A/N: Really sorry that it's taken me so long! College has taken over my life. That and I won't dare touch my writing if I'm not 'in the mood' so to speak. But I've finally finished ch 22. So, if you're still willing to read, Thanks!
-S.R.
Shortly after Aidan had sped back up to the house, Mary gathered Braden once more in her arms and carried him away towards the house as she tossed a quick glance back at Asmodeus, who shook his mane and snorted before he trotted off towards the far end of the pasture, flicking his tail as he went.
"Mama, why did he get mad?" Braden asked his mother in a whimpering voice as he too, watched Asmodeus retreat.
"I don't know, darling, but you're alright now." Mary soothed as she held her son closer and kissed his cheek.
Once they reached the house, she put him down and he took off up the stairs to his room while Mary made her way up to the master bedchamber to retrieve Brielle from Jae before going back downstairs to the sitting room.
"Well this has been one interesting morning..." she murmured as she looked down at her daughter.
Brielle gurgled in response and Mary laughed a soft, gentle laugh as she smiled down upon her when Brielle turned her head towards the door and Mary looked over just in time to see the front door open as Col. Tavington and his brother, Edward stepped in. The colonel's jaw was clenched in a scowl and his body tight as he turned to face Edward.
"Will..."
"No no, Edward." Col. Tavington said shaking his head, trying to look as unperturbed as possible. "It's fine. Just... nevermind, it isn't your fault."
Edward glanced at his brother and then looked down at the floor as he clasped his hands behind his back.
"Alright... thank you, Will." he spoke in a weary voice as he placed a hand on Col. Tavington's shoulder.
"It's nothing." Col. Tavington replied as the corners of his mouth turned up in the smallest hint of a grim smile. "I'll see you tomorrow then."
"Tomorrow.." Edward echoed with a nod and then turned to leave.
"Indeed.." the colonel murmured to himself as he watched his brother retreat out the door.
Closing his eyes momentarily and shaking his head as he inhaled and exhaled deeply through his nose, Col. Tavington walked over to Mary and sat down next to her as he placed the letter and parcel for Jae on a nearby table. It was more than obvious that he was unhappy about something and from the looks of him, Mary could already tell that her husband would probably be wrestling with it later in his sleep. Surprisingly though, Col. Tavington chose not to say anything for the better part of five minutes as he drummed his fingers idly on his knee, his eyes fixed to the floor.
Finally, the silence became too awkward for Mary and she grabbed the colonel's hand, which startled him from his daze.
"Love..."
Col. Tavington let out a hollow laugh as his cheeks began to fill with color while Mary narrowed her eyes.
"It's nothing, Mary. Really, Edward just took me off guard a bit, that's all." said the colonel in as light a voice as he could manage but his wife still shook her head at him. "Look, Leal arrived early, that's all. He may be joining Edward and Cristabel here for dinner tomorrow."
"Oh.. I see..." Mary gave him a dubious look; she was at a loss for words.
The colonel nodded mutely and shrugged, taking the opportunity to change the subject.
"Anyway, you wouldn't happen to know where Jae is, would you?"
"She should be upstairs.."
"Thank you."
Col. Tavington gave his wife a quick kiss on the cheek and left her side.
"Jae?" he asked once he had reached the door to her room.
"I'm in." Her reply came slightly muffled from behind the door.
Opening the door, the colonel couldn't help but give a small smile as Jae's face brightened upon seeing him. It always did him well, even in the worst of moods to see her smile.
"Good morning." she grinned. "I haven't seen you since... around one. How was town?"
Col. Tavington chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her.
"It could have gone better, honestly. I had the displeasure of dealing with a rather foolish man who was working for me, though I believe things were set quite straight between the two of us." He replied with a smirk. "Still, the morning wasn't a complete disappointment. Not in the least. In fact, I was able to purchase more feed for the horses, as well as another stallion for the stables."
"Of course, you couldn't resist." Jae gave him a quiet laugh; she knew all too well how he was about his horses, especially Asmodeus.
