Sable Rider

Sunlight shone through wide open stable doors in bright rectangles of gold. The warm smells of hay, horses and leather mingled together in the half light. The occupants of the spacious stalls stamped and nickered softly at her approach. They knew she would bring hay and oats. It was late enough in the day that she and the other stable hands had begun to get the horses ready for the night, but the summer sun was not near setting. The messenger horses greeted her pleasantly as she entered each stall with a pitchfork laden with hay.

She was a very pretty girl of about ten; her waist-length, straight, raven hair was platted into a loose but practical braid down her back. Her catlike eyes were a deep emerald green in her marble-white face. She was tall for her age, and unlike other girls, she was in perfect proportions; there was nothing awkward or gangly about her. She wore a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. Her green breeches fit her long legs well and her highly polished, black boot seemed to repel the dust. Just as she was finishing up with the last horse, a big bay named Clover, the bell she had been waiting for all day finally rang. She squealed in childish excitement, closed the stall door responsibly, and dashed to the courtyard as fast as her long legs would carry her slight frame.

At the edge of the yard, she peered down to the city street below. Sure enough, a travel worn Green Rider astride a lathered horse galloped toward her. She squinted at the Rider, shielding her large eyes with a delicate hand. Three Riders had come out of the stable and Barracks to see their returning comrade and gauge how important the message was. They squinted and scratched their heads. One Rider, Evony, speculated in her melodic voice,

"Is it Ringwall? I can't make out anything yet…" She strained to see better, frowning slightly. Evony blew a stray hair out of her eyes. She and the two men in green peered down at the long road, after another moment they gave up trying to see. Evony turned to see the little Green Foot staring intently at the figure they could not identify. The young Rider smiled sweetly at the wide-eyed girl. All the Riders knew what the strange girl could do. "Hey, Sable…Can you see who that is?" Sable smiled brightly and turned back to the road.

The horse was gawky, but very sturdy, bred for speed and endurance more than good looks – like many messenger horses. As the Rider drew near, she made out a slim figure and long, inky-black hair. She gave a high-pitched squeal of delight and clapped her hands. She laughed brightly,

"It's Mama!" And with that, she sprinted off to the castle gate. Evony grinned at her companions.

"So, Elorey is back! It'll be nice too have her around again." The men nodded. The taller of the two Riders shook his head.

"That's an odd girl Elorey's got. Sweet, but odd." The other two made noises of assent. Evony ran her fingers threw her hair and commented,

"We had better get another horse ready incase she needs to go out again… I do hope King Amigast doesn't send her out again." She sighed and she and her companions walked briskly into the stable.

By the time this short exchange had finished, Sable was standing under the portcullis. The stiff wind whipped her inky hair out of her eager face as her mother cantered towards her. In her high, musical voice she cried,

"Mama!" The wind brought a happy, if tiered, laugh back to her ears. After a breathless moment of waiting, Elorey Talltree cantered through the castle gate, past the silver and black uniformed guards and her daughter. Sable dashed after the horse, remarkably, she stayed level with the gelding's flanks. Elorey smiled over here shoulder at her bounding daughter. Someone outside of the Green Riders would have thought Elorey callous for not stopping to greet her child, but she was one of the king's Messengers, her message was a priority. Elorey loved her daughter devoutly; Sable knew that and understood her mother's service to the king was essential.

At the stable, Rider Talltree dismounted, hugged her daughter and marched towards the castle. Sable took hold of Inferno's reins and walked him in a wide circle to cool him down. By the fact that her mother had not galloped up to the castle doors, Sable knew that her mother did not carry an urgent missive, and would more than likely not be sent out again for at lest two weeks. The idea made a happy bubble well up inside her. Her large eyes glittered with suppressed excitement, but, like her mother, Sable had a job to do. The stable and its inhabitance were her responsibility.

