Red Roses - (FCRAs 2016 Winner)

A Game of Chase

Lorelie left her grandmother's house just after lunch. She had planned to stay the day and meet Christian on the way back but changed her mind as she watched the sunlight and shadows slowly drift across the floor. She decided it better to get home while there was still light and she would be sure to detour to the fields Christian worked so she could tell him not to collect her.

Her grandmother sent her away with her new cape and a cake – which seemed an odd choice of gift for the daughter of a baker but her grandma's cakes always had something special about them, at least in Lorelie's memories.

She made Lorelie promise to try and visit again, that it would do her good. Lorelie promised, and meant it, but she wasn't sure she would be able to keep it. She would try however; she had got through one journey into the woods without any mishap after all.

The woods seemed to of settled into the day around her as well. It was actually rather pleasant to walk along the paths and listen to the gentle winds and animals go about their day. She spotted a doe and buck through the trees, his antlers still small from youth, the pair shrouded in sunlight.

They watched her without concern before turning and walking away into the shadows.

The air was warm now as well, the sun having finally poured its heat down onto the forest floor.

All in all, Lorelie was finding reasons to visit again. She could understand why her mother and grandmother insisted she venture into the woods again and why so many young men and women from hers and the surrounding villages found it so easy to walk through the trees.

She was almost half way home when she noted the disturbance in the air.

The woods around her had gone quiet. She had the sense that it wasn't because the wildlife had left but more because they chose to be silent, as if they were hiding themselves from detection.

Surely not from her though, they hadn't bothered with her before that moment.

But she heard what they heard a second later.

Hoof beats.

There were riders in the forests, thundering towards her direction, perhaps a dozen, perhaps only half a dozen, the sheer noise made it hard to detect. It potentially could have been riders from Rose Castle heading to town, but it was later than normal if they were.

It was instinct more than anything that told her it wasn't though. Instinct that told her to move off the path.

She hurried on ahead to find a place where she could get past and then behind the thick bushes when a rider burst out of the foliage, landing on the path and reining in his horse with an annoyed shout, spinning the animal towards her before glancing up and pausing, forcing his horse to a stop and staring at her as she stared at him.

He was a young man, his clothing stating that he was obviously well bred, probably a gentleman's son or even a lord's. He was handsome enough though somewhat wild in his appearance from his ride through the forest.

He stared at her for a moment, then laughed slightly and Lorelie bowed her head and kept walking.

He moved his horse and planted himself in her path, making her look up.

Before she could say anything, his attention was drawn to five more horses that turned from a path onto theirs, two of the riders dressed in similar high-class fashion, the other three in servants' garb.

"There you are, Howard!" shouted one of the new riders, a handsome blonde, giving the brunette in front of Lorelie, Howard, an exasperated expression. "Where the blazes did you run off to, man?"