"Well, he was a most magnificent animal. Besides, as much of a stallion that Asmodeus would like to think he is, there is only so much a single horse can do before it gets to be too much. And, my dear, I believe I have something for you."
Beckoning her to the sit down on the bed next to him, Col. Tavington took out the letter and the parcel and handed them to Jae.
"The letter was addressed to me, though I believe you were also meant to see it. Look at it first before opening the parcel."
Jae raised an eyebrow and inclined her head slightly in response as she unfolded the letter and read it, her brow creasing slightly in concentration while the colonel waited patiently beside her. When she was finished, she looked up at him with perplexity visible in her eyes.
"I... it doesn't make any sense. O'Hara is dead... but he wrote you this?" She cocked her head.
Col. Tavington nodded.
"Yes, he wrote this. It bears his seal. My guess is that he wrote this with the intention of giving it to me before he had any idea of your leaving. Obviously, he didn't get around to it, yet, it was still sent out and, from the looks of it, the message that its contents bear is finite."
"So, he bequeathed to me one of his estates in England then?" Jae asked, for she was still confused and in slight disbelief.
"Apparently so, along with a handsome amount of money." replied Col. Tavington with a small inhale and exhale.
"But.. why?" Jae questioned. "Does he not have other family to give this to?"
Col. Tavington sighed. Indeed, the situation was confusing and not the easiest to explain, especially when trying to break through the befuddled state that Jae's mind was in. Even he didn't quite understand all of the reasoning behind it.
"Yes, he does have family. And yes, they probably still had a share in what he left behind. Though for whatever reason, he still chose to leave something to you, no doubt as a show of repentance."
Looking over at Jae, the colonel could still tell that she wasn't completely satisfied with the information.
"But.. certainly he wouldn't have known anything..."
"No, I don't believe he did either. At least, not that you would come back. Though, apparently, he didn't change anything in his will after you left, but then again, the reasoning for that would obviously be myself. Now, as to whether or not he knew of your pregnancy, well, I wouldn't be surprised if he suspected. It must have at least crossed his mind a time or two." Replied Col. Tavington honestly, for it had certainly crossed his own mind before she had said anything but he didn't dare ask when she was already in enough of a state at the time.
"Still... it's just a lot. Much more than I would have expected, even in repentance. "
"He really did care for you then. At least, in the end." The colonel said in a soft, delicate voice, not wanting to get too much into the emotional end of things so as not to upset her anymore than she already was.
Jae smiled grimly.
"I guess so..Well, should I open the parcel now?"
Col. Tavington shrugged and replied indifferently, "It's up to you."
"Alright then, I will."
"Very well then.."
Handing her the parcel, the colonel watched curiously as she carefully and methodically examined it, noting its size and weight.
"It's not very big, nor is it very heavy. Hmmmm..."
Again, Jae's brow creased slightly as she slowly opened the parcel to reveal a fine silver choker with blue zircon gems going down the middle of it. Things certainly felt as if they were becoming more emotionally complicated for her as she wordlessly laid the choker out in her palms. What was she to make of this? Happiness? Sadness? Or the torrent of confusion that was threatening to overwhelm her?
"Jae..." Col. Tavington slowly took the choker from her as she looked up at him with eyes full of questions, yet still slightly glazed with thought before her vision simply began to blur with the images of all that had happened, everything that O'Hara had done; it was almost as if he was really in the room.
"I'm sorry, I was just.." she tried to explain faintly while her mind was still elsewhere as visions of the general danced before her instead of Col. Tavington.
"There's no need to explain yourself." The colonel cut in as he wrapped his arms around her in a protective embrace until he felt her flinch and squirm and released her.
"Jae, look at me." Col. Tavington said softly, gently shaking her in an effort to pull her from her daze but instead, she struck out at him, unable to distinguish between the image that played before her of O'Hara brutally forcing himself on her as his hands roamed hungrily and freely over her body, and the actuality of the colonel trying to comfort her; it was the general's hands she saw, not those of her surrogate father.
