around us, I shift on the saddle as much as my bindings allow. I’ve never ridden on a horse before, and I’m swiftly learning it’s not the most comfortable way to travel. It’s taken me a while to get used to the swaying gait and stop feeling like I’m going to fall from the horse, but now that I have, I’m able to appreciate the beauty of this place.
The sheer size of the lake is huge, so we walk alongside it for a while, and I feel the eyes of the kelpies on me the whole time. I realise now that the neighing noises I heard this morning were the kelpies. They were trying to warn me that the elves were coming, but I had been so focused on Vaeril that I missed their warning. As we move back into the forest, I notice how it’s different here, it seems to be changing the closer we get to the elf city. The trees are larger, older, and appear to have a sentient presence. I feel like they’re watching us, and I remember Vaeril kneeling at the base of the trees we used to camp in, thanking them for their shelter.
“Will he be okay?” I ask the elf behind me. My wrists have been bound in front of me with rope, but my hands are free so I’m able to hold onto the pommel of the saddle we’re sitting on. The elf, who’s been tasked to keep an eye on me, has strapped me to his waist, and I’m actually grateful for that fact. I’ve nearly fallen off many times, and the elf behind me is the only reason I’ve managed to stay on.
The elf stiffens when I speak, and I glance back to see his face is tight with discomfort. Is he uncomfortable because of my question, or my race? Sighing, I face forward to look over at Vaeril again with a twinge of concern at his still form.
“I know you don’t like me and I’m everything you’re taught to hate, but I care for him.” I don’t even know if he understands me, or if he even speaks Arhavien, but I hope he can hear the sincerity in my voice. “We escaped together, we helped each other. I just want to know if he will be okay.” Silence meets my words, and my worry starts to build as my mind spins. What if Vaeril’s not going to be okay? What if the elf is staying silent because he knows that?
“We have very talented healers,” he finally replies, although warily, like he’s saying it against his better judgement. “The general has placed him in a... frozen state. The poison can’t spread any further until we return.” His elvish accent is thick, but I still understand what he’s saying. Letting out a breath I hadn’t realised I was holding, I turn in the saddle to thank him, and find him frowning as he looks straight ahead, not meeting my gaze.
“Thank you.”
His expression drops for a moment at my gratitude, and something that looks like surprise flashes through his eyes. I avert my gaze, scanning at the forest again.
Stix would love it here, I think with a small smile. The grass is high and there are plenty of places for him to hide. I’m surprised to find that I actually miss him. We had only known each other for a very short span of time, but he has worked his way into my heart. I hope I get to see him again, and strangely enough, even though they scare me a little bit, I want to see the kelpies again also.
I can feel the elf’s gaze on me as I shift in the saddle.
“Try to relax into the saddle, move with the horse. It won’t hurt so much,” the elf advises. Nodding, I try to do as he says. I’ve been sitting upright, spine straight to avoid falling off, but as soon as I relax into the saddle, the ache in my lower back fades. I thought I was used to the horse’s gait, but it’s so much easier now.
“Thank you,” I tell the guard again, and I feel him nod once behind me. We sit in silence for a while, then I decide to ask a question that’s been playing on my mind. “How did you know we were in the cave?”
He’s quiet for a moment, as if weighing what he can tell me, and he eventually just lets out a