Emma gasped.
The arrow went straight into Nick's shoulder.
The boy stumbled and groaned but he didn't scream. Instead he staggered towards a house, ignoring the dozens of shafts raining down on them.
'Nick!' she called.
Emma took him by the arm and she pulled him away from the arrow storm. The darts chased them down the road, slamming in the dirt like rain on a window pane. She couldn't help but notice a woman bought down by the arrows. The body was slumped against a cottage door. She nearly made it...
The girl swallowed, doing her best to support Nick's weight, knowing she had to get him to safety somehow. She wouldn't let him die like that woman. Not if her life depended on it.
They took refuge in the porch of another building. It was large and linked to one of the biggest pasture paddocks in the valley. Those strange horse-like stags with droopy ears were bleating in panic as one of their herd was struck by an arrow. They ran about chaotically, some leaping over the fence, while others ducked into the building. It must have been some kind of stable or barn.
'Damn it...'
Emma bought her attention back to Nick who was hunched over, reaching to his shoulder with his free hand. His fingers tugged on the arrow and he winced. Was he trying to remove it?
'Don't!' she warned him. 'You could make it worse!'
Nick looked at her for a moment then he grunted and turned away.
'No, I have to,' he muttered under his breath and tugged at the shaft again.
'Leave it!'
This time Nick shook his head. 'I need to get it out.'
Emma just stared at him in shock as he ripped the arrow from shoulder. Blood squirted out and he cried out. He would have stumbled again if it weren't for Emma catching him.
'See?' she cried in alarm. 'Nick? Are you listening to me?'
He wasn't.
His eyes were staring down the road behind her.
Emma knew she'd regret it but she turned about and grimaced at the sight of a dozen Tengura riders charging through the village.
The men were laughing and shouting with joy as they ran down or hacked apart any villager in their path. Most of them wheeled their canine mounts back around the buildings but a few continued careering down the road toward them.
'Nick!' she cried. 'We have to go!'
She turned back to him, expecting to carry the guy into the building. But he wasn't slumped against the wall anymore. Nick was on his feet, wincing still, but filled with more vigour than moments ago.
'Into the barn!' he ordered.
Emma was confused but nodded and climbed over the paddock fence.
Nick followed after, stopping to throw his bamboo spear at the oncoming riders. One of them pulled sideways, avoiding the missile. But his companion behind him was blasted off his saddle, the javelin planted firmly in his chest.
'Shit,' Nick muttered as he clambered the barrier.
The pair hurried to the entrance of the barn, careful to avoid the stampeding stags. Emma glanced over her shoulder and saw two of the Tengura warriors dismounting. One carried a shield and sword, the other had a long dagger.
'They're right behind us!' she called.
The barn was fairly large. It was two tiered with the bottom level containing stalls for the animals while the loft stored most of the hay. A simple ladder linked the two floors.
'Up the ladder!' Nick cried. He grabbed a pitchfork from the hay and turned to face the pursuers.
Emma meanwhile scrambled up the ladder, climbing painfully slowly to the top. She could already hear the voices of the Tengura as they charged Nick. A hand grabbed her leg. Emma screamed.
Standing on the ladder below her was one of the warriors, the one with the shield. He was laughing as he clung on to her ankle. The other Tengura was wrestling Nick for control of the pitchfork, both of them rolling around the floor.
'Get off!' Emma cried.
She gripped the ladder tightly with her hands then she dared to lift her other foot off the rungs. Using her free limb, she booted her attacker as hard she could but his bird-like helmet protected him well. Instead she aimed her second kick at his hand on the ladder and his knuckles cracked.
The Tengura howled and released her.
Emma then clambered up to the top of the ladder, hoping the warrior had had his fill of her. Evidently not. He leapt up to the loft, shield ready, and drawing his sword again.
She didn't have a bamboo. Or a pitchfork. Emma was trapped up here with nothing and no one to defend her. Nick was below but he was too preoccupied with his Tengura to worry about her.
Her body filled with dread as she saw how deadly sharp the warrior's blade was. She couldn't defend against that. He would kill her in seconds. Just like that woman outside. Like all those poor villagers.
Emma was scared. Terrified.
The Tengura knew it. He was laughing to himself as he whipped his blade about wrist, showing off his sword talents. She was nothing to him. Not even sport. Just a piece of meat.
It was wrong.
It was unfair.
Emma's brows knit as she glared at the warrior. He stopped laughing.
The Tengura dashed forwards, blade raised to slice her from shoulder to hip.
'No!' she cried in defiance.
A flash of light blocked the warrior's strike.
It was dazzling and powerful and the sheer shock bought Emma to her knees. It was the white woman again. The one who saved her from the crabs. Once more she had appeared to save Emma's life, deflecting the attack of her enemies.
And the deflection was so great that the Tengura was sent flying backwards, stumbling off the edge of the barn's loft.
The man flailed and wailed and then he fell.
The warrior landed on his neck, sending a sickening crunch through the barn. His shield and sword fell away and the noise of the man's impact startled everyone, including Nick and his opponent.
Emma watched Nick seizing the opportunity, jumping towards the dropped shield. He immediately flipped it around to block his attacker's dagger. The blade's point cracked on impact, blunting its edge.
Nick then slid over to the dropped sword, stealing the weapon as the other warrior attacked again.
Once more he blocked the strike. But this time he countered, jabbing the sword's tip into the man's gut. The Tengura bowled over, gasping in pain. Blood was pouring between his trembling hands.
The warrior looked up just in time to see Nick swing the sword across, slicing his throat. The Tengura crumpled in a heap, leaving the teenager victorious.
'Nick!'
He turned to Emma as she descended the ladder. His face looked stunned and confused by what he'd just achieved. He must never have thought he had it in him. To be honest, Emma didn't either.
'You alright?' he said, waking from his blankness.
She didn't respond at first. Emma collected the long dagger from the corpse of the dead Tengura. She had no wish to fight but Tengura were everywhere and besides, she felt compelled to act.
'We have to help them!'
Nick frowned at first then looked out the barn doors, back up the road to where the village was. She knew he could see the Tengura riders were still rampaging around the houses, cutting down villagers while their hounds feasted on the corpses.
The golden-haired teenager then glanced at his shield, and then at his arrow wound, which Emma had totally forgot. The shirt was stained red but Nick appeared completely unfazed by the injury. He wasn't even wincing now.
'Yeah,' he said quickly and glared out the doors. 'Come on.'
Emma nodded to him determinedly and together they raced out the barn, back to the village.