Daughter of Water

Chapter 32

"My lady, forgive us but the horses suddenly ran off and it took us some time to catch up with them." Clarence followed behind my steed and I as we ventured back to the mansion. Everyone was accounted for and it came at no surprise that Markarth and Jesabelle may have gotten a bit friendly when they ran off.

"It is okay Clarence. The horses took off so I do not blame you." I secretly thought that as soon as no one was looking, I'd give both of them a few carrots along with their foal. As the estate came into sight, a tall and slim looking man stood there in the shadows, his face puzzled.

"Clarence!" He shouted. The old man and his grandson hurried forward on the stud and approached the figure.

"What is it?" The man whispered something to Clarence and in a moment, he dismounted his horse and called Curtis over. The rest of us hurried over and I overheard the words king and mayor. Curious, I dismounted and strode up to the group.

"What is the matter Clarence?" My voice left no room for lying. He sighed and glanced at me.

"The king has sent his best assassians to kill the previous mayor's family. They are departing today from the castle and are in grave danger." My face froze for a moment before I thought back to Darren's words about his friend's father. It can't be...

"Curtis, ready a normal horse for me. Sylvia, please hurry to my room and get my male clothing and wig. And make sure that a sword is set next to it, preferably one that Curtis or Francis has sharpened recently. Clarence, find out their ambush location and time. Arlo, go gather about six carrots from the kitchen." I clapped and everyone bowed before going off to do a job that I had set into motion. I followed Sylvia upstairs and in less than ten minutes, I resembled a well groomed male with a scabbard on my hip.

I gave her a quick hug before I flew downstairs and back out to the stables. Everyone was there for me, ready with everything I had asked for.

"Clarence, what do you have?" I asked as I took the carrots from Arlo and pulled them into three groups of two.

"They will be ambushed in thirty minutes on the outskirts of town where no one will see them." I nodded and broke a carrot in half before striding up to my steed and giving him the piece I just broke.

"Thank you Clarence and thank you Arlo for these." I gave my steed one more before moving on to Jesabelle who looked famished.

"Here you go you good girl. Thank you," I whispered and did the same for Markarth, his thanks written in his eyes.

"Alright, I don't want to hear that it is too dangerous. I am going with you guys because it could be a potential connection we could use against the Fiers. A previous mayor would know all of the back ways into Arina and all of the filthy Fier supporters." As I mounted the horse Curtis had readied for me, I could hear the air fill the male's lungs.

"This is not up for discussion. It will take us just enough time to get there to save them. Aberdeen, when I get back, you and I will have a long discussion in my room about our next step." Curtis and Conrad mounted the other two horses and we took off for the people we knew we had to save.

"My lady, Francis will meet us just ahead. He was the one who had sent the messenger to the estate." I didn't bother to nod but instead felt my heart begin to pound, the speed at which we were going not as fast as Aberdeen could go in the air.

Even though I was still healing, I did not wish for Darren's friend to perish because of me. Everyone was dying because of me. So I vowed at this moment, right here on this horse, right now a this time, that no one else was going to perish because of my name.

As we broke through the trees, Francis was off to the side on a light colored horse that was very showy yet at the same time discreet. As soon as he saw us riding like hell was on our heels, he started moving forward and met up with us as we passed.