and then
Chevelle, close beside me.
“ We can get an early start.”
I realized he was carrying a pack now. “Bluebell?”
I stood and followed him into the hut, not
missing the irritation on Chevelle’s face. He unclasped the pack
and rolled the blankets out with a flip and then smiled and nodded
his head good evening before stepping back outside. I unlaced my
vest and threw it down, kicked off my shoes and flopped onto the
blankets. I stretched, happy to lie on a comfortable bed, under a
roof with no sunrise waking me. It was quiet outside, no more
conversation between the men. I slipped off to sleep, trying not to
think about my capture and coming return to the village.
“ Freya.”
A low voice broke into my dreams of gently
rolling hills and soft gray stone. I peered through slits and
spotted Chevelle standing a few feet from my bed, facing the door.
It was dim in the shelter and it took a minute to get my bearings.
I sat up and, realizing why he was facing the door, picked up the
vest and laced it over the thin material of my blouse. I slid my
shoes on and stood, following him out.
“ It’s dawn ,” I complained.
“ And good morning,
Sunshine," a smiling Steed announced.
He was atop a large black stallion whose
nostrils flared and steamed with its breath in the cool morning
air. Two more horses pawed behind him; he twisted his wrist and
they walked toward us. A dark, muscular horse stood beside Chevelle
as a mammoth crossed in front of me and knelt. I gasped and Steed
shot me a mischievous wink.
“ Well?”
I was speechless. The beast was as large and
black as a starless night. Steed was pleased with my reaction.
Chevelle rolled his eyes but held out a hand to help me on my horse
before he swung onto his own.
“ I will ride with you as far
north as Naraguah and then make my way east to trade with the imps
at Bray,” Steed said to Chevelle.
I swung a shocked look at Chevelle, who
simply nodded to Steed in reply. My eyes followed the exchange and
I was staring, completely confused, at Steed. He saw my face and
gave an admonishing look to Chevelle as he clicked his heels and
his horse shot past us, its black tail whipping fiercely
behind.
“ North?” I asked.
Chevelle looked back at me, his calm a
complete contradiction to my response.
“ You aren’t taking me back?
You are going… we are going north?”
“ I’m sorry, Freya. I let you
down at the creek.” His gaze fell to my hands. I remembered my
burnt palms and instinctively closed them into fists. “I was
distracted. I should have been paying closer attention, I should
have prevented this.” Regret was thick in his voice. I stared at
him, confused. “It’s too late now. You’ll never rest until you’ve
followed the map.”
He was wrong; I’d completely forgotten my
plans, surrendered to my captor.
“ Yes,” I stated
boldly. Yes .
I smiled and clicked my heels hard. I gripped
the saddle with all my might as the horse ran forward. I’d never
actually ridden a horse; there weren’t any in the village and I’d
only seen them from the occasional visitor. Most elves didn’t need
horses; they could walk or run where they needed to go. He was huge
and I could feel how powerful he was as the ground rushed beneath
us. We were gaining on Steed as I glanced over my shoulder at
Chevelle, who was running, but not with the same determination I
had. I looked forward again, wind whipping hair in my face, and we
had caught Steed, who gave me a wide smile as we came up beside
him.
“ Enjoying the
beast?”
I smiled in return, but as
we started to pass him, I realized I didn’t know how to slow down.
I didn’t know how to stop. For nuts’ sake,
I don’t know how to ride. I stared back at
Steed, the exhilaration gone, and he recognized panic.
At once, my horse slowed and fell in beside
his, our legs almost touching as they ran in tandem. “Never
ridden?”
“ No.” My voice was
shaky.
“ We only train them with
commands for
Chevelle, close beside me.
“ We can get an early start.”
I realized he was carrying a pack now. “Bluebell?”
I stood and followed him into the hut, not
missing the irritation on Chevelle’s face. He unclasped the pack
and rolled the blankets out with a flip and then smiled and nodded
his head good evening before stepping back outside. I unlaced my
vest and threw it down, kicked off my shoes and flopped onto the
blankets. I stretched, happy to lie on a comfortable bed, under a
roof with no sunrise waking me. It was quiet outside, no more
conversation between the men. I slipped off to sleep, trying not to
think about my capture and coming return to the village.
“ Freya.”
A low voice broke into my dreams of gently
rolling hills and soft gray stone. I peered through slits and
spotted Chevelle standing a few feet from my bed, facing the door.
It was dim in the shelter and it took a minute to get my bearings.
I sat up and, realizing why he was facing the door, picked up the
vest and laced it over the thin material of my blouse. I slid my
shoes on and stood, following him out.
“ It’s dawn ,” I complained.
“ And good morning,
Sunshine," a smiling Steed announced.
He was atop a large black stallion whose
nostrils flared and steamed with its breath in the cool morning
air. Two more horses pawed behind him; he twisted his wrist and
they walked toward us. A dark, muscular horse stood beside Chevelle
as a mammoth crossed in front of me and knelt. I gasped and Steed
shot me a mischievous wink.
“ Well?”
I was speechless. The beast was as large and
black as a starless night. Steed was pleased with my reaction.
Chevelle rolled his eyes but held out a hand to help me on my horse
before he swung onto his own.
“ I will ride with you as far
north as Naraguah and then make my way east to trade with the imps
at Bray,” Steed said to Chevelle.
I swung a shocked look at Chevelle, who
simply nodded to Steed in reply. My eyes followed the exchange and
I was staring, completely confused, at Steed. He saw my face and
gave an admonishing look to Chevelle as he clicked his heels and
his horse shot past us, its black tail whipping fiercely
behind.
“ North?” I asked.
Chevelle looked back at me, his calm a
complete contradiction to my response.
“ You aren’t taking me back?
You are going… we are going north?”
“ I’m sorry, Freya. I let you
down at the creek.” His gaze fell to my hands. I remembered my
burnt palms and instinctively closed them into fists. “I was
distracted. I should have been paying closer attention, I should
have prevented this.” Regret was thick in his voice. I stared at
him, confused. “It’s too late now. You’ll never rest until you’ve
followed the map.”
He was wrong; I’d completely forgotten my
plans, surrendered to my captor.
“ Yes,” I stated
boldly. Yes .
I smiled and clicked my heels hard. I gripped
the saddle with all my might as the horse ran forward. I’d never
actually ridden a horse; there weren’t any in the village and I’d
only seen them from the occasional visitor. Most elves didn’t need
horses; they could walk or run where they needed to go. He was huge
and I could feel how powerful he was as the ground rushed beneath
us. We were gaining on Steed as I glanced over my shoulder at
Chevelle, who was running, but not with the same determination I
had. I looked forward again, wind whipping hair in my face, and we
had caught Steed, who gave me a wide smile as we came up beside
him.
“ Enjoying the
beast?”
I smiled in return, but as
we started to pass him, I realized I didn’t know how to slow down.
I didn’t know how to stop. For nuts’ sake,
I don’t know how to ride. I stared back at
Steed, the exhilaration gone, and he recognized panic.
At once, my horse slowed and fell in beside
his, our legs almost touching as they ran in tandem. “Never
ridden?”
“ No.” My voice was
shaky.
“ We only train them with
commands for
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