The Battle for Duncragglin by Andrew H. Vanderwal

lane. The coastal road is, you know, paved. It has a yellow line in the middle and signs on it like STRAITH MEIRN, 2 MILES. ”
    “I don't see a coastal road.”
    “It's got to be there. It goes up and down the whole coast.”
    Alex shrugged. “Well then,” he said, “let's head for the coast.”
    After looking for the best route, they decided they had nochoice but to climb down the side of the hill and follow the country road right through the forest.
    “Look!” Alex pointed to where the sun glinted off some riding helmets. There were about a dozen people riding horses two abreast.
    Craig shaded his eyes. “Looks like fox hunters – they're going at quite a clip.”
    They watched the riders pound down the winding dirt road until they rounded a bend and disappeared into the forest.
    Alex worried that they might not get to the coast in time to meet Annie. “Let's hope there's traffic on that road,” he said. “Maybe we can wave down a car and find out where we are, or maybe even get a ride.”
    “We shouldn't ask strangers for a ride – it's dangerous.”
    “Well, we certainly wouldn't want to do anything dangerous, would we?” Alex's sarcasm was lost on Craig.
    Slowly they picked their way down the hillside. To cross a shallow, swampy section, they had to hop from rock to rock. Soon they lost sight of the ocean behind the hills; then their view of the valley was blocked by trees.
    Alex was relieved when the terrain became less rocky. Surely the road could not be much farther. Once they found it, he estimated that, even on foot, they might make it to the coast in an hour or so.

    Suddenly out of nowhere leapt a wild man with matted hair, dirty rags for clothes, and a nasty glint in his eye. He landed on the path, his arms outstretched to block anyone getting past.
    Alex shrieked. He turned to run, but another foul-looking man leapt onto the path behind them, blocking their escape.
    “
Hee, hee, hee –
got ye.” The first man laughed evilly, revealing stumps of rotted black teeth. The two men moved closer.
    Craig bolted. One of the men caught him by the arm and cruelly twisted it behind his back. Alex jumped onto the man, grabbing his hairy arm to pry Craig loose. He felt a hard blow on the side of his head, followed by another from his face hitting the ground. When he struggled to get up, a kick to his side knocked him back down into the dirt.
    Craig was screaming. One of the men barked, “Shuddup, shuddup,” and there was the sickening sound of a fist hitting flesh. Craig, tossed to the ground, fell silent. Alex tried to reach Craig, but he felt a tremendous weight stomp on his back and another hard cuff to his head.
    “Don't ye move,” one of the men growled.
    Alex could taste blood. A terrible pain throbbed in his head and in his back, where one of the men continued to press down hard with his foot.
    “Damn noise was enough for Wallace's men to hear,” said one in a low voice. “Kill 'em if they make another sound.”
    “We might get some ransom money for these two,” said the other. “Seems to me someone'll pay for 'em. They're no sons of peasants.”
    Alex felt rough hands pull out the contents of his pockets, including some chalk and loose change.
    “Look at this silver – and look at their breeks 'n' what else they're wearing. I say these two are from some visiting nobility.”
    “It's too risky trying to git ransom money from nobility,” the other said. “We'll have a whole bloody army after us. Let's club 'em and be done with it.”
    A cold clammy chill went through Alex. Lying pressed to the ground, he saw the foot of one of the men not far from his face. His shoe was no more than a piece of leather tied to his foot. Knowing he had nothing to lose, Alex lunged and sank his teeth as hard as he could into the back of the man's ankle. The man shrieked and jerked his foot away. Catching a glimpse of a gnarled club swinging down at his head, Alex let go and pulled back. The club missed and