Heir

6) Identities

 The ground seemed to turn to marsh as the gravel path was rolled over by the wheels of your carriage, driven by a young brown stallion with a black mane.

  I looked up as I passed Traevale. I tried to spot my house or Mother, but I failed, so I just tried to see familiar people or buildings. I noticed the old library, the town hall, a neighbour...

  "Aubrey."

  I faced the idiot.

  "We haven't reached the North yet."

  Mr C scoffed and whispered, "We need to take precautions."

  "Nonsense. I..."

  "There's someone following us, behind on the left."

  I started to turn,  but Mr C hissed. "Don't!"

  I stopped and faced him again. Was he joking again?

  "Aubrey, I told you already! I swear, it's for the best. You're better off with Lord Tisern." he raised his voice, smiling.

  "Wha...?"

  "Don't you agree?"

  What was the deal with him?

  His eyes narrowed, as though trying to convey a message to me. I took a wild guess.

  "Yeah."

  The expression on Mr C's face told me that I had said the correct answer.

  "That's why we are going to work with Lord Tisern. Lord Jon isn't exactly the best Lord ever." Mr C  pointed out, almost yelling.

  "Yeah, he's a scumbag with an attitude problem who lacks knowledge of proper smiles and he thinks with his di..."

  "He's gone." Mr C announced. "Oh, and you should take your last sentence back."

  "And your 'Lord Jon' back."

  He glanced around once more and his eyes rested on me. He grinned. "Maybe this won't be as boring as the last time we were in a carriage, Aubrey."

  "You don't need to call me Aubrey anymore, Mr Collarado. You said he's gone."

  "I am not the supreme God of this universe. I don't know everything so we need to take precautions. Oh, and call me Ryder."

  "You are not riding anything." I noted.

  "No, Aubrey. R-Y-D-E-R. My name."

  "Isn't your name Tosh?"

  "Shush! It will be my identity for now." Mr C declared softly, his eyes darting around again.

  Traevale soon passed by. Darkness loomef ahead and I felt my stomach grumble, which 'Ryder' thankfully didn't notice. 

  "I'm starving," I groaned.

  "That's why we're stopping for food and rest in Hetra , the next town."

"I don't see the next town anymore." Fields of green trees and blossoming flowers littered the scenes on both sides, but not a single building could be seen. The only thing that I had seen as interesting discussion far was a cave with a sign in front of it.

  Impatience crept up my spine like a weed. "How long until we reach there, Ryder?"

  He yelled the question at the driver sitting in front (without saying 'Ryder' of course), and a faint sentence I couldn't hear was returned.

  "Half an hour, approximately." he said.

  "What are we going to do in the next thirty minutes?" I grumbled. "Exchange information about each other?"