Free The Harvest Tide Project by Oisin McGann

else.’
    The camp was starting to turn its attention to the noise. Behind them, another child appeared at the door. He was probing at the padlock with his finger, which looked vaguely key-shaped. Groach knew this boy.
    â€˜Don’t let him near me!’ he shouted. ‘That must be his sister up there. Keep them away – they’re insane … and they change into monsters!’
    â€˜Shut up, you idiot!’ Lorkrin hissed, struggling with the bulky lock. ‘We’re rescuing you!’
    For their rescue operation, he and his sister had taken steps to blend in the shadows. His skin was a dull grey-green colour and had a mottled pattern, both of which helped to break up his shape in the darkness.
    â€˜Keep them away!’ Groach moaned.
    â€˜Oh, that poor little girl.’ Hilspeth was still begging the forgiveness of Lorkrin’s sister.
    â€˜They’re coming to get me!’ Groach cried.
    â€˜Well, yeah. We are …’ Lorkrin grimaced as he managed to turn his finger in the stiff lock. The padlock clicked open. He let out a grunt of satisfaction and then another, more painful one as he was lifted up by his hair from behind.
    â€˜A little pup, trying to break the dogs free,’ said Wulms, raising the boy up to get a look at his face. Lorkrin thrashed and kicked, but was held fast. Other soldiers ran towards the wagon, some of them climbing onto the driver’s cab to get hold of the girl. Seeing the boy held up like a hen for the slaughter, Groach knew that whatever else this young whelp was, he was just a boy. He would be severely punished for defying the soldiers and no child deserved that. From the front of the cage, he charged towards the back, hitting the unlocked door with one foot and slamming it into theshoulder of the Noranian. It struck with enough force to knock the big man over, causing him to let go of the boy.
    Lorkrin was free, but surrounded on all sides by Noranians many times his size. He would not get far by trying to break out of the circle. He dived under the gaol wagon and scampered along its length, bursting out from under the front to go straight under the next one in the circle. Soldiers struggled to reach under and catch hold of him, but he was quick and their bulky armour prevented them from getting too far in.
    Above him, Taya was still sneezing, tears pouring from her eyes. She knew she had to get away. It had all gone wrong. Wiping her eyes, she saw a shape climbing onto the top of the wagon. She turned the other way and ran across the wooden grid, over the heads of the prisoners. She was not going to make the jump to the next vehicle, but a helmet-clad head appeared over the edge at the last second and she stepped onto it and over the gap. She was unaware that beneath the circle of carriages, her brother was going in the opposite direction. This next roof was flat boards. Under these, something loud and savage shrieked up at her, infected by the excitement. Feral voices turned her blood cold. Whatever creatures were in this wagon, she hoped they stayed there. Hate and violence screamed from inside.
    Her sneezing was easing off. The cool night air cleared her eyes, and she was getting her breath back. She ran across the roof and dropped onto the engine cowling of the next vehicle , this one a steam-powered catapult. The bonnet was steel, barrel-shaped with four small chimneys along the top. She felt heat under her feet; the fires were still smouldering in the furnace. Guards had caught up with her on the groundon both sides. She stepped onto the first chimney and out of reach of two who had followed her onto the roof. The girl hopped to the second one, head swivelling from side to side to find an escape route. But she was surrounded. There was only the roof of the driver’s cab ahead of her. She skipped across the last two pipes and climbed up onto the arching roof. The soldiers had anticipated her and were climbing onto the roof ahead of