The morning went way too fast for my liking. Emy and I had managed to have breakfast and were still looking over the outfits she had made when we were sent for. I was so happy with my outfit that I didn't let myself get annoyed that they'd sent a servant for us. We met with everyone in the dining room so we could go over the travel plans for the journey.
We had to go through different scenarios in case something went wrong; my parents and Emy's, Blaike, Kaleb and Kayle were all there, as were two men and two women I hadn't seen before. They stood quietly to the side of the parents, they were listening and nodding with the plan like they already had it memorised.
Once they'd gone through the plans multiple times, we were told to go pack a bag. Which had me wondering just how long we would be gone for, however nobody stayed still long enough for me to ask.
Before I knew it, we were being requested back downstairs to get ready for our departure. The guys arrived shortly after and they were fixing weapons to their belts. Emy and I stood in the hallway while everyone milled around getting ready to go. My dad went over the plan one more time but it hadn't changed and we recited parts of it back to him when asked.
My mum and Emy's had changed clothes since we'd last seen them, they were wearing similar outfits to ours, dark leggings and light coloured blouses. Each had a brooch attached to the collar of theirs and had their hair fashioned into a side swoop of curls. They came over to us while everyone was still fussing, I thought they were going to lecture us about the travel plan but instead they ushered us away from the main group.
Once they knew we were far enough away, they huddled us together and held out a sword each. They were remarkable, not as small as daggers but they weren't full length swords either. They were different to any of the weapons we had seen in our weapons lessons. Silver blades flashed up at us, ending in bronze handles that looked to be just the right size for our hands. Each one had different detailing and patterns around the pommel and hilt. The scabbards were brown and unassuming, I could tell they were designed to look less impressive than they actually were.
"Keep these Short-Swords attached to you at all times, wherever you have to hide them. We want you to be well protected if anything happens to go wrong." My mum explained in a rushed voice barely above a whisper.
"And do not let anyone know you have these, we had them specially made for the two of you but if anyone knew you had them without full training, they would take them away. However, we have faith in you that you would not stab someone by accident." Emy's mum rolled her eyes and we all shared a smile.
I knew I would be able to hide mine under my cloak or in the back of the outfit that Emy had made, but her dress wouldn't give her much room to hide anything. I voiced that concern and Emy just smiled enigmatically.
"I know what to do, don't worry."
We fastened the sword belt around our waists discreetly, hiding the sword by our sides, hugged and then returned to the group. They looked at us expectantly but Colensa waved it aside.
"We needed a mother-daughter moment, we are ready now."
She didn't technically lie but I was surprised at how well she covered it up, even to her own husband and he just accepted it. I had always seen Emy's parents as innocent and a little oblivious, but now I was starting to see whole different sides to them and I was intrigued.
I smiled at Emy when I saw the impressed look on her face and we walked into formation behind Kayle.
I whispered to Emy, "Don't accidentally stab Kayle on our way out, please."
I chuckled at the mischievous smile that played on her lips, "I can't make any promises."
We shared a giggle and Kayle looked back at us with narrowed eyes, we played it off and shrugged as my dad got everyone else into formation.
When my dad and Alacor were satisfied, we headed out of the house and round to the stables. They were full to the brim with horses now, one for each of us that would be going and I spotted Ulric looking for me from his stall. I walked over and led him out, he was saddled and ready to go. I gave him a pat on the neck and then climbed up, careful to hide my sword under my cloak.
I smiled when I looked around from the new height, I had missed riding and couldn't wait to get back out there. The lesson had been great but getting out onto open roads would be much more challenging and fun. Ulric snuffled at my leg, at first I thought he was enjoying my anticipation but I got the unusual sense that he knew I was carrying a sword.
I patted his neck and shushed him as we waited for everyone else to be ready. It took a few more minutes to clear things up and then everyone was moving into formation again. I lined Ulric up beside Emy's horse, she didn't look as happy as she had when we left the house and I leaned over.
"What's wrong?" I tried to whisper but it was difficult with the noise of horses and conversations around us.
Emy leaned in and crinkled her nose, "I don't think this horse likes me, it keeps nibbling at my leg and neighing."
