Crossfire

4

The sun shone yellow-orange against the light blue sky. A couple lazy purplish grey clouds sat next to it. New snow reflected the light of the sun. A single set of footprints led across the courtyard to the stables. The stall of the dappled grey horse that arrived yesterday with a young girl was empty. Anyone could bet that the room of that young girl was empty as well.

Palka took large lungfulls of refreshing air. Her plain hair was in a Dutch braid that flapped against her back with every stride of her strong mount. She closed her eyes. There was nothing better than this. This perfectly relaxing moment that can only be interrupted by--

"You! Come help with the queen's mount! Make it quick! She wants to ride through the woods by the time the sun is completely in the sky!"

Palka twisted in her seat to see a man with a squeaky voice yelling at her. His voice carried surprisingly well for the distance that was between them.

She slowed and turned her horse around. The mare tossed her head in protest. Galloping in open was her favorite thing in the world; who was this man to tell her owner to stop? Besides that, whatever he was telling her to do didn't need their immediate attention, could it?

Palka patted her fidgety horse and urged her back to the stables. Luckily, they had been riding with no saddle so taking off the remaining tack was a breeze. She let her horse out in a corral, promising to come back.

The man with the squeaky voice pointed at a stall then left without a word. Palka shrugged and looked into the stall. A kind looking gelding blinked back at her. There was a perfectly symmetrical stripe down his face, and the tip of his left ear was white. Everything else was completely black.

She entered the stall and let the horse sniff her hands. Then she buckled the expensive looking bridle on his head, along with the saddle on his back.

She led the horse to the front of the castle, where a clump of guards and townspeople were waiting. Then, parting the guards, was the queen. She couldn't be any other, for she walked with elegance and poise. Yet she greeted the townspeople with such a warm smile, like steam from your favorite tea meeting your face. Palka suddenly felt extremely unimportant.

A little girl broke from the crowd of spectators. A muffled "Wait," came from what must've been the child's mother. The crowd held its breath as the girl hugged the queen's knees. The queen looked down at the child. She picked her up from under the armpits and seemed to be examining her. The little girl leaned closer and whispered something. The queen laughed. Actually laughed. Not fake, or in an "I'm-too-good-for-you" tone, but a real laugh. Like the girls were sharing an inside joke.

The queen set the girl down and she scampered to her parents. Palka suddenly realized the lack of attention the guards were giving this encounter. She was sure that if it was for the king, the child wouldn't have made it past the crowd. Maybe this was usual?

The queen gestured with her hand and Palka awkwardly brought the horse up in front of the queen. A guard helped her into the saddle.

"That will be all, thank you," the queen said to the guards.

"But, your Majesty, you need someone to protect you," a guard replied.

"Nonsense. This young lady can come with me," the queen countered.

The guards looked surprised. "But that's two ladies that need protecting!"

"Do you only know how to argue? I've seen her abilities. Along with mine, no one would be able to overtake us. Besides that, the griffins were meant to protect those in the forest," she concluded.

The griffins. Palka had almost forgotten about those. For as long as anyone can remember, griffins have protected any city that a king could be in. They were said to stay in the shadows, though they don't hide themselves if they are seen. Palka had seen one once. A couple, actually. She was seven, and was looking for berries at the edge of her village. The two came right in front of her, all the while playfully wrestling each other. One looked at her. Palka approached them and ran her fingers through their fur. She had climbed into the one griffin's back and said to it, "Can you fly?" Griffins can't speak human, but they can understand it. The griffin nodded. Palka held on to its neck and before she knew it they were in the air, the griffins looping around each other with Palka holding on for dear life. It was fun, but her stomach would've preferred to take things slower.

Palka smiled at the memory. The queen noticed.

"Would you like to come with me?" She guessed incorrectly at the cause of Palka's mood.

"Yes, your Majesty," she said anyway.

Palka went to the stables to get her horse. She wanted to take Katana, but was unsure how well that horse would listen. So
Ginke-that's her horse's name-was the next choice.

····························

It was like Ginke had no intentions of being as obedient as she was earlier. She sidestepped and pulled at the reigns. When Palka tried to stop she went into a high-stepping trot. When tried to speed up Ginke would snort as if to say, "I can take my time if I want to!"

The queen, as always, noticed. "Do you want to race?" she asked mischievously.

"Sure," Palka tried to say casually. She adjusted her seat, which wasn't easy bareback, and waited for the queen's word.

"To the edge of the forest. On 'go'." The queen leaned forward.

"3...

2...

1...

Go!"

Ginke didn't need to be told twice. Without any encouragement from Palka, she shot forward full speed. The ground seemed to be pushed into motion under Ginke's and the black gelding's thundering hooves. Palka pushed her face into her horse's mane to hide from the wind.

The forest was enveloping them before she knew it. She stopped Ginke and looked around. She had won with ease. The queen came to a stop beside her, laughing.

"Why, that was far more fun than prancing around, pretending to be fancy," the queen stated. Palka smiled.

"Come." The queen trotted ahead of Palka and Ginke.

When they were a decent ways into the forest, a griffin crossed their path. It looked at both of them; the queen with insanely good posture looking superior, and Palka, holding her breath. Then it bowed. The queen nodded her head slowly and held out her hand. The griffin looked back at her but didn't do anything else.

"What is it, Shomy?" the queen asked.

"Just wanted to see the new comer."

The voice was low. Palka stared at the griffin, Shomy, unsure of what just happened.

"A select few griffins can speak different languages, ours included."

Palka wasn't sure this was a very good excuse.

Ginke took a cautious step forward. Shomy allowed her to touch him lightly on the head with her nose.

"Has she ever seen my kind?" Palka realized the griffin was talking to her.

"No."

"Another thing," Shomy shook his body and partially spread his wings, "Do you like to fly?"

««««««»»»»»»