Please note: the location, and many of the characters belong to Tamora
Pierce. I'm sorry this chapter is so short. I will try to post more again
tomorrow.
Stella rode all through the night, a long slow canter broken occasionally by spells of trotting and walking. She was trying to get as many miles between herself and home as possible during the night. Somehow she felt that if home was farther away she would be less likely get frightened and head for home, besides the fact that people from home would be less likely to find her (she wasn't sure about the legality of borrowing Pinecone.)
As the eastern clouds grew lighter she drew Pinecone to a slow walk and reached back into her saddle bag for a hunk of bread and an apple. The bread was a little squished but perfectly good, and the apple was one of the first of the season, tart and just barely ripe. Forever afterwards the crisp taste of apple would remind her of freedom. Later, after the road entered a forest, she stopped at a stream and bent over it to drink some water. She stopped for a while at the stream, allowing Pinecone to drink and rest.
After a few hours she mounted again and continued down the road, which was becoming narrower and more trail like. The day was peaceful, and the forest quiet. Only a few animals could be heard. Stella savored the sun on her skin and the breeze against her cheeks. Pinecone was tired, and moving at a plodding pace, but Stella didn't mind. A sluggish calm had come over her and she was content to move slowly and take things as they came.
In late afternoon they came to a stream and Stella decided to stop for the day. She was absolutely exhausted. She untacked Pinecone and made sure he understood not to go far. Then she removed all the sticks from a patch of forest floor and set her blankets on it. She grabbed a hunk of bread for dinner.
Just as she finished her meal, she realized how unprepared she was. I don't even know what I want to do, she thought, there's no point to this. I don't even have a way to get more food when this runs out, she realized. But a part of her hated the idea of going back, and giving up. She decided to continue for a week, and then head back if things didn't work out.
Stella rode all through the night, a long slow canter broken occasionally by spells of trotting and walking. She was trying to get as many miles between herself and home as possible during the night. Somehow she felt that if home was farther away she would be less likely get frightened and head for home, besides the fact that people from home would be less likely to find her (she wasn't sure about the legality of borrowing Pinecone.)
As the eastern clouds grew lighter she drew Pinecone to a slow walk and reached back into her saddle bag for a hunk of bread and an apple. The bread was a little squished but perfectly good, and the apple was one of the first of the season, tart and just barely ripe. Forever afterwards the crisp taste of apple would remind her of freedom. Later, after the road entered a forest, she stopped at a stream and bent over it to drink some water. She stopped for a while at the stream, allowing Pinecone to drink and rest.
After a few hours she mounted again and continued down the road, which was becoming narrower and more trail like. The day was peaceful, and the forest quiet. Only a few animals could be heard. Stella savored the sun on her skin and the breeze against her cheeks. Pinecone was tired, and moving at a plodding pace, but Stella didn't mind. A sluggish calm had come over her and she was content to move slowly and take things as they came.
In late afternoon they came to a stream and Stella decided to stop for the day. She was absolutely exhausted. She untacked Pinecone and made sure he understood not to go far. Then she removed all the sticks from a patch of forest floor and set her blankets on it. She grabbed a hunk of bread for dinner.
Just as she finished her meal, she realized how unprepared she was. I don't even know what I want to do, she thought, there's no point to this. I don't even have a way to get more food when this runs out, she realized. But a part of her hated the idea of going back, and giving up. She decided to continue for a week, and then head back if things didn't work out.