A Hollow Soul, page 35
“You mentioned it once or twice and your face did not like that no one was listening to your wants or needs.” His long legs cover more ground faster than my shorter ones.
I try to walk faster to keep up with him and not be left behind. “My face gave me away?” I touch my hand to my cheek and wonder what else I inadvertently gave away.
Robert smiles as he opens the large door to the stables. “That and Zeek warned me to keep an eye on you.”
I roll my eyes and duck inside before he closes it on me and leaves me behind. I grin as I see and hear many horses down a long row, some have their heads peeking out others are deep in their stalls. “Are all of these yours?” I quickly walk up to one and see a horse munching on hay in the back. I walk to the next one where a head is poking out.
“Easy, easy.” Robert follows me and backs me away from a midnight black horse that I was about to go up to and pet. “No these are not all mine; they belong collectively to the town. That one there is a biter.” He nods, patting my fingers and making sure I keep them to myself.
I glance back at the black stallion; he gives me a snort and eyes Robert giving him the evil eye.
“I bet he is cursing you up a storm that you didn’t let him have his fun.”
Robert laughs. “He for sure is.” He pats the midnight coat. “I’ll come back for you in a moment, boy.”
I give a surprised look. “He’s yours.”
“About the only one that can handle him nowadays, he doesn’t get along with many in his older age.” The horse in question neighs loudly and knocks against his door with his hooves.
I back away further from the horse and another’s muzzle comes down over my shoulder. I shriek and dodge away, not expecting another horse to be right behind me. “She, on the other hand, is very gentle.” Robert comes up and pats the brown head that had come over my shoulder. “This one is my wife’s and is good for anyone that has never ridden or doesn’t have much experience.”
“That is the speed I am looking for.” I spin around to the brown horse and reach my fingers out slowly.
“There you go.” He guides my hand on top of her nose and lets me pet her there. He pats the side of her neck so I move my hand up and my other hand to the side of her neck like he did.
“She is completely opposite of the other one.” My fingers touch the top of her main which is black. “What’s her name?” I ask.
Her name is Gem. She is a Morgan. My wife has had her since she was a little pony. Has also had to deal with that brute over there.” He points back at the black horse.
“Do they get along, also what is his name?” I look back but end up moving closer to Gem as the other one knocks into his stall some more upset that we are not paying attention to him.
“That one we got him wild and so he has only allowed very few to ride him, I being one of them. They almost put him down because of it, so for that we call him Lucky.”
I hide behind Gem and let out a small giggle. “How original.”
“Yeah, that is what my wife said also but what else could I have named him. He better be glad I didn’t just name him stubborn.” He opens Gem’s gate and walks her out getting her ready to be rode.
“You will go easy on me, won’t you?” I whisper to the horse. It neighs and rests her head on my shoulder as if answering my question.
Robert finishes up getting her ready, he then moves over to Lucky’s stall and hollers out. “All right, all right. We are not leaving you out of any adventuring.” He slides open the door, and before it is even fully open, Lucky is banging forward. “Hey, stop that,” Robert calls, trying to grab for the reins.
I ease behind Gem as Lucky comes forward. Gem doesn’t move but swishes her tail in answer. Lucky tries to bite at my fingers that are still petting Gem. Robert grabs the reins and pulls on them hard, moving Lucky back away from Gem. “You stop that right now.” Robert shakes a finger at him. Lucky tries to bite that finger. “Don’t be jealous she tried to give you pets but you know you wouldn’t let her get to you before biting them off.” The horse neighs and turns his head away from Robert not wanting to hear it.
I watch as Robert readies Lucky and he starts to calm down and not dash for Gem and I any more. Once Lucky is ready Robert kicks his leg up into the stirrup and grabs the front and back of the saddle pulling himself up into the saddle.
I look at Gem and then back at Robert trying to figure out the logistics. “You sure made that look easy, long legs would be helpful right about now.” I grumble to myself.
“Okay if you are getting up on that side you want to kick your left foot into the stirrup,” he calls, waiting with Lucky a little in front of us.
I kick up my foot and get it into the stirrup, but I lean too far back and am holding onto the edge of the back part of the saddle. “This does not feel right.” I laugh. I try to bend my knee closer to myself, I hop closer to the middle and can just reach the front I grab it.
“Great,” Robert calls. “Now kick off with the other foot and lift yourself up and into the saddle.”
I kick off the ground and pull myself up. I lean my stomach on the middle part of the saddle resting there. Gem moves a bit trying to get used to me. I hold on for dear life. “Okay, now what?”
Robert backs Lucky up a bit so he is closer to me and steadies Gem. “Okay, swing that leg over here, and sit in the saddle.”
I kick it over and barely clear the back of the saddle, I sit down fully in the saddle. One foot not getting in the stirrup, but I sit there. My arms are shaking. I let out a breath I was holding onto. “Man, that is a lot tougher than it looked.”
“It is not easy, especially if you have never done it before. Go ahead and put that in here.” He bends down and helps me get my foot into the stirrup fully.
