Chapter Seven

The further Olivier ventured into the forest, the more certain she was that something was tailing her, most likely a wild animal. She tried to walk in a straight line, as that would ultimately lead her out of this creepy place and into the suburb of Mitron, but every few steps she heard a suspicious shuffling in the bushes and trees that made her spin around sharply. More often than not it was a bird or a rabbit, but though she was brave, Olivier hadn't forgotten her encounter with muggers three years ago, which had resulted in a gunshot, a near-amputation and a concussion.

Her thirst was really starting to slow her down, so she picked some leaves off plants that she knew were not poisonous and sucked on them. It wasn't much, not to mention that some of the leaves tasted horrible enough for her to gag and spit out, but it was better than nothing. She wished more than ever that she hadn't let her anger take over and therefore would've had enough sense to pack some food and water.

Although her stomach was grumbling and her lips were dry, she actually started to appreciate the birdsong that sliced through the still air as cleanly as the Armstrong sword back home would have. She enjoyed watching the birds flutter from tree to tree, their little beaks opening to call to their kin.

Her journey went undisturbed for an hour or so, but a violent rustling in a bush to her right sent her heart shooting up to her mouth – this wasn't the wind or some harmless animal. And she was right. A split second later the beast came hurtling out of the shrub, its teeth bared in a snarl.

It was some sort of wild dog. Adrenaline shot through Olivier's body and she ran for the nearest tree a couple of yards away. The dog was almost on top of her when she threw herself onto the trunk and scrambled up for dear life.

She was well up into the branches before she had the nerve to look back. She had done the right thing. Dogs couldn't climb trees.

There it was, huge and grey, looking up at her from the base of the tree. A low growling noise was coming from its throat, and she could see in its eyes that it felt exactly like she did when her parents refused her what she wanted. She wondered why it was alone and not part of a pack like most wild dogs were. Maybe it had been left behind.

She felt much calmer and braver now that she was safe in the tree's branches.

"Come on, you great mutt," she taunted the dog. "Come and get me."

The dog placed its front paws on the trunk and scrabbled at it, causing fragments of bark to rain down on its body. It seemed to be foaming at the sides of its mouth.

Olivier was highly amused. She broke of small branches and threw them down at the dog. This seemed to infuriate the creature even more, and it made desperate attempts to get up the tree, though needless to say, they all failed.

Olivier teased the dog for a while, but then it suddenly occurred to her that if the beast didn't move, she wouldn't be able to get down from the tree. She held up her hand and made a flapping motion.

"Shoo!" she said. "Go find your lunch elsewhere."

The dog didn't move.

She tried again. "There's meat right over there." She pointed to the bushes behind the dog. "Easy prey. Go on."

The dog simply glared at her. She rolled her eyes, trying to devise a new plan, when all of a sudden, the creature's ears perked up and it took off in the opposite direction. Olivier saw its tail swish in the leaves momentarily, and then it was gone.

She blinked rather rapidly, and then climbed down from the tree. She knew she ought to be grateful that it had disappeared so quickly, but a part of her felt that it was a shame that it hadn't stayed longer. As savage as it had been, sometimes Olivier felt that animals understood her better than humans did.

She held up for a few hours more, but by around early afternoon her legs were aching and her throat was parched.

"Stupid forest," she muttered irritably as she trampled along, splashing mud onto her clean white dress. "Why couldn't they have chopped more of it down?"

She was just about to flop onto the ground and fall asleep when the trees thinned unexpectedly and she found herself in a clearing. She squinted in the sudden bright sunlight. Before her was a whole slice of land occupied by fresh green grass, and on the other side was a –

Olivier squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again. She was not hallucinating. It was a horse, saddled, grazing in the pasture. She tiptoed forward for a closer look. It was a beautiful chestnut mare, with two white socks and a white muzzle. Though she seemed calm, Olivier noticed that she was breathing rather quickly, and that the muscles in her flank were tense.

Now, while Olivier was very irritable and impatient around people, she was the complete opposite around horses. She had taken a liking to the creatures ever since she first set eyes on one (which was understandable, as that particular horse had been the feistiest in the whole city). She had taken riding lessons partly because her father had thought it a valuable skill, partly because Alex had had an irrational fear of being thrown off, and partly because she had simply wanted to.

