Spindle Wood (COMPLETED)

Chapter 71

What happened next? No one knows. Of course, if you'd rather wait, we can tell you tomorrow- Alright, alright, on with the story.

"I was just wondering..." Pat trailed off. Logan turned his head.

"What is it?"

Pat bit his lip, deliberating for a few seconds. "No, it's nothing. It doesn't matter."

"You're sure?" Pat nodded. "Alright..." Logan looked back up at the sky, cut through by the green of the trees. "I can't believe it's nearly Autumn already."

"One more year..." Pat muttered to himself. It was like a promise. He rolled onto his side. "Lo, suppose this doesn't work out. Suppose something goes wrong. What'll happen to us?"

Logan turned his head to look at Pat. There were leaves in his hair and strands of grass on his cheeks.

"If this goes wrong..." Logan repeated, "if this goes wrong, I suppose I'll be locked up in the castle, never allowed to see the light of day again. That's what they do to people who go with people of a different station in Aristal."

"That's stupid!" Pat cried passionately.

"It's the law." Logan sighed. "I'll be locked away and I suppose we'll never see each other again. But I'll never forget you." Logan turned onto his side. He reached out a hand and gently stroked Pat's cheek. "And I'll never stop loving you."

A pretty shade of red flushed Pat's face. He took Logan's hand in his own and intertwined their fingers. "I love you too." He said quietly. "And if you do get locked up, I will come and find you! In the dead of night, I sneak in and climb up to your window. I'll have a rope and we can climb down and run off together, never to be seen again!" His eyes were shining with the idea now and a grin had taken over his face. "I won't leave you behind, Lo, not never ever!"

Logan smiled. He pressed a small kiss to the back of Pat's hand. "I do wonder too, sometimes." He admitted. "But it won't go wrong. Pat, I'm doubtful about a lot of things but this - us, what we're going to do - it's possible. We won't fail, I promise you."

Pat shifted closer. Logan couldn't help glancing down at his lips. "I'm glad." Pat whispered.

Logan swallowed, his throat suddenly going dry. He opened his mouth, about to ask something else, when Sampson bucked up and whinnied in fright.

Logan shot up, his hand falling from Pat's. He jumped up and, brushing the seat of his trousers down, went to check on Sampson.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Logan tried to grab Sampson's reigns but Sampson jumped out of his reach. "Sampson, hey, hey, calm. Calm down, what is it?"

Logan managed to take hold of Sampson's reigns and started stroking his nose, trying to calm the horse down. "Hey, what is it?" He glanced over his shoulder. "Did you see something?"

There was no one there. Not even a dent in the grass. Nothing, no proof someone had ever stood there.

"Sampson, what is it?" Logan asked, looking back to the horse. "Did you just get a fright? You're a silly thing." He said fondly. "It was probably just a bird or something, yes? We're in a forest, there are going to be lots of different things."

"Is he alright?" Pat asked, standing up. The blush had faded from his cheeks. He reached up and stroked Sampson's mane. "What happened?"

"It was probably just a bird." Logan said. "But he's fine now, he just got a scare, that's all." One hand still on Sampson's reigns, he checked his pocket watch. "But we'd better be getting home. Oscar will be getting suspicious."

"Okay." Pat took Logan's hand again. It was a marvel, how casual he was about all this physical affection. "See you next week?"

"On my soul, absolutely." Logan promised, smiling. "Pat, may I kiss your hand?"

Pat nodded his head. Logan bent his head and grazed a kiss along his knuckles. "I'll see you again." With regret, he let go of Pat's hand and led Sampson away. It wasn't just leaving Pat he was regretting. It was not being brave enough to ask.

This book is a labour of love! And I'm gonna try for 4 or 9 more chapters (I haven't decided) before Pat ages up.
Bye,
Blaize