I thought of this as I finished up Diamond of Darkhold today. That last chapter, where it talked about the future and how Doon sometimes went along with Lina on her messenger trips, inspired me. This is the story of the first time he went.
"Lina! Lina!"
Lina Mayfleet stopped her horse and turned to see her best friend, Doon Harrow, rushing toward her, waving his arms in the air. His long, gangly sixteen-year-old boy legs made him trip and stumble over his own feet, but eventually, he reached her, breathing hard.
"What is it?" she asked, wondering if he had yet another adventure for them to embark on.
"Can I ride with you?" he said instead, surprising her thoroughly. "I want to look for old things in the ancient cities to hook the diamonds up to."
Lina looked at Fleet and the saddlebags thrown over his back, then shrugged. "I suppose so. Hop on."
She climbed onto Fleet, and Doon got on behind her. "You'll want to hold on," she said, looking over her shoulder and smiling at him. "We go fast."
Before he could ask what he was supposed to hold onto, Fleet was off, racing across the hills, and he was forced to wrap his arms tightly around her waist. When he realized their position, Doon blushed and was glad that he was staring at the back of Lina's head, not her face.
They didn't say much as they rode along, instead enjoying the summer heat, and each other's company, in silence. But when Lina reached back to undo the braid thumping against her back, her long hair blew into Doon's face, and he had to say something.
"Lina," he called to her, spitting strands out of his mouth. "Can you tie your hair back up?"
She turned to him and laughed, and, as was happening more and more lately, he noticed how pretty she was when her face exhibited such childlike joy. "Sorry about that. I just love the way it feels."
"No offense, but I'm not exactly loving the way it tastes," Doon teased, tugging on a loose chunk. Lina stuck her tongue out at him.
They rode on, Doon now focusing on the girl in front of him more than anything else. Every so often, he'd notice her leaning back against his chest and he'd squeeze her harder, pretending not to notice the curious looks she was giving him.
All too soon, the trip was over, and Lina was wriggling out of Doon's embrace. He watched her hop down from Fleet, landing gracefully on the ground and then starting to unpack the saddlebags.
"Aren't you coming?" she asked a minute later, seeing that he was still on the horse's back.
"Yeah," he said, smiling to himself as the thought came through his mind that he would hold Lina like that again. There were few things Doon had been this sure about before. "I'm coming."
Pretty short, but it's just a little oneshot. Review?