I laughed lightly and glanced at her horse just as he did what she said, he fixed one eye on me and I smiled with a side glance at Emy.
"It's the sword," I whispered. "He can tell you have it, just stroke him and reassure him you're not planning to use it on him."
Emy arched an eyebrow at me but she did as I said, she stroked her horses neck and explained everything was alright. The horse eyed me again and I got the uncontrollable urge to nod, he slowly raised his head, ready to go.
Emy's eyes widened slightly, "I think you might actually be a horse mind reader."
I laughed it off, my dad had just turned around from the head of our group. He looked very unassuming in his everyday clothes but I knew he was wearing some kind of armour underneath. Emy and I had been made to wear the same thing under our outfits, it had been waiting for us when we'd gone to pack our bags. I knew it wasn't chain mail, it was light and felt like silk, but according to my dad, it would stop arrows and some sword attacks.
I had been so happy when it had been time to get ready, just so we didn't have to talk about being attacked every ten seconds. I would have thought travelling at night would've been safer but Alacor had shot down that theory pretty quickly in the lecture that morning. Travelling at night would give attackers a much better advantage over a group of our size. They could attack from any side and we'd have more trouble seeing them coming. It made sense but the success of our journey with Merkell played in my mind while they discussed routes and contingency plans.
My dad called for everyone to be ready and I sighed in relief when we finally began to move. I barely needed to nudge Ulric and we were off, Emy was beside me and I could see she was already disliking the bumpy ride.
"Move when he moves and sit up straighter, it won't be as uncomfortable," I called over to her and she scowled.
"I know, but it's easier said than done, for most of us anyway," she raised a brow at me. "I guess we found something here that you're a natural at."
I hadn't thought about that, we'd only had one lesson and I hadn't found it difficult at all, it felt like I'd been doing it for years. Maybe Emy was right, maybe I did have a connection with the horses. We wound through the streets of Dumair and I barely had to nudge Ulric for him to go where I wanted. Then again, he could just be following the four horses already in front of us. I shrugged at Emy and turned my attention to our surroundings.
People were out of their houses or stood behind their stalls watching us pass through. We were going in the opposite direction to the way we had arrived in Dumair with Merkell and the guys. Eribourne was in the North-East of this Sector, according to our lessons, and it would take a few hours ride to get there.
The people we passed, waved or shouted a greeting to one or more of our group, I noticed for the first time that there were children present. I hadn't seen any since being here, not even when Blaike, Kaleb and Kayle had taken us on a tour of the village. They ranged in age but there weren't many that looked to be around our age, most were little kids around two to twelve years old.
Seeing them made me curious about the way people aged here and I made a mental note to ask about that in the first lesson when we got back. My thoughts were soon redirected when we reached the invisible magic wall surrounding the whole village; six familiar figures stood waiting for us. They greeted the parents with a bow of their heads before turning to place all of their hands up towards the invisible wall.
A few seconds passed and then I watched my mum's hair get caught up in a gust of wind, I knew the invisible door was open. We rode forward in single file, slowly to make sure the horses didn't scare and divert from the path through the wall.
Several seconds more and we were out, which seemed ridiculous since we could still see Dumair and the figures standing within arms reach. But as they lowered their hands, I knew the doorway had closed and all six of them walked away together.
"Who are they?" I asked out loud of nobody in particular.
"They are the Protectors of Dumair, they guard the Wall of Protection from any threats, they are connected to it." Blaike explained as he rode up beside Emy and I, he was looking back at Dumair with a curious expression.
"Why didn't they sense the Dark Horror getting in the other day?" I asked, frowning at the retreating figures.
"They did, but Dumair is large and they had to search for the disturbance first. If a mouse gets into the kitchen, can you just find it as soon as you know?"
I found that a strange analogy coming from him but it was a good point nonetheless. I pursed my lips and turned away from the village as we were moved back into formation.
Now that we were out, Emy and I were to stay next to each other while Blaike, Kaleb and Kayle rotated around us from time to time. Everyone else was free to roam the edges of our formation, so they could scout out any potential threats coming close. We kept a slow trot for the first hour or two of the journey, managing some light conversation here and there but everyone was mostly caught up with scanning the surrounding area.
