Hannah took a deep breath before continuing over the hill. She knew she was doing the right thing, no matter how difficult it was to do. Without the aid of Aridian troops, the Temujai forces would decimate the Skandian army, leaving them a clear path to invade Araluen. If that happened, the country didn't stand a chance. The Temujai cavalry was far more advanced than the Araluen one, and they had no respect for the lives of their troops. It would be a bloody battle on both sides, but while Araluen would play conservatively, trying to avoid excessive bloodshed, the Temuj would deploy all of their men; if they died, they would be replaced by another. Horses and men were replaceable.
With those thoughts in mind, Hannah nudged Maya's side. The golden mare shot forward, galloping easily through the thick sand. Hannah had left Star with Halt; sturdy and athletic as the Ranger horse was, she wouldn't be able to match Maya's pace in the dessert. After all, Aridiamaia had been born to run.
Hannah leaned onto her mare's neck, watching the dunes fly by. It was a beautiful day in the dessert, the sky clear and blue. There was a slight breeze, enough to cool her face, but not to create a sand storm. As much as she loved Araluen, Hannah missed the dessert scenery.
After a few minutes of freedom, Hannah heard a shout in the distance. Turning around, she saw Ab dal'an and his guards slow their horses to a trot, struggling to keep up with her pace. Hannah smiled. Being in the Ranger corps had kept her horses in shape. The Aridians rode one of the few breeds that had the potential to outrun a Ranger. That meant that they could outrun pretty much everyone else. Because of this, they never tried to increase their horse's stamina, only keep it constant. That was the difference between Rangers and Aridians. Even though they had, by far, the best horses around, Rangers kept training. Why not make the best better?
It took three minutes for Ab dal'an and his escort to catch up. The horses were walking now, their sides heaving. "Your honor, you shouldn't go off on your own like that," one of the guards admonished. Hannah raised her eyebrows. He wasn't of sufficient rank to give orders to a princess, and since she needed troops she might as well start exercising her power.
"Is that so?" she asked. "I apologize. Fortunately, I can take care of myself as well as guard can. Probably better, judging by the last time I watched you all practice."
Ab dal'an coughed. "Perhaps that's not fair, Ayishah." Hannah grimaced internally at hearing her "real" name. "After all, the last time you were here was a good 6 years ago."
"That's not true, actually," Hannah corrected him. "A year and a half ago I came here to find a horse. While I was in the area, I stopped by the palace to visit some old friends of mine. While I was there, the guard was outside drilling. Absolutely horrendous back-flick parries."
Ab dal'an pursed his lips, no doubt mad that Hannah had gotten the last word.
The Emriker's castle was huge- bigger than she remembered. It loomed above the dessert. Around it sprawled a typical Aridian village, made to look out of place by the huge castle. The fortress hadn't been built by Aridians; hundreds of years ago, Arrida had been invaded by the Galls, the same group that settled modern-day Gallica. As a part of their conquest, the Galls had created the huge castle. Shortly after it's construction was finished, a group of Aridian rebels had taken the fortress, effectively ending the Gallic rule in Arrida.
Once again reminding herself of her mission, Hannah nudged Maya towards the main gate. The horse hesitated, glancing back at her rider. Aridiamaia, like all horses, was able to read her rider's body language. She could tell that Hannah was hesitant, making the horse afraid to continue. Hannah took another deep breath, trying to convince herself to go on- and then the guard, the same one who had reprimanded her, convinced her.
"Horse a bit skittish? I'll lead."
"I don't think that will be necessary," Hannah said coldly. She didn't appreciate the (incorrect) judgement of her mount. Fueled by the injustice of that remark, Hannah trotted her horse into the city. She had chosen her pace carefully. A fast trot allowed her to show off the horse she was riding, and showed a sense of purpose. However, it also allowed people to see who she was, and gave them time to gossip with their friends before she passed. By the time she got the castle, Hannah wanted the entire town to know that Ayishah, heir to the throne of Arrida, had arrived at the castle.