Two days later…

Elorey and Sable lounged in the pasture, the high grass shielding them from the Rider Barracks. A few horses grazed nearby, their tails flicked back and forth nonchalantly in the warm sun. Elorey sat behind her daughter, braining a bottle-green ribbon into her long tresses. At first glance, they two were identical, though closer inspection proved otherwise. They had the same, almond-shaped green eyes, straight, onyx hair and pale, pretty faces. But beyond that, they had little in common. Sable was finer boned, her cheekbones and forehead higher and, of course, Sable had delicately pointed ears. Elorey worshiped her daughter, but made certain she was not spoiled. They were the epitome of calm and comfort. Their jet-black hair reflected the sunshine in waves of gold.

"There my sweetling, don't you look like a princess?" Said Elorey as she finished platting. Sable giggled, finding the idea funny.

"I'm a Green Foot, Mama! I can't be a princess!" Her mother smiled conspiratorial.

"Oh? What about your little friend, Prince Zachary? Lieutenant Mapstone says he demanded to have you attended his privet classes. It sounds like he likes you…Maybe you'll be a princess after all." Sable was still young enough to find boys icky and made her opinion known by emitting a loud,

"Ewww!" After a moment of thought, Sable added, "Besides, Zachary won't be king, Prince Amilton will be. Zachary'll be Lord-Govenor of Hillander Province." Elorey laughed and kissed her child. Sable leaned back into her mother's lap and smiled up at her.

"My, but you're a pretty girl, my lovely." Sable's eyes widened. She had never thought of herself as a beauty. "You'll be much prettier than I'll ever be." Now Sable was shocked. In her mind, Elorey was the most beautiful woman alive.

"How do you know?"

"Because I saw your father, lass! And a more handsome man, I never saw." Sable loved when her mother spoke her about her father.

"Tell me about him. Please. How did you meet?" She knew the story, but it never grew old. Elorey had been badgered into tell it very night for the first six of Sable's life.

"Well, I was delivering a message up north, near the Green Cloak. I bedded down for the night, in the woods off the road. I went to sleep…Then, in the middle of the night, I heard something - music. But it was inside me, not around me, like it should be. It was the most beautiful sound I have ever heard. I got up and followed it. Suddenly, there was a bright, silvery light coming from a clearing ahead of me…There were people in the clearing. Eletains…They were so lovely." This part was Sable's favorite. She could feel the thrill building inside herself. "Before I could get more than five yards from the clearing, someone stopped me. He was perfect – flaxen hair, fine features, and hair like pale gold. He was wonderful…So kind." And that was all Elorey would ever say. Sable knew instinctively that there was more to the story; however, her mother never shared. She got the distinct impression that Lieutenant Mapstone was in on the story, but the chances of Laren telling her anything that Rider Talltree didn't want her to hear were about as great as Sable's chances of becoming a princess.

"Mama, why won't you tell me more?" Elorey shook her head.

"Not yet, when you're settled with a good profession and you have some roots, I'll give you my diary and you can read the story. I don't want you running off after your father and missing out on a real life." Sable knew better than to whine or beg; her mother did not tolerate that sort of thing. She would just have to be patient. She sighed.

That was the last clear memory Sable had of her mother… On her very next ride, Elorey Talltree died. It was never clear if it was a terrible accident or foul play. It still haunted Sable's mind.

With a short gasp, Rider Sable Eltsire awoke. That memory was over fifteen-years-old… And it was still painful. Sable lay in the dark of her tiny room in Rider Barracks trying to block out what she did not wish to remember. It hurt so…

Then the sound of someone knocking softly on her door brought her back to the present. She knew what it was about. There was only one reason there would be a stealthy tap on her door in the middle of the night. Grateful for the distraction, she got up, pulled on her green breeches and a white linen shirt and fastened her winged horse brooch to the lapel of her jacket before sliding it on. As another tap sounded she hurriedly yanked on her boots. Then she opened the door. A stony-faced Weapon, one of the elitist and most skilled warriors, stood before her, clad all in black.

"Hello, Rory…The king wants to speak with me?" He nodded without his expression changing in the slightest. Soundlessly, he turned and marched down the hall. Sable glided after the Weapon. She was no stranger to these nighttime calls to duty. Rider Eltsire was deeply devoted to here king. Though she had no idea why she was being summoned, she was certain that it was going to be a long night.