Alexa struggled to get her brand new steel toed boots on. Patrick was going to try going for a ride today. The horse had been coming along by leaps and bounds. Patrick had been working with it every single day. She had to admit her lazy little brother had finally put his full effort into something and it was quite amazing to see. The horse now came running to greet them when they approached the fence. Except Kaleth of course. The horse wasn't stupid and it knew he wasn't to be trusted. Whether it knew his previous crimes or it smelled predator on him she couldn't say. Patrick had dug through the barn to uncover a saddle and had been putting it on the horse to get it used to the idea. Today he wanted to climb on and see how far she would take him. Alexa had volunteered to help out so now she was going to just lead the horse around with him on it's back. Kaleth knew not to follow when it had anything to do with the animals and she gently reminded Pitch he would be more of a hindrance than a help and told him to stay in her room. She jogged down the stairs two at a time. She jogged across the yard to where Patrick was standing with the horse by the gate to the pasture. She held the rope as Patrick climbed into the saddle. The horse laid it's ears back but didn't seem too bothered otherwise. Once Patrick was comfortably situated Alexa slowly lead the horse away from the fence. She seemed a little nervous at first, unaccustomed to carrying anyone on her back but followed Alexa. Patrick produced a carrot from no where and passed it to Alexa to feed the horse. After seeing the carrot she seemed to forget all about Patrick sitting on her back.
"She doesn't seem to mind too much." Alexa observed. Patrick grinned, and sat up a little straighter.
"I looked a lot of info up on the internet. It said to slowly build them up to it and that's what I've been doing." he said. Alexa grinned proudly. After a couple circles near the gate and barn Patrick motioned for her to hand him the leads. She handed them over and he grinned steering the horse around the pasture. Alexa climbed up onto the fence to watch. He brother spent the better part of an hour riding the horse before deciding she'd had enough. He rode her up to the fence and Alexa grabbed hold of the leads as he climbed off. He took the horse from her and they headed into the barn to groom her. Patrick expertly removed the saddle. He hung it over one of the empty stalls and grabbed one of the ropes on either side of the aisle. He'd explained to her last time she was out they were called cross ties and they were used to keep the horse still while you groomed it. He hooked the two ropes to the horse's halter then grabbed two brushes he handed one to Alexa and they got to work.
"So what do you plan to do with her once you have her all trained?" Alexa asked. Patrick just shrugged.
"I don't know, go riding. That's what she's supposed to be used for right." he said. Alexa nodded quietly and continued brushing. They were quiet for several minutes before Patrick broke the silence.
"The ghost came out again last night." he said quietly. Alexa's eyes widened. The ghost had made several more appearances since she had her last flashback dream. It still hadn't spoken to her but always had something to say to Patrick. She stayed silent waiting for him to continue. She was left waiting longer than she expected and she wasn't sure if he was going to elaborate. Finally he cleared his throat.
"She said the dragon obeyed your commands." he said quietly. Alexa stared in amazement. The ghost had ratted her out. She had to bluff her way out of this if she didn't want her parents to here about it.
"I think it's damaged somehow. It hasn't spoken to me at all, it just stares. Nothing it says ever makes sense." she said, gagging Patrick's reaction. He stared at her curiously for a moment but seemed to let it go. Alexa knew there was something more, but she had chosen the wrong response and now he didn't feel like sharing. She frowned and turned back to brushing the horse.
"I think the dragon killed her," Patrick said, then added, "Whatever the dragon is." Alexa frowned. Patrick believed in the dragon. His guess that the dragon had killed her was probably correct. She shrugged.
"Maybe it was someone's nickname. Or a gang or something." she said. Patrick shook his head.
"I don't think so but I want to figure it out and help her." he said. Alexa nodded sagely as Patrick cleaned the dead hair out of his brush
"She doesn't seem like she died an easy death. After that she deserves to rest in peace." she said. Patrick nodded.
