A Destiny All Her Own
Chapter 3
Disclaimer: All besides Riley, Paul, and Silhouette are Tamora Pierce's
Later that afternoon, after a lunch of apples and cold turkey supplied by Paul's horse Silhouette, the pair decided Riley was strong enough for them to leave the cave. Packing up went quickly, seeing as Paul was the only one with any belongings to actually pick up. Riley had asked Paul what happened to the gown she was wearing when he found her, but he said it was in such bad conditions because of her "rolling in the mud" that it could never be clean again.
"Are we going anywhere in particular?" Riley queried. "Because if we aren't, can we go back to where my carriage is?"
"Well I was hoping you would ask that because frankly, I have no idea as to where to go next," was Paul's reply.
Great, just great. Stuck on a road with a guy who could be anything from a mage to a rapist, and he doesn't know where to go. Look at the bright side, Riley reminded herself. He's nice, he's cute and you can get to know him on this trip.
At last it was time to depart. The two left no sign in the cave of anyone being there recently, in case bandits came around and decided to have a little fun. Paul, always the gentleman, let Riley ride Silhouette, which might not have been a good idea. Silhouette obviously didn't like the idea of anyone but Paul riding her, and she made that very clear to her two human companions. After a half hour of such antics as taking frequent snack stops, going slow when commanded to go faster, going fast when commanded to slow down, and once almost getting bucked out of the saddle, Riley had had enough. She would not let herself be harassed by a horse. She wanted off, and now.
But Paul refused. She was a lady, he wouldn't have her walking the whole way to her carriage. So they came up with a compromise: to ride together. It was the closest thing to happiness Riley had felt in weeks.
It was a comforting feeling, Paul's arms around her waist. They protected her from falling, yet they were loose enough to give her room to move. One thing is for sure, it was much better than being stuck in the palace waiting for her freedom to be given away. Sure, she missed her parents and friends, but the image of her standing at the altar next to a 40-year old man was too overpowering.
After a half hour of riding, Paul and Riley reached the spot where the carriage stood. Riley hopped off the horse and jogged to the carriage. She circled it, searching for any of her bags. Paul walked over, a questioning look on his face. Riley shrugged and opened the carriage's side door.
Before she knew what was happening, a huge sticky web engulfed her. Spidrens, Riley thought, and started screaming at the top of her lungs. Paul rushed over, not like there was anything he could do. He stood in front of the carriage for a few moments, as if contemplating what he should do while his companion was trying not to be eaten alive, then suddenly brightened. Paul's eyes grew wide and he started rubbing his hands together. Riley wondered when he was going to put this plan of his into action, because she was kind of in a bind.
Although they had only been together for a short time, Riley had never seen Paul do any magic. Well, that really wasn't saying much because the Gifted Riley hadn't used her magic on this little trip either.
Riley finally looked up into the menacing spidren's face, expecting its cruel eyes to be her last glimpse of life, but instead she saw an arrow lodged in its left eye. The web encircling her was no longer binding, but simply sticking to her. She peeled them off her and stepped into the sunlight, her luggage temporarily forgotten.
That was odd, Riley remembered seeing Paul's bow in the bag on Silhouette. He couldn't have gotten to the horse, grabbed the bow, and gotten back in time to save Riley.
"Where'd the bow come from?" Riley asked.
"The horse," was the cold reply.
"You couldn't have gone all the way to the horse and back and still killed the spidren."
"Now you're telling me what I can and cannot do? And for your information, Silhouette came over here."
"Don't you think I could have heard a horse galloping ten feet from me? I may be a girl Paul, but I'm not stupid. I can see right through your lie."
"Listen," said Paul, shaking with rage, "You have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. Don't come and lecture me on lying. You don't know what I've been through, what I've seen."
He turned around and started walking to the horse. Sensing he was alone, Paul turned around. "Well, what are you waiting for? Get your bags and let's leave."
"And where exactly are we leaving for?"
"Don't know yet. Do you want to check out Corus? I hear it's the place to be for all the single girls."
"Not funny," Riley called as she went to go get her bags. As she was with a guy, she had to refrain from hugging the suitcases. Not that it would have mattered, since that's all she could do with them. Surely clothes couldn't weigh this much. She let out a groan and lurched forward, off balance.
"I suppose you need help with this too," Paul had obviously noticed her hopeless situation. Knowing she needed help yet too proud to ask for it, Riley's stubbornness got the best of her. She gathered her strength and straightened, walking purposefully to Silhouette.
"No thank you, I'm not completely dependent," was the reply that coolly matched her actions.
After the bags were on the horse, Riley and Paul stared at each other.
"Why aren't you getting on?" asked Paul.
"Just look at the poor thing. It already has two of my bags. The key word there is my. Add any more weight to the horse and I wouldn't be surprised if it keeled over."
"Very well, walk if you like," All gentlemanly courtesy must have left Paul, because he leaped up on the horse with cat-like grace. "I'm sure she won't mind the added weight," was the cheeky reply. As if it had heard the remark, the horse snorted and tossed its head.
Yeah, thought Riley as she walked behind the horse, this is going to be one long journey, wherever we're going.
A/N: It's finally here!! Sorry everyone for abandoning you for so long. This chapter is dedicate to Leila, because without her bugging me, you wouldn't be reading this right now.
