Spindle Wood (COMPLETED)

Chapter 17

They looked terrified. "Oh." It came out as more of a squeak than a word. "Hello."

Pat took a small step back, Virgil's words floating back to him. Before he could do anything, however, the horse looked up and started crossing the river.

"Sampson! Sampson, what-" Sampson paid no heed, making it to dry land very quickly and getting very close to Pat.

"Sampson! Sampson, no! We do not get in people's faces! I thought you knew this after the incident with the Duke-" They slipped, landing flat on their back in the river with a small 'oof' noise.

"Are you okay?" Pat asked, trying not to laugh.

"I'm wet." The person in the river commented. "And cold. So, no." They sighed, trying to regain their balance. "Go ahead, I know you want to laugh."

With effort, Pat forced down his laugh. He leaned over the bank of the river and stretched his hand out.

"Grab on, I can pull you over." He said. They looked at him sceptically before pushing their glasses up their nose and grabbing his hand. Sliding over the stones, they managed to make it to the opposite bank.

"Thank you." They sighed again and looked down at their clothes. "Father's going to have a fit when he sees me like this."

"It'll dry off soon enough." Pat assured. "It's summer, by the time you're back home, it probably won't be noticeable. I'm Pat, by the way."

The stranger (who he really knew from somewhere) looked at him like they were trying to figure him out. "Logan." They said slowly. They shook Pat's hand. "Pleasure to meet you."

They blinked and left Pat to reprimand Sampson. "Honestly, what has gotten into you today?" He asked. "First you insist we go out for a ride right now because you'll wake the whole kingdom if we don't and then you want a drink when we haven't even been riding for that long and then-"

"Is this a normal thing?" Pat interrupted. Logan looked around at Pat like he'd forgotten he was there.

"Not usually." He said. "Sampson's a very well-behaved horse most of the time but something's gotten into him today and I can't think what."

"Oh." Pat stepped a little closer to Logan and Sampson. He gestured like he was going to stroke Sampson's mane. "Can I-?"

"Go ahead." Logan said. "He doesn't mind."

Pat smiled a little and stared stroking Sampson's mane gently. "You're a very lovely horse." He said quietly.

"You needn't do that." Logan said. "He's got a big enough ego as it is."

Pat laughed in surprise. "I didn't know horses could have egos."

"You'd think, huh?" Logan agreed. "But Sampson is a very stubborn horse. Likes to think he's a human most of the time." Pat snorted with laughter. There was a small smile on Logan's face. "Anyway, what brings you to the woods this early?" Logan asked. "I would've thought it would only be me and Sampson."

"Oh, I live here." Pat said casually. "My dads live in the woodcutter's cottage in the clearing."

"So you're a woodcutter's son?" Logan asked.

"Yep." Pat said. "Only Dada's never taught me the trade. I just paint the toys he makes. But my Papa sews. He's teaching me that. I'm gonna be a toy-maker when I grow up!"

"Why?" Logan asked, sounding curious. Pat shrugged.

"I don't know, it's fun." He said. "I like making people happy and what could make people happier than teddy bears and spinning tops and yo-yos and dolls?"

"I suppose..."

"What are you going to be? When you're older?" Pat asked. Logan hesitated.

"I'm not sure." He said eventually.

"Well, there must be something."

"I suppose..." Logan trailed off. "I suppose I'd like to be a librarian. Just to be surrounded by all those books... and the quiet bustle..." He scoffed at himself. "Of course, it's just a fantasy."

"Why?"

Logan raised an eyebrow at him. "You really don't know?" Pat shook his head. "You don't know who I am?"

Pat shook his head again. "Should I?"

"No, I suppose not." Logan said though there was an incredulous tone to his voice.

"Why can't you do what you want?" Pat asked. Logan laughed a little, his tone somewhere in between bitter and endearing.

"Because I'm a prince." He said, not looking Pat in the eye. "My 'career' is to be betrothed to some stuck-up prince or princess from a far-off land and marry them when I'm 16."

"Oh. Logan, I'm sorry-"

"No, it's-" Logan sighed in annoyance. "It's fine. Look, I-I've said too much." Gently, he tugged Sampson away from Pat. "I should be going. Like I said before, it was a pleasure to meet you."

"Hey, no, that can't be it!" Pat protested. "I- I wanna see you again! You're the only other person I've met, you're my friend, I- can we meet up? Again?"

A small smile crossed Logan's face and - it was odd - he looked almost glad. "How about back here again in... two days. Between nine and eleven. That's the only time I can get away."

Pat grinned. "That's perfect for me."

And so the slow burn truly begins. We've got a lot of story to flesh-out here, people, let's get cracking
Bye,
Blaize