I sway my foot in the stirrup and wiggle in place to get better seated.
“Okay and to move forward you just nudge with your foot lightly to press them forward.”
I tap very lightly and she starts to move forward. I hold on to the front of the saddle with the reins and grip them for dear life. I make sure to keep her going forward and not run into anything on the sides. “Come on, I don’t know where I’m going.”
“You’re fine. Keep going, we need to get going anyway, before they get suspicious and try to come out here and stop us.” He trots up beside me once we get out of the building. He pulls his stallion to the left, heading into the woods.
I ease up and do the same. He trots ahead easily so I can watch what he does. I notice him set the reins to the side and just keep a loose hold on them as the horse moves forward.
My body settles after a minute into the rhythm, eventually moving back and forward as Gem takes steps. The unevenness of the ground makes me go further to either side.
“Let me know if it becomes too much for you like I said it should only take a couple of hours or so and you shouldn’t feel the soreness right away but you may find some tightness over the next few days.” It is full night now, the pale moon illuminating our way forward.
At first there was a path that we followed that was well traveled, but as we continue, we diverge from the path and this terrain is a bit more rugged, and the canopy of the trees hides the bright moon from sight.
I growl in frustration once more as leaves hit me in the face. I wave my hands around my face feeling a sticky web cling to me as we duck under low hanging branches.
“You did that on purpose!” I throw back at him.
He chuckles and moves through the underbrush and gently lowers the prickly thorns back, covering the trail. “I didn’t see the web, grab something to knock around before you go through or hunch low on the horse’s back,” he says in answer.
“Or you could, you know, warn a person.” I wipe at my arms once more feeling as there is still something on me.
“I thought it was warning enough that you were in the woods.” He purses his lips trotting ahead.
I bite the inside of my cheek, biting back an answer, knowing he didn’t have to be out here with me but appreciated it nonetheless.
I urge Gem to keep up, but not to close. “Thank you.” I hesitate before continuing. “For opening up your home and doing this.” I keep quiet, leaving it at that if he didn’t want to talk.
A loud hoot echoes in the trees up above us, the crunching noises the horses make as we step and disturb the silent night. I hear a trickle of water up ahead. I sit up in my seat and push up on the stirrups seeing a little stream come up in front of us. It isn’t deep, not even enough water to cover the bottom of the rock bed properly. Robert urges his horse to the right and just walks along the side. I stop to look over the side and see how much of a steep descent it is down to the water.
“It’s too steep and the rocks might throw the horses off balance. We will follow up this way. It gets shallower and the rocks are not as jagged and the water covers more fully,” he says in answer as he notices me still staying behind checking out the ravine.
I push in with my feet to get Gem moving again. The greenery around us was such a deep dark green. Everything felt so light and full of life. “It’s hard to believe that there is something evil lurking in these woods,” I say.
The heat from the day starts to cool off as the night grows deeper and darker. The moon is further overhead than when we first started. I could see pokes of light still streaming through even though the woods were very deep and fully covered here.
“Careful!” Robert hisses, jumping down from his stallion strolling over to me quickly.
Gem shutters away from some bushes while I was not paying attention. Robert grabs onto the reins and leads her over to where Lucky stands. “What, she basically steers herself.”
My head swishes around searching to see what has got him so worried.
He waves his hand as if saying to lower my voice. “Quiet we are close to your lost kingdom.” He nods towards a steep hill. “Just over that and then back down the other side is your parents’ place. On the other side is a deep riverside, but I didn’t think after horseback riding your first time, that you would also want to try rock climbing.”
“Yeah, no thank you.” I shake my head, looking up the hill seeing as it wasn’t that bad, not like a mountain or anything like that.
“As we move forward you are going to have to be more careful and pay attention to where you step and what is in front of you. The dark canopy keeps out a lot of the light, but as long as you step and move where I do, we shouldn’t run into any traps.”
“Traps!” I exclaim.
“Of course, there will be traps along with people who patrol the woods, but I hope to stay out of their sight and range. If they are keeping anyone out here then of course there are people making sure that they are left alone.”
Robert ties the reins up on the saddles so they don’t droop down and aren’t able to catch on anything.
“Aren’t you going to tie them to anything so they don’t run off.” I lower my voice so we are harder to hear for anyone that may be trying to listen.
“If they need to run, then I need to give them the option to get away safely. Because anything they are running away from, we should be running as well. They will stay if they can but they know the way back home if needed.”
I whisper under my breath harshly. “But we will be stranded.”
Robert turns around his back ramrod straight. “Listen princess, most things in life are hard, the faster you realize it the better off you will be. Would you rather the horses stay here and die if something was wanting to cause them harm?”
“Well, no, but what if we are hurt or need a quick getaway,” I whisper just as lowly as he does.
“Then we will have to just figure something else out at that time, though I am going to try to avoid having a run in with anyone we come across.”
“Fine, let’s go.”
“Here I will lead, I have animal eyes that can easily see traps that are laid out. Zeek said you had an animal to call. Can you call up just your eyes without fully turning?”