Col. Tavington found himself dodging her blow while catching her wrists, fixing her with a stare that was piercing, yet not threatening.
Again, Jae struggled away from him but this time, it was out of embarrassment, her face heated and eyes averted as she stammered, "I-I'm sorry. I just... forgive me..."
Col. Tavington sighed in response and lifted her chin, forcing her to look him in the eyes.
"Jae, I do not wish for you to dwell too much on these for they will consume you. He holds no more power over you. Yes, he may have left traces of himself behind for you..."
Jae snorted and rolled her eyes as she retorted, "Oh yes, just a few traces..."
Col. Tavington shook his head and gave her a small smile as he purposely placed the choker and letter in the drawer of her night stand, out of her sight.
"He's dead, my dear. Nothing can bring him back."
Jae nodded wordlessly in response as the colonel placed a hand on her shoulder while the corners of her lips turned slightly upward.
"Come. You look as if you need some time away from everything. I have something else for you as well and this time, it really is from me."
Standing up, Col. Tavington took Jae's hand and gently pulled her off the bed, leading her out of the room, down the hall and out of the house towards the stables where Jae's grim countenance had changed to a more mischievous one upon reaching the entrance.
"I believe I know what you've gotten for me, dear sir." she said with a smirk.
"Now now, don't ruin everything by telling me you know." the colonel admonished with a fond smile. "After all, you don't know exactly..."
"Well it's obviously a horse."
Col. Tavington lightly swatted her arm.
"Will you not allow yourself to be the slightest bit surprised?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "Alright then, I shall have to cover your eyes and guide you in as you still don't know which one is yours."
Jae smiled sweetly up at him while he stepped behind her and covered her eyes with one hand and placed the other at her waist, gently guiding her forward into the stables and turned her to face the Friesian's stall. By now, her excitement had grown to where she was reaching up in an attempt to pry his hands from her face.
"This," he whispered in her ear, "is Morgana."
Releasing a soft gasp in awe as the colonel uncovered her eyes, Jae stared wordlessly at the majestic mare before her who looked back at her with warm, rich, dark and smiling eyes.
"She's really mine?" Jae asked softly as she stepped forward and slowly stroked Morgana's nose.
"She's all yours." Col. Tavington chuckled. "I figured, seeing as you're going to be here for a while to say the least, that you would be needing your own form of transportation. Yes, Ember worked for you last time, however, I believe that my wife will eventually be wanting her mare back. Besides, Morgana will be a good match for you. Yet, I must say, there will be no racing for you in further months."
Jae rolled her eyes and smirked.
"Just like you to ruin all the fun.."
"Well I could ruin it even more by not allowing you to race even now..." Col. Tavington grinned cruelly; he nearly had done so with Mary yet, after a couple rounds of harsh words, they came to the conclusion (the colonel, however reluctantly and not without a few choice words) that it was best to allow her to ride until the discomfort began to settle in. "But I'll be reasonable... at least for another three or four months."
"Thank you." Jae replied smartly. "You're so very kind."
"You're welcome." Col. Tavington replied with an impish grin.
Turning her attention back to Ember, Jae moved her hands to stroke the Mare's neck as Morgana lowered her head on the back of her shoulder, quickly growing comfortable to her new mistress as she let out a contented nicker.
"She's so beautiful. Where did you ever find her? And at a decent price at that?" Jae asked in wonder as she unlatched the door to Morgana's stall and slowly stepped in.
"I have a friend in town who deals well with horses." Col. Tavington replied with a nonchalant shrug. "As for the price, Jae, that is something for me to know and you not to worry about."
Jae smiled as she continued to stroke and marvel at the Friesian while Col. Tavington stood and watched in amusement, arms crossed over his chest. Clearly, the girl had never had a horse of her own before. Though she did have riding skills. He wasn't surprised. She loved horses and like himself, seemed to have a way with them, evidenced by Morgana's behavior with her. Even friendly horses normally took at least a few days to be comfortable with their new masters. He was impressed and definitely proud of his surrogate daughter as a small yet meaningful smile found its way upon his lips. It pleased him to see her so happy after such a dark and dreary time; to see her smile again.
