Battle Horse

Chapter Thirty Seven

Quick A/N

I apologize for the break I took...without telling you. I've been really struggling these last few months with anxiety over school, family life, school, mental issues, and school. But school is finally out, and I think it's just now hit me that I'm free for another month!

So I know it's been fooooorever! So please if you need to go back a few chapters and cuss me out, by all means do so, because I deserve it. Re-read any thing you need to, because honestly, I had to re-read about half of this book to understand any thing I had written months ago. So please don't hate me...and enjoy!

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Ena hardly got a wink of sleep that night as she lay in her bed. Everything happened so quickly. She thought that she may be able to settle down in that small village, and then out of the blue, George shows up. She tossed in her bed and glanced down at where George slept on a bed roll on the floor near her bed. He had a small smile gracing his lips as he slept, his light hair almost covering his eyes. He looked so peaceful, so happy. She let out a quiet sigh and turned to face the window. Winter was on its way, and Ena knew if she was to leave, it would have to be within the next week. Though she promised George she'd leave with him the next morning, she was hesitant. She felt responsible for the care of Evanlyn. Pushing her off onto someone else felt like cheating. Ena had done quite a few irresponsible things within the last year, and she didn't want to abandon Evanlyn.

A groan startled her thoughts, and she sat up in bed, examining the small room for the source. Evanlyn's bed was near the fire, and Ena had a difficult time focusing her gaze against the light. Evanlyn's blankets were flung from her bed, and across the floor. Ena stood, making her way over to the crippled girl. Evanlyn was covered in a sheen of sweat, and the half of her face that she had control over was contorted with pain. She let out a whimper, her whole body tensing.

The noise woke George, and he shuffled over to where Ena stood, examining the poor girl.

"What do I do? Do we wake her?" Ena asked in a panic. George looked just as confused as she did. He nodded hesitantly, and Ena began to shake Evanlyn on the shoulder.

"Evanlyn... Evanlyn wake up, please." Ena begged. Evanlyn's body twisted about the bed, to the point of where Ena feared she would fall off the bed.

"She's not waking...try singing to her." George said. Ena rose an eyebrow, but George gave her a desperate look. "Well I didn't see you coming up with any ideas." She glared at him.

"I'm not going to sing, I'm horrid, but I have an idea." She said. She then took a seat on Ena's bed, gently petting her hair. She took the edge of her night gown's skirt, and began to wipe away some of the sweat from her face.

"Shhh. You're alright. We're here for you." Ena said, she slipped into the same voice she used to soothe the horses. The tone was consistent, a steady flow of the same three notes. It was the closets Ena would ever come to singing. "Don't be scared. We're not going anywhere." She said, giving Evanlyn a fond look. Evanlyn slowly but surely began to relax into Ena's touch. She let out a few whimpers before falling into silence.

"Can fetch me some water?" Ena asked. George nodded and hurried off to do as she requested. He returned promptly with a bucket of icy cold water. Ena grabbed a rag and dipped it in the bucket, gently trailing along Evanlyn's forehead. After cleaning the sweat from her face, Evanlyn seemed to have slipped into a restful sleep once more.

"Was it a nightmare?" George asked, keeping a hushed tone so he didn't wake the upset girl.

"I think so. I've never seen a nightmare like that though." Ena said, "And I hope I never see it again." Evanlyn had finally calmed down, so Ena replaced her blankets and the two of them retreated to the back of the room. Ena plopped down on the edge of her tiny bed, glancing towards Evanlyn's sleeping from.