A World Apart The Jake Thomas Trilogy - By Steven A. Tolle Page 0,29

him. He reached around Jake and grabbed the reins.

"Don't worry, boy. I won't let you fall off. On, Shadow." Dominic said as he booted his horse, getting him up to a gallop.

They followed a winding dirt trail from the clearing, which, after about ten minutes, connected to a large hard-packed dirt road. Dominic turned onto the road and set a moderate pace. The temperature rose as the sun moved over the forest. Jake could feel himself getting groggy and tried to stay awake by focusing on the passing terrain, but shortly, secured between Dominic and the saddle, rocking with the movement of the horse, drifted off into sleep.

…

Jake ran as hard as he could, running through a forest, the trees and bushes a blur as he passed them. He was racing to avoid Surt and Matus; they were pursuing him, calling his name, sharp daggers in their hands. He suddenly felt his legs cramp and he went down in a heap.

He rolled onto his back, seeing Surt and Matus approaching, daggers gleaming, cruel smiles on their faces. Behind them, a dark shape rose. Jake could feel its malice; Surt's hatred was a pale thing compared to it. The dark shape reached for Jake. Jake could not escape, his body would not move. Surt and Matus raised their daggers, the cold metal turning black as the shape reached between them for Jake. Jake screamed for help and...

Crying out, Jake came awake. Awash in the emotions of the nightmare, Jake could not recall where he was. He thrashed against the blankets covering him, struggling to get free.

"Easy, boy. You are safe." Dominic's deep voice said, cutting through the emotions racking Jake. He followed Dominic's voice and saw him sitting across a small fire from Jake, using a stone to hone his sword. Jake was lying on the ground next to the fire, covered in Dominic's blanket, a saddlebag for a pillow. "You have slept all day, though I am not sure it was restful for you."

Jake slowly relaxed and laid back down. His mind calmed and he became aware of the night sky, stars shining though the gaps in the trees around their campsite. He glanced around and found Shadow tied up a few feet away. The night was cool, with a slight breeze blowing.

"I have something for your injuries." Dominic said, setting aside his sword. "It will help you rest and speed healing." Jake saw Dominic take out a small poach and tap some powder into a cup. He added water and stirred it with his finger.

Dominic brought the cup over to Jake. "It tastes terrible, but it works. I have used it many times. Drink it." Jake gave the cup a distrustful glance, thinking about how he could politely refuse it.

Dominic shook his head slightly and said. "It's not poison, boy. I wouldn't need that if I wanted to kill you." He took a quick drink from the cup and held it back out to Jake. "Drink it."

Jake took the cup and sniffed. It smelled terrible. Feeling Dominic's eyes on him, Jake brought the cup to his lips and drank it down in a single gulp. Jake gagged; it tasted even worse than it smelled. He fought the urge to vomit as Dominic took and filled the cup with water and handed it back. The water helped and the taste faded quickly. He handed the cup back to Dominic.

Jake laid his head back on the saddlebag while Dominic went back to honing his sword. The soft rhythmic rasping sound as the stone slid across the metal soon had Jake's eyes closing. He started to drift off into sleep when he heard the cry of what sounded like a large cat. He looked around worriedly until Dominic spoke.

"Rest easy, boy." He said softly, never stopping his honing. "Nothing will harm you while I am here."

Jake, comforted by Dominic's words and protective presence, felt more secure than he had since coming here. In a few seconds, he was asleep.

CHAPTER SEVEN

It was just before dawn, the sky bluish-gray, when Jake was nudged awake by Dominic. Jake had slept soundly, dreamless, throughout the night. Jake awoke to find that his head did not hurt anymore and the pain in his side had faded to a light dull ache. His knew that that his injuries were still there, but the pain was gone and it seemed that the healing process had sped up.

"Get up, boy." Dominic said, tapping Jake in the shoulder again with his