The Door Between Worlds Chapter Eleven

Abraham stopped before he entered the clearing- Silas, Emeric and Gideon on his tail.  He vaulted from the saddle, then he whispered, "Silas, Emeric, you two go on this side of the clearing.  Gideon and I will take the other side of the clearing."

Abraham and Gideon glided from shadow to shadow, as they peered into the clearing, making sure there was no one in the clearing.  As far as they could tell, the clearing was empty.  Abraham was about to step out into the clearing, when Gideon grabbed his forearm and pulled him back into the shelter of the trees.  Abraham watched as a band of seven men burst into the the clearing.  Bloodied and muddied from the battle that had just finished, they stopped and strove to catch breath.

One of the men who looked like he was in charge, asked to no one in general, "What does it take to satisfy that Mathie?" He let out a string of fluid curses under his breath.

One of men followed suit and asked the surrounding wood, "Why can't we just settle with the two back there that we captured?  What were their names?  Sterling and Odin?"

Abraham whipped his head around to Gideon.  He looked like his jaw just dropped about a foot.  He looked at the company of seven men as they started moving forward swiveling their head from side to side.

"Should we attack them?" Gideon whispered.

"No.  Stay where you are, maybe if they'll leave we can keep going. We just need to alert Silas and Emeric to stay put-"

But before Abraham could think aloud as to how to inform his comrades, the two men flung themselves out into the clearing and charged at the group with shouts of rage.  Gideon cursed silently under his breath, and immediately looked at Johnson.  "Sorry Ab."

"Doesn't matter, we need to help them."  Drawing his sword he jumped out into the fight, Gideon on his tail.  Two men had already fallen to the swords of Silas and Emeric.  The leader whirled around just in time for Abraham's weapon come crashing down on his skull.  With his head in half, the leader of the band collapsed.  Before the rest of the search party knew what had happened, their attackers had doubled.  Gideon slew another.

Adrenaline pumped through Abraham, as he turned to find that two others had fallen to Silas and Emeric.  When the only one left of the seven noticed that he was the only one standing, he turned tail and fled.  But before he could get far, Gideon threw a knife, which buried itself in between his should-blades.  Abraham looked at him in surprise.  "Nice throw."

Gideon grinned through the mud on his face.  Abraham looked around at the other two, who had smiled as well.  He glared at them, suddenly stern, "Why would you do something like that?  When these men don't return to their commander, he will know something will happen!  That was rash!  We may have just jeopardized what Jason and Obadiah had sacrificed for.  And that was to keep us safe so that we can continue the mission."

Silas and Emeric looked abashed.  Silas was the first to speak up, "I'm sorry Ab, I wasn't thinking."  Emeric nodded in agreement.

Abraham nodded in acceptance of the apology, "We need to leave, and fast."

As the four went back into the wood to get their horses, Abraham grimaced.  When would they have to stop running?