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“The wagon rocked side to side, jostling us with each bump. I leaned over the edge to look at the old wagon wheels. It had been a rough ride so far, but I didn’t see anything loose or wobbly yet. Satisfied, I sat up in the passenger seat and scanned the horizon as the driver lashed the reins over the two horses pulling us.

The wagon held three of us plus a full load of cargo under a tarp. I was riding guard next to the ugliest man I had ever seen whom I called ‘Joad the Toad,’ while Sige, a young buck with the rangers, rode on a crate in the back with the load. He was this half-elf kid with the first whisps of a beard out on his first mission. We like to pair a rookie with someone who has traveled the trails for a while. He was holding tightly onto anything he could find for stability and fighting nausea.

‘Toady, do you think you can hit every bump on the way there, or is that too easy for you?’ I quipped. Joad the Toad gave me a dirty look and grunted then whipped the reins again. ‘It’s like they are paying you for every rock you roll over,’ I added.

We had been on the road for two days now and were still five days from our destination. I wouldn’t be able to take much more than that, and my back was already hurting from sitting on a seat made for one of the big people.

The road was starting to descend into a little wash in a canyon. I hated this part of the road because it always seemed like a good spot for an ambush. Back during the war, our ranger troop would set up ambushes like that and it was easy pickins. I didn’t like being on the receiving end of it though.

As we got closer the canyon walls loomed. It was a fairly wide pass, but there were too many bends and hiding spots for my liking. Sige finally lost his breakfast and was hurling over the side. I turned to check on him and that’s when I saw them, the posse kicking up dirt and chasing our rear.

‘Shit. We got company,’ I said, turning in my seat and cocking my crossbow. ‘Toady, get this team moving now!’ I commanded. He did not answer and I wasn’t sure he heard me when the first arrow sank into the sideboard with a thwack. We were being pursued by what seemed like a half-dozen riders of differing races and sizes, but mostly half-orcs and men. Some had short hunting bows and some waved swords in the air over their heads as they chased us. Arrows began flying and I got low in my seat–which wasn’t hard since I’m a halfling, you know–to brace my crossbow before firing.

My first shot went wide after Joad the Toad hit a bump. I worked to reload the crossbow and calmly told Sige, ‘If you don’t start shooting back at them, I’m throwing you off this wagon.’

His face was green, but like a good ranger, he nodded and found his bow. I find putting young lads to work is the best way to keep their minds focused. I braced again and fired another bolt. This one hit the lead rider and he fell off his mount. A big half-orc brute took his place, hollering commands at the others. Sige began to fire arrows back but was wildly inaccurate, putting his elven ancestors to shame.

I yelled at Joad without turning to him, ‘You. Must. Go. Faster.’ I intoned. ‘You. Must. Go. …’ and that’s all I remembered until I woke up.

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This is part one of “Love’s Sendero.” Click here to read the next part. If you like these free stories, please subscribe. If you REALLY liked them, please consider leaving me a tip by purchasing the eBook for .99 (the cost for 1/3 of a cup of coffee).