Disclaimer: Ok I own nothing here it all belongs ot Sherwood Smith so on and so on you all now how it goes.
Only two hours after Amara left me in my room, I was up and sprinting out of the castle. I ran to the stables in my bare feet and a pair of borrowed breeches from Ranic. As I entered the stables, some of the horses looked up to see who was here, and once they realized that it was only me, they went right back to eating. But a horse at the far end started nickering and pawing at the gate.
The horse's name was Eblis, meaning devil of the sky. He was a four year old dappled gray stallion, with a white star on his forehead. My parents had given him to me at the beginning of the summer; since he would let no one but myself ride him, they decided they might as well let me have him. Over the past three months we have both become the most loved and trusted of friends.
I slipped the bridle on him and jumped on bareback - we wouldn't be going far. We took off at a gallop from the stall, bounded the small fence at the side of town, and raced the rising sun to the top of the hill. I reached the top just as the sun jumped up over the tree tops.
There I stopped and quickly dismounted. I stood beside Eblis, sinking to the ground to watch it - the sun - slowly climb into the clear blue sky. This is my favorite time of day, for the mountains look a blueish green in the pale morning light. I suddenly realized that I ought to be getting back to the grounds before anyone noticed. Last time I was stayed to long I had 50 guards men hot on my trail. Standing up I took one last look at the blue mountains and gracefully swung up on Eblis's back to take off back to the castle.
When I got back, the grooms were just starting to feed the horses their morning meal, as the first gold change stared tolling. I jumped off of Eblis's back and slid the bridle off. Before it was even all the way off, Eblis pushed me away with his head, and buried it into his feeder - which had just been filled with oats. "I guess I know when I've been dismissed," I said, opening the gate. As I walked out, the grooms - as if they have been waiting - stopped what they were doing and bowed deeply. Even though I have told them time and time again that they didn't have to, they continued to do it. It just irritates me. But I gave each one a curt nod of thanks, and walked briskly from the stables, hearing someone yell in pain. I wouldn't doubt that it was Eblis kicking or biting one of the guards. He would never let anyone touch him (at least every groom had one scar from him) and I have never done anything about it. It was my little way of getting back at the grooms for there annoying bowing!
I finally realized how late it was, and ran into the castle towards my rooms, for I still had much packing to do. I lifted the tapestry to my room. The bed sheets where strewn about from the nights dreams, and random objects cluttered the floor. Ura was already starting to make the bed as I walked in. Ura was my personal maid; she was a kindly middle aged woman with brown hair that was just staring to gray, and though her face was worn with age, her eyes still held the joy of a youth. She became my maid about a year and a half ago, and I trusted her with some of my deepest secrets - ones my mother didn't even know. I walked in and started to pick up my things and put them in already overflowing trunks.
When we were done Ura came up to me. "Will you be needing anything else m'lady?" she asked, with her heavy northern accent.
"No, just have someone carry these trunks down. Oh! Do you mind getting me a riding tunic and a cloak? I should be heading to breakfast soon - it must be almost second gold," I said.
"I don't mind at all. And yes it is almost second gold," she said, as she opened one of the trunks and pulled both a deep green trunk and a green cloak to match from it. "Here you go m'lady." I took the dress and changed quickly. Giving Ura the dirtied breeches, I walked from the room with the cloak over one arm.
I arrived at the dinning hall to find everyone already kneeling at the table in conversation. As I entered, Ranic stood to greet me, and lead me to my seat beside Amara. "Hope all of you got a good nights rest," Uncle Bran said, as the servants brought forth the meal.
At that question Amara stretched and yawned widely. "I didn't get to bed until late. I'm still very tired. How about you, Ranisa, you must be tired?" she said looking at me with sleep still in her eyes.
"I'm not too bad. I have already been up and went for a ride before dawn." I tried not to laugh at the strange expression on Amara's face. "You should join me some time, Amara. I think you would enjoy it," I said, knowing it would never happen. I don't think she has ever seen anything before second gold. Amara was the kind of person who slept in late, all the time.
"I don't know how you do it, Ranisia. You couldn't of gotten four hours of sleep!" The look of astonishment on her face was almost too hard not to laugh at. I merely smiled, and began to to eat my breakfast.
"Oh my, its later then I thought," Aunt Nee said, hearing the tolls of third gold change. "You three best be on your way now." We all stood up and said our farewells, heading for the main square at the front of the castle.
Ok there you go Chapter 2, now pleese push the little review button in the cornor. Chapter 3 will be up in a few days.
