Disclaimer: I don´t own Old Magic
Chapter 1 : Arrival
Rain was falling upon the group of people riding on horse back´s, that was making their way through an out thining forest.
They had been riding already for most of the day, it was evening now, a few hours left till it would become dark.
Their destination wasn´t far away anymore, they hoped to reach it within one hour or two.
The person to lead the group was a soldier - maybe even a knight - a grim and cautious look on his war-worn face.
Right behind him and protected at either sides by other soldiers, rode a woman.
Her red hair fell over her right sholder in a long swirl down to her abdomen.
Her blue eyes - a color not very common apart of a few members of a family as it seemed to her - looked straight on the way, yet not in a watchful way.
She was rather daydreaming, thinking about the strange dream she had last night.
In the dream she had been standing on a cliff, the wild sea tossing under her, waves crashing against stone.
A storm seemed to be coming nearer.
Lighting flashed through the sky with far away thunder following.
However a crow flew out of apparently nowhere towards her, the strong wind no problem at all for its strong wings.
Somehow she didn´t fear this creature, rather holding out her arm for it to land.
Which it did, starring at her with its small black eyes.
It croaked, almost waiting.
Then she reached out her other hand, carefully advanced the bird with it.
But before she had the chance to stroke its feathered head, it hopped from her arm, sailing shortly in the wind before proceeding to land.
Yet the bird never touched the ground, suddenly a man stood right before her.
The way he dressed all in black...and there was something in his eyes..
...all in all he looked dangerous, someone one would want to run away in his worst nigthmare...strangely she didn´t fear him or had a desire to run at all..
...she felt almost...attraction..towards this stranger..
"Lady Quenell ? Is everything alright, Mylady ?" Asked a soldier riding to her left in a concerned tone.
It took her awhile to realize that she was talked to and awaken out of her thought.
"Yes, yes..Don´t worry, I´m fine."
When she looked up this time, she saw the castle of Thornthyne right in front of them, only minutes parting her from her future.
With a sigh and a glance to the ominous other castle, hundreds of meters away from the in the opposite direction, she rode on.
"Lady Mira !" She was greeted enthustiastically by a man in his maybe forties, obviously the Lord of this castle.
"I believe you had a long journey ?" He asked her, while she was helped down off her by a soldier.
"Quite long, Lord Thornthyne." She told him very politely.
"Then I presume it would be the best for me to guide you directly into the hall, where you shall forget strenuous journey over a delicious meal !"
"As you wish, Lord Thornthyne." She said as polite as before, but also more shy.
Once in the hall she immediately got to know her future husband.
To her surprise - which she tried to hide as best as possible - he had barely reached manhood, being 18.
She knew that with her own age of 25 she wasn´t the youngest bride anymore, yet she wouldn´t have expected to be married to someone that young.
Malcolm was his name, and albeit his age he was a pleasant conversation partner.
Or would have been, if he had been saying anything.
It was rather his father - Richard - who was speaking with her all the time, with Malcolm sitting opposite to her, sometimes smiling or nodding at her.
After a few hours of small talk and questions about her journey and family she was showed the room she was going to stay in.
When the maid left her she was just about to go into her bed, as she noticed something out of the corner of her eyes.
The view, the window she had, were providing, was a direct one to the castle opposite to Castle Thornthyne.
It seemed to be an opposite in every way, the way it throned their ill boding in the darkness. With a shiver running down her spine she finally went to bed, the castle the last thing she saw before she closed her eyes.
Review please :)..but no flames !!