"She's absolutely perfect." Jae murmured in a dreamy tone as she mounted Morgana bareback and lay across her, arms and legs draped over her sides.
Col. Tavington snorted and rolled his eyes before letting out a soft laugh at her obvious and almost child-like delight.
"Are you so sure? Why don't we take her for a ride and see?" He responded.
"Now?" Jae asked excitedly, sitting up on Morgana.
"You know, your eagerness reminds me of my son." Col. Tavington replied in mock jest. "Of course now. Come with me to get your saddles."
"Saddles?" Jae questioned as she dismounted Morgana and patted her neck.
"Yes, saddles." the colonel replied with a smirk. "One is a sidesaddle and the other isn't. And though I know you don't like to sidesaddle, I still expect you to practice it."
"Wonderful.." Jae scoweled; no doubt he added that little bit simply because he had the authority to; then again, who was she to complain?
"Don't worry, you don't have to ride sidesaddle right now." Col. Tavington smiled mischievously as they walked past the other horses to where the saddles were kept.
Taking a freshly polished black leather saddle off its peg the colonel placed it in Jae's waiting arms before he also handed her a crimson saddle blanket that had the Tavington family crest emblazoned in silver embroidery in the back right corner.
"These are for you. Now go saddle Morgana and then take the sidesaddle and put it near her stall while I bring Asmodeus in from the pasture."
Leaving Jae in the stables, Col. Tavington grabbed a lead rope stepped out to the pasture where Asmodeus was prancing around, throwing his head and looking generally arrogant before the colonel called for him. Then he paused, almost in mid stride and gave a nicker before prancing over to his master.
"Bumptious bastard, you are." Col. Tavington rolled his eyes, the left corner of his mouth turned up slightly in amusement while he secured the lead rope on Asmodeus' halter.
The stallion snorted tossed his head once more before being led to the stables, walking in a proud haughty manor as he was finally ushered into his stall while the colonel grabbed his saddle and blanket, along with grooming supplies. Wasting no time in getting Asmodeus ready, Col. Tavington led him out of the stall and was just about to mount him when he saw Mary come into the stables with Brielle.
"Mary, what are you doing here?" He asked, slightly surprised at seeing her.
"What, am I not allowed outside yet?" Mary asked with an air of sarcasm and a smile as she walked up to him, planting a quick kiss on his lips; then she turned to Asmodeus and gave him a glare.
"Now what is the matter between you two?" A confused colonel asked his wife who normally got along perfectly with the cocky stallion.
"Nothing is wrong between us, though Asmodeus was being a bit of a sod this morning with Aidan."
"Really?" Col. Tavington furrowed his brow, interested in what she had to say.
"Yes. And our son, who was with Aidan at the time, was terrified." Mary stated. "Honestly, sometimes even I wonder why you haven't taken that horse of yours to the glue factory. With his behavior record, it's a wonder no one has been killed."
A look of concern quickly made its way upon the colonel's face but before he could say anything, Mary continued, "Braden is fine. Not a single scratch. However, I can't say the same for Aidan. He's got a couple of bruised ribs, and a nasty bite on the shoulder, no thanks to your wonderful mount here." she lightly swatted Asmodeus' neck.
Col. Tavington stood silent for a moment, still confused over the situation; Mary gave him a soft smile. She knew he would worry. But even he knew very well Asmodeus wouldn't harm a hair on their son under any circumstances.
"Don't get into a strop about it. Everything is fine. I'll tell you more later. For now, don't you have to meet Jae for a ride?"
The colonel nodded affirmatively as he bent down a placed a soft kiss on Brielle's forehead, smiling down at her, his beautiful little angel in her mother's arms.
"Well then, you'd best get going or she'll be on the other end of the property before you can even get to the first field."
At this, Col. Tavington turned a light shade of red but managed to give his wife a quick kiss before he mounted Asmodeus and headed out of the stables.
