by Deiri Di
Mari held her dagger in her hand and listened for a moment. The sound of clanging metal was louder now that she was out of her cell; she turned and followed the sound. She crept along, going as fast as she could while still paying attention to her surroundings.
She came to some spiral stairs. They were steep and tight. The entire staircase was no wider than two people standing side by side. It looked to be carved right out of the stone, like everything else in the prison. Mari was afraid to walk up to them - one slip could be deadly. The sound of the fighting echoed down them, amplified by their tight corners. Mari hesitated, not wanting to go into trouble but knowing she needed to get to Vladmir or at least to a place where she could see what was going on.
Mari gulped, her hands shaking as she began to climb the stairs, keeping her back against the outside wall and one steadying hand on the center of the staircase for balance. In her other hand, she held her dagger. If any fighters came down, she would hamstring them, cutting the tendon at the back of their ankles, and try to keep from falling down the stairs with them.
After a long climb, there was an opening. As she came around a corner, she could just see over the edge of the stair that was at her height. Before climbing any higher, she tried to peek into the room that it led to, but all she could see were two pairs of feet, dancing back and forth. Several bodies were strewn on the floor, men dressed in a similar uniform, their swords lying in their hands or near their bodies.
The owners of the two pairs of boots were the source of the noise she had been following.
There was a sickening crunch, and one of the fighters dropped his sword, falling to his knees. It was a man in uniform, an elf she didn't recognize. There was a squelching sound, and then he fell to the ground, free of the sword that killed him.
The owner of the sword had his feet turned away from the door.
She climbed up the last few steps and hesitated.
The winning elf wasn't Vladmir. His back was to her, but his hair was black, not the shimmering gold that crowned the Prince's head.
Mari lifted her dagger high. She didn't know what to do. There were at least six guard bodies in the room. Mari hoped that the elf was here to rescue her or at least wouldn't care about her escaping.
She took a step forward.
The elf whirled around.
Mari recognized him despite the blood that covered his face and the wild look in his blue eyes.
"Chase!" she said, letting the dagger fall to her side. Her chest tightened, filled with a constricting emotion that didn't have words to express itself yet. She was happy to see him, so happy she could barely restrain herself. All she wanted to do was fling her arms around him.
She held herself back, her mind whispering that she wanted to hug Vladmir, only Vladmir, that Vladmir must have sent him, that Vladmir was right outside.
Chase focused on her, surprise chasing away the feral look from his features. He took two strides forward, holding his sword out to the side as he wrapped his free arm around her, pulling her into a hug. He buried his face in her hair, smearing it with blood. Her arms came up and embraced him back, despite the overwhelming protest in her mind.
"How did you... why are you walking around free?" he asked when he released her.
"I broke the door," she said.
His eyebrows arched upwards in disbelief. "You can explain that one later. Right now, we need to get out of here before the whole damn garrison finds us."
He moved to the other door in the room, the one he must have come through. The room itself looked like a station, probably a guard checkpoint before prisoners were taken down the treacherous stairs to the prison.
"Did you fight all of these guys, Chase?" Mari asked, looking around at the bodies. The elves on the ground all had the advantage of years on Chase. Though she didn't know his exact age, he didn't look like he was much older than she was.
"I'm a member of the Royal Family," Chase said as he cracked open the door, looking outside. Mari peered over his shoulder. The room led to a courtyard. Across the way, she could see a layered stone wall, like the kind in a medieval castle. "I grew up fighting. More than most because... well just because." He stuck his head out the door for a better look.
Mari could guess what the because meant. Chase was horrible at keeping his thoughts to himself, at keeping his emotions out of his face. He was an open book compared to the rest of the elves; it didn't take much to understand that in his mother's court, that would put you at a grave disadvantage, one that might have to be made up for by physical force.
He pulled himself back into the room and turned to face her. "Follow me, do what I do. If I tell you to do something, you must do it without hesitation or argument. Understand?"
Mari nodded.
Chase swung the door open and dashed out.
Mari followed him. Chase hugged the wall of the courtyard. It was twilight, and he stuck to the ample shadows that fell from the massive stone walls. Her first instinct had been right. It was the courtyard of a medieval castle. There was a large set of wooden gates at one end of the courtyard, but they were open. There was no shouting or guards rushing about. Mari desperately wanted to ask Chase how he got in there undetected, or better yet, how he found her in the first place, but she held her tongue and stayed silent. She was sure they didn't have much time before the dead prison guards were found.
