The plains were beginning to ebb, their sweeping grasses giving way to sporadic copses of trees filled with wisps as they floated in the afternoon shade. A bunny skittered into some of the underbrush but neither of their mounts were particularly disturbed by it.
When David asked about why she wanted to become a guardian, her eyes dropped a little. "The First born children of major and minor guardian houses aren't actually given a choice. They are groomed since birth to enter the Forge. It is my duty."
She gave him the expected answer and she hated the taste of it on her tongue. Just as she was about to ask him what he thought of the Guardians, as a druid, when a slight rumbling met her ears. What was that sound? Hoof beats. Glancing back, she saw an approaching group of riders...bearing her fathers sigil...coming up fast. A jolt of fear ran through her and she looked ahead to the treeline, still several leagues from them, breaking against the flat plains. "Go!"
Kicking her horse into gallop, she leaned forward into the movement. If they could just make it to the trees!
*****
"Riders sir!"
The captain motioned for his mounted archer to go to his work. His archer raised up in the saddle and pulled back his bow string, firing a long range arrow at a good angle. The first buried itself in the rider.
"Don't shoot Lady Alaina you idiot! Lame her horse!"
*****
The arrow met her shoulder with a sudden arch of pain and she yelpe as every step of the horse jostled it deeper into her flesh. "Keep going!" They were so close. Another heavy thump sounded and her horse let out a terrified scream, before stumbling into the dirt, an arrow buried in its haunches.
When David asked about why she wanted to become a guardian, her eyes dropped a little. "The First born children of major and minor guardian houses aren't actually given a choice. They are groomed since birth to enter the Forge. It is my duty."
She gave him the expected answer and she hated the taste of it on her tongue. Just as she was about to ask him what he thought of the Guardians, as a druid, when a slight rumbling met her ears. What was that sound? Hoof beats. Glancing back, she saw an approaching group of riders...bearing her fathers sigil...coming up fast. A jolt of fear ran through her and she looked ahead to the treeline, still several leagues from them, breaking against the flat plains. "Go!"
Kicking her horse into gallop, she leaned forward into the movement. If they could just make it to the trees!
*****
"Riders sir!"
The captain motioned for his mounted archer to go to his work. His archer raised up in the saddle and pulled back his bow string, firing a long range arrow at a good angle. The first buried itself in the rider.
"Don't shoot Lady Alaina you idiot! Lame her horse!"
*****
The arrow met her shoulder with a sudden arch of pain and she yelpe as every step of the horse jostled it deeper into her flesh. "Keep going!" They were so close. Another heavy thump sounded and her horse let out a terrified scream, before stumbling into the dirt, an arrow buried in its haunches.