Starting out at a trot, the colonel quickly broke into a canter as he spotted Jae, far off on Morgana near the woods; she was moving at a trot, but turned Morgana towards him and eased Morgana into a canter in his direction, stopping her when the two were feet away while Col. Tavington nodded in approval of her skills. Still a bit raw, but she was definitely improving. Much better than when he had first seen her on a horse. Give her a few more months and she'd be a near master... on a regular English saddle. The sidesaddle was another matter. But no bother. She'd get plenty of practice with that no doubt and it made the left corner of the colonel's mouth twitch at the thought. Luckily, Jae didn't notice.
"You're doing well." He said, quickly masking the smirk that threatened to spread across his countenance.
"Am I?" Jae asked; it pleased her to receive such a compliment from him, even if it was small; his skill and knowledge was without bounds.
"Yes. A bit of brushing up to do but on the whole, well." Col. Tavington critiqued gently.
"Thank you." Jae's cheeks flushed slightly at the compliment.
Glancing out over the fields, Jae took in the openness of their surroundings as green grass stretched out before them. It was simple beauty and had an allure all its own. And of course, for her, it was the perfect spot to race as she turned back to Col. Tavington with a mischievous glint in her eyes. He rolled his eyes in return, a small grin playing across his lips before he gave a quick count. Then, kicking up dirt and a few clumps of grass, they tore off, racing headlong across the field.
"You're not going to win!" The colonel shouted as he and Asmodeus pulled ahead of Jae and Morgana. "She's not built for speed."
"So?" Jae managed to shout back as she eased Morgana level with Asmodeus and kicked up more earth.
"So, she's not going to best my stallion!" Col. Tavington yelled back.
Steering Asmodeus with the lightest touch of experienced hands and heels, the colonel pulled ahead of Jae once more, determined not to lose the lead as Jae and Morgana were still very close. So close that he could hear Jae's breathing as if it was right in his ear with the rhythmic pounding of Morgana's hooves upon the ground, kicking up tiny bits of dirt and grass as she continued to launch herself forward in a willful drive to pull ahead. But it only spurred him on more as he continued to pull ahead.
Oh no you don't... Jae leaned low over Morgana's neck, pressing her heels into the mare's flanks, feeling the rhythm of her hooves, gait and breathing, as she urged her on until they drew level and then a nose ahead of Col. Tavington and Asmodeus; just because he had the experience didn't mean she was simply going to allow herself to be done for so quickly.
Watching her nose ahead of him, Col. Tavington leaned forward slightly on Asmodeus, grinning wickedly as he gave the stallion his full head and bolted ahead once more.
Leaning down even further so that he was almost against the horse's neck, the colonel dug his blunt-ended spurs into Asmodeus' flanks, taking care to widen the gap between himself and Jae, who was still relentlessly in pursuit while closing the one between them and the finish.
Straining with all her might, Jae sank low onto Morgana and imitated the colonel's motions as she tried desperately to catch up. But it was too late; Col. Tavington pulled Asmodeus to a halt at the other end of the pasture with a superior grin on his face just as Jae and Morgana pulled in not a moment later.
"I told you, Morgana isn't built for speed like Asmodeus. And I've far more experience. You had no chance.." Said the colonel, straightening himself up on his horse. "She is a very acceptable mare, though. She's an entirely different horse from Asmodeus. I wanted an animal that would be reliable for you; Morgana is definitely fast enough and that's all you'll need. Asmodeus may be quick footed. But he's half mad." The colonel laughed softly while Asmodeus snorted in an offended manor. "Well, you are.." Col. Tavington looked down at his disgruntled stallion. "Thankfully, Ember's nature balances the foals out perfectly, along with whatever other mares I select that Asmodeus stands for."
Jae nodded, unable to help a smile at Asmodeus' ruffled manner.
"Thankfully..." She smirked. "Do you think we have time for a short ride in the woods?"
"Well..." Col. Tavington frowned thoughtfully, "I believe a short one will do, just long enough so that the lady doesn't become upset in case she needs me to help with anything."
