(13) Trick Riding
"Oh, cute," Morgana groaned. "Now they're getting on horseback."
The bandits were in full swing now rallying against her and the prince. Most were still on foot chasing them but a few had gotten smart and grabbed a mount. Though they weren't all that smart, a large group of them chasing her wasn't an ideal situation now with royalty involved.
Morgana glanced down at her weapon and harness assessing how many bullets she had before potentially needing to switch to the bow and arrows still on her back.
"Can you really shoot while on horseback?" he asked, glancing back at her.
"Bow and arrow is a bit more forgiving with the movement but," she glanced back again seeing a few start to gain on them. "Shotgun can be highly effective if done correctly."
She turned again seeing the bandits closer in, "I hope your steed has stam-"
A rock struck Morgana square on the back of her head jerking her forward. She yelped gripping onto the Prince's shoulder for a moment finding her balance again. Once she was steady she wiped away the blood that was already dripping down into her hair.
The Prince attempted to turn to see her. Morgana stopped him squaring his shoulders forward.
"Please just focus on what's ahead of you, Your Highness," she said, dabbing at the blood again. "I got everything else."
"Are you hurt?" he asked as Goldshire drew closer.
"Turn around!" Morgana shouted. "If you lead them into Goldshire half of them will pillage it."
He turned his horse sharply then and started riding into the grassy terrain.
This is bad. He doesn't even have any armor on. What was father thinking suggesting to him to help me?
Morgana's eyes went wide as they turned seeing one outlaw dangerously close; close enough to reach out to them. Morgan let out a lazy one handed shot out of desperation for distance managing to hit the chaser in the shoulder. The bandit hunched forward in his saddle before pulling back on the reins and stopping his horse. Morgana watched as a few outlaws behind him either slowed their hose down or stopped to help.
"Morgana!" the Prince called out to her.
Morgana quickly turned forward seeing a few of the mounted raiders cut over the grassline to them. She placed her left hand on the Prince's right shoulder with the gun in her opposite hand and leaned over, more trying to shield him from any oncoming attacks than get a better angle for a shot. Three more half attempted shots came from the gun seeing ass she couldn't use both hands at the moment. All three landed somewhere causing one of them to fall off their mount.
She sat back looking down at her gun realizing she now needed to reload.
"I have to reload," she spoke, reaching down for more bullets.
"I've got a jump coming!" he replied.
Before Morgana had time to adjust the horse jerked beneath her causing her natural reaction to reach out and grab the Prince before her. Her hands quickly gripped upward around his shoulders like a backpack as she watched her gun bounce off her thighs and down to the ground. Morgana sighed, subconsciously tipping her head forward and resting it on the Prince's back in defeat.
"Morgana?" he called out softly to her, turning slowly.
She stiffened a gasp as she sat upright releasing him, "Sorry!"
"What happened?"
"I lost my gun," she answered with grief knowing her father would have words to say to her.
She reached up and pulled out her bow taking a quick glance behind her.
"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I should've given you more warning, but they were coming from all angles and I didn't have many options."
"It's alright," Morgana replied, trying to sound more uplifting. "Just means I get to use the bow and arrow but…"
The bow and arrows were not a weapon she could use with one hand as the shotgun. Now she required both to shoot which wouldn't be a huge issue unless all their attackers came from the front or back. Morgana had the space for side shots but her front and back were vulnerable.
Maybe she should ask him to turn around and she can attempt to pick up the gun off the ground? But chances were one of the bandits already picked it up. With the situation growing more dire she now believed it was time to hop off and let him ride back to the safety of Stormwind.
Yes, you can, you know how.
Morgana's eyes went wide at the thought.
"No, no, I couldn't do that," Morgana shook her head. "Out of the question."
"What's out of the question?"
Her face felt hot as her thoughts were not to herself.
Morgana turned, hearing an attacker from behind. Two of them were only a few strides away one with a rock sling ready to throw and the other with a spear in hand. The decision was immediate as she realized how close they were.
"Lean to your left if you have to," she called out to him.
Morgana lifted her legs from the horse and wrapped them around the Prince's torso before sliding off the backside of the horse to the right. She held up her bow with an arrow ready first striking the nearest outlaw in the arm ready to launch the rock sling. As they cried out in pain Morgana loaded in the next arrow seeing the second chaser watching the first fall back. She let her arrow fly into the collar bone area at such a force the second rider fell off their mount entirely.
Morgana hung for a moment unable to see any other bandits in pursuit behind the two she dealt with. She glanced back up at the Prince seeing him offer her a hand. She took it willingly as he easily hoisted her back up. Morgana steadied herself and assumed a normal position on the horse with her legs back to the sides.
"We need to turn back, they aren't chasing us anymore," she spoke.
The Prince immediately turned his white steed.
"What else can you do?" he laughed. "I'm not sure I've seen anyone else do all that on horseback."
Morgana cracked a shy smile looking down, "Honestly, on horseback that's pretty much it."
The Prince's steed was starting to tire. A slow trot was the pace for heading back to Goldshire.
"I wonder where the rest-"
BANG
"Well…" Morgana trailed off. "I guess Farron has the rest of them."
Or at least the half that decided to raid Goldshire.
A harsh snarl came from behind them. Morgana saw a larger than normal grey wolf nipping at the mount's heels. With how tired the horse was Morgana knew the wolf had the advantage here and would follow a wounded or exhausted prey till the time was right. It seemed to ignore Morgana entirely and focus only on the steed.
"I have to pop off and handle this," Morgana said. "Circle back around in a few minutes."
"Wait!"
Morgana slid off the horse bopping the wolf right in the nose as she landed getting its attention on her. She was about to draw her bow when she realized the wolf was female and heavily pregnant. Morgana wasn't fond of killing mercilessly and really didn;t see the need to tame the beast and immediately release it. Which left her with one option that was the best for both parties.
Morgana let out a sharp but staggered inhale as she fell to the ground. Her body lay limp before the wolf, her eyes partially closed and her breathing completely stopped. The wolf approached her and took a few sniffs before deciding to head back into the wood. Most of the woodland creatures preferred their meals alive and struggling or the hunt wasn't worth much.
The Prince approached when the area was clear, "It's gone now, you can get up."
Morgana didn't move.
He dismounted quickly before kneeling down to Morgana.
"Morgana?"
She still didn't move. His hands started radiating Light unsure what had caused this.
Morgana shot up gasping for air just as the Light was about to touch her. She coughed a few times leaning away from him as she did. Morgana sighed as she leaned back on her hands trying to open her chest more for air.
Morgana looked up at the Prince then seeing his confusion, "What? You never seen a hunter feign death before?"
He shook his head, "But… you were so still."
"I basically send my body into a light self induced coma for three to five minutes," she explained feeling the pain in her lungs dwindle. "Some of the animals can tell when you're just holding your breath and they attack, so I have to go deeper into the feign death."
"That's..." he started. "Startling."
Morgana nodded before rising to her feet, "That's why I don't do it often."