Blood Red Road

nearly fergot him. How could I?
    I’ll find you. Wherever they take you, I’ll find you. I swear .
    I raise my head. The roar of the red hot starts to fade. Then it’s gone an I come back to myself.
    The need, deep inside me, fer my heart to keep on beatin, fer my lungs to keep on breathin, that powerful need nearly took me over.
    Lugh’s waitin fer me. Countin on me. Maev. The plan. It’s my only hope of gittin outta here. What was I thinkin of?
    I let go. Epona falls into my arms. I hold her as she gasps fer breath.
    I’m sorry, I says. Sorry. Then I step back. Hold my arms out wide.
    Epona lifts her head, holds her hand to her neck. She looks at me, her face confused.
    I nod. Go ahead, I says. Do it.
    Then she does. She takes me down.

    The two cagekeepers haul me to my feet an take me by the arms. Before I know it I’m walkin outta the Cage an standin in front of the crowd.
    They’re off their heads with rage. They know damn well I took a fall. They hate bein cheated. They boo an bay fer my blood like a pack of wolves. Them that stands near to the gauntlet run, climb an punch an push to git the best place. They all want their chance to be in on the kill.
    The red hot’s gone. My stummick’s in knots. My knees is shakin. I drag in deep breaths, try to git air into my lungs. I thought I felt terror before, but never like this. Never like this.
    I look at Maev in the front row. At the Free Hawks, standin at the start of the gauntlet. They look confident. Strong. Hard. Maev’s eyes burn into mine.
    I’ve put my life in her hands. Lugh’s life. Emmi’s. What was I thinkin of, trustin a stranger? Even if she can be trusted, what if she cain’t pull it off? What if the Free Hawks ain’t the warriors she says they are an she’s jest a girl who talks it up an acts tough?
    I look over at the Cage Master’s balcony. Everybody in the Colosseum turns to face it. The whole place falls quiet.
    Vicar Pinch stands. Takes the red kercheef from the Cage Master. Raises his arm.
    I don’t dare breathe. When his arm falls, I gotta run. My legs feel like water. Too weak to move.
    At that moment, Pinch turns to the Cage Master. Leans in an whispers somethin in his ear. As the Cage Master listens, a little smile comes over his face. He moves to the edge of the balcony. Holds up both his arms.
    Ladies and gentlement! he cries. This ain’t no ordinary warrior! This ain’t no ordinary death! On such a historical occasion, your King demands a clear view of proceedings. Therefore! He decrees that the gauntlet will be run … here!
    An he throws open his arms. Opens ’em out to the aisle that runs from the Cage to right below his balcony.
    Pinch has changed the gauntlet run. He’s moved it.
    My whole body starts shakin. Sick rises in my throat.
    The crowd busts out talkin, yellin, protestin. The gauntlet’s always run in the same place, always without fail. People bid more to stand by it an be in on the action. They start to face up to the Tonton an the guards, pushin an shovin at ’em.
    No! shouts Epona from inside the Cage. She launches herself at the bars, screamin, No, no, no!
    Vicar Pinch smiles.
    I look at Maev. Her head moves this way an that—lookin at the Free Hawks, at me, at the new gauntlet run where people’s already crowdin in. I can see from her face that she’s frantic, tryin to think what to do. But it’s too late fer a new plan, too late fer the Hawks to move to the new spot. Anyways, the guards an the Tonton’s already in place at the top an bottom of the run to stop people pushin in.
    The cagekeepers take me by the arms an drag me over to stand in front of the new run.
    So.
    After all I bin through, it comes down to this.
    Me. Alone. No Maev. No Hawks. No plan.
    If I don’t think of somethin quick, I’m gonna die in the gauntlet.
    Nero calls. Over an over, urgent like I never heard him before.
    He’s perched on top of the Cage. As soon as he sees me look up, he calls agin an flaps over to land on the light tower. Back to the Cage. Then back to the light tower.
    Not so alone after all.
    It’s a long jump. Maybe six foot.
    But I ain’t got no choice.
    Pinch raises his arm agin. The red kercheef goes down.
    Suddenly, I make my legs collapse. I take the cagekeepers by surprise. They lose their grip. I slip free. I run. I spring at the Cage an grab the bars. I start to shin up the outside of it, fast as I can go. My bare toes give me good grip.
    One of the keepers leaps. Grabs my foot. Pulls.