Riley scratched Sugarsnap behind the ear. She kept herself from turning her head. Cora and Alexander were double-mounted on Anvil. Riley winced, thinking about her father realizing they had stolen his war horse. He was the only one of the three horses that could take two riders. And a dog. Cora was sitting behind Alexander, Riley reminded herself. Sidesaddle. With Ruskin in her lap. A few times she saw her reaching over to Alexander’s hip for balance, but that was only natural. Riding sidesaddle.
Riley looked back. She needed to make sure Lissie was still in sight. Riley sighed, Lissie had her arms wrapped around Peach’s neck. She was bent entirely over, her face buried, only her hair was visible. The blonde looked almost white in the sun, true to her Nomad blood. White hair, amber skin.
A quick glance revealed that Cora was still sidesaddle, primly petting the little black and white dog. Her hair looked amazing, somehow, curling in a shiny braid.
Riley shouted, “How are you doing back there, Lissie?”
“Oh, mmfmmm,” was all Riley could understand. Her friend did not look up.
“Are you sure?”
Maybe they could switch mounts, Riley thought.
Alexander could help Lissie ride, that would be better for everyone. Or Cora and Lissie could ride together. But then we would be giving a horse to this ‘bard’.
Alexander saved her the worry and said, “Back in the Company, we try to ease our poor horses from the burden of our weight whenever possible, enjoying taking the exercise for ourselves. Spares the buttocks, you know.”
Riley looked around at the unfamiliar countryside. They were passing by a ridge, with a glimpse into the hilly wooded terrain. The green was inconsistent, with a pervasive verdancy cut by a few patches of golden grass meadows. The trail was a wide canyon through the dense leaves. Thick ruts rimmed the road with weeds going to seed.
Peach had been setting the pace from the start, and it was the same speed Riley could walk. Riley regretted picking him, but he was the only horse gentle enough for Lissie to agree to mount. “Alexander, you said this was a two-day ride to the village on the river, did you mean at this pace?”
He laughed jovially, “This is as fast as horses can haul, I assure you. The donkeys that pull the wagons would refuse to work if we pushed them any harder.”
Nothing to be lost by walking, Riley thought. Except if we need to bolt.
Cora interrupted her thoughts, “My shoes couldn’t take it. My feet would break for walking all day, I’m sure.”
Alexander replied, “You are hardly a breath of wind to this mighty steed. I’d be happy to take the burden off of him. My boots are well versed in the song of the road.”
Sugarsnap seemed surprised when Riley pulled her reins to a halt.
Perfect, I can finally get them apart.
Riley saw as she dismounted that Cora had her arms flung around the slender man.
Lissie took a solid few seconds to catch up. Riley watched her fall off without even waiting for Peach to stop. From the ground she said, “Thank all six gods and the Wind. Nothing against you, Peach!” She apologized to the waving blond tail still plodding toward Anvil.
Alexander dismounted, flipping his leg over Anvil’s head. He alighted upon the ground in a ballet dancer’s squat, and stepped easily to gather Peach’s reins. “You are a gentleman, and a scholar, dear gelding. This equine general will be your fine leader.” Riley flinched at the word ‘general.’
Anvil is a general’s mount, she thought.
Alexander held Peach’s reins in one hand. With his other, he fished inside a pack on his shoulder. A long silk rope emerged, and he tied it to the rein. He took the other end and threaded it on Anvil’s saddle. “There, Lissie, no need to master poor Peach, he shall always know to follow.”
Riley watched Ruskin sitting in Cora’s lap. The dog looked uneasily from his master to his new friend. Novelty must have won over, Riley decided, because he stood up, laying his head into Cora’s chest like a baby. Cora cooed and scratched the pup’s chin under his lolling tongue.
Riley smiled, watching, while she walked. Then the dog went wild. Ruskin barked, jumping straight off and bounding a couple paces to Alexander’s side. He had his paw up, pointing at the forest.
Riley’s hand went instinctively to her sword when she heard Ruskin’s alarm. She looked intently toward the dog’s indication, but saw nothing. She shouted, “Hello? Who goes there?”