Chapter 4

When morning came, I sat in my bed for a long time, pondering what I wanted to do. What do these people want with me? I know they said they would help me and protect me because I am… I reached up and ran my fingers over the points in my ears. I'm an Elf. But what about Toric…

My thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the post of my tent. Andron poked his head in a few seconds later, taking care to not look in my direction until I stood up. "I see you are awake. Would you like some breakfast?"

"Yes please." I hadn't even realized I was hungry until he asked. Andron led me to the dining tent and grabbed me a plate of food. It was filled with various wild berries and an interesting root.

When Andron saw the questioning look on my face, he chuckled and took a bit of his. "This is deer-root. We call it that because wild deer will search high and low for it."

"If deer eat it, then why are we?" I eyed the scraggly root nervously.

"It's very nutritious. It grows only in the most fertile soil, so it absorbs all the nutrients. I actually discovered it." He winked at me and took another bite out of his. I picked mine up and slowly took a bite. It tasted very earthy, but once I got past that, there was a slight sweetness to it that I hadn't expected. "See? It's not that bad."

When we finished eating, Andron went with me to see Nightmare. Her welcoming whinny sent warmth through me as we ran at each other.

"Would you like to go for a ride?" Andron asked.

"Oh yes, I would like that very much." I smiled and stroked Nightmare's mane.

Andron whistled, and the thunder of hooves shook the ground as a giant, blood red stallion galloped over to us. He was twice the size of Nightmare, and all muscle, just like Andron. His nostrils flare as his slowed to a stop and pawed the ground. "This is Baron." Andron puffed out his chest a little bit, his pride showing for his beautiful, yet terrifying stallion.

After showing me where the tack was kept, Andron and I saddled our horses. "Now for the real fun." Andron whistled again, this time quieter, and Baron took off. He thundered toward the gate and leapt over it with so much force, he slammed into the ground, leaving deep impressions of his hooves. It almost looked like he froze there for a second while he gathered his wits and then started to gallop.

Nightmare snorted and flicked her ears back and forth. "Alright girl, let's show them how it's done." I patter her neck and she pranced in place before speeding forward. She jumped over the fence with grace, clearing Baron's dents and moving straight into a swift gallop. I heard Baron grunt then try to pick up speed so he could keep up with us.

Then a realization came over me. Nightmare was faster than Baron, and we were the only people on horseback right now. I could try to find the castle… I looked over my shoulder to see Andron smiling at me. He had been so nice to me, and I didn't want to hurt him, but I wanted to see Toric again and figure out what was going on.

Nightmare seemed to sense my thoughts, because she slowly started to pick up speed. Baron's labored breathing started to fade into the distance as the space between us grew. I kept my eyes on the horizon, wanting to get away from this strange camp. I don't belong here. I kept thinking to myself.

"HALT!" Nightmare faltered and slowed down a little bit as I looked around. Out of the nearby trees came a group of five Warriors on horseback. The leader's gray horse broke away from the others, cutting off Nightmare's path. He showed no signs of stopping, so I pulled on the reins, letting Nightmare turns in a circle to avoid running into the stallion.

I looked at the man on his back, and dark blue eyes glared back at me. I paused, hypnotized by the hard sapphire colored eyes. They were accented by his strawberry red hair, which ended in a slight curl right above his forehead, and curled around his ears. A few freckles dotted his face. As I studied him, it occurred to me that he couldn't be more than a year or two older than myself.

"Where do you think you are going?" His harsh words yanked me out of my trance. It took me a few minutes to realize that he and his four friends were blocking my path to freedom.

"I…"

"No one, and I mean no one, leaves the Warrior camp without permission. It doesn't matter how special you are." His eyes traveled over my body, making me blush slightly, but they were so hard. A shiver ran up my spine, and Nightmare, feeling how uncomfortable I was, backed away from the man.

I heard Baron coming up behind us, and my hopes of leaving vanished entirely. The horse and rider came to a stop beside us, Baron's sides heaving as he tried to take in air. I felt bad for the horse, I never thought he would try to keep up with us the whole time. "Man, does that horse have some speed or what?" Andron smiled at me. If he was upset or suspicious of my actions, he did a good job hiding it.

"What is going on here Andron?"

"Lilaya and I were just going for a ride." He winked at me.

