The Past Lives

Chapter 3

Carpathian Mountain, Romania – The Cucuteni BPeriod

3966 BCE

The horse under her hands nickers softly, his large brown eyes staring into her hazel ones. This was the first time her father had been allowing her to care for their horse, Eoliana. Her straw fingers brush through the horse's beautiful mane before carefully braiding it with her soft and nimble fingers before tying it together with a long piece of long grass and pats it smooth. She smiles and strokes the horse's nose, brushing her face against it's own, looking deeply into the large brown orbs. She could never understand he love for horses, it always seemed natural to her. Perhaps it was because she never actually had a true friend, always found it better to talk to the animals – Those were who she could trust. It was only days before a boy from the village had been lying and claiming she had slept with him Making her unholy. Which was the reason she was now in the stable. Of course, her father had no idea for her love for animals, it was her own secrets.

"Cin'?" Her father's booming voice calls from outside and she whips her head around. His arms were crossed over his tattooed chest and his long hair splays over his shoulders. "I need you to ride to the next village and gather some hay for Eoliana, we've run out and straw isn't fit for no horse." He explains. Cin blinks, frowning slightly before asking,

"Isn't gathering hay a man's job?"

"You act like a man you'll be treated like one." He cruelly says and tosses Cin the rope. "Eoliana will teach you how to ride him, trust me on that." Her father nods and then leaves from the stable doorway. Cin sighs and turns to Eoliana, stroking his back.

"Ready for a ride then?"

XoXoX

Her father wasn't lying when he said that Eoliana would teach her how to ride. Cin laughs as she wraps her arms around his large neck, urging him to go faster. The wind catches her hair and her features appear younger than they had ever as she laughs and smiles with joy. The sun rains down upon them, splashing the horse and the young girl in it's glory. She forgot of the silly lies that had spread through their village and forgot of her dull life in their typical wattle and daub house. It was just her and Eoliana.

And the boy crossing the path.

Cin quickly pulls on Eoliana's braid, pulling him back while he neighed and kicks in the air painfully while the boy stumbles back into the mud, dropping his basket and gazing up at her – A slow smile stretching over his face.

"What on earth are you smilin' at?" Cin asks, hopping off Eoliana and patting his head, whispering a gentle apology into his ear before looking at the boy who seems to dumbfounded to move. Cin took in his features; His golden hair was in a waved mess on his head, his large gray orbs staring into her like he was hypothesized, and his body was almost typical – But, extremely better built than most for his appeared age, slim and beautifully sculpted. Her eyes fell back upon his and for a moment, she swore she saw them flash into something else – Like pink. Cin then steps forward and falls to her knees, gathering the items that had spilled from his basket. She could hear him chuckling before his hands grab her wrist and places them on her lap.

"You don't need to clean my mess," He whispers and stands with her. "Are you alright? I hadn't seen you coming."

Cin chortles and runs her fingers through her windblown hair, nodding "I'm fine, thank you – Question is, are you alright? You're the one who fell." Cin says, gesturing to where had landed only minutes ago. He shrugs and smiles at her.