Disclaimer: I beg you not to sue me because, because, because, because, BECAAAAUSE…because-I-don't-own-any-thing.
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SHOUT OUTS!
(Author's Note: Before I actually do my usual individual shout outs, I'd like to thank you all for such an amazing response!! I never imagined so many people would read it and actually review! You guys rock!)
Donna8 – LOL! Sorry about not getting the next chapter up right away, but you know how the holiday season is. I could only sit down to write when I wasn't being attacked by shopping and wrapping presents…and packing for NYC where I am moving on Jan 3rd. But I digress! Thanks for the review! I'm glad you're enjoying it!!
Glitter4Ever – THANKS! –hugs–
Liz-Bathory – YAY for loving it! I'm not sure that the dialogue is PERFECT, but thanks anyway!! Your review means a lot!
shippergrl25 – Yeah, I'm definitely agreeing with you on the hick thing. I only really watched Tin Man once so I didn't pay close attention to how Cain spoke (I was drooling over him too much!). He does say some things in a very Western like style, but definitely not hick. Thanks for the review!
safarigirl83 – HEHEHEHE!! "Don't hassle the Hoff" amuses me greatly as well. I just HAD to put it in there.
anon – Yeah, Cain is definitely a bit more teasing than he is in the mini-series, but I figured they'd been together for a while now, probably a couple of months, so he probably feels a bit more liberty to bug her like she does to him all the time. Glad you love it!
Vince – Aye, Vincey, I do agree with the Cain iffy-ness, but I did say that in the author's note at the bottom. I'm working on making it better. And I'll get to the others later. Right now it's strictly Cain and DG! HEHE! Oh, and… "Every time a bell rings…" You're up!
Quest – Could there be anything more wonderful than Tin Man and horses? I don't think so! HEHEHE Oh, and I made sure to make mention of the Friesians just for you because I know you flovels them so!
jcap1526 – You really thought Cain was dead-on? I wasn't sure. HEHE Thanks for the review! Means a lot!
DruidLass – Of course there'll be more, Druid! I don't do oneshots! LOL! And totally! Cain can be so irritating at times, but he's just so cute, you can't be mad at him for long! LOL!
DrWho4u – Syd! Darling! I feel ya on the laziness thing. Holiday season/Finals can be SOOOO draining! I'm glad I have pleased you, hehehe. It's what I live to do! –big hugs–
heathenseyes – Yes, I thought DG had a right to be a little bratty. I know I would be if I were in her situation! Thanks for the review!
juniper holly – Yeah, I'm getting the same from the others about Cain, and from myself as well. I had a feeling Cain was a bit off in the first chapter. I really want them to sound exact which is why I asked for feedback on the subject, which, in your case, I GREATLY appreciated. It was very helpful indeed. Hopefully he's improved some in this chapter:-D Thanks so much!
Lady Taevyn – The Muse thanks you greatly for the cookie, and I thank you greatly for the review! I'm glad you love it and that you thought it was brilliant! You make me want to blush! LOL! Thanks again!
Sanela – Cain won't be clueless for long! And yes, I thought the "Don't hassle the Hoff" thing was funny too. I was giggling when I wrote it. Thanks for the review!
WhiteLakePriestess – Hehehe! –helps pick your jaw off the floor and then hugs– Yeah, when I reread it once it was up, I noticed my mistakes. I don't have a beta so we'll just blame the keyboard then, shall we? The keys were TOTALLY moving around on me! –scolds them– Hopefully this chapter will have less errors! Thank you SO much for the review!
Kipling Nori – HEHE! I just HAD to put a Han and Leia reference in there…even if it's more the opposite for DG and Cain. DG is more like Han and Cain is more like Leia personality-wise. At least for Star Wars and the Empire Strikes Back anyway. And OF COURSE DG is falling for Cain. How could she not? HEHE! Thanks for the review!
Ginny Lovegood – Glad you're lovin' it and thank you for the review!
MythStar Black Dragon – Amazing? Awww, you're making me blush!
Half-elf – I'm quirky in real life so it tends to end up in my stories, but I'm glad that you love it! And the Star Wars reference? I just HAD to!! I'm glad it had a capturing effect on you, hehe!
Chibikaz – Oh yeah, DG is totally frustrated and with good reason! I know I'd feel the same way in her place! Thanks for the review!
JacquelineRoget – I am! I am! LOL! Here's your next chapter!
C.M.Bryans – HEHE! YAY for loving it! And thank you for the review!
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CHAPTER 2
"I thought when you said that you were going riding that you actually knew how to," Cain said slowly as he rode alongside DG.
She glanced at him, frowning a bit. "I do," she replied in an almost indignant-like manner.
The man raised an eyebrow. "From here it looks like you're just sitting and holding on for dear life."
Truthfully, she was. "Cain, I grew up in Kansas." She said it like it was supposed to mean something to him. "It's like the land of wheat and livestock. Everyone knows how to ride there."
"Well I reckon you missed a few lessons," he replied, giving her a pointed look.
DG narrowed her eyes at him for a moment. "Yeah, ok, fine. It's been like…ten years, annuals, whatever since I rode a horse, and even then he wasn't really a horse. He was my neighbor's fat old pony. His name was Mister Chuckles and he bit me."
Cain couldn't help but smirk. "If I'd known that, I would have put you on the chestnut instead."
"…Why?"
"Because Mickolai spooks easily."
"Mickolai?"
"The horse you're on."
"Right." DG pursed her lips a moment and then shrugged. "Well, he hasn't spooked yet, have you, Mick?" She patted the golden horse's muscular neck and got a snort in reply. She smiled up at Cain. "I think he likes me."
