A/N: I have no clue about the geographics of Kyrria, so you'll just have to
bear with me on this one.
$$$$$$$$$$$$
The forest where Tayli now found herself was well known to her. She had traveled this road many times before, and knew where the most important points were-large rocks or trees, rivers, streams, and bluffs. She had given up using the road, going into the forest in stead and had pulled up to right behind the royal party, weaving in and out of the trees. They were tall and thick, and spaced well apart, and the forest was mostly clear of brush that might trip Moonflight or block a path. The sun was setting, and the last rays filtered through the leaves high overhead, creating a dappled pattern of greenish and golden light and long shadows cast by limbs of trees. The ground was covered in a thick carpet of fallen leaves that effectively muffled Moonflight's hoof beats. All around, birds were singing their evening-songs, and a few stray hoots indicated owls that had risen already and were preparing to hunt the mice and other animals that were either scampering into or creeping cautiously out of their hidden burrows. Occasionally, she could catch glimpses of the knights just in front of her, and the sound of their horses was constantly pounding in her ears. Sometimes she caught snatches of talk, about court affairs that couldn't interest her. Often, she would hear the prince laugh, a young sound that seemed to bubble up out of nowhere.
The air was getting cooler, and Tayli was glad of the cloak that hung around her. The thick black wool billowed slightly behind her and came low while she was riding. It hid most of her frame, so that she and Moonflight were just two black shadows passing quietly through the twilight. Her hood was up, and with it the veil, which, she had found, was no obstruction to her seeing at all-it was like it wasn't there. She suspected that it was spelled a little to make it impenetrable from the outside. Possibly a fairy in need of shelter or whatnot had agreed to do the small task.
Ahead, the knights reined in their horses to a walk, and Tayli did the same. Peering and listening intently through a small gap in the trees, she saw about half of the knights head off the path and into the darkening woods (where their horses did fit because the trees were so far apart) to look for a sheltered area to spend the night, while the rest lit a signal torch and continued on at a walk. Tayli swore silently-she had picked up a number of curses early on in her life from some of the less gentlemanlike of the recruits. About 5 minutes gallop farther ahead, she knew a place that was ideal-she had spent a few nights there herself. A little ways away from the road farther on, a large hill reared up into the sky. Strangely, it was an almost vertical drop on the eastern side, and something, long ago, had scooped out a bowl at the base of it. It wasn't quite a cave, but more of an indent in the face of the cliff that could safely shelter up to 5 people. It wouldn't rain tonight, because there were no clouds obscuring the starry sky. A few people would have to make due with sleeping outside. But how could she make them find it? At the pace they were going, it would take an hour to get there-and by that time, it would be fully dark, and they wouldn't be able to see it. There was no other good shelter around, she knew. It was that or nothing. She had seen that one knight had headed roughly in the right direction. If she could lead him to it, then he could bring the others. But how to do that? Suddenly an idea popped up in Tayli's mind. It was dangerous, but she would have to risk it. Carefully avoiding the paths the other knights had taken, she spurred Moonflight into a gallop.
There! A knight carefully guided his horse around the trees, looking around as he did so at the gloomy, forbidding trees. Abruptly, Tayli stopped Moonflight, and he snorted. The man's head whipped around and searched the trees where Tayli was carefully hidden.
"Who's there?" he called, his voice betraying no hint of worry or fear. "Luke, is that you?"
Tayli said nothing, only nudged Moonflight into a walk again, in the direction of the cliff. Each one of the horse's steps seemed to echo in the darkening stillness of the woods. He called out again, but still she stayed silent. Looking behind her, Tayli saw that he had also spurred his horse on, but at a trot. He must not overtake her. She sped Moonflight up until he was at a full-fledged gallop, legs stretching out ahead and behind him and sides heaving. She could hear the heavier battle-horses hooves behind her. It was working! His curiosity had gotten the better of him, and he was following her to the shelter. Mentally she recited the directions. Follow the stream, turn left along that boulder, a few more minutes and-yes, there it was, same as always, immovable in time. The side of the hill stretched far into the sky, stripped bare of trees. A darker shadow showed the shelter that she had used before to make her black-fletched arrows and other supplies and stay out of the rain. She pulled on the reins and her horse stopped, stamping and eager to run again. He pulled at the reins impatiently, and she consented, giving him the signal for 'jump'. He leaped forward into the trees and then stood quivering as the following horse's scent reached him. A puzzled exclamation from the knight ended the successful chase-he had not seen her, and if he had any sense, the party would be safe for the night.
