Shadows of Iraedes | NanoWrimo 2021

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: THE CABIN IN THE SWAMP

Gharet kicked the side of the horse urging him faster. The horse snorted in irritation but pumped its legs faster. They slammed down the street, the horse's hooves kicking up mud and clumps of half-dried dirt and then Gharet whipped the reins to the side, grinding the horse's drive forward to the right. They sidled into a narrow alley and blew past walkers startling them. Some even threw themselves into doorways and alcoves to avoid being trampled by the charging horse. Racing at full speed through the kingdom's streets and narrow alleys was a recipe for disaster. If one thing went wrong, the horse tripped, the knights fired something at them, Aurora or Gharet get thrown off, it all would end in death.

She was being whipped around on the wild ride and the worst part was she didn't have the freedom to use her hands to even keep her righted on the horse, even in her awkward position on Gharet's lap and part of the saddle. The rid was bumpy and she felt every jostle as the horse threw its weight into its run to avoid being kicked by Gharet again.

They slammed around another corner, Gharet taking the angle sharply, but luckily the horse they had was able to keep the momentum going even at the sharp turn.

They climbed hills and dipped and changed direction going down different streets. Now that the city was more woken there were more people in the streets and more people meant more obstacles to have to avoid. So far the horse was weaving effortlessly through the people who also leaped out of its way.

Aurora looked behind Gharet again, her hair a bird's nest around her face and. She saw between the webs of gold strands the knights were still behind them, but they had lost distance trying to keep up with the twist and turns Gharet was taking. And the knight's horses were larger, the chargers meant for battle and trampling were while bulkier and good in fights the narrow alleys had caused the knights to decrease their speed to avoid hurting the animals.

Aurora looked ahead and saw the gate that her and Gharet had come through in the early hours of the night before the sun had pierced the horizon. They blew by the two knights standing guard who leapt to attention but it was too late. They were already out of the city and crossing the grassy plain swiftly. They were nothing more than a blurred dot down the dirt path from the city in seconds. The horse carried them easily but she could feel a shift in the animal as it began to grow tired from its sprint through the kingdom.

"Come on!" Gharet said and kicked the animal's sides again.

"Gharet, stop," she said.

"Don't tell me what to do," he said without looking at her. His focus was just on the land blowing past that at a fast speed that was slowing down with every second. Soon they found the horse had run out of energy and came to a stop by the trees. Gharet moved the rope over his head and dropped it in Aurora's lap before he slid to the ground. They were at the edge of the swamp forest, under the shade from the burning sun. The heat was rising in steaming plumes as the rain from the night was evaporated into the air.

Gharet grabbed a hold on the reins to keep the horse from bolting, but Aurora didn't think he had anything to worry about. She could feel the poor animal's quivers beneath her and she feared they had spent the horse too much. It hadn't been her fault but she did feel she had contributed by being involved, even if it had been unwillingly.

The horse's breath came out ragged and it had its long nose down. It quivered and coughed as he tried to breath normally, but found even taking in simple breathes was challenging.

She moved her hands which was an awkward movement with them tight together by the rope but managed to stroke the shivering horse's neck.

Gharet stood watching the direction of the kingdom. She thought he was looking to see if anyone was chasing them out of the gates but so far no one was coming out.