The Castle on the Hill

Chapter #7 To Dublin!

                     Thomas was beyond weary and tired before Celyn even slowed the horses to a walk. They had walked all night and as soon as the sun came up they started to run them. It was nearly noon and everyone was tired and thirsty.

                   "The horses will need rest. We will allow them a short break and won't ride during the heat of the day." Needing rest was an understatement. They hadn't started to drip sweat yet due to the coolness of the day but they were covered in sweat.

                    "There should be a river about an half hour walk from here. They can rest and graze there while we eat a little." Zavier commented while studying the tree line around them.

                    In a little under an hour they came across the small bridge that covered the river. At the point where the bridge crossed it the river was barely wider than a creek. Zavier turned his horse and began to weave him through the trees. Thomas and Celyn followed suit. Soon enough they were out of sight and hearing range from the road. Everyone dismounted and removed the bits from the horses mouths.

                   After a quick lunch of bread and dries ham, Celyn asked Thomas if she could check his wounds. He reluctantly agreed because he knew they would need to be bandaged.

                  "Out of courtesy I'm going to let you know that this will hurt." Celyn smiled almost evilly as she gathered her supplies.

                   She wasn't lying. Luckily nothing had busted open again so there wasn't any stuck on bandages. But the healing salve still burned as much as ever. Soon she had the original bandages back on and had washed the others out in the river downstream from where they were.

                  Zavier gave each of them some coffee and a handful of coffee beans to keep them awake if they started to fall asleep and much too soon for Thomas's liking they were back on the trail.

               "If we ride through the night, and we will ride through the night. We should reach Dublin by nightfall tomorrow." Zavier seemed to think that three days of no sleep wouldn't be a problem. Thomas looked at Celyn and she merely nodded. Once again Thomas wondered what he was getting himself into things that were far more dangerous than he originally thought.

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                  By Noon the next day Celyn had grown so tired that she snapped at anyone for the smallest things. Already she had yelled at Thomas for whistling and at Zavier for not making the fire to warm up lunch fast enough. Thomas scarfed down his food in a heartbeat and soon found himself drifting to sleep at the base of a tree while the horses where enjoying being completely unsaddled and washed off in the river by Zavier.

                   "Thomas go with her!" Zavier's voice brought him back to the land of the living.

                   "Sir?"

                   "Go with Celyn. She is going upstream to rinse herself off." Zavier was bringing the second horse from the river. "Listen to me closely. Do not watch her. Do not get close to her. Stay out of sight from the river. You are only there to alert her if someone is coming."

                    "Yes, Sir." He followed after Celyn rather cautiously.

                    "You can stay here." They had headed up a good way where some trees held their branches over the water and shielded her from onlookers.