22: Sigerith

"shoot," Eve said first thing after I arrived.

I stiffened up confused. "I'm sorry?"

"fire. You breathe fire don't you?"

"right now?" I hesitated.

"no, tomorrow-of course, right now!"

I faced away from the buildings and took in a deep breath. Fire swirled wildly in my chest. When I let go, the fire shot out in a pillar of flames. When the flames ceased, I turned to Eve for an assessment. She was more or less unimpressed.

"ten meters," she muttered. "we can work with that."

That was how most of the training went. Eve and I worked out tactics for attacks and things of those sort for the purpose of defending against castle attacks. I learned a thing or two about Eve, she didn't like people who mumbled, people who were slow - both physically and mentally, she didn't like wasting time and if she'd like she can make you go insane, literally, that's what sprites do.

"how common are castle attacks and attacks on the king?" I asked before Eve could leave.

She paused and stared at me unnervingly. Eventually she did answer my question. "More common than most people think. Which just shows how persistently stupid people are. Most are quiet and go unnoticed by the common folk. These attacks are quickly handled before they can do much damage. But the aim of the enemy isn't a piece of land, they want the king. Thus, assaults to his majesty when he is beyond the castle walls are more common. For that reason, half of his guards travel alongside him on his journeys."

"who are the people who usually carry out these attacks?"

"anyone with a brain and a motive. Brave fools."

"and what usually happens to these people?"

Eve hesitated. Her eyes searching my face hungrily, for who knows what, then she nodded to herself. "That decision we leave it to the king. Execution is his most popular choice."

A chill crawled down my spine. I wondered who had been given the job to carry out such an act.

"You're a confused spirit," Eve said almost out of the blue.

I winced. "you can tell?"

"Sprites are sensitive creatures. They can sense how others feel. And since the moment we've met I've mostly sensed disorder."

"it's just been a strange period for me."

"I don't usually give advice, but since I can't take the stench of your disturbed mind I shall: it'll get better." Eve nodded and stood. "Get ready tomorrow you'll be travelling with the king."

"wait!" I jolted to my feet. She turned, obviously annoyed. "uh, will I be riding a horse?"

She scoffed. "you didn't think you'd be riding in the king's carriage, did you?"

"no, it's just," I faltered. "I'm no good with horses."

"that's absurd, then how did you ever become a knight in the first place?"

I swallowed the guilt. "I managed. Most horses are too uneasy around me for me to ride them. I've tried."

"surely, you're joking?"

I gulped, shaking my head.

Eve sighed. "I'll call Ingram. He'll help you pick out a horse and tame it. If you don't learn to keep a horse calm enough for you to ride you better learn how to use your wings."

Ingram met me at the horses' stable. We walked the stable as Ingram introduced me to horses one after the other. But alas all the steads cried out and tried to jam their way free. Before I could cause a stampede Ingram led me out.

"Dragons and horses weren't the best buddies, I'm assuming," Ingram muttered under his breath but loud enough for me to hear.

"I would never hurt a horse," I said solemnly.

Ingram chuckled. "maybe not you, but I can't say the same for your ancestors."

"were those all the horses?"

He cringed. "we'll work something out. Wait here, I'll be right back."

Before I could ask him where he was going he was already running off in the other direction. For an elf-merman he was fast.

I wandered the outside of the stables, keeping mostly to myself as I avoided the husting and bustling men and women. I stood on my toes as I kept a look out for Ingram. Somehow I tripped and an elbow from the crowd pushed me into the stable. Immediately as I entered the stable erupted with cries and thundering hoofs. I stood, scaring them further. The entrance was jam packed by other horses that had just arrived. I stepped back, turned and ran out the other end which happened to be a corridor. A group of armored knights were headed my way. With nowhere to go I leapt out the corridor by an opening to a small quad.

That little exercise got me catching my breath as I waited for the knights to pass. Just before I could leave, I heard her. Snoring peacefully in her sleep. I followed the sound to find a gorgeous steed. Her fur like the sun and her mane glistening like strands of gold. I swallowed at her magnificence. I held my breath, in fear of waking her. Despite how much I knew I shouldn't have, I went forward. Like a magnet she drew me closer. My hand rose and stretched towards her. Before I could touch her, her eyelids peeled back to reveal her deep brown eyes. For a moment, none of us moved. We stayed that way waiting for the other to break eye contact. Until, I heard the clearing of throat, a human throat that is.

"Sigerith seems to like you," said a voice I had made sure to remember.

I swiveled on the balls of my feet to the voice's owner. Bowing, I greeted him. "your highness."

"please just call me James," he said with a half-smile. "I'm not yet King."

I nodded, unsure of myself. Prince James walked past me and up the horse. She made joyous noises as he rubbed her mane.

"this is Sigerith," Prince James said, motioning to the horse. "she was a gift from my uncle."

That fact dawned on me causing an eruption of regret and embarrassment. "forgive me your highness I just-I was looking for a horse, for the king's journey tomorrow but horses don't really like me. I fell into the stable and ran out and then I ended up here."

He chuckled as he watched me rush through my explanation. "it's alright. I don't mind. You're the first one Sigerith hasn't tried to tear their hair off their head."

"really?"

"she's challenging. Even I had a difficult time controlling her. You sure know how to charm horses."

I wish, I thought to myself.

"Mo!" I heard Ingram call. He came through the opening and froze when he saw Prince James. He bowed his head quickly. "Your highness."

"why doesn't anyone ever listen to me," I heard Prince James mumble.

"what are you doing here Mo?" Ingram said through clenched teeth, eyes wide.

My jaw lowered as I was about to begin my explanation when Prince James interrupted. "she was checking out horses and I think she found a match."

"huh," I blurted.

Prince James motioned to Sigerith. "you can ride her."

I shook my head quickly. "no, your highness, I would never dare."

"you said horses don't like you?"

Ingram snorted. "don't like? they hate her." He must have forgot who he was talking to because when he realized he quickly pursed his lips.

"the journey is tomorrow, if I'm not mistaken?" Prince James went on.

I nodded silently.

"well it's your choice, will you take her or not?"

If I accepted I would be too burdened by the fact that I had to take upmost care of the prince's horse. And if I declined I would have to take a horse that wouldn't even let me within a meter of it or learn how to use wings that I didn't know I had until a few days ago.

"thank you your highness," I hesitated. "I'll take her. I promise I'll take good care of her and bring her back safely."

Except I had one more problem: I didn't know how to ride a horse. Prince James was kind enough to show me how. We made our way out to outskirts where Ingram and his highness introduced me to the art of horse riding. Sigerith was patient, at least to me, she seemed to be just as set on teaching me how to ride as the others. When I finally got the hang of it, Sigerith didn't hold back, she ran and ran and through the tall grass we went, racing off into the distance as we welcomed the wind that danced into our hair. If I could've I would have gone on forever, free from it all, my sorrows and worries, free from the chains of this wretched world. But I knew I didn't have enough courage to ever.

A/n: well eves uptight.