The Horseman

The Horseman ~ Chapter 11

I woke up to the warm sunlight seeping through the cracks within the stable walls as the birds chirped sweet melodies around the crisp morning air. I sat up slowly, picking out the dried hay and crushed leaves that must have tangled in my hair overnight, and stretched my arms to ease the pain felt from sleeping on the hard ground.

I expected to hear hay rustling or faint murmurs as Horseman slept, but it seemed he was no longer in the stables with me. I pulled myself off the dirt-ridden ground and looked between the stalls to catch a glimpse of him, but he was gone.

Faint trumpets echoed in the distance, and the memories from yesterday appeared in flashes. Horseman was determined to kill Lord Fendrel if he won the tournament. I just had to make him lose.

Horseman burst into the stables, his eyes scanning the area until they found me.

"Our carriage is here, Esme." He urgently passed me a dress made of soft fabric with a leather bodice adorned with intricate gold leaves that traveled down to the skirt. "Here, put this on quickly."

"Can you leave so I can get dressed?" I crossed my arms over my chest and looked away, slightly embarrassed that he had already seen me in my chemise.

"Nothing I haven't seen before." He gave me a mischievous smirk and let his eyes travel down to the dress in my hand and back up to my flushed cheeks.

"You're unbearable," I muttered as he left through the stable door and waited.

Although it was pretty, the dress wasn't the comfiest as the soft velvet itched along my arms and waist. There was no mirror in the stables making it impossible to see my reflection, but I hoped I looked at least presentable, especially for today.

"Did you leave early this morning?" I held the door open to allow him back in and slowly stepped back as he towered ahead.

"Yes, I was preparing myself for today." He tucked a hand into his cloak pocket and retrieved a silk pouch, emptying the familiar powder into his palm.

"Is that what I think it is?" It seemed Horseman was up to his old tricks. My heart started to race as I saw the lavender dust he once used to take me from the village.

"I hope you don't hate me more after this." He blew the contents into my face, weakening my muscles until I succumbed to the dark abyss.

~

I squinted my eyes open as the sun began to set, turning the sky into warm shades of orange, pink, and purple and casting a golden glow over the woods before slowly sinking into the horizon. I must have been out cold for most of the day, still feeling lightheaded by Horseman's sleeping dust.

I darted my head across the forgotten woods—a place abandoned by its people, bordering the village and Lydel. Through its neglect, it has still stayed intact for the last twenty years.

Thick tree branches held me in a firm embrace as vines twisted around my body like ropes. The more I struggled, the tighter they became. I could hear the sound of my breathing, short and panicked, as I slowly suffocated. The tree was alive with magic and trying desperately to keep me in its clutches.

Footsteps nearby crunched against the fallen leaves. In the corner of my eye, Horseman appeared in the distance and stalked closer, holding a sword encrusted with an onyx stone.

"There you are." Horseman kneeled beside me, his broad shoulders intensely cut through the oak as he focused on freeing me with his sword. He cut through the last part and grabbed my waist to stop me from falling to the ground.

"How dare you!" I pushed his arms off me and took a few steps away from him. "You put me to sleep and left me stranded in this place."

"It's part of the tournament, we are currently in game two, and as part of the hunt, you are the target for me to find." He huffed out the words as if my presence was burdening him already.