Cain didn't smile back exactly, but amusement could easily been seen in his eyes. "Heels down."
DG blinked. "Huh?"
"If you want to ride proper, you have to learn first," Cain stated, pulling back on his reins to stop his own horse and then climbing down. "Now push your heels down and keep you knees in."
"More lessons?"
"More lessons."
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"Watch that left heel, DG," Cain said as he moved around to watch the princess's positioning and the horse's movements as the pair circled around him. "You're not waltzing with Glitch so quit going up on that toe."
"Sorry," she murmured with a pant, pushing her heel down. She hadn't realized learning to ride properly was such hard work. People in the movies made it look so easy!
"Good." Cain's eyes remained on her the whole time, his gaze unwavering. At first it had been strictly clinical, his attention solely on her position and form…but now, it was on her form. Her delicate curves, the way her dark locks danced with each movement of the horse and shone in the afternoon light, her beautiful blue eyes sparkling with determination, her bottom lip caught between her teeth in concentration –he couldn't take his eyes off of her.
"…right?"
He blinked. He hadn't even realized she had been talking to him. "What?"
DG frowned a bit, glancing at him. "I asked if I was doing it right."
Cain nodded, quickly regaining his composure. "Yeah, you've got it now, but make sure you keep your legs like that." He crossed his arms. "If your knees leave the saddle or your heels come up, you lose a lot of your control."
"Keep my legs tight and heels down, got it." She nodded before smiling at him, obviously quite pleased with herself that she had made progress. "Now why can't you teach the rest of my lessons? They'd be so much more interesting."
"Teaching someone to ride a horse is one thing, kiddo," he began, his eyes still never leaving her as she and the palomino continued to circle around him, "But etiquette and dancing," he shook his head, "not my thing."
DG shot him a pouty look.
He just shook his head and then moved over to his horse, swinging himself up into the saddle. "I think you've learned enough to go on a short ride along the trails before we head back to the palace."
"Do we have to head back to the palace?"
"Yes, but we don'thave to go for a ride."
DG narrowed an eye at him. "You drive a hard bargain, Mister Cain."
"Life's hard." He coaxed his steed up next to hers and then made a motion with his head, gesturing towards the woods. "Let's go."
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"You never said if you liked my outfit," DG said as she rode alongside Cain, looking over at him with her large, endearing eyes.
Cain glanced at her. "It's nice."
"That's it?" she questioned incredulously, one delicate eyebrow raised. "'It's nice.' That's all I get?"
What did she want him to say? That the way her fitted jacket molded to her curves made his heart pound so hard he thought it might burst out of his chest? That her tight riding pants made him feel as if he were eighteen annuals old again? That he hadn't felt this way aboutanyone before, not even in the first few blissful years of marriage to Adora?
He cleared his throat and shifted a bit in his saddle. "It's very nice."
DG suddenly grinned as she realized she had made the man uncomfortable. "Wyatt Cain!" she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with pure delight. "Are you blushing?"
Cain opened his mouth to deny it, but before he could, the sound of a gunshot boomed through the forest, spooking both of the horses. He made a lunge for DG's reins, but wasn't quick enough. The palomino reared up, throwing her, and then bolted. His horse shifted frantically from hoof to hoof, obviously wanting to follow Mickolai, but Cain held him back.
DG landed hard, knocking the window out of her and cracking the back of her head on the solid ground. The trees spun before her eyes as she stared up at them before she clenched them closed against the agonizing pain spiking through her skull.
Cain glanced down at her, watching as she clutched her head and rolled on her side, obviously in pain, but then other movement caught his eye. His head shot up just in time to see a group of Longcoats rushing through the trees, guns in hand, headed their way. "DG!!"
She groaned.
"DG, get up!" Cain called desperately. "Get up now!"
Rolling back over onto her back, DG slowly opened her eyes. Everything was still spinning, but the urgency in Cain's voice compelled her to move. She managed to stagger to her feet and then moved toward the big white-gray blob that was Cain's horse. She could hear movement quickly approaching from behind her, spurring her to walk faster. She stumbled a bit, but still managed to reach the horse.
"Give me your hand," Cain quickly commanded. When she blindly thrust it up in his direction, he grabbed it and swung her up onto the horse behind him.
Just as she was about to settle, another shot was heard and agony suddenly ripped through her shoulder, but she had no time to cry out before Cain reached back and pulled one of her arms around his waist, holding tightly onto her wrist, before he kicked the horse into a gallop.
They rode at breakneck speeds through the trees, the Longcoats hot on their trail. Cain held tight to DG with his one hand, steering the horse with the other. He didn't want her to fall off again, not with the enemy right behind them.
They charged through the river and up the bank, toward the mountains. It wasn't in the direction of the palace, but it was the only thing Cain could think of to do. He knew of several resistance hideouts that they could use once they had shaken their the men following them. The gray dapple seemed to pick up on their need and amazingly managed to gallop even faster, so fast that the hoof beats of the other horses chasing them began to grow further away.
The suns were setting as well. The cover of darkness would help if they could make it that long….
TO BE CONTINUED…
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(A/N: Hopefully Cain was a bit more in character in this chapter! I had to do the bit about Cain teaching DG to ride just because it amused me and because I could take it from my own experience. My riding instructor is always yelling at me to keep my heels down, although he's a bit more colorful when he says it. LOL! And as a promised in the first chapter, MAYHEM HAS BEGUN! Stick with me, folks! The next update will be up as soon as possible. It's Christmas, which you all know, and then I'm moving to NYC on Jan 3rd to attend the NY Film Academy so my time is gonna be a little sketchy, but I'll do my best to try to be consistent with getting chapters written and posted. –HUGS TO ALL– Oh, and CLICKY CLICKY!)