Trollocs? Here? Mave’s horse whickered and neighed as she drove her heels into its ribs forcing it at a gallop. The former peddlers nag was no warhorse but the animal’s atavistic fear of the trollocs was more than sufficient to give speed to its flight. Ali took the lead, guiding his horse downhill towards a water course that afforded at least some clearance from the encroaching trees. She focused on weaving casting bars of air at thigh level that tripped and confused the monsters.

“Can’t you call up fire or something?” Ali yelled as the raced down the loamy bank of the stream, branches catching at them as the went. Mave nodded her head though he couldn’t see the guesture.

“I could but the point is to be chased remember? We are trying to lure them away from your home,” she yelled.

“Ware ahead!” Ali shouted and she turned in time to see a half dozen trollocs leaping from concealment, apparently having been waiting in ambush. Two of them errupted into greasy flames of burning flesh as Mave took Ali’s advice. The others shied back and Ali brained one with a blow of his staff and broke the arm of a second. Hands grasped for Mave but she was moving to quickly and they were through the ambush and racing down the stream bed. The Mule, still tied to ALi’s horse was blowing hard trying to keep up.

After five minutes of galloping they slowed to a brick walk. There was no sign of the trollocs behind them, save for the slight stink of burning flesh which clung to them. Mave glanced around, completely lost and the horses rapidly approaching exhaustion. She lay her hand on top of her own steed and wove an intricate mesh of water and spirit. The beast perked up immediately as she washed away its fatigue, before repeating the process with the other animals.

“They can go on aways,” she said quietly.

“Though they have not truely rested, if we keep pushing them…. Well… Its a long walk to Illian.”