Chapter 3
Disclaimer: All besides Riley, Paul, and Silhouette are Tamora Pierce's
Later that afternoon, after a lunch of apples and cold turkey supplied by Paul's horse Silhouette, the pair decided Riley was strong enough for them to leave the cave. Packing up went quickly, seeing as Paul was the only one with any belongings to actually pick up. Riley had asked Paul what happened to the gown she was wearing when he found her, but he said it was in such bad conditions because of her "rolling in the mud" that it could never be clean again.
"Are we going anywhere in particular?" Riley queried. "Because if we aren't, can we go back to where my carriage is?"
"Well I was hoping you would ask that because frankly, I have no idea as to where to go next," was Paul's reply.
Great, just great. Stuck on a road with a guy who could be anything from a mage to a rapist, and he doesn't know where to go. Look at the bright side, Riley reminded herself. He's nice, he's cute and you can get to know him on this trip.
At last it was time to depart. The two left no sign in the cave of anyone being there recently, in case bandits came around and decided to have a little fun. Paul, always the gentleman, let Riley ride Silhouette, which might not have been a good idea. Silhouette obviously didn't like the idea of anyone but Paul riding her, and she made that very clear to her two human companions. After a half hour of such antics as taking frequent snack stops, going slow when commanded to go faster, going fast when commanded to slow down, and once almost getting bucked out of the saddle, Riley had had enough. She would not let herself be harassed by a horse. She wanted off, and now.
But Paul refused. She was a lady, he wouldn't have her walking the whole way to her carriage. So they came up with a compromise: to ride together. It was the closest thing to happiness Riley had felt in weeks.
It was a comforting feeling, Paul's arms around her waist. They protected her from falling, yet they were loose enough to give her room to move. One thing is for sure, it was much better than being stuck in the palace waiting for her freedom to be given away. Sure, she missed her parents and friends, but the image of her standing at the altar next to a 40-year old man was too overpowering.
After a half hour of riding, Paul and Riley reached the spot where the carriage stood. Riley hopped off the horse and jogged to the carriage. She circled it, searching for any of her bags. Paul walked over, a questioning look on his face. Riley shrugged and opened the carriage's side door.
Before she knew what was happening, a huge sticky web engulfed her. Spidrens, Riley thought, and started screaming at the top of her lungs. Paul rushed over, not like there was anything he could do. He stood in front of the carriage for a few moments, as if contemplating what he should do while his companion was trying not to be eaten alive, then suddenly brightened. Paul's eyes grew wide and he started rubbing his hands together. Riley wondered when he was going to put this plan of his into action, because she was kind of in a bind.
Although they had only been together for a short time, Riley had never seen Paul do any magic. Well, that really wasn't saying much because the Gifted Riley hadn't used her magic on this little trip either.
Riley finally looked up into the menacing spidren's face, expecting its cruel eyes to be her last glimpse of life, but instead she saw an arrow lodged in its left eye. The web encircling her was no longer binding, but simply sticking to her. She peeled them off her and stepped into the sunlight, her luggage temporarily forgotten.
That was odd, Riley remembered seeing Paul's bow in the bag on Silhouette. He couldn't have gotten to the horse, grabbed the bow, and gotten back in time to save Riley.
"Where'd the bow come from?" Riley asked.
"The horse," was the cold reply.
"You couldn't have gone all the way to the horse and back and still killed the spidren."
"Now you're telling me what I can and cannot do? And for your information, Silhouette came over here."
"Don't you think I could have heard a horse galloping ten feet from me? I may be a girl Paul, but I'm not stupid. I can see right through your lie."
"Listen," said Paul, shaking with rage, "You have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. Don't come and lecture me on lying. You don't know what I've been through, what I've seen."
He turned around and started walking to the horse. Sensing he was alone, Paul turned around. "Well, what are you waiting for? Get your bags and let's leave."
"And where exactly are we leaving for?"
"Don't know yet. Do you want to check out Corus? I hear it's the place to be for all the single girls."
"Not funny," Riley called as she went to go get her bags. As she was with a guy, she had to refrain from hugging the suitcases. Not that it would have mattered, since that's all she could do with them. Surely clothes couldn't weigh this much. She let out a groan and lurched forward, off balance.
"I suppose you need help with this too," Paul had obviously noticed her hopeless situation. Knowing she needed help yet too proud to ask for it, Riley's stubbornness got the best of her. She gathered her strength and straightened, walking purposefully to Silhouette.
"No thank you, I'm not completely dependent," was the reply that coolly matched her actions.
After the bags were on the horse, Riley and Paul stared at each other.
"Why aren't you getting on?" asked Paul.
"Just look at the poor thing. It already has two of my bags. The key word there is my. Add any more weight to the horse and I wouldn't be surprised if it keeled over."
"Very well, walk if you like," All gentlemanly courtesy must have left Paul, because he leaped up on the horse with cat-like grace. "I'm sure she won't mind the added weight," was the cheeky reply. As if it had heard the remark, the horse snorted and tossed its head.
Yeah, thought Riley as she walked behind the horse, this is going to be one long journey, wherever we're going.
A/N: It's finally here!! Sorry everyone for abandoning you for so long. This chapter is dedicate to Leila, because without her bugging me, you wouldn't be reading this right now.