The pace was slow and I could somehow sense Ulric's desire to run far and fast, I felt it too but I knew this was the best way. I sighed at how long it would take and I hadn't even packed a book with me, non-essentials were extra weight in case something happened. I wished I had sneaked one in now, my thoughts unwittingly turned to the dinner we were headed to and all the people that would be there.
I didn't feel nearly prepared enough, we were still getting used to the idea of being in a new world and we had to go talk to all of these official people. We wouldn't know anyone else there and what would happen if we did or said something untoward? We hadn't gone over punishments for rudeness in this world. Did they have prisons or public floggings?
I shook my head in an attempt to get rid of the stupid thoughts, just as Kaleb came trotting up to my side. He looked even more intimidating on a horse, which made sense since he was riding one of the biggest horses I'd ever seen. I peered down at the dappled stallion he was riding, looking into his eyes I could tell he was a strong horse and well trained. I pondered yet again if Emy had been right about my connection with horses when Kaleb cleared his throat.
"Is everything alright?" He asked quietly, which was difficult in his deep voice but the noises around us helped muffle it a little.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I just keep thinking about this dinner and if something goes wrong."
He nodded sympathetically, "It will be alright, we have plans for every scenario that may occur."
I half smiled at him, "That's not what I meant, I was talking about the dinner itself. I've read loads of books and it's all proper manners and education, if you do one thing wrong it could haunt you or your family for years."
I knew I sounded ridiculous but I had no clue what we were going into, at least an attack had clearer outcomes and I strangely had experience with those.
"It does not matter what you do at these dinners, everyone who will be attending will know your story, they will expect nothing from you." Blaike appeared from the other side of Emy and moved between us so he could speak quietly. "Once the introductions and the meal are over, they will have nothing more to discuss with you. There are other things to do and you can find a corner to just relax in, we will show you."
"We'll teach you how to have fun at these things without insulting anyone or being bored to tears," Kayle added, he came up on Emy's other side.
He was grinning mischievously, that coupled with their words made me feel better. I was putting too much stock into the scenes of my books.
"So it won't be like a ball then?" Emy asked of them.
"Not a ball, more like a formal party but with no alcohol," Kayle explained with an exaggerated groan.
We laughed quietly and received a stare from two of the escorts that had come with us, I still had no idea where they'd come from. Were they representatives from Eribourne? Or were they a personal contingent? And if it were the latter, why hadn't we met before this trip? Their names were the only thing I knew; Lucius and Roman, Tonia and Delilah, and they didn't speak unless spoken to.
We kept up the small talk in between Kaleb, Blaike and Kayle circling into different positions, mostly about the dinner and possible fun things to do. It passed the time much better than staring off at the landscape, which was mostly trees and grass, and hills, and more trees. We passed a few very small villages but nobody came over to greet us, they went about their business like we weren't there. I knew it was getting well into the afternoon, I still couldn't tell the time using the sun, which didn't really matter since the sky was full of clouds.
"Kayle, how can we tell the time when the sun isn't even out?" I asked during our second break of the journey.
We were only allowed food and bathroom breaks, then we were on the move again.
Kayle was stood beside me eating some cheese and bread, he smirked between mouthfuls.
"You don't, time is not that important here. We don't rule our days to the minute, you just arrive within the right time of day and everything is fine."
Emy came out from our designated bathroom area behind some bushes. "I'll remember that the next time you're rushing us for your lesson."
I heard the parents laughing from where they were stood by the horsed. Kayle just narrowed his eyes at Emy and she stuck her tongue out at him.
We began to mount up, ready to set off again, when there was an outcry from one of the horses the escorts were riding. It was rearing up and wouldn't let Roman calm it down, I watched the others try to help him but the horse wouldn't stop. I didn't hesitate in getting down off Ulric and running over to see if I could help. I didn't know what possessed me but I knew I could do something. As I drew closer, one of the escorts was taking out a long strip of leather from one of their packs, my eyes widened, it reminded me of a riding crop and I rushed forward.
"You're not planning to use that on this horse, are you?" I asked of them and I received a look of confusion.
"This horse is out of control, it will succumb when the whip is applied." Delilah responded and I felt the desperate urge to whip her with it.
