Page 35 of Feathers and Thorns

“Good thing we aren’t racing then,” she replied. Her attention shifted as another horse reared up on its hind legs in excitement as Jai approached it.

“Whoa, whoa, boy,” he soothed, his arms raised. “I missed you, too,” he muttered softly, kissing its snout as it sniffed at him happily.

“And that’s Casper. He has been Jai’s mount of choice since childhood, and his partner, Soliel, in the next stall is Adaryn’s.”

“Their horses are mated?”

“Yup, the symbolism of it all is eerie, isn’t it?”

“I think it’s sweet,” Enara replied, chuckling as Baymont nuzzled into her hand.

“I think you’re sweet,” Baz chimed in, plopping a wet kiss on her forehead.

“Gross,” Enara complained, wiping the spittle off with her sleeve.

He held the reins to another thoroughbred. This one had a white diamond on its forehead and a shiny brown coat.

Baz patted her flank, stating, “She’s no Ellie, but I’m sure she will do a fine job.”

That struck a chord in Soren’s heart, as she was reminded of the black Friesen she had traveled with from Vreburn. She was disappointed that she had never had a chance to name him. She sent up a prayer to the Maker that the old man by the river was taking good care of them before hopping into the saddle on the cream-colored quarter horse that Everett had assigned to her.

The rest of the group mounted their noble steeds and followed Everett out the back gate, onto the sandy trails that lay beyond the iron bars. They gave the guards a tilt of their heads, and they nodded in return, seemingly unconcerned.

“The lack of agency in the king’s guard is mildly disappointing,” Enara observed.

“Well, considering there hasn’t been an attack for over two hundred years, it’s not all that surprising,” Everett explained. “I think anyone would become complacent after that amount of time.”

“Fair point,” she replied, and they journeyed on.

With the horizon in front of them and the saltwater winds at their backs, Enara felt at peace.

* * *

They rested on a large blanket on the sand, the horses tied to a small grouping of palm trees at the edge of the tropical forest. They ate sandwiches of roasted pheasant and orange cheese smothered in a thick white sauce made of vinegar, egg, and plant oil. It was delicious.

Soren swallowed the last of it down with a guzzle of water and broke through the small talk the rest of the group had been making. “Hey, guys, I know this is nice and all, but we have to get a move on. What’s our plan?”

Jai had filled in Everett on the major details—an all-powerful being, who had an army of bird-men, intended to destroy Entheas, and they were his main target.

Everett had asked a few questions for clarification but, to Soren’s surprise, he did not balk or claim them to be liars. His faith in Jai was astounding. He took his every word at face value and vowed to help his brother in his mission to gather the forces of Patrivah to fight this new threat.

“I still can’t believe you’re going to be the king of Patrivah.” Everett’s concern regarding that fact was palpable.

“Well, believe it, brother, because the hierarchy around here is about to change.”

* * *

After returning to the stables, they continued planning well into the evening, thankful that Mrs. Ferndale had not called on them again for assistance. There were many working parts and so many unknown factors, but they had finally decided on where to go from here.

Enara, Baz, and Soren would head to Braexmirth with the second copy of Jai’s lineage documents, while the heir of Patrivah and Everett would stay in Edras Mora and try to convince the king to amass his troops.

The goodbyes were short-lived, as they planned to return to Edras Mora in one week’s time, hopefully having convinced King Elias to join the fight. The forges of Braexmirth might not be able to destroy the Oculus, but the bladesmiths of Olecastor would surely provide them with weapons stronger than any of the other provinces. The ores they had access to were tougher and lighter than any other mineral in Entheas. This, at the very least, would give them a better chance against Adriel’s forces.

Luckily for them, Everett allowed them to take the horses. He told them the king would never know with all the wedding preparations distracting him.

They packed and mounted their four-legged companions then clopped through the gates casually, mentally preparing for the few long days of travel ahead.

* * *

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