time!’ cried Dillon. ‘Follow me!’
They followed Dillon and the two other Desert Knights as they charged down the slope. Within a minute they were nearing the landing. It was instantly apparent that there was only one small wooden canoe. The group of Desert Knights directed them out onto the landing.
‘You will have to leave your horses. On the far side of the river you will be safe for a time. The Skatheans will have to ride a long way south to find a boat or barge to follow you across. Follow the river north as quickly as possible. The further north you go the safer you will be,’ said Dillon.
The sound of the approaching army was growing. Eben dismounted Swiftwing and quickly gathered his backpack and sword. He felt sad at having to leave Swiftwing behind. He had come to appreciate his great warhorse.
‘Make haste !’ cried Dillon.
Red and Stella were already in the small canoe and Cassiel was stepping in. The top edge of the canoe was nearing the surface of the water; it was obviously not built to carry any more than one or two passengers. Eben was next to step in. The water almost came over the edge, leaving only an inch or two.
Quade stood on the landing and looked down at them. He realised that the boat couldn’t possibly carry another. ‘Goodbye my friends,’ he said, warmly smiling down at them.
‘ Come on, Quade, there’s enough room,’ said Red, dismayed and not wanting to leave his friend behind.
‘No, there’s not,’ said Dillon firmly. ‘The boat cannot take another. You must go now! The Skatheans are almost upon us!’
‘We can’t le ave you,’ said Red, insisting that Quade come with them.
‘Don’t worry about me. I have survived worse than this, and besides, this was always your quest. I was just tagging along for a while. Vastoria is my home now, and I mean to defend it,’ said Quade as he turned back toward the horses. ‘I hope you don’t mind if I borrow Swiftwing. Of course I’ll return him if we ever meet again.’
Quade mounted Swiftwing and drew his curved Vastorian sword. Simultaneously the fifty Desert Knights turned their horses to face the approaching army of Skatheans and mercenaries. The army was charging toward the landing with a terrible roar. The thunderous sound of a thousand galloping horses echoed between the two opposing ridges and grew louder with each passing moment.
‘Go!’ cried Dillon. ‘We have risked much to see you safely through the desert. You must go now!’
Ca ssiel and Eben took oars and started to row the canoe out across the water. They watched as the fifty Desert Knights formed a line to face the approaching army. Suddenly the Desert Knights charged forward at the army. Within seconds they smashed into the leading ranks of the Skatheans and mercenaries. The battle raged. It was difficult to make out exactly what was happening amid the calamity. Eben and Cassiel continued to row the small vessel across the river as they watched the battle intently. The Desert Knights were fighting valiantly, but the task at hand was simply too great. They were being crushed and overwhelmed.
‘Look,’ cried Stella as about a dozen remaining Desert Knights broke away from the battle and rode up the slope to the top of the ridge. ‘Quade is with them!’
The Skatheans and mercenaries were in close pursuit and within seconds the Desert Knights and Quade galloped over the ridge and were beyond sight. All fell silent on the shoreline in the wake of the battle. Several Skatheans approached the edge of the water and stared out at them. Eben and Cassiel continued to row, and they stared back at the Skatheans in the eerie silence.
CHAPTER SIX
The Adira River had always been a source of life to those that lived in the deserts of Vastoria. The river flowed out of the lush land of Irvaria to the northwest and was sacred to the people of the desert. The vast majority of the population of Vastoria lived on the banks of the river, and the surrounding areas
They followed Dillon and the two other Desert Knights as they charged down the slope. Within a minute they were nearing the landing. It was instantly apparent that there was only one small wooden canoe. The group of Desert Knights directed them out onto the landing.
‘You will have to leave your horses. On the far side of the river you will be safe for a time. The Skatheans will have to ride a long way south to find a boat or barge to follow you across. Follow the river north as quickly as possible. The further north you go the safer you will be,’ said Dillon.
The sound of the approaching army was growing. Eben dismounted Swiftwing and quickly gathered his backpack and sword. He felt sad at having to leave Swiftwing behind. He had come to appreciate his great warhorse.
‘Make haste !’ cried Dillon.
Red and Stella were already in the small canoe and Cassiel was stepping in. The top edge of the canoe was nearing the surface of the water; it was obviously not built to carry any more than one or two passengers. Eben was next to step in. The water almost came over the edge, leaving only an inch or two.
Quade stood on the landing and looked down at them. He realised that the boat couldn’t possibly carry another. ‘Goodbye my friends,’ he said, warmly smiling down at them.
‘ Come on, Quade, there’s enough room,’ said Red, dismayed and not wanting to leave his friend behind.
‘No, there’s not,’ said Dillon firmly. ‘The boat cannot take another. You must go now! The Skatheans are almost upon us!’
‘We can’t le ave you,’ said Red, insisting that Quade come with them.
‘Don’t worry about me. I have survived worse than this, and besides, this was always your quest. I was just tagging along for a while. Vastoria is my home now, and I mean to defend it,’ said Quade as he turned back toward the horses. ‘I hope you don’t mind if I borrow Swiftwing. Of course I’ll return him if we ever meet again.’
Quade mounted Swiftwing and drew his curved Vastorian sword. Simultaneously the fifty Desert Knights turned their horses to face the approaching army of Skatheans and mercenaries. The army was charging toward the landing with a terrible roar. The thunderous sound of a thousand galloping horses echoed between the two opposing ridges and grew louder with each passing moment.
‘Go!’ cried Dillon. ‘We have risked much to see you safely through the desert. You must go now!’
Ca ssiel and Eben took oars and started to row the canoe out across the water. They watched as the fifty Desert Knights formed a line to face the approaching army. Suddenly the Desert Knights charged forward at the army. Within seconds they smashed into the leading ranks of the Skatheans and mercenaries. The battle raged. It was difficult to make out exactly what was happening amid the calamity. Eben and Cassiel continued to row the small vessel across the river as they watched the battle intently. The Desert Knights were fighting valiantly, but the task at hand was simply too great. They were being crushed and overwhelmed.
‘Look,’ cried Stella as about a dozen remaining Desert Knights broke away from the battle and rode up the slope to the top of the ridge. ‘Quade is with them!’
The Skatheans and mercenaries were in close pursuit and within seconds the Desert Knights and Quade galloped over the ridge and were beyond sight. All fell silent on the shoreline in the wake of the battle. Several Skatheans approached the edge of the water and stared out at them. Eben and Cassiel continued to row, and they stared back at the Skatheans in the eerie silence.
CHAPTER SIX
The Adira River had always been a source of life to those that lived in the deserts of Vastoria. The river flowed out of the lush land of Irvaria to the northwest and was sacred to the people of the desert. The vast majority of the population of Vastoria lived on the banks of the river, and the surrounding areas
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