Chapter 5:
A Chaotic Chase
A ten-foot tree-trunk wall with shaved pointed tops protects Antiock’s perimeter. Our party of four passes through the city gate, and I quicken my pace to catch up with the others, sticking to Giddius’s side instead of Marcellus’s. The citizens steer clear from my path, squashing into one another but keeping at least an arm’s length away from me. I’m a stranger to them, but they’re acting as if they know about my connection?
I soon realize that it’s not just me. The people of the city defer around the four of us, changing their routes to avoid ours. Now it makes sense – I’m dressed as a soldier, and not a local one of Antiock. The citizens, like myself, prefer to keep their distance from soldiers they don’t recognize. My enthusiasm about this new outfit may have been misplaced.
Farmers’ fields cover the land around the city wall, and beyond that lies the woodlands’ edge. I remember seeing the forest from my tower on days clear of rain and fog, but it seemed like an impenetrable barrier of vegetation. Up close, the trees are sparser than I expected. After looking at the same thing for ten years, it’s surreal to discover that it was an illusion.
Trevus and his men approach a stableman with horses. One horse is gray, and the other three are brown. The stableman receives a pouch of coins from Giddius, and he returns to town, leaving the horses with us. Each horse has a saddle with a bag, as well as a banner draped over its sides sporting diagonal emerald stripes – the colors of the royal House Cerillis.
Marcellus climbs up onto a horse and retrieves the waterskin from his saddlebag. Giddius mounts a horse too, and Trevus is searching for something in the bag of the gray horse. Not wanting them to order me around, I approach the fourth horse and put one foot in the stirrup. Being so much shorter than them, I strain to pull myself up. The saddle digs into my stomach, but I keep climbing.
Finally on top, I twist and maneuver myself upright. Settling into the saddle, I take in my new height. I like it up here. It has an aura of power to it, like I could bark orders at imaginary soldiers below. Of everyone in our party, this horse is definitely my favorite. I’ll name her Becky.
Trevus approaches me and Becky with a coil of rope in his hand.
I glare daggers down at him. The thought of him trying to tie me up makes me want to kick his perfect royal face with my new boots. I ready my foot to tap on Becky’s side. “Keep your distance, prince,” I say.
My remark has caught Giddius and Marcellus’s attention. Trevus reaches up for me. I knock my ankle against Becky’s side, just as I learned to as a little child. She jerks forward, but Trevus is quick to catch her reins, directing her to trot in a circle before stopping again.
He snatches both of my arms and binds my wrists together against the saddle horn. “Attempt that a second time, and you shall find yourself hung over this saddle as a sack of potatoes.”
I grit my teeth together before my mouth runs me into further trouble. This man infuriates me. He’s just the latest in a long line of Versillians that wrap their hands around every moment of my life.
He ties another piece of the rope to Becky’s reins, and he passes the end to Marcellus.
Great
. Now Becky will carry me wherever Marcellus goes.
Trevus climbs up onto his horse. He makes it look so effortless that I’m embarrassed about my earlier attempt. I hope he wasn’t watching.
He steers his steed towards the woodlands. I’ll name his horse Gramps, because he’s already gray and he’ll age quickly having to listen to Trevus all the time.
Giddius and Marcellus follow Trevus and Gramps down a thin path that parts the field grass. Becky follows from the tug of the cord, and all four of us are off.
Our horses tread nose-to-tail through the forest. Trevus weaves our path between the thick trunks of huge pine trees. The canopy overhead must be taller than my tower, and it leaves the ground in a spotted shadow. Gentle wind tugs at my long hair. The only sounds are the birds up above and horses’ hooves crunching dry pine needles below. Closing my eyes brings me back to my childhood, where I would explore the forest outside my village for hours. I’ve missed this feeling.
For years, I have dreamed about running through these woods. I’d stare at them through my tower window, imagining a day when I’d escape that room. With my wit, I’d out maneuver the guards and leave Antiock in the dust. Now I’m finally here, but it’s a twisted version of my fantasy where soldiers still surround me.
“Captain, are you certain that this meager girly is the sorcerer of the tower?” Marcellus asks. My name is one syllable, but this man is too stupid to remember it.
“She is indeed,” Trevus says. “I have borne witness with my own eyes. Giddius’s informant spoke truth.”
Giddius’s
informant
– so he’s the reason that Trevus found me. It’s odd to imagine people I don’t know speaking about me. Being in that room for so long, it felt like the world had forgotten about my existence.
“Upon hearing about the sorcerer of the tower, I expected that they would be a little more grand,” Marcellus says.
When Trevus found soldiers to accompany him on this mission, I expected they’d be a little less stupid.
Marcellus turns back to me. “How ever did you manage to get yourself captured by Versillian forces while wielding the power of a sorcerer?”
I glare back at him, refusing to entertain his question.
“You should not be surprised,” Giddius says to Marcellus. “The
mit
surely came to steal from honest Versillians, as they all do. Her capture proves her intelligence to be a grade below the rest.”
I would have never stepped foot on this wretched land if it was my own choice. Soldiers like him dragged me here screaming. These men strive to take away every choice I have, even now tying me to this salting saddle, and then have the gall to infer that any of Antiock was my decision.
