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behind her. Her eyes were wide, but she looked unhurt.
    His prisoner began breathing heavily behind him and mumbling curses. Gerek slowed his horse.
    The young maiden’s mother grumbled at the ox and donkey, flicking them lightly with a makeshift whip to make them walk faster. Another clap of thunder came from farther away.
    A fat drop of rain landed on his nose. Another crack of lightning split the air, even closer than the first one. Donner danced and snorted, still unsettled, when a hare darted out across the road directly in front of him.
    Gerek braced himself as Donner neighed and reared. Gerek leaned forward and pulled back on the reins. His horse reared so high, Gerek started falling backward.
    A dull snap. The saddle girth must have broken. The saddle was sliding. Gerek couldn’t gain any leverage to push himself free. He hit the ground on his right side just before the big warhorse fell on top of him.
    A sharp pain in his ankle broke his consciousness, but he ignored it. He had to see where his prisoner had gone.
    Donner scrambled to get up. Every time the horse attempted to heave his big body, it allowed Gerek to wriggle a little way out. He twisted around to see the prisoner pull Gerek’s long knife out of his saddlebag.
    Gerek’s sword was underneath him. He tried to get his hand on the hilt. Just as his horse made it to his feet and freed Gerek, the prisoner lunged at him with the knife.
    Gerek blocked the man’s arm. He lay at an awkward angle and could not reach the knife in the man’s hand. Another moment and the prisoner would be able to jab the knife between Gerek’s ribs.
    The girl yelled. The prisoner hovered over Gerek with that strange, angry smile. He raised the dagger, aiming for Gerek’s throat.
    Something flew past, above Gerek’s head. The hilt of a knife was sticking out of the prisoner’s upper arm.
    The prisoner cried out, dropping Gerek’s dagger and grabbing at the knife that protruded from his arm. Then he turned and ran, disappearing into the trees.
    Gerek turned to see who had thrown the knife that had saved him. The young maiden stood staring at him, the rain dotting her dress and head covering and starting to drip down her face. That’s when he realized it was raining.
    The prisoner had escaped. His heart sank.
    Donner was stamping his hooves, as if testing his legs. With his left hand, Gerek pulled himself up to stand. When he came to his feet, his ankle collapsed beneath him. He fell back to the ground.
    The ankle bone was broken.

Chapter Four
    Rapunzel dropped to her knees beside Sir Gerek. “I think he’s gone. Where are you hurt?”
    Mother called, “Rapunzel! Get back here.”
    She hovered over him as the rain began to fall in large, hard, cold drops, soaking into her clothes and through her hair to her scalp. He was cringing and holding his arm close to his body. She tried to shield his face from the rain by leaning over him. He gasped and struggled to sit up.
    â€œWhat may I do to help?”
    â€œBring my horse to me.”
    She went and caught the horse’s reins. The animal was so much larger and more high-spirited than a mule or donkey that she was careful to stay as far away from it as the extent of the reins would allow.
    â€œHelp me up,” he said, reaching for her with his left hand, keeping his right arm against his stomach. He grabbed her arm, and she braced herself to accept his considerable weight. Then he grasped her shoulder and rasped out something unintelligible under his breath. He leaned heavily on her.
    â€œI don’t think you can mount your horse,” she said, stating the obvious. “Come and lie on the back of the cart.”
    His face contorted, and he looked deathly pale. “No, I can ride.”
    The rain was coming down so hard, it was running down her cheeks and sending a chill down her spine. She pulled the horse a bit closer, pleased the animal kept its teeth to