Wow, I can't believe everyone loves my story. This is going to be huge for my ego LOL. Thanks to FondyCheeseHead for the offer to Beta, I appreciate that and like the idea. Though I have never used one so you will have to update me on how that exactly works. Your e-mail was cut off in the review so it might be easier if you just contact me. Its (there are underscores between the three words) this goes for anyone else also, feel free to E-mail me and say hello…I'm very nice :)
As the horse passed through the streets of Sacor city, numerous numbers of people tried to coax the animal into stopping and removing the arrow that pieced through its right shoulder. Even with this hindrance the horse continued to elude capture and headed straight towards the castle without stopping and making it towards the guards at the entrance. It was at this point that the horse stopped, walked calmly to the standing guards as if it was everyday a horse walked inside the castle on its own and whinnied in pain before collapsing in exhaustion.
Captain Mapstone was glad as the last petitioner walked out of the King's audience chamber. Sighing in relief she turned to Zachary who rose and moved to stretch his sore muscles. Today had brought a particularly long list of petitioners for the king to see, but thankfully it was nothing that required too much thought. Mostly this farmer stole sheep from that farmer and the like.
"Well Lauren that will be all-" The king suddenly cut off when his gaze turned to something behind her and Lauren turned to see a member of the Green Foot running to the pair of them. Young Bridget bowed politely and looked up to them with an almost nervous look to her.
"It's alright Bridget, you may speak freely." Lauren tried to smile encouragingly and the girl nodded.
"Sire, Captain a horse came to the gate a few moments ago and collapsed. The guard sent me to tell you that the horse wears the harness of a green rider and it came in with no rider."
Lauren glanced to the King and then back to the girl.
"Come lets head to the stables." The king leaned over and put his hand on her arm, his face stern.
"I want to know whose horse it is and which rider is missing."
"Of course" And with that Lauren ran after Bridget, having a strong feeling she knew what horse it would be.
When Lauren got to the stables there was a large group of people surrounded a single stall and she had to shout to be heard over the noise.
"Alright, alright everyone clear out besides anyone who is absolutely necessary." The group of people looked up to her and a large amount of the people started to back away but not leave. Finally shoving her way through the people surrounding the stall she saw a sight that she didn't want, but wasn't surprised to see. Condor was laying on a bed of straw an arrow pocking through the skin of his shoulder. Lauren sighed having no idea if the wound would leave him lame. She turned to the mender who sat at Condor's side away from his legs.
"I can take the arrow out but it will be a while before we know the full extent of his injury and if he will be lame."
It was at this point that Condor raised his head and started to whinny. The mender began to rub his head gently in stroking motions to calm Condor. It worked to a certain extent but Lauren had the feeling he wanted Karigan more then anyone else. Sighing Lauren turned to back to the mender, who feeling her eyes, raised them to meet hers.
"Get the arrow out and make him as comfortable as possible. Try and keep the arrow in tact as much as possible because it might give us some clues to the person that shot Condor."
The mender nodded and turned back to the large chestnut who continued to act stubborn and refused to sit still. Like horse, like owner.
It was another hour or two later until the mender, whose name was Josh and worked specifically with animals, returned to Lauren with the news. From his face she didn't guess it was good. Josh handed over a small bundle which held the arrow but it was cut once.
"I tried to keep it in tact but it was less painful to remove it by cutting it before sliding it out. It seems that the arrow just pierced flesh but I can't tell for sure if it hit anything else. I flushed the wound free of infection but I will have to do it again tomorrow and maybe even after to make sure there is nothing left. Right now he is resting with a mender watching to make sure he does not lay down too long. I need someone to watch him at all times for the next day or so at least. If he stays on the ground it would be even more detrimental to his health, and I would recommend someone he knows. He pines for his owner and if someone he knows keeps him company it might make him a little easier to deal with"
"Alright I will find someone. Thank you Josh I would really appreciate it if you could report to me with any news you have."
"No problem Captain, if he is not lame, which I hope he is not, he should be alright soon enough. He just needs rest and attention." And with that the mender turned back to head towards Condor's stable. Lauren looked down at the two arrow pieces and her brow rose. The shaft didn't look like anything she had ever seen.
Zachary looked over the shafts running his fingers over the etchings with interest. He knew when the little Green Foot had come into the audience chamber and said a horse had come in alone that it was Karigan's. When Lauren had reported back to him and brought him the odd arrow he had told her to send a messenger to Selium so they could send someone back to help decipher the arrow and figure where it had come from. Zachary found it ironic that the one place Karigan hated might help them figure out who had taken her. He could no guess why someone would take a Green Rider with no important message, unless the kidnappers were after Karigan herself. The only people who he could think would find any gain from stealing Karigan was this Second Empire, who they still had very little information on, or…It was at that point that Zachary looked to the arrow and hit his head with the palm of his hand. Of course!
Zachary took to the stables at a brisk walk, hoping to find Lauren there checking on Karigan's Condor. The weapons were as usual were his ever present companions. Opening the door the weapons took to standing at the door and Zachary moved inside at the sound of movement and light playing near Condor's stall. It wasn't Lauren there but Alton D'Yer seeming to be talking to Condor. Alton hadn't noticed Zachary and he stayed to the shadows for a few moments. Alton paced back and forth in front of Condor's stall with the stallion standing and watching the human wearily.
