The sound of hooves drew gradually closer.
Leon did not look back.
Instead, he watched Matias's horse.
There was no foam around its mouth, and its breathing was still steady. They had been moving for a long time since morning, but the only time they'd run at a strenuous pace was just now.
His own horse was similar.
Still okay.
“Shouldn't we go faster?”
Matias asked.
“No.” “ they're following us.” “If we keep running, our horses will tire too.”
Leon slowed down a little.
Matias glanced back once.
“They seem to be getting closer.” “They will.” “Is that okay?” “For now.”
The horses behind them had been moving a lot since yesterday while searching for people.
The lead horse they'd seen earlier even had foam around its mouth.
It was better to let them keep running in that condition.
Leon looked at the road leading toward the low hills.
The road climbed gently before splitting in two halfway up. The left path was wide, while the right narrowed as it slipped between the trees.
“Right.” “Yes.”
Matias changed direction without asking.
He's getting the hang of it.
The narrow path was steeper than expected.
It was barely wide enough for two horses to climb side by side, and rocks jutted out here and there.
Leon dismounted before they had gone far.
“Get down.”
Matias followed immediately.
“Why are we walking?” “Let the horses rest.” “They're coming after us.” “Exactly.”
Leon took hold of the reins and started climbing.
With people on their backs, the horses would run out of breath much faster if they kept going uphill. Walking didn't make it easy, but at least it took one load off their backs.
Matias led his own horse behind him.
At first he matched Leon's pace, but as the slope grew steeper, his breathing gradually became rougher.
“You okay?” “Yes.” “I'm not asking about the horse.”
Matias didn't answer for a moment.
“It's a little hard.” “Then slow down.” “Even with people behind us?” “If we collapse here, we'll get caught even faster.”
Matias nodded as he caught his breath.
The sound of hooves came from behind again.
This time, they were quite close.
Then they heard someone shouting.
They really did follow us.
Leon did not stop walking.
When they reached a point where the path made a sharp turn, he could briefly see below them.
Two horses appeared first between the trees.
Two more behind them.
The man in chainmail was there too.
He was riding.
Leon looked that way for a moment, then kept walking.
“Can you see them?” “Yeah.” “How close are they?” “Closer than I thought.”
Matias gripped the reins with a tense expression.
“Should we get back on?” “Not yet.”
A little later, a horse whinnied loudly somewhere below.
The rider cursed, apparently after one of the horses stepped on a rock.
Their speed dropped immediately.
The corner of Leon's mouth twitched.
That's why you don't come barreling up.
“Why are you smiling?” “I wasn't.” “You smiled a little.” “Watch the path.”
After cresting the hill, they found a small spring.
Water flowed out from between the rocks, pooled beside the road, and then ran downhill.
Leon stopped his horse.
“Let them drink.”
Matias looked back.
“Here?” “Yeah.” “Can we stop now?” “Not for long.”
Leon held the reins so the horse couldn't immediately gulp down water.
It wasn't good for a horse to drink too much while it was still breathing hard.
After letting it stand for a moment, he let it drink a little at a time.
Matias followed his example, then asked,
“Why can't it drink right away?” “Let it catch its breath first.” “Did you learn all this too?” “If the horse dies, we have to walk.”
Matias glanced at his horse.
“I don't like that.” “Neither do I.”
Leon ran a hand over the horse's neck.
It was sweaty, but it hadn't overheated yet.
The sounds from behind stopped for a moment.
It seemed their speed had dropped while they climbed the hill too.
“Get on.”
The two of them mounted again.
Past the spring, the road split into three paths.
The left descended toward a village below.
The middle followed the ridge.
The right was a wooded slope.
Leon chose the middle path.
“Aren't we going to the village?” “Not somewhere with people right now.”
Matias didn't ask anything else.
Instead, a moment later he said,
“Are those people riding their horses too fast?”
Leon looked to the side.
“Why?” “We've been resting since earlier, but they're still following us.” “They probably are.” “Then their horses will tire first?” “Most likely.” “Not for sure, though.”
Leon looked at Matias.
The boy smiled just a little.
“I understand now.” “Understand what?” “That not much is certain.”
Leon turned his head away.
He's learning strange things quickly.
The ridge path was narrow but not steep.
A low slope fell away to the left, and the forest stood to the right.
Leon kept their speed steady.
Not quite running, not quite walking.
Matias's horse moved at the same pace.
For a while, there was no sound from behind them.
Matias asked first.