"The twins are there..."
Yes but I am the head of the house."
Jae inclined her head. That wasn't to be argued.
Following the colonel's lead, the two headed off at a walk onto a short but winding path for a fifteen minute ride in the woods before returning to the stables to unsaddle the horses and head back to the house.
"You're back." Mary greeted them at the entry, kissing her husband on the cheek as she placed a loudly crying Brielle in Col. Tavington's arms. "She's hungry. But I have to go find my little imp of a son; it appears he's run off again.."
Col. Tavington smiled and shook his head before Mary hurried off, scowling as she went.
"He's just like you.." Jae said, turning to the colonel after Lady Tavington had left.
"Perhaps... but then again, Mary was one to run off as well."
"Yes, but she had reason. Braden just does it because he can."
The colonel shrugged in response as he rocked Brielle gently in his arms in an attempt to calm his daughter, not really having anything to say. True, that little bit was undeniably like himself.
"Is there anything you would like me to do now that we're back?" Jae's voice cut through his thoughts.
"Nothing that I can think of. Just help Mary out of she needs it. Otherwise, take the day at your leisure." he replied, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Well then, thank you, for everything." Jae smiled gratefully up at him.
"You're welcome, my dear." Col. Tavington smiled down at her, kissing her cheek. "Now, off with you."
Jae giggled and pecked his cheek before heading upstairs, leaving a pleasantly surprised colonel in her wake.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arriving at the top of the stairs, Jae decided to see what Aidan was up to, for she hadn't seen hardly any of him all morning.
"Aidan?" Jae knocked at the door where a muffled voice came from inside to bid her entrance.
Stepping inside, Jae found Aidan facing away from her, shirtless as he stood near his dresser, and began to grow slightly uneasy, just as she had before with Col. Tavington.
Glancing over his shoulder, Aidan registered her anxiousness and responded, "I'm only changing my shirt, Jae. The other one is completely trashed" He finished, pulling out another white shirt and working it over his head, but not before Jae caught a brief sight of the bruising.
Relieved that the situation was harmless but now curious as to what had happened to him, she asked, "Aidan, are you all right?"
"I'm fine. Don't worry about me." Aidan replied in an attempt to steer her curiosity away but Jae's eyes only narrowed in reaction; she hated it when people tried to evade her by lying.
"What happened?" Jae half asked and half demanded.
Aidan rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh.
"I told you, don't worry about me. I just got in a bit of a tussle with Asmodeus, that's all."
"Aidan!"
"No, really, I'm all right." Aidan answered calmly, attempting to shrug the concern from her.
"Well I'm going to look anyway. Where did he get you?" Jae asked as she walked over to him.
Aidan narrowed his eyes slightly but he knew that she wasn't going to let him do otherwise. So, he reluctantly went over to his bed and laid down, pulling the white shirt he had just put on, revealing a well muscled chest and back. Below his chest however, was a dark hue of bluish purple and Jae clenched her teeth.
"This is nothing..." She looked dubiously at him.
"They're only bruised." He replied, becoming a bit put out by her concern.
Jae rolled her eyes and looked him up and down once more, her eyes resting on a different wound this time, on his shoulder.
"Apparently, Asmodeus saw fit to leave me more than bruised ribs. But I've been bitten before. Please, I've got to be going. I've chores to attend to."
"Chores? Like this?" Jae stared disbelievingly at him, as she ran her hands carefully over his shoulders, chest and ribs. "You're looking for worse damage.."
Aidan sighed, taking her hands in his, feeling her flinch but she didn't pull away.
"Jae, if Col. Tavington can return to his duties after being gored twice with a bayonet as well as being shot in the arm and side, I believe I can go out and work with bruised ribs and a bitten shoulder."
"That was only before everything changed." Jae said with a slight edge in her voice; he was just being stubborn; it was only out of sheer luck that Asmodeus hadn't broken anything on him.
"But he still would have lived through it to work." Aidan sat up and pulled his shirt back down, tucking it into the waist of his pants. "I shall see you when I am finished."