"It looked more like she was trying to run away." I felt his eyes drilling into the side my head.

"Did it? You must have been mistaken, Diren."

I closed my eyes. Does he really think that? Or is he just being kind and trying to defend me?

"Humph." Diren yanked on his horse's reins, turning him around. "Just make sure she doesn't leave." He snapped before sending his horse flying back into the trees. His friends followed him.

"That boy needs to calm down." Andron smiled at me. I let half a smile cross my face before I turned and looked in the direction the five Warriors had gone. "Don't let this bother you. Diren has always had a hard soul. His parents were killed in a raid some rogue soldiers planned. We took him in and trained him and now all he has implanted in that thick skull of his is revenge." Andron shook his head and turned Baron around. "Shall we head back? At a slower pace this time?" He smiled.

I smiled back and let Nightmare lead the way back to camp. She turned her head slightly, as if to ask me if this is what I really wanted to do. I just nodded. She snorted once, shook her head, and continued walking.

"That's quite the horse you have there. I wonder… Is she an Elvin horse?" I looked at Andron. "I take it you don't know. I'd be willing to bet my best herbs that she is. Would you like to hear about them?"

"Yes."

"Elves have always been a magical race. It flows through their blood, allowing them to use powerful spells, which can be very helpful in times of war. However, they aren't a violent race. They share a deep connection with nature. Plants and animals are like family to them. They love and nurture all things, helping them grow. They especially took the time to care for their horses.

"To them, horses are like their other half. They are a lot smarter than most animals, and when they come to trust their rider, they share a bond almost as strong as love." Andron winked at me again, and then patted Baron's shoulder. "After a few hundred or so years, Elves started playing around with their magic, something they love to do, but can sometimes get them in a lot of trouble."

"How so?"

"Well, there was one Elf who wanted to try and recreate the dragons, but his spell went very, very wrong and he created something very dangerous. Lidrens." Andron shivered.

"I thought dragons were just a legend. And what are Lidrens?" So many questions popped into my head, I didn't know what do ask first.

"Whoa there, one thing at a time. I will answer all of your questions, but some will have to wait until later. I thought you wanted to know more about horses." Nightmare answered for me by snorting and bobbing her head.

"Where was I… Oh yes. Elves started to play around with their magic, and luckily, this time they were successful. The magic embedded itself inside their horses, strengthening the bond even more. It allowed rider and horse to communicate in ways others would never understand. Much like you and Nightmare do" Nightmare turned her head so that she could look at me. I smiled and looked back at Andron. He nodded before continuing. "This magic was passed down through the horses, and so a new tradition started. When Elves came of age, they went into the herd of young horses and waited, sometimes for days. Eventually, they would feel a tug at the core of their being, I guess you could call it an instinct. So a horse would emerge from the herd, knowing that his or her Elf was silently calling for them. It's a very, excuse the pun, but a very magical moment when the two find each other." Andron smiled, as if remembering some distant memory.

"What are the chances Nightmare and I found each other?"

"Very slim, seeing as you both were raised outside the Elvin community. But then again, you could have been looking for each other this whole time and never have known it. Magic is a strange thing. Where did you get her?"

I looked down. I heard Andron make a small grunt, signaling he understood. We rode in silence the rest of the way back to camp. When we reached the corral, I led Nightmare a little ways away from Andron and Baron. As I took of her tack, she nickered softly.

"Yeah, I'm ok. I'm just confused. I still don't understand why Toric would do that to me, and I want to see him again, but on the other hand, Andron has been so nice to me. Granted he's the only one so far, but still… And what was with that Diren person?" I sighed and leaned against her neck and shoulder. "Life is so much different than I imagined it to be."

Nightmare snorted.

"Yes, I know. But I was raised in a house that I never left. The only thing I knew about life was feeding the chickens, becoming a lady, and pleasing my parents. Soon trying to find a husband was part of that, but I never knew anyone besides my parents and the occasional neighbor. This… This is so much different." I looked over to where the camp was and watched the people milling around. Some were over at the target range with bows and arrows while others were sitting mending armor.

I almost fell forward as Nightmare nudged my shoulder. She twisted her head around and nibbled at my hand. I smiled and reached up to scratch behind her ear. "I agree. We need to stick together and make the best of what we have. I just have a feeling that this is far from over."