Read Online Mist-Torn Witches 02:Witches in Red by Barb Hendee - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Barb Hendee
Ads: Link
Straight north it is.”
She rode behind him as he led the way, with Céline directly behind her. The single-file column did not leave much opportunity for conversation, but in a way this was better. She wanted to just focus on getting through one more day. If all went well, tomorrow she would not have to climb back onto this horse.
However, in the early afternoon, she heard the sound of rushing, gurgling water, and within a few more steps, the sound grew louder.
“What is that?”
“The river,” Jaromir answered.
The road broke through the trees, and he walked his horse down the bank to make room for those behind him. Following him, Amelie felt her first hint of doubt over her impulse to take the fastest route. When Jaromir had said “shallow,” she’d been envisioning slow water over a rocky streambed.
The sight before her looked nothing like the imagein her mind. The river was wide and the current appeared swift. Through the water, she could see to the bottom and gauged that the depth would nearly cover the wagon’s wheels.
“You said it would be shallow.”
Jaromir glanced down at her. “This is shallow. This is the one place where barges can run into trouble.”
Céline pulled up beside them and went slightly pale. “We’re going to cross that?”
“Soldiers from the northern houses do it all the time,” he assured them. “We’ll be fine.”
After that, more horses came from the forest out onto the bank, and Jaromir started giving orders. “I’m going to take Amelie and Céline over first,” he called. “Pavel and Rurik, you help Bazin with the wagon, one of you on each side of the team.”
“Yes, sir,” they both called at the same time.
Amelie remembered that the stocky, middle-aged guard driving the wagon was the one whose wife had apparently thrown him out of the house.
But she didn’t have time to think long on this, as without delay, Jaromir nudged his horse forward. “Follow me,” he said.
With little choice, Amelie urged her gelding after Jaromir’s oversized chestnut stallion—named Badger due to his penchant for biting anyone he didn’t like. Amelie’s smaller horse didn’t hesitate, walking right into the water. She glanced back once to see Céline’s gray mare coming after them. The water rose to the level of Amelie’s mount’s stomach and the current rushed swiftly. The bottom of her gown and cloak weresoaked, but her horse managed to keep walking at a steady pace, following Jaromir’s lead, and soon, all three horses broke into a trot as they reached the bank on the other side.
Céline was still pale, but she managed a smile. “Not so bad after all.”
Amelie turned to look back and see how the others were faring. The soldiers on horseback were having no trouble, but Bazin was trying to force the harnessed team into the water, and both horses refused. To help, Rurik leaned over and took hold of one bridle while Pavel did the same with the other. Jaromir watched tensely and then seemed to relax a bit as the team finally moved forward, pulling the wagon into the current.
“Well done,” he called.
As Amelie had guessed, the water quickly reached more than halfway up the wheels, and the team snorted as they struggled forward, with white ringing their eyes. Halfway across, it seemed they would make it without incident, but then the harnessed horse on the left side tripped over a rock and started to go down. It screamed out as it fought to right itself. Unfortunately, Pavel had been holding its bridle, and his horse panicked and tried to bolt. It slipped as well . . . going down with him in the saddle.
“Pavel!” Jaromir shouted, kicking his own horse back into the water.
Amelie watched helplessly as Pavel’s horse landed on him and then thrashed to jump back up. Pavel came off the horse, but his foot was still in the stirrup. Amelieheard a cracking sound over the rush of the water, and then he was free of the saddle but caught in the current.
Céline
She rode behind him as he led the way, with Céline directly behind her. The single-file column did not leave much opportunity for conversation, but in a way this was better. She wanted to just focus on getting through one more day. If all went well, tomorrow she would not have to climb back onto this horse.
However, in the early afternoon, she heard the sound of rushing, gurgling water, and within a few more steps, the sound grew louder.
“What is that?”
“The river,” Jaromir answered.
The road broke through the trees, and he walked his horse down the bank to make room for those behind him. Following him, Amelie felt her first hint of doubt over her impulse to take the fastest route. When Jaromir had said “shallow,” she’d been envisioning slow water over a rocky streambed.
The sight before her looked nothing like the imagein her mind. The river was wide and the current appeared swift. Through the water, she could see to the bottom and gauged that the depth would nearly cover the wagon’s wheels.
“You said it would be shallow.”
Jaromir glanced down at her. “This is shallow. This is the one place where barges can run into trouble.”
Céline pulled up beside them and went slightly pale. “We’re going to cross that?”
“Soldiers from the northern houses do it all the time,” he assured them. “We’ll be fine.”
After that, more horses came from the forest out onto the bank, and Jaromir started giving orders. “I’m going to take Amelie and Céline over first,” he called. “Pavel and Rurik, you help Bazin with the wagon, one of you on each side of the team.”
“Yes, sir,” they both called at the same time.
Amelie remembered that the stocky, middle-aged guard driving the wagon was the one whose wife had apparently thrown him out of the house.
But she didn’t have time to think long on this, as without delay, Jaromir nudged his horse forward. “Follow me,” he said.
With little choice, Amelie urged her gelding after Jaromir’s oversized chestnut stallion—named Badger due to his penchant for biting anyone he didn’t like. Amelie’s smaller horse didn’t hesitate, walking right into the water. She glanced back once to see Céline’s gray mare coming after them. The water rose to the level of Amelie’s mount’s stomach and the current rushed swiftly. The bottom of her gown and cloak weresoaked, but her horse managed to keep walking at a steady pace, following Jaromir’s lead, and soon, all three horses broke into a trot as they reached the bank on the other side.
Céline was still pale, but she managed a smile. “Not so bad after all.”
Amelie turned to look back and see how the others were faring. The soldiers on horseback were having no trouble, but Bazin was trying to force the harnessed team into the water, and both horses refused. To help, Rurik leaned over and took hold of one bridle while Pavel did the same with the other. Jaromir watched tensely and then seemed to relax a bit as the team finally moved forward, pulling the wagon into the current.
“Well done,” he called.
As Amelie had guessed, the water quickly reached more than halfway up the wheels, and the team snorted as they struggled forward, with white ringing their eyes. Halfway across, it seemed they would make it without incident, but then the harnessed horse on the left side tripped over a rock and started to go down. It screamed out as it fought to right itself. Unfortunately, Pavel had been holding its bridle, and his horse panicked and tried to bolt. It slipped as well . . . going down with him in the saddle.
“Pavel!” Jaromir shouted, kicking his own horse back into the water.
Amelie watched helplessly as Pavel’s horse landed on him and then thrashed to jump back up. Pavel came off the horse, but his foot was still in the stirrup. Amelieheard a cracking sound over the rush of the water, and then he was free of the saddle but caught in the current.
Céline
Similar Books
