Escape

As I was riding Aristed out of the castle, I saw the motionless tripod standing in the horizon. Thinking nothing of it I rode on. I was trying to catch up with Henry and Beanpole further on. We had decided that they would leave during the confusion of the tournament and I would follow afterward. Forgetting about the tripod I felt the ground beneath Aristed feet shudder. As I looked back I saw the tripod's tentacle lower towards me, I tried to urge Aristed to gallop faster, but I was no match for the metal giant. The tentacle wrapped around my waist and I was lifted right off of the horse's back. I saw the ground get smaller and smaller as I felt my self being lift up. All my chances were gone now, I was going to be capped for certain, and then I would lose my life, my free life in the White Mountains. Then everything went black.When I woke up, I felt grass in my face, and saw Aritsted stamping the ground next to me impatiently. The last thing that I had remembered was being picked up by the tripod and being taken inside it. That second I felt my head for the metal of the cap, and surprisingly didn't feel it. I wondered why it hadn't capped me, but dropped the question. I rode Aristed at full gallop the whole day and finally caught up with Henry and Beanpole. We hid Aristed's saddle and let him free before continuing on our journey.

We walked for many long and tiring days, and slept uncomfortably during the short nights. I then noticed a tripod in the distance and alerted the others. Being far away we didn't care much about it. The next day we saw another tripod, but this time closer. The next day it was there again, and we were set on the thought that it was following us. We tried to hide from it many times, but it didn't work. One day as I was lying down Beanpole found a metal thing under my arm. We thought it was a tracking device and the tripod was following me with it. Beanpole studied it and said that he could cut it out, so I let him. During the surgery I was in excruciating pain and tried not to scream. I hope, more than anything, that life in the White Mountains is worth all this.