With that, Aidan stood up, slightly bent in pain and made his way out the door, leaving a disgruntled Jae behind him. Mary, who had been on her way upstairs with Brielle paused momentarily as she saw Aidan hurry down and then continued up, stopping before Jae to ask, "And where is he off in such a hurry with ribs like his?"
Jae raised an eyebrow and replied in a somewhat flat tone, "He has chores..."
"Chores..." Mary pursed her lips and stared hard in the direction where Aidan had left. "Stubborn one, he is... and obviously a relative.." She finished with a smirk.
Jae nodded in agreement.
"I hope he gets trampled."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As fresh as the day turned out for Jae, the night gave her no peace. Her eyes and mind kept wandering into the drawer of her night stand where the choker and letter lay. The hours became later and later until it was three in the morning and still, she was wide awake.
"Ugh..." Jae tossed around momentarily, frustrated at her inability to sleep; staring at the ceiling for a solid two minutes, she finally gave in and decided to get up.
Dressing in her modern clothes in which she selected a pair of denim bootcut jeans, a grey long-sleeved shirt and her black boots, Jae quietly crept out of her room and out of the house, to the stables. A few of the horses raised their heads at her entrance, including Morgana and of course, Asmodeus, who gave her a stern look and pawed his foot as well.
"Whatever..." Jae rolled her eyes at the stallion before walking over to Morgana and patting her coal black nose.
"Shall we go for a ride?" She whispered in the mare's pricked alert ears, scratching her neck.
Morgana nickered softly and shoved Jae eagerly with her nose, eliciting a soft laugh as the girl quickly grabbed her saddle and bridle, wasting no time in getting the Friesian ready for an early morning ride while Asmodeus looked on with a mixture of disapproval and jealousy. Once ready, Jae opened the door of the Morgana's stall, leading her out as her shoed hooves clip-clopped on the hard stable floor.
Reaching the entryway of the stables, Jae mounted Morgana and headed out at a trot, breathing in the cool morning air and looking up at the still dark sky, with a light sprinkle falling from it, before heading off towards the edges of the estate property. She needed a place to think, and immediately began to run through her mind all of the pathways that the Tavington brothers had talked about to her, her sister and her uncle, that lay within the woods on the property. Jae didn't want something short. She wanted a long path to let her thoughts out on and possibly exhaust her all at once. Anything that would clear her mind.
Wandering further down the edges of the property, Jae chose the trail that she and Aidan had gone on, though she hadn't been through the entire trail. It seemed calm enough. And long too.
Starting in on the path at a walk, Jae inhaled the scent of the earth and air of the woods around her as the branches of bushes gently scraped alongside her left boot. At first thought, the woods felt peaceful and serene. Silent even. But as the minutes passed and they wandered far on the path, things seemed too silent. and Jae began to grow wary while Morgana shifted uneasily beneath her, ears pricked to pick up the slightest sound.
"Come on girl, let's go back..."
Turning Morgana around, Jae started back from whence she came when the hairs on the back of her neck pricked up. They were being followed. She could feel the presence and heard the sound of hooves behind her. Glancing over her shoulder, Jae caught sight of a figure wearing a dark blue cloak, mounted on a buckskin thoroughbred, starting towards her in what appeared to be a determined manner.
"Morgana..." Jae's breath caught in her throat as her head whipped around wildly, her eyes wide and frantic as she sat frozen with terror while the figure continued their approach along the dirt path quickening their pace. "O'Hara... No..."
Morgana, who had grown just as nervous as her rider, regained her nerve first and started into a trot until Jae had grasped the concept that they were moving and then broke into a full run with the figure riding in pursuit behind them, their horse letting out a loud snort as they picked up speed.
"Faster, Morgana!" Jae urged her mare on desperately leaning forward and low over her as they sped through the forest, everything blurring into a mixture of brown and green while Jae's breathing quickened and became shallow.
Then, all in an instant, everything whirred at a dizzying speed around her and stopped before going completely black.
