I glanced up at the hot sun, then back at the man behind me. Small rivulets of sweat trickled down the back of his neck, and his face was shining with moisture. I blinked.
"Sir, do you think we could stop?" I said loudly.
Wilthrope seemed slightly unsettled. "May I inquire why, dear lady?"
"I just wanted to rest for a bit. It's getting rather warm out here, don't you think? And the horse could do with a drink."
"Yes, I do milady. Very well."
He pulled the reins back and the horse slowed down, slowing to a stop beneath a clump of trees near the stream. The man tied the deep brown horse to a small tree by the river before coming back to sit under the shade of a tree.
"We'll just take a short break, shall we?"
I nodded. "Take all the time you need, good sir. We're in no hurry."
He gave me a small, appreciative nod and settled back against the tree, closing his eyes. Now free of his watchful gaze I quickly scanned the area, and to my pleasure, found a bush in the distance with small, reddish berries. I grinned to myself before putting on a straight face.
"Oh!" I exclaimed. "Raspberries. Would you care for any, sir?" Good thing I had strong gag reflexes.
He opened his eyes sleepily and smiled. "Yes, that would be lovely."
I gave him an annoyingly cheery grin. "Great. I'll go and pick us some."
Wilthrope smiled again, watching me walk to my destination before he closed his eyes, tilting his head back against the rough bark. I was unpleasantly reminded of the first day I met Aidan, how he sat there just like that while eyeing me in that haughty manner he always had. I shook my head. Now wasn't the time for reminiscing about him. If all went according to plan, I would do one better than that.
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God, he was predictable. As I thought, the sultry breeze and soft, cool grass had put the royal attendant right to sleep. Wilthrope snored lightly as I crept up behind him, checking to see that he was indeed, sound asleep. I made my way to where the horse had been tied up, frantically searching through every saddlebag and compartment. I prayed luck would go my way for once. Finally, my hands came in contact with the rough, sewn surface of a thick cord of rope. I grinned.
"Look at that; I didn't even have to make my own."
With a mischievous grin I gave the horse a pat on the neck, holding the rope tightly as I turned and walked away. Within minutes, the wiry man's hands were behind the tree. I had to keep it loose at first, draping the cords in crisscrossed patterns around his wrists; if Wilthrope woke up before I tied it, my plan would go terribly wrong.
I bound his wrists as tightly as I could, given what little strength I really had, and tied several knots just to be safe, making sure to work quickly now. With a satisfied smile I jumped up from the ground, the familiar electric feeling of adrenaline once again flowing through my veins. I heard the man begin to stir and silently broke into a run across the grass. Quickly untying the horse, I pulled myself up and settled in the saddle, now grinning madly as his eyes begin to open. With a sharp kick on the sides the horse was off and galloping within seconds and almost out of sight; but not before I heard the Wilthrope's last, pleasant farewells.
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I kept the horse at a gallop, following familiar landmarks. It had been nearly twenty minutes when I passed our previous night's campsite on the left, and with a new rush of energy I turned and followed the path Aidan had taken nearly an hour ago. And that's when it hit me -- how was I going to find him? What if this path split off, or if it led through several towns? I would never be able to get to him. Driven only by my desire to find a sole, green-eyed figure, I pressed on.
Luckily for me, the path didn't so much as veer off into other ways, and it soon became clear exactly where Aidan must be; through the gap in the trees, I could see that the path led down into a valley, where a large, bustling town was positioned by the riverbed. It looked like the only one for miles, and plains surrounded it in every other direction. There was nowhere else he could be, I was almost sure of it.
Some thirty minutes later, I had just abandoned the countryside for the antiqued buildings that graced the streets. I vaguely wondered what town I was as in the horse's footsteps echoed off the cobblestone road. It was pretty, wherever it was -- wide, winding roads of red and brown cobblestone led the way through the heart of the town, where a large market seemed to be set up. Vibrant colors of various produce lay piled on one another beneath shaded stands as mothers and children rummaged through. Houses were packed together between the roads, most with whitewashed paneling and red tile roofs. Hanging flowers dangled from verandas and patios, their green vines dotted with purple, orange, or red blooms. Overall, it had a warm and inviting feeling in it, one that seemed to radiate from the very earth it was built on. I let out a deep sigh, trying to let myself relax as I watched the buildings pass by.
After a good deal of wandering, no sign of Aidan, and night creeping into the sky, I decided I should find somewhere to stay. There was really nothing else I could do but that –- everything seemed to rely upon a solitary figure, that was (I hoped) wandering around this town just like I was. My eyes scanned the scenery as I thought, squinting in the sunset's beams of fiery gold. At last I saw what I needed –- a stable.
Holding the reins in one hand I hopped lightly to the ground, guiding the horse gently towards the wooden structure ahead. Its deep chocolate coat gleamed with crimson streaks, and at the sight of the other horses it began to grow uneasy, tugging lightly on the reins. I smiled to myself –- typical royalty...even the horses were too spoiled to be placed among the commoners.
"Aye, yes, yeh might want to be puttin' her in now. Wouldn't want somethin' to happen to our best customer's horse, would we lad?"
A stable boy nodded at the man and walked by, leading an elegant tawny horse into the stables. The sweet smell of hay caught in the breeze as I gave the horse an assuring pat and walked over to the speaker, who was now scribbling hastily on the small, weathered desk at the stable's entrance.
"Um...hello sir."
At my timid voice, the man looked up. The grays in his hair flickered in the sun's pale rays as he raised his head. When he looked up, I saw he had a round, friendly face which was graced with a smile as soon as his eyes met mine. His dark eyes sparkled when he spoke.
"Why hello there, missy. Welcome to th' best stable in Ralston! Well," he said, leaning in a bit closer, "S'only one too. But no matter." With a smile he leaned back again. "Now how can I help ye, dear?"
"I'd like to keep my horse here for the night, if that's possible."
The man nodded. "O' course, o' course...now, tha'll be four gold pieces, miss. An' I'll have the boy take her right away. Beauty she is, right beauty."
I smiled and dug four coins from my bag, sliding them over the table towards him. "Thank you, sir. I appreciate it."
He took them in his hand. "No, thank you. Oh, an' the name's Warren if you'll be needin' anything else, miss."
I nodded and gave a small curtsey, unable to overcome years of Etiquette classes. "Good evening sir."
He gave a small nod back and I gave the reins to the stable boy, who had appeared a few moments before. I watched the horse get led into the calm shadows of the building, where other horses' coats could be seen gleaming in the sunset's dying beams. Then I thought of it. The only stable in Ralston...
I spun around quickly. "Erm, Warren...have you had any other customers today?"
His dark eyes showed his puzzlement. "Well, yes miss. As you can see, we're packed to th' top." He said, waving a hand towards the stables with a small chuckle.
"Yes, of course. But, I was thinking someone in particular. A young man a bit taller than me, brown hair with a dark horse?"
Warren thought a moment. "Aye, we've had quite a few young men this evenin. Might o' seen that lad earlier."
I let out a small sigh. "Right...well thank you very much."
I turned and walked away, unable to shake the uneasiness that had settled in my stomach. I was crazy. I was following someone who didn't want to see me, in a place I didn't know, and without any real signs that he was actually here. But it didn't matter in the end. I had to find him, and I wouldn't have been happy if I didn't at least try; this much I knew. But if Aidan actually wanted to be found...that was a whole different story.