Springtide Ball

Chapter 11

Daniel

Stood at the palace gates, my beta and guards flanked by my side. Walking, step by step, marching, left right left right, riding, clip clop. We weren't sure how we were going to find her, just that we would disappear with no ways to communicate with the palace. I have left a note on my bedside table, stating that upon my absence, my dad is that go to person. The temporary king. Until I return, if I return.

I received a letter yesterday, presumably from her kidnappers, stating a town of which she is being held captive near. Or at least that's what we helped. The letter contained one word: Coastamay. A town roughly 150 miles from the palace.

After about two hours we'd only gone 15 miles whilst walking, so I issued a command to go buy a handful of thoroughbreds. I went along with 15 other men and left the rest to guard our food and horses. I needed another horse anyway as mine had gone entirely lame through her hind legs. Personally I think the groom had been pushing her way too hard over those jumps a couple of days ago. I walked her over to the vets and told them to send her back to the palace when she was healed.

We finally got to a seller. In his stables there were a variety of many different breeds and colours. I saw a black Fresian-Thoroughbred cross and immediately tried the gelding out. He had a stunningly long mane and tail and his paces under the saddle were smooth. After the other men had picked their horses and a couple more just in case, we saddled up and cantered back to our men.

We rode another three miles in a mix of walk and canter, to prevent the horses from getting too exhausted. We moved much quicker, as we'd gone about 30 miles. I proposed a stop and every man agreed quickly. Being in the saddle was quite painful, if you get my drift.

"In an hour we will set off again. Make sure the horses saddles are off and tie them with long rope so they can graze and roll. We will let them roam in an area we set up tonight with rope, hopefully within some trees so we don't have to worry about escapes. When we get closer to our destination, here's what we will do."

I told them my plan, altered it to fit in with our agility, then we set off again with a new goal in mind. Hopefully this will work.

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Over the course of the day we'd managed to go 80 miles. Over half way, but only just. I often rode in the middle of the line of men as there was less chance we'd get stopped by citizens asking for my autograph or asking after my business. As it was, we did get stopped once or twice by young children running over to the horses to pet them and give them apples.

My stallion was a pain in the bum. On the way to our campground, whilst I was leading him, he decided to try and mount the mare in front of him. I only just stopped him, and that was the moment I decided I'd tie him up overnight, otherwise he'd impregnate most of our mares.

I really don't want another 50 mares with foals at foot thanks Seb.

I decided to call him Seb as it suited his dark colour (and I'd recently finished reading The Mortal Instruments).

We set up tents, or rather the other men did, around the horses in the hope that it would prevent thieves from stealing our well bred horses. I tied Seb as far away from the mares as I could inside our protective ring. We put blankets on the horses with the thinnest fur and placed a few buckets of fresh water from the stream at the bottom of the ditch for the horses to drink. They had grazing, water and shelter so they should sleep peacefully tonight. I hope that we will be the same, although that was unlikely given the hard ground.

We all went to bed earlier, huddled 4 men in each tent with two blankets between us. Each tent had a shift to be awake during the night.

Huddled in our chilly tents, we slipped into our dreams, each wondering what tomorrow would bring.