Quest For The Key

Chapter 12: Saddle Up and Go

Jack:

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The next morning was all a blur. Mom and dad were talking over each other all the time and Maple was stressing out, as usual. I’m not concerned one bit though. Do you know how cool this would be?! Sure I’d miss everyone and stuff  but, what was with all the fuss. We get the key, enter the realm of the fairies, find the elements so we can forge the sword, destroy the key and get out of there alive, really nothing to it when you think about it. There was nothing to it, and  that’s why when we were all dressed up in our  “ protection gear” as dad called it, on our horses, high upon the hill and ready to go I was the only one whose stomach was not turning . There was crying and shouting and cheers as we rode off. Maple watched as the village shrank away but I just starred forward. This quest needed strength and man power.

I rode a black horse, which I gave the name Ash. Maple rode a white one named, Vanilla. EEEWW, right? Way girly. The 20 guards riding with us rode Carmel coloured horses. We rode in a pyramid formation. The captain of the guards, Lewis on his grey horse , named Smoky, at the front. Maple and I on either sides and the rest of the guards made the bottom of the triangle. 

Whew, riding a horse is harder then it looked and since I’m shorter then everyone else, my feet cant even reach the stirrups half the time. As well, I got the only stubborn horse there, of course. He did not like it when I pulled on the reins, to turn. He like being in total control. Maple doesn’t seem to be having any trouble at all. Vanilla is so good for her, and faster then my horse. Often enough, she would have to wait for me to catch up. How embarrassing! 

Everything is going good before we enter the wood. It’s wet, slippery, big and everything looks the same. Even though the men knew where they were going I couldn’t help feeling lost. It was eery quiet, except for the sounds of the horses hooves, hitting the ground and turning over the soil under foot. I had the feeling I was being watched and Maple said she agreed. That’s why I became queasier and more nervous the further we went. As we were going I began to relax and take in the birds chirping. It was a lot quieter now and more peaceful. That’s when it hit me! Over time as we were riding there was nothing to do but listen and watch everything go by. Everything that looked the same emerald colour and was covered in moss. I started listened, really listening and now I was realizing it. I was hearing less and less horses hooves. Raising my head and careful not to fall off ash, I turn my body to look behind me. Sure enough, there were only Lewis, maple , two other soldiers and me riding now. My head  began to hurt as I began to wonder where the others had gone.  I side glanced at Maple, to see that she was well aware as well. As I use my left hand to swat at a mosquito there’s a rustling  from above me and my hands are sweating.

Just then an arrow comes flying from nowhere and hits Lewis in the chest. He cries out before he falls off his horse, letting the rein fall loose from his hands,  laying still on the ground. The others horses, now start to galloped in different directions, throwing their riders off as well as they run at top speed. “ Maple” I think. “ Where is she” Then, I see Vanilla let out a loud cry as she stumbles to the ground, blood spreading across her left side like spilt milk and taking Maple down with her. Without thinking I outstretch my hand to pull her up. She grabs it tightly just in time, and she climbs up on Ash behind me. Wow! I never thought I could do that! By the way she gripped my waist I can tell she is frightened and won’t let go. 

My hands fumble with the reins as it begins to pour rain. I see smoky, splashed with a dark red, run to the right in a spasm, collapsing into a ditch by the river. My hair is soaked and my clothes are drenched in water. More streams down my face, making it hard to see where were heading.  I hear Maple scream ‘ to the right”, too late before Ash runs off the side of a hill and we fall off rolling into the river. Determined to survive, I drag us out searching for somewhere dry.

Spotting a hole in the ground. We run to it, dodging a twitching solder and jumped down into it. The hole isn’t big by any means. It’s dark but warm. We crawl deeper into it hand in hand, praying there’s no animal living in it already. Our clothes stick to our bodies but, we’re just lucky to have survived. “We would have been a lot more uncomfortable if we had died” I reminded my self. From beside me Maple’s whispering the “ Our Father” to herself. She snuggles up by my  side as we hug the wall trying to regain some body warmth and I take her cold, shacking hand in mine. Now I think back to what Centra had said “ I will send 20 armed guards with you, on your way to Jealousy. I will note, she’s tough and can be quite dangerous but, with your protection she can’t  touch you.” I wont tell Maple that, she is already scared enough as it was, so I  just whisper over and over again” It’s going to be ok’ in her ear. Part of which, is for my own reassuring as well.