imagine how, at least not yet.
“Be careful with it,” Eunice said. He’s put a batch in each of six leather pouches for you.”
Carliss took the bundle from Petolemew and gave him a quick kiss on his cheek, which delighted the old fellow. It was an action that surprised even her.
“Thank you, sir,” she said, then swung into Rindy’s saddle.
Ganoaf stood beside Rindy and put his hand on the steed’s neck.
“Ganoaf come.” The large fellow said as he looked up at Carliss with pleading eyes.
“I’m sorry, Ganoaf, you must stay here.” Carliss patted the huge hand. “Thank you for all of your help.”
Ganoaf’s hand slowly fell from Rindy’s neck.
Just as they were about to leave, a hawk screeched from a nearby tree and Carliss jumped.
“It’s just a bird, deary,” Eunice said.
Carliss spotted the bird and took a deep breath as she realized that it bore no resemblance to the death ravens she had fought. “Yes, of course it is. I just don’t care much for birds… especially large ones.”
Carliss and Salina launched their steeds in a northerly direction, toward the foothills of the Northern Mountains. But they had barely crested the first knoll of the hollow when they heard Eunice shouting for Ganoaf. Carliss turned back to see him jogging toward them. Her shoulders fell slightly as she thought of the poor fellow trying to jog all the way to Moorue.
“Come, Carliss,” Salina said. “When we are out of sight he will give up and return to Pembrook. We can’t be encumbered with watching over him while we are trying to save my family and Sir Dalton.”
Carliss considered Salina’s words and knew them to be true, though Salina’s harsh tone bothered her. She turned her horse back on course and then realized that riding away from the meek and lowly was something she was incapable of doing. Something in her compelled her to respond to Ganoaf It was the same force within her bosom that had made her run to Sir Orland as a little girl and ask of the hope she saw in him. It was the same force that caused her to join with Sir Dalton and free her fellow knights—like Salina—from the evil prison of Lord Drox. It was a force she could not refuse, so she turned her horse around and galloped back.
“Carliss!” Salina shouted.
Carliss ignored her.
After another short delay, Ganoaf was sitting atop Dalton’s horse, Chaser, hanging on as if he had never ridden before. Carliss and Ganoaf joined Salina on the crest of the knoll, and Salina looked disgusted.
“He had better keep up,” she huffed, “or we’re leaving him behind.”
Ganoaf looked sheepishly at Carliss. She smiled at him and then nodded in the direction Salina was headed.
“Come along, Ganoaf,” Carliss said and kicked Rindy into a trot.
The haze of the morning had not yet lifted, making the Northern Mountains difficult to see, but they pressed forward, anticipating their passage to a strange city that hosted a mythical creature… and a mythical cure.
NORTHERN JOURNEY
Moorue was a three- to four-days’ journey, providing all went well and the foothills were kind to them. By the end of the first day, Ganoaf had learned to ride Chaser, remarkably well, much to Salina’s surprise and chagrin. In spite of the heavier load, Chaser seemed to take to Ganoaf, and Ganoaf to Chaser.
When it grew too dark to ride any farther, they made camp. Ganoaf stayed away from Salina and close to Carliss. When Carliss laid out her bedroll, Ganoaf lay down at her feet on the ground. Carliss wasn’t quite sure what to think about his apparent attachment to her. She didn’t find him annoying because he seemed always grateful that she allowed him to be near, but she did find his constant presence a bit awkward and wondered when, if ever, it would stop.
Ganoaf’s devotion, however, did seem to annoy Salina greatly. Carliss felt the tension mounting in their odd trio, and she wondered if allowing Ganoaf to come along would prove to be a serious
“Be careful with it,” Eunice said. He’s put a batch in each of six leather pouches for you.”
Carliss took the bundle from Petolemew and gave him a quick kiss on his cheek, which delighted the old fellow. It was an action that surprised even her.
“Thank you, sir,” she said, then swung into Rindy’s saddle.
Ganoaf stood beside Rindy and put his hand on the steed’s neck.
“Ganoaf come.” The large fellow said as he looked up at Carliss with pleading eyes.
“I’m sorry, Ganoaf, you must stay here.” Carliss patted the huge hand. “Thank you for all of your help.”
Ganoaf’s hand slowly fell from Rindy’s neck.
Just as they were about to leave, a hawk screeched from a nearby tree and Carliss jumped.
“It’s just a bird, deary,” Eunice said.
Carliss spotted the bird and took a deep breath as she realized that it bore no resemblance to the death ravens she had fought. “Yes, of course it is. I just don’t care much for birds… especially large ones.”
Carliss and Salina launched their steeds in a northerly direction, toward the foothills of the Northern Mountains. But they had barely crested the first knoll of the hollow when they heard Eunice shouting for Ganoaf. Carliss turned back to see him jogging toward them. Her shoulders fell slightly as she thought of the poor fellow trying to jog all the way to Moorue.
“Come, Carliss,” Salina said. “When we are out of sight he will give up and return to Pembrook. We can’t be encumbered with watching over him while we are trying to save my family and Sir Dalton.”
Carliss considered Salina’s words and knew them to be true, though Salina’s harsh tone bothered her. She turned her horse back on course and then realized that riding away from the meek and lowly was something she was incapable of doing. Something in her compelled her to respond to Ganoaf It was the same force within her bosom that had made her run to Sir Orland as a little girl and ask of the hope she saw in him. It was the same force that caused her to join with Sir Dalton and free her fellow knights—like Salina—from the evil prison of Lord Drox. It was a force she could not refuse, so she turned her horse around and galloped back.
“Carliss!” Salina shouted.
Carliss ignored her.
After another short delay, Ganoaf was sitting atop Dalton’s horse, Chaser, hanging on as if he had never ridden before. Carliss and Ganoaf joined Salina on the crest of the knoll, and Salina looked disgusted.
“He had better keep up,” she huffed, “or we’re leaving him behind.”
Ganoaf looked sheepishly at Carliss. She smiled at him and then nodded in the direction Salina was headed.
“Come along, Ganoaf,” Carliss said and kicked Rindy into a trot.
The haze of the morning had not yet lifted, making the Northern Mountains difficult to see, but they pressed forward, anticipating their passage to a strange city that hosted a mythical creature… and a mythical cure.
NORTHERN JOURNEY
Moorue was a three- to four-days’ journey, providing all went well and the foothills were kind to them. By the end of the first day, Ganoaf had learned to ride Chaser, remarkably well, much to Salina’s surprise and chagrin. In spite of the heavier load, Chaser seemed to take to Ganoaf, and Ganoaf to Chaser.
When it grew too dark to ride any farther, they made camp. Ganoaf stayed away from Salina and close to Carliss. When Carliss laid out her bedroll, Ganoaf lay down at her feet on the ground. Carliss wasn’t quite sure what to think about his apparent attachment to her. She didn’t find him annoying because he seemed always grateful that she allowed him to be near, but she did find his constant presence a bit awkward and wondered when, if ever, it would stop.
Ganoaf’s devotion, however, did seem to annoy Salina greatly. Carliss felt the tension mounting in their odd trio, and she wondered if allowing Ganoaf to come along would prove to be a serious
Similar Books
