Sherwood by S. E. Roberts Page B

Reggie or by the
soldiers.
    The two outlaws dodged
every tree branch and twig, bobbing and weaving in different
directions.
    “ Left!”
Harlow called out as loud as she could, catching up with him. The
two turned and rounded a tree, hearing the faint barking of the man
yelling out orders. The two heard some distant crunching leaves and
twigs breaking, but they'd gotten some ground on the soldiers
behind them.
    The two ran in silence,
still hearing faint pitter-pattering of the soldiers far off in the
distance.
    It was only when they
couldn't run anymore that they'd decided to stop for a
breather.
    Enders slowed, looking
around nervously, an eyebrow raised as he searched the area around
him. “We should head back and find Reggie and Elwin.”
    Harlow immediately shook
her head, looking at him. “No, we can't do that. They're smart men.
They'll keep each other alive.”
    Enders looked at her,
frustration apparent behind his eyes. “Then what about us? We wont
survive out here, Henry!”
    Harlow took
one look at his angered expression and shoved him hard against a
tree. “This is my raid. This is my team. I
say we go forward, and that's exactly what we'll do.” She
whispered, harshly at him as she kept pressed against the
tree.
    Enders
nodded, angrily looking off in the other direction. “Yeah? And
when your raid fails, and your team falls
apart, it'll be your fault.” Enders said, his eyes set
off to his right, his jaw clenching tightly. “But, whatever you
say, captain.”
    Harlow nodded her head.
“That's fine. As long as you understand my orders.” She let go of
him and moved backward, surveying the area as Enders straightened
himself out.
    That's when she heard the
faintest sound of rushing water.
    “ Come on,”
She said, her eyes focusing heavily on the area, ensuring there
were no soldiers that way.
    Enders wordlessly fell in
suit behind her.
    The silence was deafening
to her as they crossed a mile of forestry.
    The sound of flowing water
became louder and louder.
    But, as the water got
louder to her ears, so did the sound of crunching leaves and
barking orders. The soldiers were close, and the panic rising in
Harlow's chest wasn't helping.
    “ Stop right
there!” An unfamiliar voice called out.
    Harlow turned around and
looked to the person calling out. It was a man in soldier attire,
his arm outstretched toward them, a sword pulled out and at
ready.
    “ Run!” Harlow
shouted to Enders. He bolted ahead of her, barreling down the
forestry, hopping and jumping over littered branches and
shrubs.
    There were soldiers coming
up on her right side, and as she turned to her left, she noticed
new soldiers closing in on her right side. Her heart fluttered with
madness. How could she have been so stupid? She was going to die
and her father would have to spend the next ten years running away
from the memory of his disappointing daughter.
    Then there was Enders who
only had his mother left. What would she think? That he was a
trouble maker or was he in the wrong place at the wrong
time?
    All these thoughts ran
through Harlow's head as she sprinted forward, and she'd forgotten
the sound that sent her here in the first place.
    Straight ahead was some
kind of water way, that they were coming right up to.
    The closer she got, the
bigger it seemed. She felt the ground under her feet become softer,
but not enough to become mud.
    Then the roaring sound came
into view and the trees were gone. She slowed down as she saw what
was before her.
    This was no river channel.
This was no lake.
    The sight of a huge
waterfall took her by surprise. Her heart froze and her eyes
widened at the massive body of water.
    She felt fear and panic
rise in her chest as she thought of no escape plan.
    The roaring water echoed loudly in her
ears. Her blood seemed to freeze like ice on a cold winter's
evening.
    The sound of barking orders and
soldiers' stomping feet shook the ground behind her. She stared,
wide eyed at the waterfall, watching the