howandwhy99
Adventurer
Once they were outside again Dram shook off the enchantment. He realized none of the team had come back for them. He helped Grog and Dalin walk back up to the main road. Both sobered as they moved along. Plenty of people still coursed through the streets with lanterns and torches in the night. It was almost as busy as during the day. The three found the row of inns relatively easily, but were not sure which to choose. Dalin spotted the large stable down the road and they turned to go ask about their friends. “There you are!” shouted Darius as he ran across the street to them. Dram told everyone the story of what had happened back at the tavern leaving out the coin he had collected. “Dram,” said Darius patting him on the back. “No more drinking for you.” The others laughed.
Darius showed them back to The Wyvern and up the stairs. Grog barely fit in the door and collapsed on one of the couches in the common room. Pax was alone and awake in their room. He was first on watch duty for the men’s side. The other three went straight to bed. All through the night footsteps could be heard coming and going past the bedrooms’ doors. Plenty of activity went on in the common room too, but Grog snored so loud he never noticed. In the other bedroom Rose was tossing and turning. Finally, she got up and checked under the mattress. Metal held the wooden slates together. She sighed and told Diedre who was on watch that she was going to join Ormand in the stables. Diedre informed Pax and the two of them escorted her to the stables just three blocks down. They were taking no chances.
Ormand was having a rather dull night. He had helped the stableboys brush down and feed their horses. He had also found a truly noble steed, an exquisite white horse stabled on the other side near the doors. It was strong, lean, and was obviously bred for speed. It had a Margrave branding on its flank too. When Rose came in during the middle of the night and lay down next to him his heart pounded in his chest. He furtively looked at her flaming red hair. “I-I found a beautiful horse below,” he stuttered. Rose asked to see it. He led her to its stall and she went and walked right in.
Rose put her hand lightly on the horse’s neck. It neighed as it awoke. Slowly she started neighing back. “My aren’t you a beautiful horse. You must be very special.” The horse agreed. Rose complimented the mare gaining its trust before beginning her questions. “Who rides you?” she asked.
“Lady rides me.”
“She must use a special harness or saddle.”
The horse sniffed. “No metal rides on me.”
“Are you alone here?” asked Rose.
“No… with other horses here.”
”But you must receive special treatment.”
The horse shook its head up and down. “I carry lady, treated better.”
“What does the lady look like?”
”She has short hair.” It thought for a second, “like straw. Pale skin like the sky. She puts things on me.”
“Interesting,” said Rose. “How long have been with the lady?”
“Two moons”
”All here?”
The horse neighed. “This similar to nine sleeps ago. Traveled with sun, over mountains. And before that plains. Before that fields. Then home.”
“What is home like?”
”Home has fighting going on, blood smells.”
Rose thought perhaps the horse had come over the mountains from the Front Lines. “You said the lady’s skin was the color of the sky. Like my skin?”
“Lighter.”
Rose pointed her over to Ormand who stood outside the stall. “Like his skin?”
“Darker.”
Rose had a feeling Lavinia might be closer than they expected. She hazarded a guess. Pointing to the grey stone floor outside the stall she asked again.
“Yes” nodded the horse.
“At last some success,” she thought. Dram had said Lavinia had gray skin. “What about the other horses? Who rides on them?” she asked the horse.
“Little one who can talk to horses. Gives gifts.”
Alarm bells went off in Rose’s head. “Do not tell the little one of this talk alright? In the morning I will bring you some fresh fruit to eat. Would you like that?”
“Sugar”, said the horse.
Rose smiled. “Of course. And what should I call you? What’s your name?”
“Lady calls me Sprite.”
Rose cooed and complimented the horse again. She promised to bring it fruit and sugar in the morning. And reminded the horse to not tell the little one of their talk.
Darius showed them back to The Wyvern and up the stairs. Grog barely fit in the door and collapsed on one of the couches in the common room. Pax was alone and awake in their room. He was first on watch duty for the men’s side. The other three went straight to bed. All through the night footsteps could be heard coming and going past the bedrooms’ doors. Plenty of activity went on in the common room too, but Grog snored so loud he never noticed. In the other bedroom Rose was tossing and turning. Finally, she got up and checked under the mattress. Metal held the wooden slates together. She sighed and told Diedre who was on watch that she was going to join Ormand in the stables. Diedre informed Pax and the two of them escorted her to the stables just three blocks down. They were taking no chances.
Ormand was having a rather dull night. He had helped the stableboys brush down and feed their horses. He had also found a truly noble steed, an exquisite white horse stabled on the other side near the doors. It was strong, lean, and was obviously bred for speed. It had a Margrave branding on its flank too. When Rose came in during the middle of the night and lay down next to him his heart pounded in his chest. He furtively looked at her flaming red hair. “I-I found a beautiful horse below,” he stuttered. Rose asked to see it. He led her to its stall and she went and walked right in.
Rose put her hand lightly on the horse’s neck. It neighed as it awoke. Slowly she started neighing back. “My aren’t you a beautiful horse. You must be very special.” The horse agreed. Rose complimented the mare gaining its trust before beginning her questions. “Who rides you?” she asked.
“Lady rides me.”
“She must use a special harness or saddle.”
The horse sniffed. “No metal rides on me.”
“Are you alone here?” asked Rose.
“No… with other horses here.”
”But you must receive special treatment.”
The horse shook its head up and down. “I carry lady, treated better.”
“What does the lady look like?”
”She has short hair.” It thought for a second, “like straw. Pale skin like the sky. She puts things on me.”
“Interesting,” said Rose. “How long have been with the lady?”
“Two moons”
”All here?”
The horse neighed. “This similar to nine sleeps ago. Traveled with sun, over mountains. And before that plains. Before that fields. Then home.”
“What is home like?”
”Home has fighting going on, blood smells.”
Rose thought perhaps the horse had come over the mountains from the Front Lines. “You said the lady’s skin was the color of the sky. Like my skin?”
“Lighter.”
Rose pointed her over to Ormand who stood outside the stall. “Like his skin?”
“Darker.”
Rose had a feeling Lavinia might be closer than they expected. She hazarded a guess. Pointing to the grey stone floor outside the stall she asked again.
“Yes” nodded the horse.
“At last some success,” she thought. Dram had said Lavinia had gray skin. “What about the other horses? Who rides on them?” she asked the horse.
“Little one who can talk to horses. Gives gifts.”
Alarm bells went off in Rose’s head. “Do not tell the little one of this talk alright? In the morning I will bring you some fresh fruit to eat. Would you like that?”
“Sugar”, said the horse.
Rose smiled. “Of course. And what should I call you? What’s your name?”
“Lady calls me Sprite.”
Rose cooed and complimented the horse again. She promised to bring it fruit and sugar in the morning. And reminded the horse to not tell the little one of their talk.