What Lurks in His Eyes

Chapter 39: Cloaked in Mysteries

Song: Failure by Breaking Benjamin

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I worked with Liberty every day.

She had proven to be a feisty, wild animal, full of wild spirit. Her angered snorts fill the musky air of the barn. I sit atop the fence, studying her every movement.

I have no idea how to tame a horse.

I have decided to just start slow, though. I let her out of her stall, in which she flees into the corral. She slams herself desperately into the bars of the corral, trying to escape.

I feel sad watching her.

"You and me both, Liberty. You and me both." I mutter as I take a seat in the grass just outside of the corral.

The plan is to get her used to me by spending time with her. I plan to sit outside with her and let her get used to my presence and my scent. I need to gain a bit of her trust before I attempt to make any rash moves on her.

Once she's used to being around me, then I will try to touch her and coax her with an apple, a carrot, or whatever else horses like.

Once she's used to my touch, then I will go from there.

But it's going to be one long, rocky road with her. She's known nothing but freedom all of her life, and now that she's behind bars, she's desperate. She's angry. She's upset and sad.

Master Hale isn't stupid, much to my distaste. He had ordered two guards to watch me while I'm outside with the horse. He wouldn't want to leave me alone with an animal known for its speed.

I sigh as I glance at the guards standing off in the distance. Their faces are blank of any expressions, and they clutch their swords tightly. A bow and arrow is slung over their backs, ready to shoot if I ever do think about escaping.

I turn my attention back to the wild mustang. She eyes me cautiously. Her eyes roar with a fire that burns brighter than the forest fires that turn the silent giants to ashes in hours. 

"I won't hurt you. I promise. Though, you might want to stay away from the others, there's no telling what they'll do to you." I speak gently to the horse. I feel crazy carrying on a conversation with an animal like this, but I've been so lonely lately that it feels good to talk.

Maybe it's because Liberty and I are not that different from each other.

I rake her stall out, and wheelbarrow the dirty sawdust into the waste pile located behind the barn. I scrub her water trough out and refill it with clean, fresh water. Liberty watches me the entire time, her eyes never leaving me.

The horse become antsy and paws at the ground when the two guards come walking over.

"Master Hale wants you back in the mansion now to complete your chores." One of them says emotionlessly.

I sigh. I'm enjoying being out here under the sun's gentle rays. It's refreshing. But I have other duties to attend to, much to my dislike.

"Okay, let me leave some hay for Liberty, first." I say, climbing the latter to the bales of hay stacked atop each other in the hay loft.

I gather a fair amount of hay in my arms and throw some in the little food trough in Liberty's stall, before begrudgingly heading out with the guards towards the mansion. The walk is silent and depressing.

The ball is just one day away now, and I couldn't dread it more. Swarms of vampires will flock themselves to this place. I will be preyed upon not for my blood, but a whole different reason.