The Rider's Daughter

Chapter 13

"Evan?" Gwen was dumbfounded, "What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here? I think the question is, 'What are you doing here?'" Evan took off his cloak. He was wearing black pants and a white shirt covered with a blue vest. The clothing was nothing elegant, but that of a simple man.

"I ran away. My father wanted me to marry Charles and I couldn't stand it any longer." Selena said. After she blurted out the truth, she became a little timid. Her reasons for running away suddenly seemed childish in front of Evan.

"Selena, running away doesn't solve your problems. You have to fight for what you want." Evan then continued on to say, "And, traveling alone, in the dark is never a good idea, especially for a young lady. Look what happened earlier, if I wasn't there to help you, you could have been seriously hurt, or worse."

"I know," she sighed. "But, what was I supposed to do? Standing up to my father is one thing, but the King is even worse. I won't do that again. The last time I disobeyed him, he punished me."

"The king is ruthless, I know, but that just means that you fight harder. Think of all the people who live under his tyranny. How do you think they feel, especially those living in poverty?"

Selena sat down on the bed. Their conversation was heavy and she was tired. "I bet they are sick and tired of the King."

"They are, trust me." Evan sat down next to Selena.

"What about you? I thought you were a noble?"

"I am not noble born, but my cause is noble."

"You can't defeat the King!" Selena's heart pounded, thinking of Evan getting hurt made her very unsettled.

"Not alone, no."

"Evan, do you realize what you are saying?"

"Perfectly. Selena, I have been fighting against the King and his army for many years."

"Years? If I may ask, how old are you?" Selena held her breath waiting for his reply.

Evan chuckled, "Believe it or not, I am 36 years old."

Selena's eyes grew very wide. "How can that be? I knew you were older than me, but not by that much! You look barely older than 20!"

Evan laughed. "I know, but it's the truth."

"Are you a magic user? Magic users have longevity of life and look younger than they really are."

"I am not going to lie to you, so yes, I am a magic user."

"Then how come the King hasn't disposed of you yet? All magic users must serve him, if not then they are murdered." Selena was utterly confused.

"Can you keep a secret? The King doesn't even know I am still alive."

Selena just stared at Evan.

"You look confused. Maybe we should stop talking. You need your rest anyways."

"No, please, tell me this, why did you come to my 18th birthday celebration?"

"I had to see someone. It was very important. Please, get some rest. I will visit you in the morning. We can talk more then."

Evan got up and started to leave. Selena was not satisfied with his last answer. "Evan, who are you really?"

Before closing the door, he said, "Someone who cares." The door closed and Selena was left to ponder his words. She lay down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Eventually she fell into a restless sleep. In her dreams, her father was chasing after her with a wedding dress in one hand, and a sword in another. His dragon Thorn flew overhead to intercept her. Before she was caught, a knock at the door woke her up.

Selena jumped at the sound, her heart racing. Gaining composure, she got up and answered the door. Just like he said he would, Evan came to visit her again.

"Did you sleep well?" He asked.

"Good enough, I suppose. You?"

"Not so good. I tossed and turned all night. You are not safe here. I am leaving today, and I was hoping that you would join me. I am going north."

"Go, with you?" She thought for a moment. "Well, I have little knowledge of the landscape, and you obviously know your way around quite well. Plus, as you said last night, I shouldn't travel alone, so, yes, I will travel with you." Selena quickly grabbed her pack. "Let's get out of here."

Evan led them out of the inn and into the busy city streets. Men and women opened up their shops while their children played in the dirt. Selena spotted a guard. "Evan, look."

Evan grabbed Selena's hand and ran in the opposite direction. "So much for being discreet, Evan."

"He is looking for you. We have to hurry." Selena wanted to question Evan further, but held her tongue. Later, I will question him later. Right now, we do need to get out of here.

They ran behind a building to catch their breath. "I don't think he saw us, do you?" Selena asked.

"No, I don't think so. Come, we need to keep going." This time they walked briskly to the far side of town where the city walls were hidden by buildings and dark alleys. "It's dangerous at this side of town, so stay close to me. We have to climb over the walls."

"I have a feeling that I am going to get really good at wall climbing." She smiled.

"Probably." They walked into an alley. The wall was high, but manageable. "Do you think you can climb it, or do you want me to give you a boost up?"

"I will probably need the help. I don't see many good stones for gripping."

"Ok." Evan placed his hands together palm up and had Selena step on it. He raised her high enough so that she could grip the top of the wall. With her strength, she pulled herself up, and jumped over the side. Evan carefully climbed up the side and jumped over. They hid among some bushes to make sure no one was around. Then, they ran north.