hey-lo!
just wanted to say thanks for reading, and thanks to the people who have commented and such :) that kinda made my day since my other stories nobody really said anything, so i'm guessing that this story will probably be more promising? anyways, thanks and enjoy this chapter!
ps: the picture on the side is what kaelyn would like to do to thunder. lol XD
oh and one more thing. kaelyn ages like a horse. so three horse years = 17 human years, more or less :)
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=2=
=Philip=
We rode together in silence across the grassy hills within my family's territory. The sun rose higher into the sky as we killed time exploring the area. Occasionally idle chatter would arise between Henry, Alex and myself, though it never rose into a deep discussion. And despite the fact that we didn't talk that much, it only revealed the closeness we had with each other. None of us felt obligated to speak in order to fend off uncomfortable silences.
Alex rode slightly ahead of us, keeping a watchful eye out for anything suspicious. Being my personal guard, as well as a dear friend, he wanted to be fully alert for danger so he could warn me in time. Alex also was an impressive swordsman, he remained the undefeated champion in the castle. Due to his prowess, he had been appointed to be my bodyguard. I had never felt safer. His quiet and humble attitude impressed me a great deal. Here was one of the most talented fighters in these lands, and never once have I heard him boast. I hoped to be like him.
Henry remained by my side. In fact, he was always by my side. His job as my personal attendant meant that should shadow me silently and instantly assist me with my duties when it appeared that I needed help. I didn't believe in that though, I didn't want someone who would follow me around and remain quiet. Instead he became a close friend who had a voice. We told each other everything, and confided one another in things. In a way, he was like the older brother I never had. He looked out for me, and I knew he always had my back.
Finally we stopped to eat lunch by a small river. A small tree was growing by the riverbank, so that's where we tied the horses, making sure their rope was long enough so they could take a drink. I stroked Thunder's neck affectionately and he nickered softly. Alex and Henry grabbed their lunch from their saddlebags and sat down on the lush grass. Alex brought over his crossbow as well, just in case. I patted Thunder's nose, then sat down in between Alex and Henry.
"So Alex," I said between bites, "what sort of game do you think we could find out here?" Alex not only has sword skills, but her also hunts in his spare time.
He thought for a moment while chewing on his bread. A light breeze tugged playfully at his hair and shirt. Alex glanced around the grassy area thoughtfully, taking in the little river, the forest beyond it, and the grassy hills behind us.
"I'd say probably some deer, squirrels, rabbits, small prey like that." He said quietly. "You never know though, maybe we'll chance upon something larger."
"A bear?" Henry looked a little scared. I laughed at his expression.
"Yea Henry," Alex and I grinned. "We'll definitely find a bear out here! Good grief!" I said, still chuckling.
"Well, if we did find some strange wild beast out there," I continued after a seconds pause, "we could slay it easy. Henry would be the distraction-"
"Hey!"
I ignored his protest with a sly smile. "Then Alex could shoot it from behind with his crossbow, then I," I leapt up to my feet and drew my sword, pointing it straight into the air, "prince Philip would drive my blade deep into it's chest! We would go back to the castle and be honored with a feast for our heroic deeds."
I heard both Alex and Henry start to laugh. Confused, I turned to look at them.
" Philip, you make it seem like we're going off to fight a dragon or something." Alex said between laughs.
"I never met anyone so dramatic!" Henry tried to smother his chortles. "You're so ridiculous!"
Their laughter caused me to crack a smile. "I'll show you ridiculous," I pounced on Henry, forcing him to the ground. He instantly pushed me off, and I staggered on my feet. Without a moment's hesitation, he launched himself at me, grabbing around my waist, and tackling me back to the dirt. We wrestled for a little bit, each of us trying to pin the other. Alex slowly walked circles around us, trying to determine the outcome.
Sweaty, dirty, a little sore, but completely exhilarated and proud, I emerged the victor. Henry lay on the ground panting like a dog. I gave him a hand, and helped him to his feet. He squeezed my shoulder gently, and grabbed my hand in a firm handshake.
