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“If we want to escape,” Amber said, “perhaps it’s better to wait until most of them are asleep.”

Owen nodded. “Aye.”

“I’m going to ask to go the toilet now. I won’t try anything, just look around. When it’s dark, then we can try something.”

“Ye want to go where?”

“To the toilet.”

Owen just stared at her, confused.

Amber coughed. “To relieve myself.”

“Ah.” Owen cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck.

Was he self-conscious? Amber didn’t think he was the type. He seemed to have too much self-confidence, be too self-assured. A man who looked as dreamy as he did was probably used to smooth-talking the ladies.

He looked at her like he knew something about her, something he didn’t want to share. It was a reminder not to trust him.

She asked the guard to let her go relieve herself in the woods and two soldiers escorted her to the edge of some bushes. All around the camp, warriors in iron armor bustled about making fire and setting cauldrons over them. Small tents were erected here and there. Some men tended to the wounded, who let out pained yelps and groans. She couldn’t see any other prisoners. Sentinels were posted here and there, but they wouldn’t see much once it was dark. The woods were thick, and Owen and Amber could disappear quickly if they ran fast enough.

She returned to the cage with a small glimpse of hope. She sat next to Owen, leaning against the bars like he did, and whispered without looking at him. “Our best chance is to overwhelm a guard at night, go into the woods, and run as fast as we can. The army is stretched along the road like a snake, so it will take them a while to gather some guards to hunt us.”

“Aye.”

When darkness fell, and mouthwatering aromas of stew reached Amber, she knew it would be time to flee soon. They waited till men lay down to sleep.

The guard put near their cage soon drifted off against a nearby tree.

“Hey,” Amber called. “Hey!”

He woke and looked up at her.

“What?” he said with a frown.

“I need to relieve myself.”

“Again?” He folded his arms on his chest and huddled. “You just went.”

“That was a while ago, and I need to go again. If you don’t want to smell piss the whole way to Stirling, let me out.”

He grunted, seemingly exasperated, came to the cage, and opened the lock with a big key. As the door opened slightly, Owen grabbed him by the collar and smashed his forehead against the bars. Amber looked around, but no one seemed to have noticed so far. The tents remained silent, and the few sentinels around the campfires didn’t move.

The guard moaned, and Owen banged him against the bars again, and he fell like a heavy sack.

“Come,” Owen said. “Hurry.”

He jumped off the cart and helped Amber off. Her heart drummed in her ears. Half bent and staying low, they hurried away from the camp.

Trees and bushes flashed by in the darkness, and all Amber could hear was her ragged breath loud in her ears.

But then shouts rang from behind them. Their escape had been discovered. No, not again!

Amber glanced back. English warriors. Dozens of them.

“Faster!” she cried.

They sped up. Her lungs burned from the strain, her muscles on fire. Faster. She was a fast runner. If only it weren’t so damn dark. Her leg hooked at a root, and she fell, facedown.