Whisper Of The Free

Chapter 9 Raspberry Requests

Olivette

I dressed myself and crept outside, fog had crept across the land while I had been pitying myself. A storm was coming soon. The thought of riding a horse at the moment seemed exhausting and would only add to the sourness that traveled through my legs. Even so the sun showed it was midday and I promised Caspian I'd fetch raspberries to eat together. The aching in my heart from the night prior returned as I remember my departure, how he looked so regretful and saddened by my leave.

I untied Koa from the tree and pet his muzzle to calm myself from the events that occurred, from the truths that hadn't been told but shown. He didn't try to nibble at my fingers or try to eat my hair, much to my surprise. He nuzzled into my touch almost in understanding. Horses served much better companions when compared with humans.

I sighed and hopped on Koa. He lazily trotted before slowly making his way into a sprint. He wasn't fast by any means, he was slower than Rita and Rook, however my father used him as a show horse when I was younger. So it was expected that his swiftness was outmatched by his beauty.

We made it to the tower safely. I hopped off the chocolate gelding and took out a dish cloth that I had stolen from my mothers stash without her noticing. Then I began picking the most ripe looking raspberries and a few blueberries. Late summer has always been the perfect time to harvest blueberries and raspberries. I glared at the grove of blueberries and raspberries to see no black berries. Raspberries and black berries were my favorite fruit, which was part of the reason I came to the tower as a child. However, I never told my mother the real reason as to why I wasn't hungry for dinner.

I filled the dish cloth as much as I could before realizing I had no string to secure the fruit. A scowl encapsulated my face. I glazed over the brush that was visible before noticing some ivy, thin enough to be used as string. I made haste for the ivy that was climbing a tree. Bittersweet I believe it was called. A plant strangled plants and took on many forms. Words flooded my mind before I forced them down, to be forgotten.

I retrieved the ivy and ripped a thin branch of it off to use. It wasn't the best it would have to do. I tossed a blueberry to Koa, which he caught effortlessly. Before I got up top of Koa again, a glimmer caught my eye. It came from under the lowest step of the tower. My eyes squinted as I had never noticed anything shiny when I played as a child.

I trailed closer to see it was a small mirror about the size of my palm. Although, for a mirror it reflected nothing but darkness. Swirls of green and black into an endless void. I stood and froze a step away from the mirror.

"Magic." I muttered and my eyes widened. I backed away before turning and launching myself into the air and onto Koa. I dug my heel into his flank and he roared before speeding away faster than I've ever seen him run.

I caressed his crest in a silent apology. We were far away from the tower now and Koa slowed to a trot. We came up to the river and continued down stream to the creek. Before I even could emerge from the trees that cradled the peaceful camp Caspian had found himself, I heard a familiar tune. A tune I haven't heard since childhood. My heart welled with the memories of my grandmother singing gibberish and me dancing the proper dance for the song she had taught to me.

I finally emerged from the trees and was met with Caspian peacefully playing his violin with his eyes closed. I let a real smile slip. Then I slid down the side of Koa carefully and landed on the soft grass. It was easy to be so silent. I walked over to the water to make sure I didn't have marks from my earlier activities which thankfully I didn't. I slowly crept behind Caspian and went to the ear that had his chin free from stabilizing the instrument.

"Oh Caspian." I whispered in a sing-song voice. He released his violin from his chin and whipped his head around to face me. Alarm flashing in his eyes before they met with mine.