Envoys Of The Vow

Chapter 11

Sara enjoyed the four mile ride to the field in South Park.  It was a welcome excuse to mull over everything that had happened between her and Jonathan.  He had completely bewitched her.  She felt as if he made her whole, for once she didn’t have the feeling the world would come crashing in on her just because she was happy.  She smiled to herself wondering what a grilling he would be getting at the hands of her mother right now as she drove him over to meet her.

 The night they had just shared together had been so much more than she could ever have imagined.  The way he had been backing away from her before had made her a bit worried that he didn’t feel the same way she did, but that thought had been shattered the first time he properly kissed her. For the first time, her future lay before her with a man firmly in the centre of it.

 Just before leaving she had asked him to unclasp her necklace as she did not want to break it riding.  A look of complete horror had crossed his features.

 “It won’t break I promise.  Swear to me you will never take it off, no matter what.”  He had looked so concerned she had hastily promised him. She could feel it now as she rode, the comforting weight of it nestled against her throat.

 As she had prepared to leave, Jonathan had insisted on knowing the exact route she would take and how long it would take her to ride there.  He was almost making her nervous.  He had finally let her leave when she had promised that she would take no deviations or stops.  She glanced at her mother expecting an amused expression, it was anything but, she had a grim set to her mouth and even gave her a kiss as she headed out.

 As she turned onto the final road stretch she had Misty in a ground covering trot, mainly so she could see him sooner.  A car pulled up alongside her and wound down the window.  Slowing Misty to a walk and then halt she had to bend down to see the driver.

 A man was driving with a small raven haired young woman in the passenger seat.  The woman did not even glance at her and kept her eyes firmly facing forwards.  The man had dark greasy hair that hung over his face and almost to his eyes, as he turned to speak to Sara a shiver ran through her.  His face had a scar from his forehead down over his eye to his jaw.  Though it was completely healed now, it would have been a life threatening wound when it happened.  He had very broad shoulders, she noticed the powerful forearm as his hand gripped the steering wheel.

 “Hi, I wonder if you would give us some directions.” The man spoke his voice was gravely and harsh sounding.

 “Sure.  Where are you heading?” Sara was wishing she hadn’t stopped now, to leave would seem rude, but the couple were not giving off good vibes.

 “We are looking for The Cage,” The Cage was a pub just the other side of the field she was next to as the crow flies.  Sara gave them the directions, as she finished the man reached to step out of the car.  Misty snorted quietly and shifted. 

 “Thanks, if it is that close would you mind just leading us there as we have been looking for a while now?”  He had already stepped round to the front of his car and was closing the distance between them.

 “I can’t I’m sorry.  I am in a bit of a hurry” Misty was rocking backwards away from the man about to turn that into whole steps any second.

 “Well as you said, it is only just round the corner.”  His eyes were locked onto Sara, the vague attempt he had made to be polite earlier had completely gone.  He was still walking round towards her, the passenger door was starting to open next to Misty.

 “I really can’t I’m sorry.  I have to be somewhere.”  Sara’s heart was pounding this man was huge.

 The attack came out of nowhere.  The man lunged forward, his left hand outstretched to grab Misty’s rein, his right hand appeared from behind his back and brought a long curved knife round in a wicked gleaming arc towards the mare’s throat, but the mare was quicker.  Misty had lunged backwards and spun on her hocks, in one fluid movement she launched into the air and viciously kicked back with both her hind feet.  Sara heard the thud, she knew the mare had connected with him, that was shortly followed by the thud of him hitting the car door and jamming it back shut.  The mare landed at gallop and took off.  No matter what aid Sara gave her the mare would not slow down.  In the distance behind her, she could hear the sound of tires squealing against the tarmac as the car turned.

 As the mare flew down the road Sara could see the sparks from her shoes on the surface, this was every riders worst nightmare at these speeds the mare would have little or no grip what so ever, if she turned or tried to stop they would both go down.

 Vaguely aware of the sound of the engine being pushed to the limit, she knew she would just have to trust Misty to keep her feet.  Up ahead there was a field they could turn into but a wooden five-bar gate blocked the entrance.  It would mean turning and at this break neck speed, Sara had no idea if Misty would make the turn or the jump when she got there.  As it turned out the mare was way ahead of her,  she wheeled round to the left.  As her feet hit the verge on the other side of the road she launched into the air and cleared the gate by a mile.

 Misty still would not slow down or listen to Sara.  Behind there was the sound of a wooden gate shattering as the car drove straight through it.  Misty was aiming straight for the river.  Up ahead was a wide expanse of water, it was too wide to be jumpable and it was deep.  She could hear the car gaining on them even over this rough terrain.  Sara tried to pull the mare left to head for the woods but the mare kept straight, never breaking her speed.  As they closed the final strides to the bank of the river, on just this one occasion Sara truly took up religion.