(Story Starts Here!)
Zalgus saw a female figure block the shadows, a massive, curved object on her back. Another shaper. He was, for now, unsure of the relation, but he did not need his spirit to know she stood against the thing hunting them. Stars raced across his vision, showing a scene of courage, then exile, and then heroism that had been rewarded with violence.
She had a hard journey to this point, and yet she still chose to protect others regardless of the personal consequences. A highly admirable trait, one that Zalgus could not honestly claim he shared at all times. Remaining quiet, he decided to take her kindness for all it was worth, spurring his horse from a canter to a gallop.
His sister did the same, tightening her thighs to her horse's flanks to keep herself stable. With Aislynn clinging on to keep her seat, it was more difficult to move with the motions of the horse. It was an obstacle she was not about to complain about, even if she was sore later.
It had been so long since Raina saw her brother move with any kind of urgency that she was surprised he did not fall off his horse. She was thankful for it though, since she'd trample him. Now was not the time to snark at him though.
Aislynn was in a state just shy of panic. Though the horse's gait was smooth, the speed and her lack of experience made her feel like she would fall at the smallest jostle. Her body felt cold as her fingers ached and muscles shook from stress. She squinted ahead, nervous even as she heard her spirit's excitement at the rush.
Zalgus was in the lead, the wind knocking his hood back again from his features as he focused on keeping them on the path. His cloak and red jacket billowed in the air behind him, creating a dire chiming from his trinkets and chain being disturbed. He nearly lost his seat when his horse vaulted a high arching root, and he saw a flash of Aislynn crashing to the ground from the very same jump.
"Raina!" was the only warning he could shout as his sister's horse took the jump.
Even before she heard the yell, Raina felt Aislynn's weight become dislodged. Everything silenced around her as she half lost her posture, spinning into a precarious perch on her saddle. Her left hand came around as Aislynn slid in that direction. Terror-filled eyes met ones hardened with determination as Aislynn's feathered hat was swept away on the wind.
Aislynn felt like her body was detached from her mind, an intense cold racing through her before the searing heat of shock burned her to her bones. Her voice fled, betraying a thought of crying out in fear. Darkness filled her peripherals, eager to claim her vision and her conscious completely, but even as it tried, a single, sweet chime filled Aislynn's heart. She wasn't alone.
Raina seized hold of her friend's right ankle in a bruising grip, refusing to let her fall an inch more. A pain wrenched through Raina's shoulder, but she grit her teeth and held on as Aislynn's head came scant centimeters from cracking on a protruding rock. With a cry of exertion, Raina pulled Aislynn back up and draped her over the saddle in front of her.
It was a most unceremonious position, but all that mattered was that she was now in a much more stable place.
In the brief moment it took Aislynn to realize she was not abandoned and in pain on the forest floor, her eyes had become hot with tears. She was certain the only reasons she had not passed out was Raina's diamond-strength perseverance buoying her emotional landscape. Still, her heart was beating so hard it hurt, and she sputtered out her gratitude. It was a struggle to wipe the tears away.
Lifting a hand toward his glasses, Zalgus paused to notice his hand was shaking. He clenched it into a fist, bringing it down before either of his companion's saw. A swift scene of the shadow pouncing on an injured Aislynn on the forest floor and dragging her away before they could respond played before him. He could hear her scream. He knocked the stars away with a jerk of his hand and took a deep breath.
The sounds of bird songs and general animal chatter had returned, and Zalgus eased his horse down from the intense pace, and looked around. He removed his glasses to clean them with a handkerchief from his pocket, regaining his full composure and usual smug eloquence.
"Well then," Raina said as she caught her breath. "How much further until our destination?" Her horse seemed to be in a better mood after that lovely jaunt through the woods.
"If we do not stop to rest, day after tomorrow," Zalgus glanced at the sky to determine basic information.
"I vote we do that then." Raina checked on Aislynn, who still looked pale. She could blame the younger girl. Nearly tumbling from a gallop was bad enough, but when it was while something was on the hunt it had to be much worse.
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