Reflections
Author's Note:
Disclaimer: I do not own the Green Rider series nor anything associated with it. I am earning no financial gain. Green Rider belongs to Kristain Britain.
Here is my view on the future of Karigan and Sacoridia. I know, crappy intro, but I feel this adequately sums it up.
Chapter 1
Karigan woke with early morning sunshine streaming through the arrow slit windows illuminating her writing desk and the pile of paper she had been using as a pillow. She peered around her new room as she stretched her sore muscles, resisting the temptation to itch her bad eye.
Damn she thought, realizing she still hadn't finished her letter home. She glanced down at the topmost page and groaned as she saw what she had so far…nothing. Still unsure of what she could put into her letter, she rose and splashed water from a nearby basin to wash herself, gasping as the frigid water hit her skin.
I can't just send a letter. She thought dejectedly, I'll have to tell him in person. She sighed as she decided to write something simple, hoping she could find the words when the time came.
Father,
We need to talk. Please come.
Karigan
Feeling that was both enough and not enough, she folded and sealed the letter to give to Ty as he rode out. She stood, preparing to speak to captain Mapstone before hunting down Drent to resume training. As she turned to the door, she heard a commotion outside the castle, Horses whinnying and shouted orders. From the sounds she guessed some nobles had decided to go hunting with the break in the weather. She opened the door, to see a startled green foot messenger beyond, hand raised to knock.
The young girl composed herself quickly and smiled up at Karigan, glancing at her bandaged eyein discomfort as she said "Captain Mapstone wants to see you Rider Sir."
"Thanks, I know the way," she responded, annoyed over the girls reaction to her eye.
I'll just have to get used to it I suppose. She hurried to the captain's office, pausing to adjust to the glare of sunlight on pure white snow before continuing on. Despite the relocation of the riders after rider barracks burned, the captain's office remained in its own building outside the main castle. Karigan supposed he just hadn't wanted to make captain Mapstone move. Not needing to know who he was as she flushed. The heat rising in her cheeks keeping her face warm on her trek through the snow, hoping it would be attributed to the cold. She glanced over at the stables and noticed that the riders had already left and that it must have been a large party judging by the space of trampled snow.
As she reached the captain's door, she took a breath before knocking, stepping inside at the response from within. She stamped the snow off her boots just inside and looked around to see captain Mapstone behind the desk and Ty, already ready to ride, his uniform rider perfect as always, turning to smile warmly at her.
"Ty is about to go out," captain Mapstone said, stifling a yawn, "Did you want to send something home?" Her pointed look at Karigan reminding her of the captain's recommendation to send one.
"Yes Captain," she said, handing the note to Ty.
"Good, Ty, make sure you ride as fast as you can, no doubt Stevic wants this news as soon as possible.
"Yes captain," he replied, giving Karigan a small hug as he left.
The captain motioned her to sit. As she did so, she wandered why the captain was referring to her father as Stevic rather than the usual "Mr. Galadheon" but paid it no mind as the captain began speaking.
"The king went hunting several hours ago and Drent went with him, wo I will discuss your sword training with him later, in the meantime, the menders say you are fit for light duty, so I want to know if you want to take more time or get back to work?"
"The king went hunting in the middle of the night?" she said trying to hide her incredulous tone, "Then what was that I heard?"
"A group of nobles decided to join him when they awoke, no doubt his hunt will conveniently end as soon as they arrive," Laren replied, amused, "but enough about that."
"Yes captain, I'd like to get back to duty as soon as possible."
"So soon, you've been through a lot and I would understand if-"
"No, no, its fine. Getting back to work would take my find off of…"
Zachary she thought.
Cade Cade Cade…
Why do I have to think of both of them?
The captain must have taken her sudden distress as a recollection of her memories and changed the subject. "Well, I can't have you riding until you get used to your…injuries, so if you are really sure, we'll have you back to doing rider accounts for now, does that sound alright?"
"Yes captain, thank-you."
"Good, take the rest of this day to rest while I get you back on the books, can't have you working for free after all. Dismissed."
Karigan turned and hurried back to her room, hoping to sleep for the rest of the day so she wouldn't have to deal with curious questions or stares from the newer riders. As she arrived, she closed and bolted her door, hoping no one would disturb her as she grabbed her drawing, the one Yates had left for her, hoping that seeing the faces of the people she had met in the future would help her remember the way it had when she had first seen it. Unfortunately that sudden burst of clarity was eluding her now so she rolled over for a nap.
