Elwanda

Chapter 10 - The Fall Roads

No sooner had she left the familiar broad roads that led into Valbell than a flood of soldiers gave Elwanda the hottest chase of her life.

It was impossible to decide which raced faster – her feet or heartbeat. Elwanda engaged in a sprint more intense than the first time she was being chased by Rauloring palace guards. Although her pursuers were far behind so much that she couldn't see them, she felt the trembling earth under her that signified a plentitude of fast racing horses.

How she, who ran with wobbly legs, was supposed to outrun a crowd of men on horseback was an upsetting thought, but as her luck would have it, she came upon a small place of trade ways off on the sea shore.

The trader, who looked to be in deep slumber, was sprawled near a cart on top of which was a cage full of live chickens. A pair of black horses she assumed would pull on the wooden wheeled cart stood like  sentries whilst clucking noises filled the crispy air.

As swift as thought, Elwanda unbelted a horse and climbed on its back.

Just then, the trader snorted and stirred from her slumber.

"Hey, get down from there!" She shouted, jumping up out of her chair in a ridiculous fashion.

"I'm just going to borrow the horse for a few days. Thank you." Elwanda grimaced apologetically as she riled the neighing animal into a fast gallop. She'd never stolen a thing in her life.

Fortunately, the equine was a stealthy one.

An endless stretch of white sand and blue sea soon disappeared, welcoming flutters of vegetation that clustered the entrance to a forest. Northward, view of more land was visible, but panic and uncertainty made Elwanda steer her horse into the wild bushes.

Urging shouts reached her ears as the sun became shadowed by leaves overheard. The forest was pathless, and Elwanda had no clue if she was going the right way. However, the horse seemed to be familiar with the environment.

It galloped in great strides, jumping over bramble and underbrush as easily as a leaping cat. Elwanda ducked and lowered to avoid getting slapped off by low hanging branches. The further in they went, the lesser she picked up on masculine yells, and the thicker the forest grew.

The horse, whom she mentally christened Zephyr, wove his way through growing darkness and silent air as dead as motionless water. Humidity spiked within the trees, and Elwanda found herself shedding off her clothes piece by piece, until her undergarment became all that was left.

At a sloping verdure, the equine finally trotted to a stop.

Until Elwanda jumped off Zephyr's back, she hadn't realized how hard he was breathing.

She stepped back to admire the black stallion. "I think that trader has mistook you for a domestic animal, Zephyr."

Zephyr brushed a hoof against the ground in appreciation.

"I must thank you for bringing me this far, but you have to return to your owner. Moreso to confuse the men who are after me."

She squinted about and caught sight of a pool not so far off. "There! Come have a drink and then you're off."

Hooting and groaning came in disturbing sequences, yet Elwanda hardly felt afraid as she led her horse to drink. She took solace in the idea that as long as she couldn't see the noisemakers, all was well. Besides, there was hardly any harm an old owl could do to her.

"Careful! Even butterflies have poisoned great men once."

Elwanda near jumped out of her skin at the unexpected intrusion of Selise's voice. In the distance, the woman leaned against what seemed like an insanely large structure of aging green stones. There, she noticed for the first time that there wasn't any plant life present, except for creeping vines and hoary flowers.