Escape From Riddler's Pass by Amy Green

annoyed. Whatever the reason, it began to buck furiously, throwing me to the ground. I tried to roll away, but it stomped on my leg several times.”
    He closed his eyes, remembering the pain he had felt then, much stronger than what he felt even now. “If my father hadn’t come running, I might have been trampled to death.”
    â€œIt must have been a hard loss, the use of your leg, I mean,” Silas said.
    â€œAccidents happen,” Jesse said, shrugging. “If anyone was to blame, I was, for being so foolish. Besides, I get along well enough. My limp taught me a lesson. I just wish I didn't have to learn it the hard way.”
    His words were optimistic, as they always were when someone asked him about his crippled leg. They were true enough. But although the pain of the accident soon died away, Jesse could still remember the greater pain—not being able to participate in the harvest time footraces, trying to ignore the stares and whispers of pity when he went into town, hearing the other children laugh at him.
    Not that they did that often , he remembered with a bit of a smile. Not while Eli was around, anyway. Eli had always been his defender after the accident, and now Jesse wondered again what was happening to him. I hope his mission is going better than ours .
    The sun was just starting to set, and although Jesse knew it had only been a few hours since he had slept at the mouth of the cave, he felt exhausted again.
    â€œWell,” Jesse said, “I suppose it’s time to go to sleep.”
    â€œYes,” Silas said. “We’ll need to move on tomorrow.”
    â€œSo soon?” Jesse asked doubtfully. Sure, his head seemed to be all right, but it would be nice to rest for a while.
    Silas frowned at him in surprise. “Of course.”
    â€œBut, Silas,” Rae said, “he has to have time to heal. Can’t we wait a day or two?” Although it surprised him, Jesse had to admit it was nice to have Rae defending him for a change.
    â€œWe’ll travel slowly,” Silas promised, “but we have to go forward. Think of Parvel and the danger he is in.”
    Interesting. He didn’t seem terribly concerned about rushing into Mir to find Parvel just two nights ago . But Jesse could see that Silas had made up his mind. Then we break camp in the morning . The thought made Jesse even more tired. “And where, exactly, are we going?”
    â€œRiddler’s Pass,” Silas said firmly. He pulled his blanket from his pack and spread it on the ground.
    â€œAnd once we get there, what will we do?” Rae asked.
    â€œI don’t know.”
    Of course not. “We shouldn’t forget that Bern made us leave our weapons in the cave,” Jesse pointed out, “which is now completely collapsed.”
    Silas just stared at him, as if waiting for Jesse to get to the point. Jesse sighed. “Silas, you can’t possibly expect us to storm the hiding place of the most ruthless faction of the Rebellion unarmed! What do you plan to do—throw rocks at them?”
    â€œWe aren’t entirely unarmed,” Silas said. He reached into his pack and pulled out two small sheaths. “We have Rae’s dagger and the dagger Samar gave me before we left him in the desert camp.”
    â€œYou mean you had those all along, down in New Urad, and you didn’t use them?” Rae blurted.
    â€œWhat purpose would that have served?” Silas asked. “If I had felt we were in immediate danger, I would have taken them out. But we never were, so I never did.”
    Cautious, as usual , Jesse thought. Then why is Silas so determined to take the foolish, risky way when it comes to Riddler’s Pass?
    Of course, he knew the answer. The Rebellion killed Silas’ father, and he wanted revenge. Even Noa had noticed that.
    Silas stood. “You and Rae sleep. I’ll keep watch.”
    â€œI still don’t think…” Jesse