"There is something wrong with her, can't you see? Something is agitating her, step away." I heard a forceful tone in my voice that had never been there before.
To my surprise, the escorts backed away without question but I could tell they didn't like it. I could also feel a lot of eyes on me and I knew everyone else had come to watch. I ignored them and stepped closer to the horse.
She was still rearing up and kicking her legs out frantically, I wasn't sure how but I knew she was being stung by something. I held up my hands and cooed to her, hoping my voice would help bring her down.
"Cassandra, I do not think-" My dad began but he was cut off by someone shushing him. I found out afterwards that it was Emy.
I walked closer to the horse despite the flailing legs and kept my voice steady, cooing and coaxing her to calm down. After a few seconds she managed to keep her legs on the ground and I got close enough to stroke her, she was staring at me and I could sense her panic.
I moved around and began to check her over, the clearing was silent except for the huffs of the horse. On a hunch I checked her ears and immediately found the problem; two lumps the size of ping pong balls were attached to the inside. They were red and swollen looking, I knew straight away that they were not part of the horse.
"Giant ticks," I muttered just loud enough for those around me to hear, I turned to look at them. "I need tweezers or a small knife, something sharp."
The escorts looked puzzled but my dad caught on fast, he reached into his boot and pulled out a small dagger. He brought it forward and the horse grunted but she didn't try to rear up while I stroked her neck. I took the dagger from my dad and proceeded to dig out the heads of the massive ticks.
They were still alive but sluggish from the amount of blood they'd consumed. I killed each of them under my boot and the squelch they made was repulsive. I requested a cloth and wiped at the two cuts in the horse's ear. She was instantly grateful and began snuffling at my hair while I finished up.
I turned to the escorts once I was done and narrowed my eyes, "I don't ever want to see anyone using one of those straps on any horse. They don't act up for no reason so don't punish them for things they can't control, got it?"
To my surprise they nodded and responded, "Yes, miss," and I got the impression they were stunned by me.
I found this even more bizarre than horses with fangs. I turned to walk back and found everyone else staring at me. My face reddened, I moved between them to climb back up onto Ulric. The parents walked over with Kayle, Blaike and Kaleb in tow.
"Cassandra, how did you know what was wrong with that horse?" My mum asked, she had an unreadable expression on her face, as did the other parents.
I shrugged, "I don't know, I could just tell something wasn't right, she needed help not a whipping."
I rolled my eyes at the stupidity of whipping something because it didn't do what you wanted it to.
The parents exchanged a look and my dad stepped forward, "This is not the first mysterious incident with horses you have had... Has it happened with anything or anyone else?"
I was more confused about the question than their reaction to what I'd done, I shrugged again.
"I don't know, I haven't really seen any other animals around here. That reminds me, where are all the cats and dogs and birds, and insects?"
My dad seemed surprised at the direction the conversation had taken. "The season has changed, they are readying themselves for hibernation."
My brow creased, "Cats and dogs hibernate here?"
He nodded and smiled wider, "Yes they do, you will understand when the winter comes. But do not worry, the cats and dogs will return in the spring. You have changed the subject, we must talk about what just occurred in greater detail once we arrive back home. We will continue on our way to Eribourne, we are already running late."
He moved to mount his horse and everyone dispersed to their own, I caught the look on Blaike and Kaleb's faces however. They were giving me the same look they had back in the clearing before we had crossed over, it only lasted a second but I know I saw it. I watched everyone mount back up and waited until we were on our way before I leaned over to Emy.
"Blaike and Kaleb are giving me that look again, I thought we were done with all of that?"
Emy frowned and glanced at Blaike and Kaleb who were on either side of the formation.
"I don't know, maybe this thing with the horses means more than you think?"
I raised my brow when Emy turned away to focus on her riding, the connection might have been a bit peculiar but why should it cause such a reaction? There were people with magic and they were bothered because I had an affinity with horses? That's when the thought struck me, what if my connection to them was something magical and that's why my dad asked if it had happened with anything or anyone else?
I wanted to ask Blaike and Kaleb about magic but from the way Merkell and the parents had talked about it, having magic made you a target and I didn't want to put anyone in danger by discussing it out in the open. I made yet another mental note to ask about it when we were somewhere more secure.