So in the end, she had accumulated a lot of knowledge about horses over the years, and knew a frightened horse when she saw one. This mare had probably escaped from Mitron – Olivier knew practically every horse that pulled the carriages in Central City by sight, and didn't recognise this one – after being treated cruelly.

She closed her eyes for a moment, drawing in the fresh air. When she opened them again, she felt calmer. This was something her father had taught her, and enabled her to switch quickly from irritable-tomboy mode to sweet-young-lady mode.

The mare's head jerked up as Olivier walked confidently towards her. After taking in the girl's appearance, the creature took a few steps backwards, her ears flat against her head and her nostrils flaring. Olivier could see the whites of her eyes.

"It's all right," she cooed, slowly advancing with her hand held out. "I won't hurt you."

The horse snorted. Her eyes were huge and terrified, but Olivier thought there was something else in them, something she couldn't quite make out. She continued to take slow steps in the grass. Then, without warning, the mare reared up on her hind legs.

"Whoa!" Olivier jumped back, quick as lightning. Another moment and she would've been kicked in the face. She held up both hands. "Whoa, girl, calm down!"

The horse dropped back on four legs, and this time Olivier knew what she was seeing in her eyes. Defiance.

"Ha!" she said triumphantly. "So you're not quite the gutless type, after all." She was about to say more, but caught herself just in time and forced her voice to sound soothing. "Come here, girl," she beckoned with a finger and a sweet smile.

The mare was still regarding her with suspicion. Olivier wished she had an apple to coax her with. Nevertheless, she persisted. "There now, you pretty creature," she said, trying to squash her features into a more innocent look, "You don't honestly believe that a vulnerable little girl like me could do you any harm, do you?" As she spoke, she inched towards the horse again.

The mare didn't try to resist this time, but her eyes were still distrustful and her ears were perked up and alert.

I need a different strategy, thought Olivier desperately. Who knows how long this is going to take? I might as well be dead by then.

"Well now," she said matter-of-factly, some of her old harshness back in her voice (the mare's head jerked up, noticing the change in tone), "Since you obviously prefer your real master, I suppose I don't stand a chance, though it is a shame." With that, she turned on her heel and strode briskly back the way she had come.

She had barely walked two steps when she heard a pleading whinny behind her, and when she looked back the mare was trotting up to her, stopping a few feet away.

"Yes?" Olivier said sweetly, as though oblivious to the situation. The horse whinnied again.

"Ah, I see. Have you changed your mind, girl? Well, come a little closer –" she beckoned encouragingly, "– or I'll leave again." She pointed to the stretch of forest before her.

The mare seemed to consider for a moment, but decided that she'd rather not be alone. She walked up to Olivier, who reached out slowly and stroked her muzzle.

"Good girl," she said softly, feeling triumphant. A ray of sunlight landed on the mare's halter, and a name flashed down at her. Ember.

She grinned. "Ember, huh? I can see why that is."

Ember whinnied, as though glad she was being called her proper name at last.

"Now, will you let me borrow you for a while, girl?" Olivier asked. Without waiting for an answer, she put one foot in the stirrup and swung herself over the saddle.

She had barely grabbed hold of the reins before Ember broke into a canter. They thundered across the clearing and into the trees on the other side, the wind whipping Olivier's hood off her head in the process. All as well, or so she thought, until Ember stopped so suddenly that she was thrown into the air. The reins slipped out of her sweaty hands and she did a somersault in the air before landing solidly on her feet like a cat.

"Testing me, were you?" she panted. She could see nothing that could have frightened Ember. "Well, you'd better not try that again. You might end up killing me next time."

She mounted Ember again, and this time, there were no tricks in store for her. Before she knew it, they had reached Mitron, and the sun had just set.

The suburb looked exactly as she remembered it, having made a few trips here in the past. Humble houses and shops were scattered around the place, and unlike Central City, Mitron had no shortage of trees. Dirt roads wound around buildings and a general air of tranquillity emanated from the area.

But the one thing Olivier was interested in was a fountain, gushing clear, glistening water. She had just about caused it to dry out (that was how thirsty she was) when a voice came out of the blue.

"Ember! Oh, thank goodness!"