The Blood River {VOL.1}

Part.1:Apollo

"HALT!"
Of course, I didn't. I ran as fast as I could, ripping at my corseted dress while I did so. I winced as I ran through the woods shoeless, I felt every thorn as it pierced my skin, I felt them nestle deeper into the soles of my feet, but what I felt wasn't pain. It was freedom. I was almost free. I could taste it!

I could hear sticks and twigs snap behind me as the guards and their horses trampled through bushes. My heart began beating faster as the sound of the guards yelling grew louder. I slowed my pace momentarily, pondering the idea of giving up. Letting the guards take me back to the castle. But with every passing second I knew, I couldn't go back, not if I wanted to be free,

Not if I wanted to live.

*Crack*

I stopped and turned around only to see a guards horse charging towards me. My heart dropped as I blocked my face, lifted my leg and braced for impact while the large white stallion hurtled towards me.

I opened my eyes, pleasantly surprised I hadn't been trampled.
The beautiful gelding had stopped with its head just inches away from mine, I could feel it's hot breath on my skin. The horse nudged me until I caught my breath and seemingly reassured me I would be alright.
I soon realized that I couldn't outrun a horse no matter how hard I tried, especially with the thorns burrowing up into my feet. My one shot at freedom was over. I accepted my fate and I was ready to face the consequences.
"You've got me, sir, I'll come peace-"
I stepped out to the side of the horse, thoroughly expecting a man dressed in a rose-red uniform, leaving me truly shocked to find an empty saddle.

"Where'd your rider go?" I whispered as I calmly stroked the horse's mane. I stood in silence trying to conjure up a name even though it had been barely 15 seconds 'owning' the horse.

"Do you mind if I call you Apollo?"

•••

I slid my hands from Apollo's neck down to the iron scabbard that rested just behind the saddlebag.
I unsheathed the sword.
The sheer weight of it brought it straight back down to the ground, just narrowly missing my foot by a few inches.
I lifted the solid iron sword and put it back in the scabbard before I hurt myself because it was just a matter of time before I would.

I slipped my left foot in the stirrup and swung my right leg over. My dress uncomfortably rested underneath me, Hoping I could find something to fix my dress, I hopped off Apollo, reached into the saddlebags and eventually found a small, rusty 3-inch knife.

"Perfect"

I grabbed high up on the front of my dress and began cutting a large slit so it wouldn't bunch up on the saddle but instead fall to either side.
I mounted Apollo again and I kept adjusting my dress until it rested perfectly, while I was placing the knife back where I had found it I heard footsteps, assuming they where Apollo's riders footsteps, I made the logical decision to leave.

"Let's go before your rider finds us"

•••
The branches clawed at my exposed legs as we continued deeper into the woods. The sky darkened and I still had nowhere the sleep.

Apollo slowed his already leisurely pace and lowered his head to sniff something, hoping to get the distraction out of the way, I hopped off and made my way around Apollo.

"What seems to be the-"

Just feet ahead of me was a deer, all bloody and battered yet still fighting to hold on.
Kneeling next to the deer it became apparent to me just how horrible of a condition this animal was in, how unfair it was for this beautiful creature to suffer, the wounds were untreatable. The deer attempted to stand and instantly collapsed. I was pulled apart by two equally horrible decisions, neither of which I could avoid. I so badly wanted to let it live, to give it a chance even though it was clear it had only hours to live, my other option was to kill it myself, put it out of its misery and end the relentless torture.