"If it wasn't for Karigan I wouldn't of done it…She taught me the song. Your rider is a traitor Condor, we were much better off with F'ryan."
Zachary was barely able to control his anger at the man in front of him, how dare he speak of her like that! She cried and had been devastated when they believed Alton to be dead! Condor must have thought the same thing because he bared his teeth at Alton and snorted while he pinned his ears back so far they sat on the top of his head. Alton ignored this though and continued to rage about Karigan who at that very moment could be in a huge amount of danger and pain.
At that moment Zachary stepped into the light and Alton turned to him with a surprised look on his face. Zachary was ready to strangle him.
"You speak of Rider G'ladheon like that ever again and you shall have more problems then you could ever imagine."
Alton's face drained of color and he struggled for words, his jaw dropping. As king Zachary could make life very hard for not only Alton but his whole family as well. Zachary had never hated Alton, he had actually liked him but his words made him so furious he could not control his actions. Karigan had rejected him because she cared for this man, who in turn belittled and mocked her, to think, calling Karigan of all people a traitor.
"I watched her cry when we believed you to be dead. She even begged me to go to the wall and make sure you were dead. She never lost hope that you were truly gone and this is how you repay her?"
Zachary knew that he was letting his frustration out on Alton but he would never let anyone talk about Karigan like that in his ear shot. What hurt so much about what he had said was that Karigan had cried for Alton and yet would not and could not care for him the same way. And Alton didn't even appreciate it.
Alton looked to the ground his hands clenched into fists and Zachary turned from him and moved towards the castle. Karigan's feelings were wasted on Alton D'Yer.
When Zachary had finally found Lauren he had calmed down somewhat but thoughts of Alton made his blood boil. When he finally saw her thoughts of the arrow returned in earnest and everything else became less important. He held out the arrow pieces.
"It was the Eletians."
Karigan started awake in a moment looking around the forest in confusion. She had a certain urge to rise and moved towards the wooded area but as soon as she moved to rise, she moaned and remembered that she couldn't move because she was still tied. Her whole body was sore from the awkward position that she was forced to stay in for the night. She had raged at them for these past three days and soon gave up on her anger. No matter how mad she was or would be to them it didn't improve her lot. She was a prisoner and at their mercy so she decided that it would be easier to be polite and get along with them, for now. She had been with the Eletians for 3 days now and each day they had followed the same routine. She knew that they were heading west, but how far they were going and where Eletia actually was she had no clue. They had given her a horse to ride but her hands were usually tied to the saddle horn and somehow she had managed to stay astride with out having the use of her hands. If there was conversation between the Eletians it was in another language she did not know and they did not attempt to teach it to her, or include her. She was left to her own miserable thoughts of worry and loneliness. Did Condor make it back alright? Did the Captain or anyone else guess that she was missing yet? And where was this weird feeling that she had to get into the forest coming from? Someone was calling her but for what reason?
What she did notice was that the call was different from that of Mornhaven's when he wanted her to go the wall. When Mornhaven had called it was with trickery and darkness. He had sent her visions of all that she loved being killed and destroyed in front of her eyes. And Zachary…he had made her participate. She shivered voluntarily against the tree at remembering that. But this call was different, like the call of the brooch. It was welcoming, friendly and driving her mad. It was if it was telling her that she needed to escape, she needed to reach whatever was in the forest before it was too late.
"You sense her don't you?"
Karigan turned suddenly to look up into the face of not the leader, but another Eletian who had never spoken to her but had taken to riding near her every day. She met his clear blue eyes and shivered, feeling as if he could see into her very being. Yet she got the impression that she could trust him more than any of the others. This confused her.
"Her?"
"If you do not know then it is not my place to tell you." He moved behind her to remove the binding from her arms. As soon as they were off she brought her weary arms to her front and rubbed her wrists. Moving her arms to get them accustomed to not being tied around a tree any longer she sighed deeply looking up to the Eletian.
"What is your name?"
"Does it matter so much Galadheon?"
"Well you all know my name…even if you pronounce it wrong."
"We all know much about you. Now get up and attend to you business so you are ready to go."
After the necessary things were taken care of, Karigan was again told to mount her horse and allowed her hands to be tied once more. She doubted that even if they had decided to leave her right there, she most likely could not find her way back to Sacor City. The Eletian from this morning continued to ride near her but instead of behind or in front he moved to the side of her. She glanced at him briefly before returning to stare at the horse's ears with nothing else to do. When she looked up again a few moments later she found that she was again all alone with the single Eletian and all the rest had moved away. She looked towards him again and blinked.
"Where did they all go?"
He didn't choose to answer and instead brought his arrow to his arm and got an arrow ready. His eyes turned to glance at her and whispered a quiet shhh before turning back to glance around the path that they were on. Karigan did the same wondering what to expect and to hope that she didn't die because she was tied to a mount. As if the Eletian was thinking the same thing he nudged his mare up to hers and reached over to untie her hands and then turn back to the forest quickly.
"Try anything Galadheon and things will not go easy for you."
She narrowed her eyes at him and gave a snort of annoyance before looking around once again.
It was at that point the clearing became surrounded by ground mites.