I shake my head in answer but don’t provide any more than that.
“Remember to follow my footing and the way I move exactly,” he reiterates, not continuing on with the line of questioning.
“Yes, I will remember.” I bite my tongue, wanting to say more but not wanting to get in it enough to start something while in enemy territory.
We move away from the horses and through the trees crouching as low as possible. I step as he steps and try to move as he does. I hop to the next step that he wants me to take and rocks scatter below my feet causing a noise to echo around us and birds’ rustle in the trees.
“What did I say?” He looks around, staying hidden behind a tree and low, almost hugging the ground.
I kneel down low, but have nothing I can move to hide behind since he is behind the tree. I look around to make sure I am not being seen by anything. Then hiss out. “Your steps are too long! I can’t move how you move if you don’t think of who is trying to follow you.” I argue.
I take smaller steps to also hide behind the tree. Almost tip toeing through the undergrowth hoping there were no traps set up between us where I step.
I yawn and rub my eyes, a lot more tired than I was just a moment ago. My temper is getting the best of me.
Robert rolls his eyes and looks once more starting forward through the wooded hill keeping his steps shorter and easier to keep up with.
I lean against the tree and my eyelids grow heavy.
An owl hoots far off in the distance.
I shake my head and take a moment to rest my eyes. I take a deep breath in, and as I release, slowly, I open up my eyes and stare at the forest around me. Robert has continued on without me. I look around trying to guess where he had stepped next or guess at where to go after the first move, he took.
Another hoot echoes around me along with something slithering off to the left.
I look up to see if anything is in the trees around me, I continue to crouch down low behind the tree not sure where to go next. I look around the tree expecting to see Robert somewhere up ahead but I just see darkness and dark green shadows all around.
“Robert?” I whisper trying to be as quiet as possible.
I hear a stick break close by, I put my back firmly against the tree I am hiding behind and make sure I am tucked behind it. I search the woods that were behind me making sure no one had snuck up that way. I don’t see anything in the dull light. My heart begins to beat faster and my palms start to sweat. I place my hand over my mouth fighting to not make a sound. I try to calm my heart beat but my breath is so loud in my ears.
They were going to find me; Robert must have sensed trouble and that is why I could no longer see him since he went into hiding and that is why he did not answer me.
A rattle sounds to my right, my eyes dart to that side as I slink down lower trying not to make too much sound. The tree bark scratches at my back as my shirt rides up. I hardly feel the bite of pain as it scrapes. The area and ground grow deeper as the light dims from above the trees.
I could not see the horses below the foliage too thick and the darkness too great. I breathe in and out heavily, my ears ringing with the sound I am making. I try to hold my breath steadying it but it comes out choppy as I exhale as slowly as possible.
Something scratches on the tree up above my head. I look up but the shadows keep me from seeing too far up. “Alexia?” a voice hisses in a whisper.
I stop breathing all together trying to see and hear more. Who was that, was that Robert?
Another shake of a rattle happens from my right and in front of the tree I am hiding behind.
“Alexia, where are you?” another quiet whisper.
“Blaise?” I almost say silently. I peer around the edge of the tree. “Is that you?” I ask a bit louder.
I notice Blaise in his half animal form, his lower half is covered in scales and in the shape of a snake and his torso, arms and above are all that of a human still.
“Alexia there you are.” He slithers forward, his tail making another rattling noise as he moves to me. “Are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?”
“What is this?” I ask, not believing my eyes. “How did you escape?” I accept Blaise’s hug as he holds me close and checks over me making sure I am not hurt.
“Never mind that now? We can talk about that later. We have to get going. Did you have horses or did you have somewhere we could go and be safe?” Blaise tugs on my hand trying to urge me away.
His tug on my hand is light and my head starts to spin. “What do you mean?” I question. I drop his hand and move away from him towards the tree once more. Only it is no longer there. I turn around searching for the tree that was just behind me and then back to Blaise who is right there when I turn back around. “What game is this?” I put my hand on his chest to keep him at bay.
He smiles and wraps his hands around me, trapping my arms between us. “I thought you liked games?” he hisses, his tongue flicks out and touches my nose, which I barely feel.
“This isn’t you?” I say in horror, I duck under his arms but his tail has moved behind me and I trip backwards going down hard. My butt and hands take the brunt of my fall. I look up, and he has crouched above me, his snake-like tail coming up in between my legs. He pins me there to the ground.
“Isn’t it? How do you know?” he asks.
My hands scrape against the ground, but the sting of the rocks doesn’t come. My eyes dance around Blaise, but they don’t catch on anything of substance. Everything has grown dark, and it is just him and me. “Tell me how you escaped,” I say as I try to scrabble backwards.
He keeps me pinned where I am, not easing up, his tail rattles once more. “You tell me?” he throws back at me the weight of him crushing over the lower half of my body.
“How did you know I was out here?” I ask, trying to get some answers. Trying to make sense of all that was happening.
“You’re not that dumb, are you?” He rolls his hips over mine.
