[over the palisade]

chapter fifteen

The next morning, the party had reassembled and had gathered their items and new livestock. Wilbur looked over the party from a hill, they were gathered around one of the last houses before the seemingly endless wilderness, Phil was just making sure they had everyone.

That's right, he had to check now. Wilbur couldn't help the stop embers of pride in his chest as he looked at the group, they started out three or so weeks ago with three, him, Techno, and Phil, later joined by Deo, Tommy, and Tubbo, and now there were fourteen horses perched on the hill, all with eager adventurers ready to face whatever the world would throw at them.

Phil marched his horse back up beside Wilbur, taking a look back down across the group, Wilbur was pretty sure he saw the same look in Phil that he felt in himself, it was hard not to be happy with it. With every new person, their chances of success seemed to double and spirits seemed to rise, Wilbur couldn't help but notice the brightening of Techno's mood as his old friend had come around.

Wilbur bit the inside of his lip as he stared at them, he tried to suppress his jealousy, he tried not to be anything like that, but he couldn't help his quickly set on loneliness. He didn't like the feeling, he knew he should be happy that Techno had reunited with his old friend, but as they grew closer once more, Wilbur quickly found himself being subconsciously pushed away. He knew Techno didn't mean anything by it, it's just how he was, but Wilbur still found him missing his new friend.

Nonetheless, they had a battle to fight and a capital to help, no time for missing those who aren't even dead. Wil shook himself back into the crowd, the group were marching through the planes that surrounded the town, they seemed to stretch on for many miles which helped them a lot.

Once the town they had docked in became just a distant memory in the grand plan, everyone started picking up their pace. Starting with a quick trot, it was clear to Wilbur that the horse under him was itching to run, eager for the future, Wilbur mused at it. And well, the horse didn't have to wait too long.

Gradually the party picked up their speed, but clearly, a few of the horses saw this as a challenge and a race. Out of nowhere, one set of hooves rushed past Wilbur, he barely even realized who it was until a familiar hat flew off of the poor soul sitting on the horse and smacked Wilbur square in the face, making him brace up and accidentally give the signal for his horse to gallop.

"DEO YOU SON OF A BITCH," Wilbur yelled over the thunder of the herd. The euphoria of running breakneck speed across a beautiful meadow as the wind ran through his hair disseminated quickly when the sound of hooves got louder, as did the screams. Wilbur had an, 'oh shit' moment as he turned his head behind him.

Almost every horse behind them was running to catch up with Deo and Wilbur, Wilbur was torn between screaming himself and laughing maniacally as he got a glimpse of the terrified looks on some of the party's faces. But with the sudden influx of horses and sound, Wilbur's horse only ran faster, like it thought the others might ruthlessly trample him and Wilbur.

Now this was all fine and dandy, once the initial shock was shaken out of the party (except for maybe Tubbo and Skeppy) they were going pretty smooth, but then, of course, planes only go uninterrupted for so long. They had been going down embankment after embankment like steps which seemed fine, going up required energy, going down just requires a good rider.

It takes a bitch to jump a river, however.

Wilbur wasn't sure how he didn't see it coming, but he was only alerted by the terrified look on Tommy's face as he yelled to Wilbur. So when Wilbur looked around with a laugh, he was quickly cut short. His horse, still running like its life depended on it, either had no fear or had no time to fear, leaving Wilbur helplessly scrambled to grip his main as he launched himself over the divot at the bottom of the hill and continued to messily run up the hill.