The Night Rider

Chapter 27

I let my hand slide over the skin of the horse in front of me, for the last time. The black manes hang gracefully next to the animal. I kick out my black heels and jump on the back of the black horse. I grap the reins in my hands and give it a swing. The horse's legs move at a high speed to the point that we fly out of the wooden stables.

The time of books is done, the time of searching for answers is wasted. It's time to face reality, to look for the answers in deeds. It is time to understand what the future has in store for us and how I can bend that towards something I like.

The horse's legs go over the grass like raging birds. The wind gliding through my hair makes me glide back to the past in a small part. My bare feet in the cold irons and my dress blown by the wind make me feel the speed even more intense. The little sense of freedom that this world can offer me right now. The freedom I used to have, I will never return back to and maybe that's fine.

Grass fields and forests glide past me like a movie that is being played. Yin will not only breaks up Rafiki, he killed Nuri years ago. The tough and brave woman I used to admire has now turned into a desperate and confused version of herself. The moment I heard she was pregnant is a moment I both cherish and despise.

The cry of a dragon takes me out of my mind. I automatically pull the reins of the horse, reducing its speed. The cry of the red dragon, I know better than anyone, tells me that Jamie is not far away. I look at the clouds where a red dragon appears. The blond man is hoisted into his suit as always. The red cloth around his mouth and his blond hair in the wind is an image I like to see.

Behind me I hear the hooves of other horses. I look back and see Novak and David sitting on two horses. I am superintendent amazed by this view. The men behind me have left the queen behind, also his own wife. Novak stops his horse next to me and looks at me with his red eyes. 'Let's go save Rafiki, it's time'. A grin appears over his lips while he gives a big jolt to the reins and makes the horse disappear at high speed.

Jamie makes the red dragon disappear from my point of view as well, leaving only the young bodyguard David standing next to me. He makes a short bow with his head before he opens his mouth. The young bodyguard has been working here as long as his parents have died, he has practically been adopted by the palace. How much I wish there was a future as a couple for Rafiki and David, I know it can't be.

Rafiki will never give her heart to a gentle boy like David. The nature that murmurs in her needs something that fights her, stops her in her rage. Someone strong enough to fight Yin and understand that life is not always given to you. 'Know that Rafiki doesn't have long anymore' This is the first time the words can be heard from my own mouth. It hurts so much to say them out loud.

I know it's necessary to say them out loud, not just for myself but for everyone around me. We have to face reality and accept her that it is so. We don't have to look for a way to save Rafiki, we have to look for a way to give her more time. The time to kill Yin.

David's eyes are full of pain after those words. He lets his horse take a few steps forward and then reaches out his hand to me. In his hand he holds a book. I take the book in amazement and read my name on the cover. I recognize that handwriting, it's Chanel's. Chanel hasn't been with us for fifteen years so I can't make the link.

'Read the first page, then you know enough', he pulls his reins and also disappears into the woods. I look at the little book with its brown cover. The curly letters that form my name give me a smile on my face. I still miss Chanel every day. The woman who never grew old, the only rightful queen who has known this world.

I hesitate to open the book. My novelty almost wins out of my mind. Something tells me that I shouldn't read this while sitting on a horse. Chanel has always been someone who looked many steps ahead and could think faster than anyone else. She also knew her place in life and knew that there are times when it is better to keep your mouth shut, I think this is that kind of situation

I decide to put the book under the saddle and give a jolt to the reins of the horse. The horse's legs start to move at high speed. The wind blows my hair and dress through the air again. How I enjoyed the silence and the noise of the wind just as much, I can now only think of the book under the saddle.

The moment the trees rush past me and the wind is all I hear, I remember something Chanel once told me. The words cut into my soul like knives. Ghosts don't kill you, they drive you out.