My mother had already fled the house and was at the stable pushing my brother up onto one of the two horses there. She then swung up behind him, and spurred the horse forward. My mother had been a strong woman, but her face had been awash with tears, as she fought to save her youngest son. She had to have known that father was dead, because she would never have left otherwise.
"Mount up quickly Roric!"
She had screamed at me gesturing towards the second horse before she was gone in a cloud of dust. I had jumped the rail fence of the corral and leapt onto the back of the second horse. Wheeling the horse around I had kneed it forward brutally in order to catch up with her. After several minutes of fast riding I had narrowed the gap between us, when I saw a group of riders coming out of a low creek bed ahead and off to our left.
There sudden appearance ahead of us threatened to cut us off from our only chance at escape. I remembered what I had seen in my father's eyes just before his death. He had passed the responsibility of protecting the family to me and I wasn't going to let him down! I clenched my jaw hard; not at all sure I was doing the smart thing, as I veered my horse away from my mother's and towards the group of riders, who were gaining on us rapidly in an effort to cut us off. I heard my mother scream.
"No!"
In an anguished voice, but she didn't stop. She couldn't stop; she had to keep my brother safe, and deep in her heart, she knew this was what must be done in order for there to be any chance of saving my brother's life. Briefly I wondered if I would ever see them again, and then moments later all thought was gone as my horse had slammed full tilt into the mass of riders. Pandemonium had ensued and dimly I had felt myself fly free of the horse to connect hard with the ground.
I had awoken slowly and straightened up only to realize that I was tied to a horse, which was being led by one of the Zoarinian soldiers. Seeing me awake, the rider to my left had back handed me across the face and as my head was flung towards the right, the rider to my right backhanded me across the face as well. All of the soldiers had broken out in laughter at the antics of their companions.
My neck had felt broken, and if I hadn't been hurting before I was then.