Prince of Lies

Chapter 5

The next evening, Jace and Haruto  rode through the forest, Admiral and Highlander nodding in sync as they walked, the black horse tossing his head every few steps, almost like he was impatient.

"I think Admiral wants to run." Haruto  observed, knowing his horse almost as well as he knew his own habits.

"Admiral always wants to run." Jace said, rolling his eyes.

"Can you blame him?" Haruto  asked, and then gently tapped his ankles against Admiral's flanks. As usual, the horse took off like a bullet.

"Haruto!" Jace called, from behind the prince, his voice quickly fading to the background.

Haruto  laughed.

He was free.

Laughing, he leaned forward onto Admiral's neck, feeling the best of his heart and hooves. It was soothing, one of the constants in his life. 

Admiral ran like his life depended on it. He was such a smart horse, a noble steed.

He couldn't imagine caring as much for anyone like he did Admiral.

Suddenly the horse whinnied loudly and all four of his hooves dug into the ground. Haruto  yelled and went flying over Admiral's head.

He hit the ground.

Hard.

Everything hurt.

He couldn't breathe. He couldn't see. His ears rang. He laid there, and he was pretty sure he was dying.

Admiral calmed himself down and walked over to Haruto, nuzzling his face.

And I was just complimenting you on what a splendid animal you are.

Jace practically jumped off his horse and ran for Haruto. A fall like that could easily kill his frail body.

This is it, Haruto  thought through the pain as he floated in and out of consciousness. This is where I die. I'm just a little over halfway to thirty.

"You stupid horse!" Jace yelled, scared more than angry at the moment.

Stupid horse! Echoed the dense clearing. Then, silence, except for-

Haruto  wheezed and forced his eyes open. Jace looked down at him, his blue eyes wide with worry. "There's someone here."

"Someone... good?" Haruto  gasped out.

"I don't know." Jace said. "And it's never smart to assume." He struggled to search through one of Admiral's saddlebags and held out a syringe. Looking to Haruto  for consent, he waited until the prince nodded and closed his eyes as Jace administered the emergency medicine into his thigh.

"Don't leave me." Haruto  whimpered.

"Never." Jace assured him. "I'm staying right here with you. Someone will come looking for us eventually."

With that assurance, Haruto  closed his eyes again before Jace could stop him.

Everything was fine, Jace tried to tell himself as he stood guard, narrowing his eyes and drawing his sword at every movement he saw in the trees.

Sure, Haruto  was likely gravely injured, but Jace knew you never moved someone with a possible spine or head injury, hemophiliac or no. It wasn't worth it- not with an hour's ride back to the castle. The horses were fast, but also too jostling for Haruto's damaged body.

And Jace didn't trust himself to walk all the way to the castle with Haruto  on his back.

Highlander grazed nearby. Faithful Admiral had laid down beside his rider, as if protecting him after being his cause of harm in the first place.