I knock my ankle into Becky’s side. She bucks up into the air on her hind legs, and the cord is yanked from Marcellus’s hand. My thighs clamp around her, and I hug my chest to the saddle to stay mounted. She breaks into a gallop, dashing through the woods.
I hold on tight. Wind rushes past my ears. Lifting my head to see where we’re going risks being impaled by a branch. With my hands tied to the saddle horn, I can’t reach Becky’s reins to take control. I’m at the mercy of whatever direction she decides to go.
Trees shoot past either side of me, the forest blurring together. My head is tucked up against Becky’s mane. I only wanted to rip the cord from Marcellus’s hand. Taking off into the forest was not my intention, but maybe it’s exactly what I need.
My eyes pick out a dark figure riding alongside us. My hope of an accidental escape is smothered. It’s Trevus. He’ll just pursue us until Becky slows down.
He brings Gramps up alongside Becky, and to my shock, begins leaning over. I can’t believe my eyes. He’s reaching for Becky’s reins while directing Gramps with one hand. At this speed, I’m afraid of letting my body more than an inch away from Becky’s mane, but Trevus is holding himself upright with just the strength in his legs.
He catches the cord connected to Becky’s reins and falls back. Becky quickly slows from the tug on her cheeks, coming to a stop just moments later.
The noise of rushing air is replaced with soft forest chirps and swaying branches. My ragged breath is in tune with Becky’s.
The steps of Trevus’s horse creep up behind me. The rush is wearing off, and my stomach summersaults imagining what retribution he may take. This was an accident. I only wanted Giddius and Marcellus to shut up. I didn’t expect Becky to move more than a few feet.
Trevus’s sword appears at my chest. He’s riding up beside Becky, his weapon staying just a few inches from my heart. He must think that I planned this, like I got my hands free and took off with Becky. The threat of murder if I disobeyed is front of mind. His eyes are burning. He’s furious.
My shoulders creep up, and my arms tuck tight against my sides. All of my attention is on the sharp silver point at my chest. My bound hands prevent me from moving any further away from it.
He presses the sword’s tip against my heart, and a squeak escapes me. I imagine it piercing through my body, taking the air from my lungs. I don’t want to die having spent my life in a prison. “I didn’t mean for Becky to take off,” I whisper.
He eyes me up and down. The other two soldiers catch up to us on their horses. Trevus sheathes his weapon and steps off his horse. I let out a long breath. My heart is pounding.
Becky’s reins don’t leave his grip. He unties my hands from the saddle horn and lifts me off Becky’s saddle. Now on foot again, his height over my frame is impossible to ignore. He may have decided not to kill me, but that doesn’t mean he’s done.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper.
He takes my hands and yanks them behind my back. I yelp. He binds my wrists with rope and does the same with my ankles.
I begin to topple over. Without my hands to break the fall, I shut my eyes and brace my shoulders. Trevus’s grips snaps to my shirt, keeping me upright. Thank goodness.
He lifts me up and places my body prone over the saddle. My head is on one side of Becky, and my feet are on the other, leaving me unable to see him. The emerald Cerillis banner is right against my face, and my long hair blocks every other angle. I feel a rope tightening around my middle as he ties me to the saddle.
He grabs my thighs and tries to shake me around. The rope around my midriff keeps me secure on Becky’s back.
The sound of his steps is replaced by Gramps’s trotting. I’m able to twist my head just enough to catch a glimpse of him handing the cord back to Marcellus. Trevus doesn’t say anything, but the look of displeasure in his face is evident.
Author’s Note:
I enjoy reading your comments, even on chapters like this at the start of the story. Let me know what you think.
How uncomfortable…
Better than being around those imbeciles…
I didn’t mind Giddius until now…
😂
😂
😂
Honestly love her 😂
“like I could bark orders at imaginary soldiers below.” 😂 cute
I’m really fond of Jade. She just takes control and takes charge of her own situation despite her circumstances. I really appreciate that she’s not fragile and weak (not that it wouldn’t be understandable for her to be).
She just needs to earn their trust enough to have her sleeves removed and then she’s good to go! I’d think the uniform offers her some protection for now though…
that was smart
uh that’s not nice
Says the one that is judging her for her size instead of her power 🙄
Same
He’s so mean
Yeah, I can also see her not being very fit or strong having spent so long looked in the tower
How dare he!
I hate him
Lmao!
Oh, so she would really have to ditch the uniform to escape… it would make people avoid her and not want to help her.
What a fun horseride!
The fact she managed to stay mounted after 10 years is a surprise to me, but, this isn’t about my horse riding history, this is about the fact, the idea of her just hanging off the side like a plastic bag or just flying in the air like a kite are what this is about, that idea popped into my mind and thought people would enjoy if I shared 😂😄
After 10 years of being cooped up and not training balance to ride a horse, she could genuinely have gotten very hurt anyway, but also, he just assumes she knows how horses work lmao, girl could have just been stretching out a cramp from sitting in the saddle for the first time, he’s way to harsh lol XD
LMAO
Becky 😭💀
😂
WE BACK
Loved this😸😸
💕💕💕
Oi
New chapter yay !
Write more please I’m loving it!
What an a$$ he is.
I really can’t wait until she gets her power back and teaches this arrogant prince and his followers a thing or two.
😂
Here and ready🙋🏻♀️