"She's too angry with this dragon, and wants to stop him before there are more victims. She keeps telling me he is going to kill me, or you. She isn't fond of you either." he said thoughtfully. Alexa recalled the disinterested looks the ghost usually gave her. She couldn't really complain, at least the ghost wasn't trying to hurt her like it was with Kaleth. She watched Patrick carefully. It seemed the ghost was highly talkative with him. She wondered silently if there was a way she could get it to finally talk to her. She knew more about it's life and death and might have a better chance of helping it than Patrick.
"Does she respond if you talk back to her?" she asked. Patrick shrugged.
"Sometimes she does. Sometimes she doesn't. She tends to go off on a rant about the dragon every time, but sometimes she listens to me." he said, shivering. Alexa frowned, why couldn't the ghost leave her brother out of it and tell her these things directly. At least then maybe they could sort things out peacefully instead of all this smoke and daggers, and freezing her familiar.
"Do you think she would talk to me if you told her to?" she asked. Patrick furrowed his brow as if he hadn't thought of this. Alexa rolled her eyes, he was her little brother. f course he hadn't thought of it. He smiled as he scraped his brush down the horse's legs. Alexa's side of the horse wasn't even half done.
"I don't know but i could try." he replied. Alexa nodded as she cleaned the meager amount of hair she had managed to gather out of her brush. Patrick was done his side and moved to help her. He had far more practice at this as he was out here every single day.
"She said she could help me. That she would do anything if it ended the dragon's life." he said. Alexa shook her head.
"That kinda sounds like a deal with the devil." she said. Patrick frowned as if he had actually been considering.
"What if it backfires and she possesses you, or something bad happens?" she asked. Patrick rolled his eyes in response.
"I wouldn't let it. What if I could make her follow my every command?" he asked. Alexa shook her hand.
"Even if she had to follow your every command things could go wrong." she said thinking of Kaleth and the risk she had faced of him harming her family. This ghost had a lot of anger just like him. Only it wasn't a magical slave but a free thinking being. They were almost finished with the brushing and Alexa pulled her sweater closer. It had grown dark outside and now that summer was ending there was a bit of a chill in the air. They finished up with the horse quickly and headed inside to warm up.
Kaleth's eyes shot to the door. Alexa still wasn't back from helping her brother. His eyes were burning from lack of sleep but he didn't want to ask Alexa to send him off to the other plane and leave herself undefended. He shivered, a sure sign the ghost was nearby. He couldn't close his eyes without it attacking now unless he was near Alexa. Even then if she was asleep the ghost would sneak up. There was no way he'd ask her to stay awake and watched over him as he slept either. there was a creak from the closet and he turned quickly but saw nothing. Pitch was stretch out, covering Alexa's entire bed and watching him with amusement. Stupid feline, why didn't the ghost try to hurt him. Pitch was Alistar's familiar too. The floor outside the door creaked and he turned back again. He could hear a snicker on the other side. How the hell could he even fight it. It was already dead, it didn't have a solid form and it could vanish in a flash. Pitch made a strange growling noise and Kaleth glanced towards the door to see the ghost. He back up as far as he could on the couch. The ghost tilted it's head to the side and smiled.
"So you're scared of me now." she said, her eyes wide. Kaleth had to fight the urge to bare his fangs at her. One he didn't have fangs right now, Alexa had told him to stay in human form. Two even when he was in his dragon form he fought against acting like an actual animal.
"Why do you want me? Did you get Alistar?" he asked. Then spirit grinned wider.
"The green eyed devil, he's not here anymore." she singsonged. Kaleth shivered as a frigid breeze blew past him. She singsonged some random words for a few minutes before here gaze locked back on Kaleth.
"I'm stronger now than I was then. You can't hurt me anymore." she said. Then she grinned wider still as if her face was about to crack. She drifted closer and Kaleth stiffened. She leaned in close to his ear.
"I won't end it quickly, we'll have so much fun. Just like before." she whispered. He watched her move away and for a second thought he had escaped without injury. Then she sent a large chunk of ice flying at him and it hit him in the temple. He brought his hand up to feel blood dripping down his face.