Tayli waited until the knight was gone again to lead Moonflight away from the spot, passing briefly through water on the way to hide any tracks they might be making. That done, she went right back to the cliff, going up the hillside and tethering the stallion there. She took off the saddle and cushioned her head on it, wrapping herself in her cloak to keep warm for the night. Tayli wasn't worried-there wasn't much dangerous in these woods, and she was naturally a light sleeper, waking at the smallest sound and then falling asleep again quickly, and Moonflight served as a second warning system. As the stars came out in the sky above, the once-trainee slept, forgetting all her worries in the blissful oblivion of sleep.
^^^^^^^^^^
William sat outside the almost-cave he had found, toying with one of the long black feathers that had been discovered inside. At 20, he was youngest of the knights, and so had to sit the midnight watch. He couldn't get the incident from earlier that night out of his mind. None of the others knew, but William was sure that he had been led there by someone-or something. What it was, he didn't know, or why it would lead them to shelter. He had heard a horse, and had followed it when no one had answered his calls. And when he got here, it had simply disappeared. He hadn't caught one glimpse of the animal. Mentally shaking himself, William put his mind to other matters.
Bast had been the first stop in their journey-next they were headed to Lubran, a city in the mountains at the edge of Kyrria. They would go mostly through the forest, and the terrain would get hillier as they went along. Lubran was a small, peaceful city that he had visited before, and had liked very much-it was tucked away in a high valley and was very picturesque. It would take them a week and a half to reach it, at the pace they were going- leisurely, to stop at all the villages along the way.
Prince Terian was young and kind, and would grow up as good a leader as his father the King and with as humorous a temperament as he mother. He was handsome, with dark brown hair and green eyes. Yes, they lived in good times.
William was roused out of his reverie when Luke tapped him on the shoulder. "Willi, it's my watch now." Pulling a face at the childish nickname, William rose stiffly, almost unconsciously pocketing the feather as he did so.
"Hope you can stay awake."
"And I hope you can stay awake long enough to reach your bed roll."
William barely made it.
$$$$$$$$$$$$
The forest where Tayli now found herself was well known to her. She had traveled this road many times before, and knew where the most important points were-large rocks or trees, rivers, streams, and bluffs. She had given up using the road, going into the forest in stead and had pulled up to right behind the royal party, weaving in and out of the trees. They were tall and thick, and spaced well apart, and the forest was mostly clear of brush that might trip Moonflight or block a path. The sun was setting, and the last rays filtered through the leaves high overhead, creating a dappled pattern of greenish and golden light and long shadows cast by limbs of trees. The ground was covered in a thick carpet of fallen leaves that effectively muffled Moonflight's hoof beats. All around, birds were singing their evening-songs, and a few stray hoots indicated owls that had risen already and were preparing to hunt the mice and other animals that were either scampering into or creeping cautiously out of their hidden burrows. Occasionally, she could catch glimpses of the knights just in front of her, and the sound of their horses was constantly pounding in her ears. Sometimes she caught snatches of talk, about court affairs that couldn't interest her. Often, she would hear the prince laugh, a young sound that seemed to bubble up out of nowhere.
The air was getting cooler, and Tayli was glad of the cloak that hung around her. The thick black wool billowed slightly behind her and came low while she was riding. It hid most of her frame, so that she and Moonflight were just two black shadows passing quietly through the twilight. Her hood was up, and with it the veil, which, she had found, was no obstruction to her seeing at all-it was like it wasn't there. She suspected that it was spelled a little to make it impenetrable from the outside. Possibly a fairy in need of shelter or whatnot had agreed to do the small task.
