Am not amazingly happy with this chapter but I'm going to keep it :) Haven't really got much else to say haha except enjoy :) xx
Glitter, glitter everywhere
The young servant watched silently from the bushes near a large clearing, he had dismounted his horse and tied her to a tree just out of sight. He pulled apart the leaves and thorns in front of him and watched the scene unravel, the green man the townspeople called the Hitcher had quickly descended the ladder against a tree and had ran toward a commotion just out of Howard's view. The Hitcher had a sword clutched tightly in his right hand making the young servant feel slightly nervous, he was no killer and was not prepared to slaughter anyone but if the need to fight approached then he would fight.
The area surrounding the tree was silent apart from the distant clashing of swords, quickly the servant dashed toward the tree and climbed the ladder as quickly as his hands and feet would allow him, when he reached the top he pushed the door open and peered into the hut. He saw the Prince sat on the bed, a silk cloth that belonged to Naboo clutched in his hands wet with tears. The young Prince jumped at the sight of the servant and immediately dashed off the bed toward him.
"Have you come to rescue me?"
"Yes, I have, come quickly!"
"Wait!" Howard faced the Prince in a hurry as he wrapped the silk round his neck, the servant noticed the gloves covering the Prince's hands but dismissed them.
"What is it?" Howard urged hoping the Hitcher did not return in a hurry.
"You are my Knight in Shining Armour, yes?"
"If you want me to be then yes." He sounded slightly impatient and didn't mean to.
"Then don't I get a kiss?"
"What?" Howard asked straightening up, all his nerves of the Hitcher had disappeared being replaced with confusion.
"Well, mother used to read me fairytales and the Princess was always awoken by the Prince's kiss."
"But I'm not a Prince, you aren't a Princess and you aren't asleep." Vince remained silent, he had secretly hoped a kiss would end the curse upon his hands "Now come on, we have to leave!" Howard dashed for the ladder without giving Vince any more time to speak and left quickly, the young Prince followed nervously. He put a foot on the ladder then the next then slowly clambered down, as his hands left the wooden hut he felt a tingling sensation around his wrists. He stopped climbing and watched as the gloves on his hands slowly began to disappear, the threads unravelled and turned to glitter falling to the ground.
"Oh no!" He mumbled, he carried on climbing down as fast as he could, Howard was already on the ground waiting and keeping a look out for the Hitcher. Before Vince reached the bottom the gloves had completely disappeared, he placed a bare hand on the wood of the ladder while taking a step down. The wood in his hand burst into glitter sending him off balance, he fell backwards toward the ground closing his eyes tightly until he stopped.
"Careful." Howard smiled slightly as the Prince opened his eyes to reveal himself in the young servant's arms.
"Thank you." Howard eyed the Prince suspiciously, his hands were stuck up in the air and the gloves had disappeared.
"Where are your gloves?"
"Uhm…I left them behind."
"Right, this way quickly. My horse is waiting." He set the Prince down and offered a hand but the Prince nervously shook his head.
"I'm fine!" He squeaked as Howard shrugged and hurried on leading the way through the prickly bushes. Vince lifted his arms up keeping his bare exposed hands clear of everything and anything, he kept quiet the whole way to the horse which amazed him, the beautiful white creature shook it's head and stamped a hoof as they approached. Howard grabbed the Prince around the wait, excused himself for doing so quickly then clambered up himself in front of the Prince.
"Hold on tight." Vince just nodded biting his lip, he had nothing to hold onto and could only hold out his hands away from the horse and his rescuer.
"You never told me your name!" He began trying to stall the horse from galloping off.
"Howard Moon." The servant snapped the reigns ordering Rosabella to hurry off, Vince lost his balance and tumbled backwards to the floor, his hands touched the grass turning everything to glitter, Howard calmed the horse and starred down at the Prince and the mess of the floor. Vince gripped glitter in his hands not daring to sit up and face the servant "Did you do that?" He asked quietly.
"I didn't mean to!" Vince spun round pulling himself from the floor "The Hitcher put a curse on me! Anything I touch turns the glitter, the gloves disappeared!"
"Come here." Howard ordered in a soft tone, the Prince obeyed and stood near the horse careful not to touch it "Hold your arms up." Howard grabbed under the Prince's arms and hauled him back onto the horse, he tucked an arm round his middle while his other hand gripped the reins "Keep your hands out of the way and I'll keep you on the horse."
"Do you promise?"
"Yes, of course I promise." Rosabella roared into life once more and hurried through the forest stopping for nothing. The white flakes had stopped falling from the sky, the clouds had nearly lost their grey tinge but the forest still seemed cold and lifeless. A figure emerged from the trees quickly holding a sword up toward the horse, Rosabella reared and came to a shakey halt clearly annoyed.
"Stop right there!"
"Who are you?"
"Dixon Bainbridge. And it appears you have my prize. So I'll be taking him from your hands." He pointed at Vince who shook his head quickly as the arm round his waist tightened "Come now boy, I haven't got all day!" Bainbridge reached for Vince's hand and grabbed it quickly however before he could pull the Prince from the horse and drag him back to the castle he erupted into a shower of glitter, Vince starred on horrified his mouth open and eyes wide with shock.
"I didn't mean to!" He started quickly starring down at the glitter heap by Rosabella's feet.
"I know." Howard assured him slightly loosening his arm around the Prince's waist "We need to get you to Naboo out of sight of everyone else. We can't afford anymore people being turned to glitter." Howard reached for the silk around Vince's neck and quickly draped it over his head tossing the remainder over the Prince's shoulder, his face was tucked away neatly from view "Let's hope no one give's you a second glance."
As the white horse hurried away, deep within the forest the atmosphere was alive with fury and screams. The wooden hut was torn apart in a fit of anger, furniture was upturned and the blankets were slashed. Then with sword in hand the Hitcher left the destruction behind and ventured toward the town in search of the Prince and the poor soul who rescued him.