Her name was Raven

Chapter 16

*******************A/N***************

*************Finally,  here it is! Sorry it's taken me so long to update. I confess I wanted to draw out the suspense ;) but here you go!**************************

The horse leapt over the wall in a great bound. With one stride it crossed the courtyard and the rider plunged his blade into the man's chest. It made a sickening thwack and the man crumpled to the ground, his weapon clattering beside him. The rider reined in his horse and looked down at the scene before him. His heart jumped into his throat. He heard a clatter of running feet and pivoted his mount to meet them. Fury seared through his blood like the fires of hell and his blade sang through the air.

****

She winced as she heard or sensed the blade. She couldn't tell which. All she knew was that her composure slipped from her in that last second and she flinched. The blade plunged into flesh and there was a gurgle of a last breath.

And then Raven opened her eyes.

The blade had not been the executioner's, and the gurgle wasn't her own. As she lifted her head she saw a man on his steed rearing up into the brightening sky of the coming dawn. In that instant she thought she knew what Lucifer must have felt when the wrath of heaven came down upon him. This must be an angel, she thought, and watched in awe as his horse pivoted and he met the guards running for her. With a blow of his sword a guard fell. His seat was perfect aside the horse. The guards barely got within arm's reach before he'd cut them down.

He turned and as the horse trotted towards her he sheathed his blade. He looked down at her and for the first time Raven could see his face clearly.

"Are you hurt?" Duran asked her. Raven stared stupidly and managed to shake her head. The chestnut horse nudged her.

"Robin," she gasped in surprise as her old companion nuzzled her. She looked from Robin to Duran. "What are you doing here? How did you find me?"

"There's time for that later. Come on, before more come after us." Duran held out his hand and Raven swung up behind him.

"Hold tight," he said and nudged Robin into a canter, heading straight for the wall of the courtyard. As Robin gathered up underneath Raven and cleared the wall she heard the shouts of guards and many feet running. When they landed on the other side of the wall a gunshot fired and Raven flinched but the bullet was too late.

Duran urged Robin faster and he responded, knowing their lives depended on getting as far as fast as possible.

"Where are we going?" Raven dared to ask after they'd left the guards far behind.

"There's a forest ahead. A creek runs through the valley. We're going to camp there for the night." Duran answered. Raven lapsed into silence. She rubbed her neck where the axe would have landed. It turned out she didn't want to die after all. She was overwhelmingly grateful Duran had found her. But how had he found her, and why had he come for her at all?

*****

The 'forest' Duran had promised was dark and full of brambles. It was old and years of growth piled and overlapped each other. Robin picked his way through the undergrowth, guided by Duran. It seemed they'd been here before. Robin stepped over the rotting corpse of a giant oak and the forest seemed to open up and become a little lusher. Some sunlight filtered through the tree tops and Robin halted. When everything was still Raven heard running water from nearby, and there was a pack under a tree.

"You've been here before?" Raven said, but it came out as a question. Duran dismounted and held a hand out for her before answering. He lifted her off Robin and placed her gently on the ground.