Another bundle of cloth bandages dropped beside Meleng.


    There were bundles of cloth all about the room now. Some were stacked against the walls, but when those stacks became too precarious, smaller piles began appearing in other parts of the room, too. It was now getting difficult to move in some spots.


    “Then we will learn that in due time,” Fra-Mecatl said. “Honestly, young woman, you are nearly as bad as your lover. Except I have not seen this from you previously.”


    Quilla groaned. “I know. Garet just sort of sucks it right out of me. When he’s around, I’m calm. When he’s gone, my natural impatience and worries return.” She stood up and resumed her pacing.


    Ses-Inhuan whispered in Meleng’s ear, “I wonder which learned it from the other, or were they both like that and that’s what brought them together?” She giggled and Meleng couldn’t help laugh too.


    At any rate, if this worked, it would make the house at least a little more resilient to a counter-attack. It might give them enough time to get away. He had done most of the house and was just finishing up with the communal room.


    Quilla passed by the window again and looked out again. She stopped. “There are people coming! They’re on the road near the gate.”


    Quilla helped Fra-Mecatl to the back of the house. Meleng helped Fra-Tepeu, and Ses-Inhuan grabbed a spear, bow, and quiver of arrows, then took the rear.


    They hustled out the door, and Ses-Inhuan closed it. “We are not going to make it,” she whispered to Meleng as he activated the locking equations. “They are too slow. Be ready to fight for them.” She held out her dagger to him.


    They hustled into the field. They were fully exposed at the moment, but there was a depression in the direction of the river. If they could reach it before any of the warriors made it round, it would hide their movement. After that, they would make for a place to hide—the barn or the river and the forest.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    “Yes, but that doesn’t say much,. She smirked. “We must keep moving. They will be here soon. Make for the trees.”


    She knocked aside another blow and hurried back to him. “We’re probably going to die together here, so you might as well call me Inhuan.”


    “We must go, lad!” Fra-Tepeu said.


    Meleng wiped the tears from his eyes and helped Fra-Tepeu farther into the woods.


    Of course!


    Except, could he make it work? He would need precise control, and he’d never had very good control. Not to mention the energy it would require. He’d expended a lot of energy already. At full strength, he couldn’t be sure he’d have enough; at the moment, there was no way he’d have enough. But perhaps if he only did it to one of them...


    “I’ve got an idea. This won’t be very comfortable. Just stay still and quiet.” He scribbled the equations as fast as he could on the dirt, leaves, and bits of branches at Fra-Tepeu’s feet. The underbrush began to rise up, covering over the old man. It wasn’t perfect. There were a lot of gaps in addition to the ones Meleng had purposely left for Fra-Tepeu to breathe through. In daylight, it would be obvious, but in the dark, with other targets to follow, the warriors might miss it.


    Then Meleng took off full speed into the woods, yelling and making as much noise as he could to draw the attention of the nearest warriors. A couple behind him picked up speed in his direction. After a few more seconds, he cut the yells and kept running in what he hoped was a quieter manner.