“Mother, no!”Tanias clung to her mothers ashen hand, ignoring
her protesting words and as she grew more desperate, shouts.
Bridgette glanced over her shoulder worridly,as she dumped her young daughter roughly into the back of a russet velvet horse.
Despite Tanais’s protesting shrieks, Bridgette yanked her arm free from her daughters firm grip and pushed up Tanais’s older brother in front of her.
Through the coffee coloured horse’s twitching ears, Tanais could see the devastation of her home town before her bewildered eyes. The houses were aflame, the scorching ash flickered in the wind and the greying smoke choked her throat in its’ gusts.
The agitated horse shifted uncomfortably underneath her weight and Tanais’s brother eased the stallion, patting his velvet underside.
Through her sobs Tanais could make out her mother telling her brother to ride hard for Edoras.
Suddenly a whistling sound flew past her ear,Tanais flinched and shrieked aghast with pain. The horse reared tossing his copper mane furiously and Tanais groped for the coarse strands of his mane before she heavily landed unseated on the dirt track.
Tanais was aware of panic around her, the distant wild neighing of a horse and the familiar shrieks of someone.
But all that was clear to her was the burning, throbbing pain in her arm.
Dimly the world blurred and Tanais remembered no more.