Abandoned

Chapter III

I awoke to a castle in the distance. I got to my feet and heard heavy, yet fast, footsteps behind me. I turned and saw a horse galloping toward me. I screamed and ducked to the side, feeling the wind as the large animal raced passed me. The horse skidded to a halt and I caught sight of the woman. She changed from her gown to a one-piece spandex-leather armor underneath a long, black cape that arched up at the sides close to her neck. The crystal clasp of her cape glittered under the moonlight. 

The stallion was black with gray web-like markings on his chest with a gray bird-like beak with the gray extending up his head. The animal's mane and body had a feather-like texture. He didn't look like a horse. 

A white horse with a gold bridle and saddle ran up to the black horse overturning dry leaves. 

"Is this real?" I asked weakly. The black horse nickered as the woman nodded. The white horse laid on the ground.

"Get on the horse and follow me." the woman ordered. 

I obeyed and climbed onto the white mare. She got to his feet and followed the stallion. It was very wobbly and I thought I was going to fall off when we began to gallop down the trail. My horse ran up beside the woman's own. Her eyes were glued forward. Her cape flew back behind her. 

"Where are we going?" I asked, raising my voice so she could hear me. 

She didn't reply.

The woman slowed her horse to a trot and mine slowed on her own. I looked forward and saw the castle. It was still far away. The woman stopped her horse and got off. I did the same. She stroked the stallion's muzzle as she laid down. Her horse laid down beside her, placing his head on her side. 

I laid on the hard earth, the white horse laying beside me. I struggled to get comfortable, getting next to no sleep when the sun came up. Our horses awoke and got to their feet. They grazed nearby. The woman's eyes opened as I shut my own. I heard her get to her feet.  

"Amber, awaken," she whispered. That killed me, how did she know my name?!

I opened my eyes and tried hard to hide the fact I didn't get much sleep. I got to my feet and saw the woman atop her grazing horse. She pulled up his head and walked over to me. 

"Follow, we do not have much time." she murmured.

I nodded and climbed onto the white mare. I pulled up her head and the woman barely gave my horse time to move before galloping off down the hill. My horse jerked forward into a gallop and I yelped at the sudden jolt. 

I caught up with the woman in no time. Her horse sped down the trail, mine not being able to keep up. 

"Come on, faster." I urged her. 

She would not speed up. 

I finally caught up with the woman walking her stallion through a knee-deep river. I got off my horse and held the reins tightly in my hand. I stepped toward the river and my horse pulled away. She ripped it out of my hand, snorting. She overturned the earth with her hoof. I stepped back as she reared and neighed, her hooves thrashing. 

"Okataa, easy." soothed the woman as she slowly approached the enraged horse. She stamped the earth but met the woman's gaze. 

The woman slowly raised her hand up to the mare's muzzle. Okataa finally settled down and she handed me the reins. She walked back over to her stallion and mounted. I led Okataa through the freezing water and mounted once we were out. 

The woman flew down the trail, her horse's hooves fading away within seconds. 

"We need to catch them," I said. Okataa neighed and flew down the trail. 

After a few moments, a field came upon us. The golden grass swayed in the wind. I spotted the woman leading her horse closer to the castle, which looked to be across the field. 

"Come on, we don't want to lose her." 

Okataa whinnied in response.

She charged through the field, in no time, stopping the woman in her tracks. I noticed something swimming around her emerald gaze as she looked up at me.

"What are you planning to do?" I asked.

"Move aside," she hissed.

"No, I won't if innocent people are going to be hurt!" I protested.

"They are anything but innocent," she seethed.

I thought for a moment, what on earth did she mean? She mounted on her steed and walked around me. She turned to me, her eyes burning.

"Until you decide what side you are truly on, it is not your fight," she mumbled.

She flicked her heel forward and her stallion galloped away. I copied the move she did and Okataa took off after her. We were far behind when they suddenly stopped. I pulled on the reins and the mare came to a skidding halt. She snorted.

"I'm sorry, I've never ridden a horse before," I apologized.

She faced me and nickered. I reached up and stroked her muzzle. I turned my attention back to the woman and saw them race toward a large chasm. My jaw dropped as her stallion leaped to the other side.

"Come on, they won't wait for us," I said.

I kicked as Okataa charged toward the chasm. Her mane flicked me in the face several times but I didn't mind. She approached the chasm and I felt my rear lift off the saddle. We were in the air.

She landed. My rear slammed into the saddle. I groaned and my eyes were blurry with tears. We were alone.