Editing Batu (section)

==The Escape==

Sprinting down the scree slopes to the caravan’s left came a score or more of wolf-men.  Batu knew them to be Hengeyokai – a part-human part animal race – in this case wolves.  He had heard that a pack had claimed territory in the hills, mountains and Steppe to the north of the Frostfall – the river he could just make out in the distance to the south and east. They split into two formations and attacked the front and rear of the caravan simultaneously.  At last, a chance to be free!  Batu tried again to break the padlock whilst his keepers were distracted – this time with success.

Just as the padlock broke at the back of his cage, Batu looked up to see the wolves set free their kin from the last cage, and watched as four of the great beasts shoved over the next wagon and break the cage’s lock.  That cage contained the strange humanoid and the elves.  The elves made a run for it, north and slightly uphill, hand in hand.  Batu seemed to have lost sight of the human in the confusion; the last he recalled was the creature staring at a dying wolf as it tumbled down the slope.  This wolf, moments before, had leapt at a Kharash horseman, unseating him and smashing his fists into his neck. The human landed on his back and flailed his spear wildly, his dark eyes bulging in pain and fear. The wolf’s fist struck at the Kharash’s neck, splintering the lamé that joined cuirass with helmet, penetrating the carotid artery.  Where had the humanoid gone? No time to wonder – he probably did the same vanishing act as the similar creatures that brought the elves, yesterday.

Other Hengeyokai were dying - the biggest of the rear group was stuck by three or four flaming bolts which seemed to weave through the air before striking, just before a Karash pierced its chest, with a wicked-looking spear, at full charge. Some wolves closer to Batu simply fell where they stood – dead or unconscious he did not know.  He saw one of the Kharash, next to his wagon, leap from his mount, slice deep into a massive wolf-man with a wickedly sharp, serrated blade before he chanted something - rendering all nearby lifeless.  Indeed, had he not been completely focussed on making his escape the words may have threatened to engulf Batu’s mind too.  Finally, as he tumbled free of the cage, a long-legged black wolf near the front of the assault howled loudly before an arrow struck his neck and more pierced his thick mane, which tumbled down his back. The last sound this wolf-man made was a hideous wail that issued from his gaping maul as a Kharash spear entered his chest.

The Kharash were too busy to notice his escape; the wolves were soon dispatched or rounded up and caged along with the other prisoners.  Batu realised he would not be able to flee across the Steppe in broad daylight, nor would he have time to run up the slope before the Kharash spotted him, so he rolled back under his wagon and lifted himself off the ground.  As the Kharash regained control, orders were barked and cages hoisted back onto wagons.  To his surprise, the horseman appeared in too much of a rush to spend time looking for him.  He heard the Kharash leader bark some orders; then, as the wagons began to lumber forward, the leader joined one of his men right beside the wagon under which Batu hung.  
“Hinghest, take the caravan to Oracal.  Malaki will reward you for her capture.”  
“Yes, my Lord,” answered the Kharash before spurring his horse forward.
“Load the bodies too,” the leader barked after Hinghest.

Maybe that was his chance…Batu knew he could not hold on this way for very long.  He might be able to hide under some bodies until nightfall and make his escape in the dark.  He waited until the bodies had been loaded – some into the cage above him that he had left moments ago.  As the cart began to trundle forward once more, Batu, stretched his body and neck to his right and looked to see if anyone would notice if he moved.  To his relief, he was under the last cage; there were, however, two guards bringing up the rear.  They were about 50 yards behind sauntering forward on their black steeds.  He noted they would close up if the cart was about to turn a corner along its winding journey.  However, there was potentially enough time to drop down and spring into the cage before they re-appeared. Batu did not have to wait long and, as the cart took a sharp turn to the left, following the path.  He dropped to the ground and waited for the cart to pass before he jumped into the cage and covered himself with dead wolf-man.

Now he would have to wait until dark before making his escape; however, the carts came to a halt in the late afternoon and did not form a circle.  Something else was happening.  The two rear guards cantered forward, passing either side of Batu’s wagon in a rush.  Batu saw an opportunity and took it.  Moments after the Kharash cantered by he slipped out from under the corpses and slid, snake-like, down the slope away from the caravan.  He was certain he had not been noticed, but he needed to make sure.  Making it to the bank of the Frostfall, Batu lay still and looked back.   He was about two hundred yards from the caravan, to its south east.  The river tumbled fiercely here and the bank was steep – providing excellent cover.

There was a group assembled at the front and only the tigress was guarded.  The group consisted of those strange, yellow-skinned humanoids who captured and sold the elves, he was sure.  Suddenly, appearing behind these strange people was a ship.  A ship which seemed to float.  It was over one hundred feet long and was made from a combination of strange wood and metals which seemed woven into the shape of a barge.  Huge sails were unfurled on masts that stuck out in all directions from the floating vessel.  Despite being unfurled, the mountain breeze seems to have no affect on them. A ramp was lowered as he watched and the wagons were carefully loaded.  It seemed to Batu that the horses were accustomed to this form of transport.  Once all the was loaded, including all but two of the Kharash, the barge simply disappeared in a shimmer of silver light.

The horsemen seemed deep in conversation as they trotted back northwards along the path.  Batu had nowhere else to go.  He needed to know whether Khran Ghul had suffered the same fate at the hands of the Kharash as his family and all the nobility.  He already knew the answer but he needed to be certain, so he began heading north too, paralleling the Kharash to their east. It was then he saw the prisoner – the one that had disappeared – heading, it seemed, southeast towards the Frostfall.  That made sense, he would clearly be thirsty.  Perhaps he could help; perhaps he knew what that strange vessel was – after all, he looked the same as the strange yellow-skins.