Cailleach

Chapter V ~ Cailleach

Why did I want to go home? Well, my book was back in the carriage, left to rot, and I'd just met a prince. The sooner I get rid of Adrian, the less my parents will talk of how I should marry him. Not to mention Hyacinth will do the exact same.

Hyacinth was hired to be my best friend, because I wasn't socialising enough, according to my parents. She tries to be my best friend, but she acts like I'm normal, which I'm not. Hyacinth acts like I care about boys and parties and what Lord Whats-His-Name did on the weekend. She doesn't see that all I care about is the book.

Also, you might be wondering about the book. It's not called 'The Book', but actually, 'The Queen and the Witch'. Hyacinth doesn't understand why I love it so much. "It doesn't even have a good ending. I spend the whole day wondering what happened to the Queen's child," she complains. "That's the fun part; it's written so you create the best possible ending," I say. I'm not sure about the validity of the statement, but we'll leave it at a grey area.

Anyway, going home seems ideal, with my birthday and all. I see Adrian's horse, and I decide that I will ride the horse. Adrian can walk.

But things don't work out as I planned. The horse spooks at something that is rustling the leaves. Since there isn't a rope that he is tied to, he can freely run to the other side of the world, if he wants to. I simply stand there and watch while the horse runs away, becoming further and further out of sight. Adrian, meanwhile, looks like he's having a breakdown.

"Well?" I say, "Go after him."

Adrian just looks at me. He looks at me with a face that indicates disgust, though I don't understand why.

"You can't expect me to keep up with a galloping horse, can you?"
"Yes."
"Well, I can't. I suppose we'll just have to walk."

Walk. Walk. I won't walk the entire way back to my kingdom. That's just a stupid idea. But Adrian doesn't consult me for my opinion, and marches on. I have no choice but to follow.

We walk for countless hours, possibly days. My legs are on fire, but I don't want to complain. All I really want is to get back home.

"Let's make conversation," Adrian says, looking at me.
"I'd rather-"
"So, how did you come to be trapped in a carriage?"

I can't believe him! He has the audacity to cut me off when I'm talking! Unbelievable. However, I don't to seem rude, so I talk.

"I don't know. Ask the carriage driver, though he is likely dead, so that could be difficult."
"Oh. Well, I think now is as good a time as any to say I love you, Cailleach."

Now, a quick lesson on romance; don't lie and say you love someone when you don't.

"I don't love you."
"What?"
"I said, 'I don't love you.'"
"But I'm a prince. Ladies love me!"
"Yeah, that's the word. Love."
"They do!" pouts Adrian.

To save us from this awkward conversation, it starts raining. Hard. I don't know if the weather has ever heard of slowly transitioning from good to bad, but they ignore it anyway.

"Oh no," says Adrian, his eyes screaming fear.
"What? What's wrong?"
"You're telling me you have never read the Halkiney Chronicles?"
"Uh, no. Should I have?"

Now I am worried. The air around us is becoming mistier. It's getting harder to see the trees.

"Yeah, you should have, but most don't anyway. It states rain in Falkiney is more dangerous than men with knives."
"I doubt it."
"No, it's true. It creates a mist so thick you can't see 5 feet in front of you. With all the cliffs, that's an instant death trap."
"Well, what do we do?"
"We wait it out under shelter."

Now things are getting bad. I can't handle all of this.