Medieval Hammerstacks

Ryia's POV

I really hated this, the gut feeling that was eating at me from the inside as I ran through the castle. Aloys didn't know what was wrong, but the errand boy looked terrified. Once I realized that we were heading to the stables I didn't bother holding back, I sprinted right past the boy yelling. Hudde popped out of Quincy's little hut and as I tried to barrel past him Hudde wrapped a strong arm around my shoulders and held me back.

"What happened?? Is he alright? Let me go see him!!!" I ordered Hudde trying to get out of his grasp.

"RYIA!" Hudde snapped, I stepped back trying to level my breathing as Hudde blocked the doorway arms crossed and face dark with depression and anger.

"Is he ok?" I asked my breaths still heaving but not enough to cause me to become light headed. I waited for an answer, that's when I saw Quincy's daughter and her children running up. They were crying as Hudde let them enter. That's when the daughter began to wail, I stumbled back. My head was pounding and I tried not to cry as I took steady breaths my throat catching. "He's gone then?" I asked, Hudde didn't say a word. I didn't look back at him, I spun on my heel and retreated into the stables.

All the horses were in the back of their stalls. I approached one and just stared at a colt that had grown, almost into a stallion but not quite. He whinnied at me ears back and head low. I tried not to cry as I buried my head into my arms that rest on the stall door. I didn't look up when I heard movement, but then I felt the stallions' warm breath in my hair and he rubbed his nose into my hair. I looked up and tried to wipe away the tears as the horse whinnied again and nudged my cheek with his nose huffing.

"He's gone you know?" I asked the horse my voice hiccuping, the horse didn't react it just let me stroke his soft cheek. "He isn't going to be back." I said a few times, I wasn't sure if I was trying to make the horse understand or myself.

I froze when I realized that something moved inside the stall, besides the stallion. I leaned over and barely saw Pate curled up in the corner quietly watching me from the darkness caused by lack of sunlight.

"What are you doing in there?" I asked softly trying to not sound like I had been crying, even though he had been watching.

"I didn't want to be in the way, but... I just..." Pate seemed to be having trouble speaking, I didn't say anything just continued petting the stallion that shifted closer to me content. "I was the one who found him." Pate said softly, I tried to not tear up more.

"How'd you find him?" I asked my voice shivering, Pate was quiet for a long time. I tried to ignore the wails of pain and the sounds of horses becoming agitated.

"He normally wakes me up... this time... I tried to wake him up Ryia... He was just... gone." Pate whispered. I had to hold my breath to keep myself from breaking out into sobbs. "I think he just fell asleep." Pate muttered, and I sniffled trying to hold everything in.

"Thank you." I finally managed, Pate shook his head and hit it against the stall wall, tears were rolling slowly down his face in the darkness.

"I didn't do anything."

"You were there." I hiccuped and took shaky breaths finding it harder and harder to keep myself from crying.

"I don't need to be thanked, I couldn't save him..." Pate sounded miserable, I was quiet for a bit hearing the wails slowly start to die down.

"But you were there." I repeated as best I could, the stallion pulled away from me and moved back to his corner of the stall as Pate stood a bit wobbly but easier than before.