Chapter 4
"A word with you," Novak glowered and Gareth nodded.
Novak marched off to his horse, grabbing the reigns, and led off into the forest.
Talyis turned to Gareth and reached up on her tippy toes to whisper into his ear, "Please don't tell him what I said. Please don't tell him about anything we've talked about."
Gareth didn't acknowledge his eyes diverted to the forest, taking a torch and lighting it to follow Novak's path. They walked silently in the dark towards the meadow he had shared with Talyis. Novak pat his horse's brown face smoothing the white stripe down its nose.
"Before you speak, I only meant to put the girl at ease, Novak," Gareth defended.
"She's the enemy," Novak quickly spat.
"Whose enemy Novak?"
"You've heard what she said! How she disrespected our people!"
"Don't lie to me, friend. We both know this is more than that."
Novak sat down on the log in the same spot Talyis had occupied earlier. Gareth perched his boot on the log next to Novak leaning over his leg.
"What do hope to accomplish," Gareth challenged, Novak didn't answer, "once you've broken her, marked her, marred her and marred her heart."
"Don't lecture me like an insolent boy, Gareth,"
"What are your plans to find a queen when you get back?"
"Gareth,"
"No, Novak. You plan to make this girl your servant, your bedfellow, the picture of a lover. Do you plan to hide behind you're acerbic heart because you had a painful boyhood. Move on and be the king your people deserve and find a rightful queen!"
"What do you care about the girl? What about your Delia or has virginal blood turned your taste buds turgid?"
"Delia has nothing to do with this."
"Stop pestering me about that damn girl, about a damn queen. I'll find a queen so you can have your whore!"
Gareth's temper flared red, he grit his teeth and raised his fist to punch his friend, his lord. His chest heaved as he took deep breaths realizing his place and let his grip loosen. Novak laughed mockingly at his only confidant. He strode over to his horse gracefully mounting the thoroughbred with one jump and looked down on his subservient knave.
"She is not your stallion that you can break in. She will never learn to love you like your precious horse has. In the end, you will always be thrown off," Gareth warned and slunk back towards the camp.
Novak scoffed at his friend and looked out into the meadow. The moon was large in the sky lighting the entire field of wild flowers and tall grass. A pond just before the rolling hills glimmered. His lips curled with anger mixed with sorrow, he thought of Taylis. The idea of always having her close to him to do whatever he wanted but never having her love back pricked annoyingly at him.
Damn Gareth,
he thought.
He kicked his horse to a gallop and raced around the meadow. The wild flowers flew in the air as he worked his horse hard, circling. His mind circled and dust rose in their wake. He saw her eyes, twinkling brown seductive almonds: beckoning him, welcoming him. His horse panted and snorted, he pushed it harder. He saw her standing tall and confident, at ease. She was standing behind Gareth. Novak roared, awaking the birds that fluttered out of the trees. Talyis found comfort near his one true friend, the one who rescued him, who gave his identity back to him. His stallion kicked mounting the clear sky and ran harder than Novak had ever seen it run before. It snorted and screamed a battle roar its mane flew as he dashed to and fro. Novak felt free, felt like he was flying as his horse galloped wild. It bucked suddenly; he flew to the ground hard, knocking the air from his lungs. He composed himself and sat amazed as his wild stallion circled him, neighing victory loudly.
***
Gareth had stormed right past her, not even looking her way. She wondered if her secret was safe. She couldn't read his face which perplexed her. She watched him take his supper at the farthest end of the camp and eat by himself. It annoyed her that Novak looked jealous when he came back from the meadow. Why did he care so much if Gareth wasn't eager to beat her as he was?