Karigan awoke to banging on her door and someone calling her name. Briefly glancing out the arrow slit, she realized she had been asleep for more than an hour as she opened her door to see captain Mapstone in a near panic.
"Karigan, I'm sorry but I need you to carry a message fast."
"What is it?" she asked, her own alarm rising, she had never seen the captain this panicked before.
"It's the Queen, she's gone into labor, and I need you to go summon the king fast."
"Where is he?" Karigan asked as she threw on her greatcoat which had been on the end of the bed.
"Hunting, by the lost lake. Hurry, I need to get back to the mending wing."
They left the rider wing at a near run, startling the rider trainees lounging in the common room before parting, Karigan sprinting to the rider stables to find Hep just finished saddling Condor for her.
She vaulted into the saddle without bothering with the stirrup and wheeled him around. Condor, feeling her urgency, needed no prompting as he broke into a gallop toward the gates. The guards, seeing her uniform as she charged to the gates, leaving a spray of snow in her wake, leapt aside as she passed. She thundered through the city, avoiding the worst of the traffic through shortcuts and leaving a string of curses behind her elsewhere.
The guards at the outermost city gate had enough time to clear her a path and then she was in the open country. She nudged Condor off the road, trusting him to avoid any obstacles as they raced to the lost lake. Within a handful of minutes she was in the trees and could see the party of nobles moving at a leisurely pace as they rode to join the king. As she closed in, she noticed guards shouting and pointing, and faces turning to see what was happening.
She flew past them, barely sparing a glance in her headlong rush, but could not help but smile as she heard the rapidly receding curses of a nobleman that had been sprayed by snow. She had been worried that riding with only one good eye would have taken adjustment, but was pleased to discover that she had no trouble, and trusted Condor to spot any threats from her off side.
As she neared the lost lake another half an hour later, she saw a weapon, moving slowly through the trees, silently halt and turn his horse towards hers as she neared. He saw her urgency and merely pointed. Without thought, she turned, knowing he had pointed her directly towards Zachary. Indeed, her assumption was proven right when she burst into a clearing to find him and several of his other weapons on foot with bows. His face lighting up as he recognized her, then becoming concerned when he saw her urgency.
She reined Condor to a stop and bowed from the saddle. "Sire," she said, slightly breathless, "you need to come at once, the Queen is giving birth."
"Now?"
"Yes sire."
"Fastion, take my bow, you and the others go and get the horses and follow."
Fastion merely nodded, taking the bow and motioning the weapons in the clearing, as well as a dozen others she hadn't seen away. Zachary, noticing her apparent confusion turned to her.
"Karigan, can Condor hold two?"
"Of course sire," she said, surprised he knew Condor's name, and also touched, "shall I give you a leg up?"
"No, I'll be fine, a pull would be appreciated though," he said proffering his arm.
Karigan grasped his hand, reveling in his touch as she hauled him into the saddle, tensing as he snaked his arms around her waist when he settled.
"Please relax," he breathed into her ear, "I'd rather not fall and take you with me."
She flushed with embarrassment, for a moment sad that that was the only reason he held her as she relaxed.
"Hold on tightly then sire, we'll ride hard."
She felt his grip tighten as she wheeled Condor around to race back to the castle. Momentarily catching a glimpse of Fastion and, more incredibly, Drent, grinning at her. DRENT! GRINNING! She thought incredulously as she heeled Condor into a gallop once more.
Ending A/N:
Hope it's not too bad, been awhile since I've had any time to do any writing, so I may be rusty. This first chapter is just to test the waters, and my writing will improve with time…I hope. Just to clear up the timescale a bit, to those who may have gotten a little lost with Sacoridia's calendar over mirror sight, it has been about nine months or so since she disappeared in Blackveil, so Estora should be due around now. Also, for this story, I wanted to take into account several factors that I feel have been overlooked in other post mirror sight fanfics, and the big one is Karigan telling her father that she is alive. Now, naturally, that wouldn't be something you could just put into a letter, so, expect him to show up at some point. Additionally, the issue with Cade is, I think, sad for Karigan, so while he will never be forgotten, she will move on, using her duties as a catalyst, but that's not to say he will become unimportant. He will still be useful, I just need to work out a few kinks in my plot ideas before it happens (and make sure his contribution doesn't disrupt the fabric of space-time while he's at it.) Please read and review. I thrive on criticism, just don't bomb me for my spelling, between names and locations…etc., there is too much red to notice individual words. (My dictionary doesn't recognize Sacoridia as a word…somewhat foolish of it.)