With mounting horror, she realised the Goblins were tracking them. She tried shifting her position when her hand caught a hard object, a flat round rock about half the size of her palm. Picking it up, she turned it edgewise and threw it as hard as she could towards the direction of the forest. As she hoped, it landed rolling, and continued on for some distance.
Grunting in surprise, the Goblins froze, looking in the direction of the noise they heard. Barking orders in their brackish tongue, they began moving off. Theuli, watching Deborah with surprise, mouthed what now?
Let’s get out of here! They began crawling in the opposite direction. Malina was struggling, unused to this sort of exercise. Deborah caught up with her.
Malina! Come on! Don’t slow down. Here, lean on me if you have to. Malina shook her head emphatically, trying to catch her breath. Look, I can move a lot faster than you. Just do as I say. Seeing the sense in this, though with great reluctance, Malina gripped Deborah’s arm as though it were a lifeline.
Right! Deborah mouthed, Now let’s go!
They had gone maybe a furlong when they heard an angry cry. ‘They have found the rock,’ said Theuli, knowing silence was useless now. ‘We have to run! Malina, take my hand. Deborah, take her other hand. Go!’