la douleur exquise

7

the melancholia filled her heart. She felt numb . Fear still lingered but she  at least stopped crying. Tobby sprinted in great speed , until  he slowed downed and harmonia realized that its pitch dark now . The darkness swallowed them . "where are we?" she got off tobby and walked guiding tobby with her.  The moon illuminated the place slightly . 

She felt a dry slender object slither around her feet .Snakes. Harmonia hated snakes the most , she never liked those scaly reptiles and even a picture of those creatures scared her to death. She immediately climbed back on to tobby's back. She could hear the hissing sound of the snakes around .They were everywhere . Tooby saw the snake and went berserk  dropping harmonia on her back .A sharp pain ran through her back . She felt the same dry scaly sensation  on her hand. A snake slithered into her hand . She screamed and frantically jumped back on her feet . She shuffled around in the darkness looking for tobby , while tobby in the other hand went on a rampage .

Another sudden pain hits her stomach . Tobby stepped on her while he was frantically running around. He was a brave horse but every hero has a fear and both of them was afraid of snakes . She cried in pain clutching her stomach and looked over to tobby who was frantically looking for her.  "I am right here boy ." On hearing her voice the horse slows down and bends his head down to this voice. Getting up slowly she felt the pain again. The piercing pain made her weak. She held tobby's saddle and carefully climbed on top bearing the pain. The shooting pain made her lean her head against tobbys strong neck. Forehead touching his mane. 

"I just wanna go home , i wanna see my father , i just wanted to save the woman .dont u wanna go home tobby?" the horse stayed silent . "Your little timmy must be waiting for you. just like my father waiting for me." she wrapped  her arms around his neck . her warm tears slid down her face . Tobby didnt react . He let the young girl cry. In the darkness stood a solemn horse and a girl who hugged the horse and cried . They found comfort in each other for a moment , Maybe tobby hated everyone because very since he was a foal he was treated badly until he found the farmer who gave him a home .The crying made her eyelids heavy and she feel asleep on top of tobby still having her hands wrapped around him.

.

The rays of the sun reached her eyes, making her rub her eyes. 'where am i?' she thought getting up to see she was still on top of tobby who was wide awake . "Was i asleep the whole time?" she rubbed her eyes .He started trotting.  "where are you going boy?" the horses took her to a small pond . She jumped off and ran to the water . she cupped her hands into the water , trapping it . She splashed the water on her face and sat down on the grass. She thought of last nights incidents from the men and the pain tobby caused by stepping on her. She didnt feel the pain as much but as soon as she touched the spot she felt the pain again .  she looked over to tobby who was sipping on the water . she got up and place her hand on the bridge of his nose . He didnt pull his head away like he always did.

Harmonia's eyes widen , finally he let her pet him. She giggled and rubbed him lovingly  and placed a kiss too .All this while tobby was persistent but now he let her.  "Your such a good boy."their interaction was cut short by the sound of an approaching wagon . she ran got her knife out, she didnt want to risk her safely again . She stood their waiting for the wagon to reach .

A wagon and 4 men on horses reached the pond . "A woman?" asked one of the men on the wagon . "Are you lost young girl?" 

"I am not lost , i know where i am going ." she lied, she didnt want to seem vulnerable. "Oh then where are you heading to?" asked the man in the wagon . He was well dressed and looked like he was in his mid 30's .He had a scar on his face and had a deep calming voice . 

"OH is that Mr. Stephen's daughter?" asked another man on the horse.

"you mean that doctor Stephen from the next town?" the man with the scar looked at harmonia with confused eyes.

"you know me?" said harmonia pointing at her self.

"yeah ,5 months back your father helped me with my broken hand, and most the times he came to my house . Once i came to your house and you had your head buried in a book." claimed the man at that moment 2 men approached from in between the trees .their faces contoured in worry.

"The town it's being attacked. we must go now."  pharaoh yelled. 'its the girl from the lake.' he thought and looked at Kalus who was exhausted from the adrenaline they experienced .they were near the town when it was getting attacked . without waiting kalus and pharaoh ran to report it.

"That's your town , you must come with us." the man with the scar  looked at harmonia. "your horse seems fit ," the men took off in speed and harmonia climbed back on tobby and tried keeping up with their speed . She ignored the growing fear and focused on keeping up with the men .She hoped her father got away safely from the attack and everyone is fine . she couldnt push off the feeling of worry .

'That's her.' kalus finally recognised the girl. she still had the same dress as a few days back , but it was dirty and shabby .Fear and worry lingered in her face. He didnt know where she was from. 

"i think she is from the town being attacked." pharaoh said as if he was reading his mind, and just like that they made their way to the town . 

"We are approaching the town," the man spoke. The sight that Harmonia saw was something she would never forget . Her head felt dizzy . She heard screams and cries. The whole scene made her throw up. And at that moment  she knew that this day would leave her a scar deeper than any knife.