Chapter 6: Duel for Pride

                                    

                                          
My back hurts, my stomach aches, my shoulders are stiff, and my mouth is dry. The hours I've spent hung over the saddle have not been kind to my body. My chestnut hair obscures my vision, but I can tell that the sun has gone down, and I'm praying that they'll stop.
There's a spark of hope when I overhear them mention 'taking base'. The ground beneath me stops moving, and the horses' footsteps are replaced by men's boots. They're off their mounts. It must be time to rest.
Straining against the pain in my back, I lift up my head and shake the hair out of my eyes. The forest from before has disappeared, replaced by dark grassy plains. Trevus is unpacking supplies and Giddius is building a fire pit.
I lie limp against Becky again. "Let me down," I call. They must know that no person can stay like this forever. I need to stretch and sleep like the rest of them.
"Shall this be enough?" Marcellus asks.
"About right. Over here," Giddius says. My back can't bear the stress of twisting up again for another glance.
"Where is Cidon?" Trevus asks.
Orange firelight reflects off the dew on the grass below. They have settled in for camp. 
"Here," Giddius says.
"Let me down, please," I say. That's as polite as I will be.
"I estimate that we rode eight hours," Trevus says.
"Minus an hour from the girly's chase," Marcellus says. They're ignoring me.
"Let me down," I call louder.
"So seven hours at five miles an hour," Giddius says.
"Three. The forest was thick," Trevus says. I know that they can hear me.
"Let. Me. Down." I pause between each word so that their simple minds can keep up. "Let. Me. Down. Let. Me. Down. Let. Me. Down." They will not have another moment of peace while I'm tied to this horse.
"Let. Me-" A hand grips the back of my shirt. The bindings around my middle are loosened, and I'm pulled forward.
My body flies face-first towards the grass. I scream and shut my eyes. A hand grabs me midair and spins my frame upright. My backside lands on the dirt with a sore thump.
Trevus was the one who took me down. With my ankles tied together and my arms secured behind me, I still can't move, but I'm relieved to sit upright with my back straight again. 
He grabs the back of my collar and drags me over the grass. My shirt tightens around my diaphragm. I can still breathe, but it takes effort.
He releases his grip. I fall flat on my back beside the fireplace, the long grass cushioning my landing.
Trevus returns to the others, leaving me here. "Granted no further delay, we shall reach Cidon next evening," he says.
I stretch as much as the bindings allow. After so many hours in such an uncomfortable position, it feels like heaven to lie flat again. I could stay here for some time, just watching the thousands of white stars in the night sky.
"We cannot be so certain. The Mephian girl may startle Marcellus into dropping the rope again," Giddius says.
Trevus chuckles, and there's a thump and an "Ouch" from Giddius.
I focus on the stars, tuning out the men's conversation. My eyes find the pony constellation, then the teapot and the rose to its left. The rose is only just over the horizon, meaning that it's still early evening. I spent years naming the stars from my tower, but there's so much more sky to see out here, so many shapes and patterns I've never laid eyes on before. It doesn't take long to determine which way my window was facing. What's most striking is that much of the sky has the constellations I'm familiar with, but they're all twisted around. The sword is flipped upside down, and the lion is turned on its side.