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Col. Tavington sat drumming his fingers on the tabletop in the dining room. He had hardly a thing to eat all of the night before and spent most of the late and early hours awake and feeling something in between upset and caught off guard. So, as soon as he had awakened and dressed, he had quickly made himself a meal and wolfed it down, hardly taking any time to chew, much to Mary's ire as she walked by and noticed him shoving food in his mouth about as fast as his own horse. He almost never ate when he was frustrated about something because according to him, he had better things to do. And then everyone dealt with a grumpy colonel until he was able to come to rational conclusions and find something to eat.
Sitting back momentarily with a full belly after five minutes of devouring his meal, Col. Tavington was about to get up and take a few moments to relax before beginning the day's work when Aidan all but burst in through the front door.
"Aidan.." Col. Tavington raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing out of bed?"
"Never mind that. I'm sorry sir, but there's someone in the stables to see you. He's got Jae."
"What?" Col. Tavington's brow furrowed and he got up from his chair, looking puzzled and anxious. "I thought she was still asleep."
"No. Apparently, she went for an early morning ride... he found her unconscious."
No sooner had Aidan gotten the word 'unconscious' out than the colonel's face tightened, his eyes blazing with anger and fear, and he nearly toppled him in the attempt to get to the stables as quickly as possible, leaving Aidan staggering behind him.
Nearing the stables, Col. Tavington spotted the man holding Jae in his arms next to Morgana and a buckskin thoroughbred and broke into a run, only to stop cold just steps from them upon recognizing the face Jae's supposed rescuer. Slightly taller than the colonel, with a well proportioned muscular build and wavy dark brown hair, Leal Garrick stared silently up at the colonel through nearly black eyes.
"Leal..." The colonel's eyes pierced the younger man like jagged shards of ice as every muscle in his face became tight once more.
"Sir-"
"Give her to me." Col. Tavington cut in sharply.
Leal nodded mutely and immediately handed the unconscious Jae into the colonel's waiting arms, averting his gaze as he wrapped her in a protective hold.
"What happened?" The colonel asked softly, though his voice hinted command, not question.
Leal chewed the corner of his lip and responded, "I don't quite know, sir. I was out for a morning ride when I saw someone in the woods and wanted to take a look, seeing as hardly anyone goes riding at the early hours. Not to mention, her clothing looked... odd. Foreign. I thought she was a man at first. So, I followed, hoping to greet him. Then, he fled and when I found him, it was only then that I realized that 'he' was a woman; she was lying on the ground unconscious next to her mount, who put up a fuss in even letting me near her. I'm sorry..." Leal stammered, looking more than nervous as he worriedly averted his gaze once more and bit his lip. "I didn't mean to scare her."
The colonel remained silent in response, cradling Jae's head on his shoulder whilst looking back at Leal through the steel wall of his eyes.
"Sir, would you like me to take-"
Col. Tavington and Leal turned to see Brant enter through the opposite end of the stables, looking quite flustered at accidently interrupting them before noticing Jae in the colonel's arms and his face reddened even more.
"Brant, please unsaddle and groom Morgana and then place her back in her stall." Col. Tavington said stiffly.
"Sir, I can do-"
"That will be all, Leal. You've helped enough for today." Col. Tavington cut him off before giving Brant a swift nod to get Morgana and headed out of the stables with Jae, leaving a very perplexed Leal in his wake.
"Well, that went well..." Leal murmured as he turned to his own horse while Brant came up to get Morgana.
"Oh yes indeed." Brant chimed in. "He's such an amiable person, don't you think?" He finished with an impish grin.
"Yes, very charming... like an viper..." Leal responded with a smirk of his own.
"Well, I suppose you'd best be on your way. Thank you for bringing her though. He would have gone mad otherwise."
"Are you so sure he already hasn't?" Leal asked with a quizzical air, mounting his horse.
Then, not waiting for Brant to respond, he sped out of the stables, more than eager to get away from Col. Tavington before anything else could happen.