Engines & Demons - The Undestined

Chapter 29ii

Maddock squinted, trying to focus through the liquid weeping from his battered eyes.

The sun was low on the horizon, and the band of sky above it was a bright red. Everything was picked out in silhouette; the empty pens, the network of stanchions supporting the stands, and the figure of Gefry standing at Tasker's shoulder. But Gefry was no longer alone.

A dark shape had appeared beside him, and was reaching out towards the oblivious squire. Gefry seemed suddenly to jump and spin around, then there was a thud and he bent double, his breath whistling out of him. Tasker turned quickly and the dark figure hurtled forward and crashed into him, sending him stumbling backwards into the squire holding one of Maddock's arms. They both fell to the floor, and Maddock felt his arm released.

The figure did not stop. It came on, striking at the squire holding Maddock's other arm. The boy was slow to react, and Maddock heard the now familiar crack of a fist hitting bone as the squire's head was rocked back on his shoulders. He too released his grip, and without its support, Maddock fell to his hands and knees. He raised his head and saw Gefry still bent double, gasping for breath, and another squire holding his nose as blood pulsed between his fingers. Tasker and the other squire were disentangling themselves from where they lay on the ground.

"Get up!" said a familiar voice, and he looked up to see the squire Grifford standing over him.

"But..." stammered Maddock.

Tasker had now made his feet, glaring at Grifford.

"Oh you have trouble now, boy!" he said, a smile creeping over his face. He moved swiftly towards them.

Grifford leapt forward, throwing his weight against a stack of beam tree timbers. The stack tilted and the topmost layers tumble forward, striking Tasker's legs and knocking him over once more.

"Run, idiot!" said Grifford as he grabbed Maddock by his collar, hauled him to his feet and threw him towards the passage of stanchions leading to the open grasslands.

He stumbled forward and caught himself on his hands, but swiftly got his feet under him and ran, ignorant of the pains in his foot and in the rest of his body.

"After them!" came Tasker's enraged voice, echoing under the stands so that it seemed to come from all around.

Maddock limped and swayed as he ran, striking one of the wooden stanchions with his shoulder before stumbling on. He heard running footsteps and a fast breath behind him, right at his heel.

"Faster, Field-hand," gasped Grifford.

The squire grabbed his collar again and pulled him forward. They staggered out together from beneath the dark stands and ran towards the safety of the Enclosures.

"Coward!" came Tasker's shout, his voice breaking into a screech.

Maddock felt Grifford release his hold on his collar, and heard his steps falter.

"You are a coward! Just like your father!"

Grifford's footsteps stopped.

Maddock looked over his shoulder, but tripped and sprawled on his face in the grass. It seemed to knock the last of his strength out of him. He did not have the will left to stand, but he managed to roll onto his back and lift his head. Grifford was standing between the two lines of pens, looking back towards the stands, where Maddock could hear the sound of chasing footsteps.

"What are you doing?" he panted, but Grifford did not reply.

One of the pursuing squires ran from the shadows and slid to a halt when he saw Grifford waiting there. Blood still caked his nose and upper lip, and he wiped at it with his arm, but he did not advance. A second squire ran up and stumbled to a surprised halt. Next to appear was Tasker, and he looked neither shocked nor apprehensive at the sight of Grifford standing before him.