Ahead, the knights reined in their horses to a walk, and Tayli did the same. Peering and listening intently through a small gap in the trees, she saw about half of the knights head off the path and into the darkening woods (where their horses did fit because the trees were so far apart) to look for a sheltered area to spend the night, while the rest lit a signal torch and continued on at a walk. Tayli swore silently-she had picked up a number of curses early on in her life from some of the less gentlemanlike of the recruits. About 5 minutes gallop farther ahead, she knew a place that was ideal-she had spent a few nights there herself. A little ways away from the road farther on, a large hill reared up into the sky. Strangely, it was an almost vertical drop on the eastern side, and something, long ago, had scooped out a bowl at the base of it. It wasn't quite a cave, but more of an indent in the face of the cliff that could safely shelter up to 5 people. It wouldn't rain tonight, because there were no clouds obscuring the starry sky. A few people would have to make due with sleeping outside. But how could she make them find it? At the pace they were going, it would take an hour to get there-and by that time, it would be fully dark, and they wouldn't be able to see it. There was no other good shelter around, she knew. It was that or nothing. She had seen that one knight had headed roughly in the right direction. If she could lead him to it, then he could bring the others. But how to do that? Suddenly an idea popped up in Tayli's mind. It was dangerous, but she would have to risk it. Carefully avoiding the paths the other knights had taken, she spurred Moonflight into a gallop.
There! A knight carefully guided his horse around the trees, looking around as he did so at the gloomy, forbidding trees. Abruptly, Tayli stopped Moonflight, and he snorted. The man's head whipped around and searched the trees where Tayli was carefully hidden.
"Who's there?" he called, his voice betraying no hint of worry or fear. "Luke, is that you?"
Tayli said nothing, only nudged Moonflight into a walk again, in the direction of the cliff. Each one of the horse's steps seemed to echo in the darkening stillness of the woods. He called out again, but still she stayed silent. Looking behind her, Tayli saw that he had also spurred his horse on, but at a trot. He must not overtake her. She sped Moonflight up until he was at a full-fledged gallop, legs stretching out ahead and behind him and sides heaving. She could hear the heavier battle-horses hooves behind her. It was working! His curiosity had gotten the better of him, and he was following her to the shelter. Mentally she recited the directions. Follow the stream, turn left along that boulder, a few more minutes and-yes, there it was, same as always, immovable in time. The side of the hill stretched far into the sky, stripped bare of trees. A darker shadow showed the shelter that she had used before to make her black-fletched arrows and other supplies and stay out of the rain. She pulled on the reins and her horse stopped, stamping and eager to run again. He pulled at the reins impatiently, and she consented, giving him the signal for 'jump'. He leaped forward into the trees and then stood quivering as the following horse's scent reached him. A puzzled exclamation from the knight ended the successful chase-he had not seen her, and if he had any sense, the party would be safe for the night.
Tayli waited until the knight was gone again to lead Moonflight away from the spot, passing briefly through water on the way to hide any tracks they might be making. That done, she went right back to the cliff, going up the hillside and tethering the stallion there. She took off the saddle and cushioned her head on it, wrapping herself in her cloak to keep warm for the night. Tayli wasn't worried-there wasn't much dangerous in these woods, and she was naturally a light sleeper, waking at the smallest sound and then falling asleep again quickly, and Moonflight served as a second warning system. As the stars came out in the sky above, the once-trainee slept, forgetting all her worries in the blissful oblivion of sleep.
^^^^^^^^^^
William sat outside the almost-cave he had found, toying with one of the long black feathers that had been discovered inside. At 20, he was youngest of the knights, and so had to sit the midnight watch. He couldn't get the incident from earlier that night out of his mind. None of the others knew, but William was sure that he had been led there by someone-or something. What it was, he didn't know, or why it would lead them to shelter. He had heard a horse, and had followed it when no one had answered his calls. And when he got here, it had simply disappeared. He hadn't caught one glimpse of the animal. Mentally shaking himself, William put his mind to other matters.
Bast had been the first stop in their journey-next they were headed to Lubran, a city in the mountains at the edge of Kyrria. They would go mostly through the forest, and the terrain would get hillier as they went along. Lubran was a small, peaceful city that he had visited before, and had liked very much-it was tucked away in a high valley and was very picturesque. It would take them a week and a half to reach it, at the pace they were going- leisurely, to stop at all the villages along the way.
Prince Terian was young and kind, and would grow up as good a leader as his father the King and with as humorous a temperament as he mother. He was handsome, with dark brown hair and green eyes. Yes, they lived in good times.
William was roused out of his reverie when Luke tapped him on the shoulder. "Willi, it's my watch now." Pulling a face at the childish nickname, William rose stiffly, almost unconsciously pocketing the feather as he did so.
"Hope you can stay awake."
"And I hope you can stay awake long enough to reach your bed roll."
William barely made it.