The carriage bounced and swayed, repeatedly jarring the prisoners inside as Terrick urged the horse as fast as he dared on the rutted and snow covered road.  But already the animal was struggling and slowing despite Terrick's efforts and for the first time he noticed the stocky horse was bleeding badly across its shoulder.  It would not be able to keep up this pace much longer.

The sounds of battle were disappearing behind him and he realized the others had not heeded his call to push through the ambush.  Or perhaps were simply unable to do so.  If that was the case, the attackers would not be long in coming after the carriage.  He urged the horse faster yet again until the carriage was well out of earshot of the ambush before bringing the horse to a halt.  He held a blade in one hand as he jumped down and rushed to the back, hastily unlocked the padlocked door and roughly yanked out the nearest shackled prisoner, a brown-haired girl of average height and build.  

As he re-secured the padlock, she lunged desperately for his short sword, but her chained wrists and stiff muscles made the movement awkward and Terrick elbowed her so hard across the cheek that she fell back.  "You try that again, you get worse than that," he promised, hauling her quickly back to her feet, practically dragging her forward with him.  He slapped the horse on the rump, sending it trotting forward once again, now driverless.  Hopefully, that would buy him some additional time to get at least one of the prisoners back to Lord Octa.  He hurried her away from the road and into the blustery, snowy woods.