Aerys of Lunamorn

4 - Flight ... With a Cart for a Chariot

IV. Astrael

                "Can you tell that nag not to lurch about so much?" Astrael asked Luke irritably from his seat behind the latter in the cart. Luke remained silent as Astrael was jerked in and out of his seat from the ruts in the road. The glimmer of the white feather in Luke's absurd hat, the manner of their less-than-dramatic flight from the palace added to the things that grated on Astrael's nerves. It didn't help that it seemed the only charger they could find was an old nag, and their escape vehicle a humble vegetable cart stolen from the palace kitchens.

                Astrael felt bad-tempered--no, he felt angry, and betrayed. He might never have been that close to Aviniel, preferring Aerys' outgoing company to his introverted brother's,  but he'd never dreamed that Aviniel could do what he just did--which was propose to the Princess Vaida.

                He shook his head in disgust, and, in doing so, spotted a glint of something between the trees framing the road they were driving through. Even as his mind was screaming arrow!, he was jumping from his sitting position in the cart to the front, where Luke was sitting. With a shout, Astrael pushed Luke's head down, ducking down as he did so. An arrow whistled through the air where Luke's head had been, and the arrow's white fletching brushed Astrael's nose from his position beside Luke's left. 

                "Go, go, go!" Astrael yelled, not caring for secrecy any more. Luke responded by whipping the reins against the horse. Startled, the horse charged down the road, making the cart bounce through the road with its ungainly gallop. Astrael looked about for the assassin in the blur of trees that they were rushing through, but couldn't see anything. To be in a situation like this, without lance or axe! His frustration at his helpless state was interrupted by Luke's gasp. 

                "You're hit!" Astrael said blankly as Luke's right arm fell to his side, leaving only one hand to hold the reins. The horse slowed down, but Luke seemed to gain control again, even with one hand. He shook his head at Astrael's outbursts and jerked the reins to the left, veering off the main path and urged the horse down a smaller one.

                "What in the world are you doing?" Astrael whispered, urgency in his voice. 

                  "Shaking him off our tail," Luke said, all his concentration focused into steering the cart through the narrow path. It was bumpier than the main path, and Astrael could imagine the pain it was causing Luke's other arm. 

                  "Won't this make him locate us any easier?" Astrael said, referring to the trail they were leaving in their wake. Luke remained silent, and Astrael noticed the gasps that Luke was emitting. "Look, let me take the reins for a while." His tone brooked no argument that he knew would come from the other, and he took the reins and resumed their fast pace.

                "There's a tavern near here... somewhere he won't expect to find us," Luke mumbled. "This is a secret path to the tavern," he added. 

                Astrael stifled the question he wanted to ask Luke--how does he know who's chasing them?--and concentrated on steering the horse successfully, as Luke whispered directions to him. They might have been making a lot of noise, but Astrael knew that at least the man wasn't mounted--and however old their horse was, no mortal man could keep up with their hellish pace.

                After a half hour of the horse galloping, cantering, walking, and, finally trotting, it came to a stop, foaming at the mouth, its flanks dripping with sweat. Astrael glanced at Luke, wondering what they were going to do now, and where they were--which seemed like the middle of nowhere.