The piglet nipped at his knees, its still toothless gums knocking against his kneecap.
Theseus lunged and wrapped his arms around the piglet’s middle.The piglet let out a squeal and squirmed, nearly shooting right out of his grasp.He tightened his arms around the piglet’s waist and hung on as the piglet dragged him through the mud.
With a twist, he managed to knock the piglet off its feet.Theseus scrambled to get his feet under him, and as he stood, he hefted the piglet.Its hooves flailed, kicking Theseus’s ribs and legs.He winced at the sharp scrape of the hooves even through his mud-coated clothing.
He hurried through the mud toward Ariadne and the rope at her feet.As he neared, he adjusted his grip on the squirming piglet.“Could you put the rope on him?Or is that helping me too much?”
Ariadne snorted a laugh as she picked up the rope.She leaned out to slide the rope over the piglet’s head, then past his front legs to keep him from just slipping out of it again.She moved gingerly, as if trying to avoid brushing against the muck liberally coating both him and the piglet.
Once the loop was tightened, Theseus set down the pig, rubbing at his ribs.He took the rope from Ariadne, gripping it tightly as the piglet lunged at the end of the rope, trying to escape.“I’m going to go lure the sow back here.Would you mind waiting here to open the gate for me?”
“I can do that.”Ariadne’s light blue eyes studied him, as if searching for the truth of his words.
If he was going to give in to the temptation to steal a gold-pooping pig, then this was his chance.He had a captured piglet.Instead of tracking down the sow, he could head for the Anywhere Door instead.
Even if he had entertained such a temptation before, chasing down this piglet had cured him of that urge.At this point, he just wanted to get that sow back with its babies as quickly as possible and be done with the disgusting creatures.
He held her gaze.“I’ll be back.And I’ll be coming in fast, so be ready with the gate.”
He had to lean his weight into the rope to drag the piglet through the gate and down the path.The piglet dug in its heels, then dashed in one direction until it hit the end of the rope hard enough to cause Theseus to stumble a step before he caught himself.
By the time he’d gone a few yards down the trail, his arms ached from the constant tugging.Still, it was better than carrying the piglet the whole way.
Sooner than he’d expected, he heard snorting and crashing in the forest ahead.He picked up the piglet, grimacing at its weight.He juggled both the piglet and the coils of rope as the piglet flailed and let out a loud squeal.
An answering, deeper squeal came from the forest ahead of him.
Time to go.Theseus spun on his heel and raced back the way he’d come as quickly as he could while hefting a fifty-pound piglet in his arms.
The crashing turned in his direction, the ground shaking beneath him.A bellow roared behind him, far too close.
The path sloped up hill.Theseus gritted his teeth and leaned into each stride.The piglet in his arms squealed and flailed wildly now that its mother was in sight.
If Theseus slipped, that giant pig would be on him in a second.He could almost feel its hot breath on the back of his neck.
The stockade rose into view, wedging between the cliffs on either side of the valley.Theseus dug for the last strength in his legs to sprint the last few yards as he shouted, “Ariadne!The gate!”
She was already swinging it open, her eyes widening as her gaze fixed on something behind him.
He didn’t dare turn and look.At the gate, he chucked the piglet as hard and far as he could, the baby animal squealing as it flew through the air.The rope slithered to the ground, falling off the piglet.
He didn’t see the piglet land, as he was already rolling out of the way, though he knew the sloppy mud would cushion the landing and keep the piglet from harm.
The ground shuddered as the giant sow thundered by in a blur of dark fur, gleaming tusks, and flashing hooves.
By the time Theseus scrambled to his feet, Ariadne was shoving the gate closed.He joined her, and together they slammed it closed and hefted the locking bar into place.
Once the gate was securely closed, Theseus sagged against the wood, still huffing panting breaths.“Was that as close as I thought it was?”
“Closer.”Ariadne leaned against the stockade next to him.“I thought you were pig-bait for sure.”
“What a way to go.Trampled by a giant pig.”Theseus rested his head against the stockade.“King Oberon never would have let my successor forget that I had been killed off in such a manner.”
“Another reason to be glad you weren’t killed.”Ariadne grimaced.“Anything that gives King Oberon of the Court of Revels a reason to gloat should be avoided.”
The mother pig’s satisfied grunting came from inside the stockade, answered by higher pitched grunts by the piglets.
Theseus pushed away from the stockade, then peered between two of the large logs.The sow wallowed deep in the mud, the five piglets clustering around her.
