Chapter 2
Her heart raced with the mare that is the colour of mahogany and which appearance misled her into thinking of it possessing a temperament so tender like that of a fair maiden. The growing deluge in her chest was in complete cacophony with the rate of her breathing, trying to outdo the mare's speed. Her clutch on the leather rein tightened as the mare's pace accelerated. Galloping like the whirlwind, she felt her body light as a feather, as the mare carried all her weight.
The first time she saw her in the village, she was an exquisite beast. Its doe-shape eyes sold her off to her in an instance. It was quite a good bargain as the merchant promised her a gentle and efficient companion. But the beast did not live up to her expectations. Its erratic behaviour that began only after her meeting two strangers who claimed to be guardians of the forest continued to mystify her.
She pulled the rein back sturdily hoping it would come to a halt and calm down, but all it did was shake its head madly and wag its lower body and tail as though its lifetime aim was to dismount her.
Her skills on horse-riding are commendable considering she did not have the luxury to learn it in an early age. But failing to control the mare this time around made her think that all the time she spent secretly going to the stables and sneaking horses out in the open was all worthless.
Again, she tightened the muscles on her abdomen and pushed down the mare, so she was resisting its frantic movements. She tightened her grip on the reins and pulled them towards her body one more time.
"Whoa!"
She kept the reins in place trying to immobilize the mare's head, and her legs squeezing the sides of the horse. It was then when she noticed two arrows pierced in its hind leg.
"Whoa!!"
The mare squealed while aggressively resisting her intentions.
While her mind was heavily concentrated on trying to calm the mare, it took her by surprise when she felt the reins being snatched away from her. A strapping fist of hand gripped the leather and pulled it to her right side. A second after, she just realized she was being chased by a stranger in dark cerulean robes. His stallion, sturdy and majestic like the midnight sky, was fast as it managed to catch up with her beast that has gone berserk.
"Hand it over!" yelled the man.
The strange man looked young, maybe just a few years older than her. His skills in controlling two moving horses at the same time was superb, she couldn't imagine herself doing it in this life-and-death situation.
"Hand it over, I said!"
She let go of the rein and got her shaking hands on the mare's neck, clasping its beautiful mane like her life depends on it.
The strange man did the impossible next. With two leather reins on his hands and two galloping horses in considerably fast velocity, he got up from his horse and stood on its back. The stranger now appeared like a fearless warrior charging a chariot into a battlefield. He slightly bent his knees and tipped his body forward, so he does not fall off his horse while it suspends its legs off air. She thought he was valiant to stand on the back of a bolting horse, but to jump from one horse on to another was pure madness. Next thing she knew, he was already behind her, his virile and masculine presence she felt when her back touched his hard chest. The hair on the back of her neck and her arms rose when she felt him breathing to the side of her face. He pressed himself to her, leaned over so he could hold on to the reins properly, squeezing her by his strong arms.
She's lost sight of the black stallion as they were reaching a stream which current was strong as it came from the mountain and was headed towards the Yang River.
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The Wolf and the Lily of the Valley
Historical Fiction"All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when we are able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must appear inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we...