"Congratulations, my prince. You've gotten a lot stronger, haven't you?" I felt pride bursting and blooming inside of me. Henry was a good wrestler, very hard for me to pin, so his compliments made me feel very accomplished indeed.
Amidst our talking and joking around with one another, the black mare gave a shrill whinny. We all turned and looked at the horses. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, they were just standing there, still tied to the tree.
But the silence the mare had established revealed a new sound to our ears.
Horses. And several of them by the sounds of it.
The sound of their hooves and the shouts of men came over the hill to where we were. I gave a quick nod to Alex and Henry and we immediately jogged over to our horses and galloped over the hill to investigate.
***
=Kaelyn=
The ride was long and quiet. The prince and his men rarely said anything to each other. But the peace and quiet was soothing and the sounds of nature were relaxing. Alex was a good rider and gave me decent control. I set the pace, since he and I traveled in the front. Every now and then he would pat my neck or stroke my shoulder. He was such a gentle person.
The prince and his companions decided to stop for lunch, and we found a nice spot down by this river. They all dismounted one at a time and led Thunder, Clover, who was Henry's mare, and myself over to this tree next to the water. After making sure we were securely tied to the tree, they sat down on the grass to eat.
I stepped over to the river's edge and lowered my head to drink. Thunder stood next to me and pushed me over so he could take the first sip. I snorted angrily and snapped at his face. He raised his head indignantly and bit back. Not wanting to start a commotion, I backed off and stepped off to the side to drink from another spot. What a rude creature. Prince Philip deserves better.
Someone like me?
I didn't actually believe I was better than Thunder... That seems arrogant. But I sure was nicer!
The water felt good running down my slightly parched throat. I took large swallows, savoring the cool wetness on my tongue. Then when I had my fill, I drifted back and forth around the tree, testing the limits of the rope. I wish the prince knew I was trustworthy enough not to leave, actually, we all were. We palace horses had been trained to stay close to our riders, though sometimes that training didn't always stick.
My ears perked up at the sound of prince Philip's laughter. I nickered quietly at the sound. It was a pleasant sound. His face scrunched up slightly and his eyes sparkled. As he continued speaking, I noticed he used lots of hand gestures to get his point across. Then he leapt to his feet and gripped his sword tight, drawing it from it's sheath and pointed it to the sky.
Then the rope jerked tight against my halter. I snorted and tossed my head in frustration.
Why can't I be free?
"Philip, you make it seem like we're going off to fight a dragon or something," I heard Alex say.
Philip?! No title? Just plain Philip?
My mind was blown for a second. A simple guardsman such as Alex normally would have no right to address the prince in such a casual manner. I waited, expecting the prince to reprimand him, or Henry to scold him, but no one did anything of the sort. Alex didn't even look ashamed! The prince didn't seem to mind!
They must be really close...
Then I noticedThunder step over to Clover and pause behind her. She seemed aware of his presence, but she didn't acknowledge it. Annoyed, Thunder bit her hindquarters, making her whinny in surprise. A spike of anger shot through me. The arrogant, pompous, stupid, bullying, mean-
A small cry from Henry broke through my thoughts and I looked back again at them. He and prince Philip were tumbling over the ground, trying to pin one another on the ground. They were laughing the whole time, and Alex was observing their techniques, as if trying to figure out who would win. I felt confident that the prince would win. And I was right.
As I was about to cheer, I sensed the presence of other horses. Thunder and Clover noticed it too. My ears swiveled, searching for the source of our fellow stallions and mares. It sounded like they were on the other side of the small hill. The three of us palace horses tensed as we heard one horse cry out in pain. I could barely hear it, but I could understand it's plea for help. I faced the prince, Henry, and Alex to warn them.
I whinnied loudly, and tugged at my rope. I tossed my head and stamped my foot determined to get their attention. They just looked at me curiously, not quite understanding.
And then they heard the horses. I tugged at my rope again, ready to go investigate.
Without another word, they headed over to us, and untied us from the tree. We all stood at ready, and waited for them to mount. Alex got on first and he had to reign me in, I was so intent on racing up the hill. I neighed impatiently. Once the prince and Henry had mounted, I led the way, galloping to the top of the hill.