks slid off in Atissa’s direction, forcing her to duck. Somewhere above Omiri cursed in her foreign language.

The planks slid until they hit the short side of the stack behind Atissa. Then most of them stopped. Only a couple on the outside fell to the ground. Omiri didn’t.