“Did we lose them?” “No.” “I can't hear them.” “You can't hear them. That's all.”
There was no way the people pursuing them on horseback had suddenly disappeared.
They might have lost the trail, but it was too soon to count on that.
A little later, the path dropped down again at the end of the ridge.
Before going down, Leon surveyed the area.
There was a small pasture below, with a stream running alongside it.
And a wooden bridge.
The bridge was barely wide enough for one horse to cross.
Leon headed down toward it.
“We're crossing that bridge.”
Matias looked at the bridge.
“Are you going to destroy it?” “Why?” “So they can't follow us.”
Leon looked at Matias for a moment.
“Who taught you that?” “I just thought of it.” “Why destroy a perfectly good bridge?” “They're chasing us.” “The villagers use it too.”
The bridge was old, but still intact.
If he destroyed it for no reason, the people living here would resent them before the four men behind them ever got the chance.
Leon crossed without changing course.
Matias followed.
Once they were across, a narrow path used by shepherds climbed up the slope beside the road.
Leon turned his horse onto it.
“Another narrow path?” “Yeah.” “I get it now.” “Get what?” “They can't all come at once.”
Leon looked at Matias.
“That too.”
The boy waited a moment.
“There's something else?” “The horses have no choice but to go slowly.” “Our horses too.” “We're in front.”
Matias thought for a moment, then nodded.
After climbing halfway up the shepherds' path, they reached a small patch of shade beneath a tree, and Leon stopped the horses.
“We'll rest here for a bit.” “Again?” “Yeah.”
Matias touched his horse's neck.
This time, he checked first.
“It’s sweating a lot.” “Breathing's still fine, though.”
The boy watched his horse's flanks move for a moment, then nodded.
Leon dismounted and rolled his shoulder once.
The spot he'd been hit earlier was still throbbing.
Matias noticed immediately.
“Does it hurt a lot?” “It’s fine as long as I keep moving.” “That counts as fine?” “I wasn't stabbed.”
Matias didn't look convinced.
Leon moved his shoulder once more.
He could still raise his arm.
No problem.
“Leon.” “Yeah.” “That guy from earlier.” “What guy?” “The man in chainmail.”
Matias hesitated, searching for the words, then asked,
“Is he strong?” “Yeah.” “Stronger than you?”
That was a difficult question to answer immediately.
Leon glanced toward the stream.
“I don't know.” “Even though you fought him?” “How am I supposed to know from trading a few blows?” “But you got hurt.” “His armor got torn too.”
Matias looked at Leon.
“Is that the same thing?” “No.”
Come to think of it, those aren't really the same.
Leon took out some water from his pack.
“That’s why I didn't fight him.” “Because you couldn't win?” “Because even if I won, it looked like it would take too long.” “And there were three other people.” “Yeah.”
Matias thought for a moment.
“Are we going to keep running?” “For today.” “What about tomorrow?” “We'll see tomorrow.”
This time, the boy simply nodded without saying anything else.
The break didn't last long.
When several crows suddenly took flight behind them, Leon stood up at once.
There was still no sound.
Even so, there was a chance someone was moving somewhere along that path.
“Let's go.”
Matias mounted immediately as well.
The two of them followed the shepherds' path back down south.
Much later, the sound of hooves reached them once in the distance, then stopped.
It was much farther away than before.
Leon didn't increase their speed.
“Are we not running?” “Not now.” “Why not?” “They're having a hard time keeping up. We don't need to wear ourselves out too.”
Matias looked back.
There was nothing to see.
A moment later, he looked forward again.
“Then can we go slowly?” “Not slowly.” “Like this?” “Yeah.”
For a while, Matias kept pace with his horse's breathing.
Then, when their speed picked up a little, he pulled the reins himself and brought it back in line.
Leon saw it but said nothing.
As the sun began to slope toward the horizon, the two of them stopped beneath a small stand of trees.
It was a little way off the road.
It looked like it would be difficult to light a fire tonight.
Matias asked first.
“Are we sleeping here?” “For now.” “Outside again.” “Don't like it?”
Matias looked around for a moment.
“Not really.”
Same as yesterday.
“But I can manage.”
The boy dismounted and started by loosening his saddle straps.
Leon was tying up his own horse when he glanced over.
This time, without being told, Matias tied the reins to a suitable length.
He learned quite a lot in one day.
Not sure whether that's a good thing.
The sound of hooves did not return from the distance.
Even so, Leon set his sword down within reach.
Even if they make it this far today,
at least their horses will tire first.