It was only a matter of minutes before Tilda had everything going they way it needed to be. I grinned at her as we mounted. She had picked the best guards, and from the expression on the six men's faces, they thought this was a bad idea. I flashed a smile at them. They all seemed to ignore it. The youngest blushed before he saw the error of his ways, and changed to a frown. It only made me laugh.
"You are in a fine mood, Lady." I glanced at one of the soldiers who'd rode up next to me and smiled brightly at him.
"Aye, I suppose I am. Who wouldn't be? I'm out of that dreadful room. I thought that if I didn't get out of there I was seriously going to throw myself out the window!" I said on a laugh. Sarcasm. I had missed it.
He gave me weary eyes and rode ahead of me. I glanced at Tilda. She smiled and pushed forward with her horse. I took a deep breath and looked down at the beast beneath me. He seemed calm enough. I tried to nudge him forward, but he didn't move. "Come on, they're leaving us. Move it." The horse shook its huge head and I sighed.
"I promise, that if you get me there in one piece, I'll give you an apple?" I said. Don't horses like apples? The great horse leapt forward, startling me, and almost tossing me to the ground. I screamed and wrapped my arms around its neck. The horse seemed to know where it was going, and with me wrapped around its neck, I felt secure enough. It galloped until it found the rest of the party outside the gate. Then it slowed to a canter and finally a walk.
I sat up, blushing like I never have. Everyone in the party was turned on the horses they sat on and looked at me. I tried to play it off as if I had meant to do that. "I... uh, I meant to do that." The soldier in front raised an eyebrow but the other's let it go. I glanced at Tilda before she turned around and saw an unmistakable light in her eyes. She was trying not to laugh. I felt my cheeks begin to burn again and wanted to just turn the damned horse around and go back to the keep. But if I did that, I would be stuck in that room.
I sat up straighter and plastered a smile on my face. I would NOT be going back to that room!
~~~~
Cien stood on the ridge and looked down. The hillside was covered in tall trees and a few small streams. Putting his hands on his hips he surveyed the land. He knew the infidels had gone this way, but where they had gone in the woods... He couldn't figure that out.