The wall they followed led them to the stables. Chase positioned her near the opening to the stables, an archway with no doors. "Let me know if anyone comes this way," he said.
Chase began saddling a horse in its stall. She didn't pay much attention to him, staring out into the courtyard. When he handed her the horse's reins and began saddling another, she took notice.
"I can't ride," she said, looking at the brown and white splattered horse. It twitched an ear, and she jumped back, nearly dropping the reins. The horse tossed its head up and snorted, ears pivoting forward to focus on her.
Chase swore under his breath. He left his horse standing in its stall, grabbing a halter and rope and coming back over to her. He pulled the horse's bridle back off, letting him spit its bit out before he put the halter on. Once it was buckled up, he slid his arm up the horse's neck, holding the top of the bridal near its forehead as he tried to get the bit back in its mouth. The horse resisted, clenching its teeth together. Chase dug his thumb into the side of the horse's mouth, his fingers pressing the bit against its teeth. He slid his thumb through a hole in the horse's teeth and tickled the roof of its mouth with his fingernail. The horse parted his teeth for a second, long enough for Chase to pop the bit back in its mouth and slide the top of the bridle over his ears.
Mari watched the exchange, growing nervous. If the horse didn't want a bit in its mouth, how would it feel about her sitting on its back?
"Get up," Chase said.
Mari stared at the horse. The saddle was high off the ground.
Chase moved around to the side she was standing on, tucked the lead rope that led to the horse's halter under his armpit, and laced the fingers of his hand together in a cup. "Put your left knee in my hand," he instructed.
Mari obeyed. Before she had a chance to gasp, he threw her up into the saddle, tucked her feet into the stirrups for her, and led her horse over to where his was still standing.
"Couldn't I just ride with you?" she whispered.
"Don't be silly," Chase said. "We'd never get away if we weighed down one horse like that when we could take two instead. Now, hold onto these." He put the reins in her hands and then wrapped her fingers around the horse's mane. "I'm going to lead your horse. All you have to do is hold on." He patted her feet. "Try to keep these positioned on the balls of your feet and keep your heels down. Don't kick the horse with your heels—grip with your knees and above, nothing below. If you do that and hold on, you won't fall off. Okay?"
"What?" Mari said, panicking.
Chase dragged his horse out of the stall and swung up into the saddle, still holding on
to the rope that led to her horse's head. The horses danced to the side, jostling one another. Chase's horse pinned its ears back and squealed, tucking its tail between its legs, swiveling its butt around to face Mari.
Chase dug one heel into its side, causing it to dance sideways as he swatted it with the excess of rope.
"You can do this, Mari. Just remember, heels down, grip with the knees, don't drop the reins and hold on," he said, turning his horse to exit the stable. "And duck!" He added, following his advice as his horse passed through the entryway to the stable.
Mari's horse followed close behind, agitated and dancing close up behind Chase's horse.
Once in the courtyard, Chase pointed his horse towards the gate, kicked his horse hard, and made a kissing sound.
Mari heard shouts behind them. She had a moment to glance behind to see several guards running at them before her horse lurched forward, breaking into a gallop as they ran out through the still open gate.
Mari couldn't help herself. She screamed at the top of her lungs, terrified by the jostling movement and the wind whipping in her eyes. Her heels dug upwards as she curled into an approximation of the fetal position, clinging to the horse's back in utter desperation.
The horse tucked its butt down, lunging forward at the noise and the pressure from her heels. It bolted and started to run past Chase.
Chase kicked his horse, trying to stay ahead of Mari and keep her beast under his control.
"Heels down!" he shouted at her.
Mari shrieked something unintelligible at him, not even knowing what she was trying to say. Not knowing what else to do, she closed her eyes and tried to follow his instructions.
"Good!" she heard him say. "Now, sit up straight and try to rock with the horse. If you tuck your butt and sit deep under it will help."
Mari had no idea what he was talking about, but she pushed her heels down and tried to sit up straight. She felt herself being bounced every which way, so she opened her eyes. After a few tries, she managed to get in with the rhythm of the horse, gripping it with her knees.
"Look forward, not down," Chase shouted again.
"You look forward," she shouted back. "You're the one that's steering!"
They ran like that for a while, the horses moving in a controlled rocking gait, a fast canter that took them down the dirt road much faster than their feet could have.
After what seemed like forever, Chase slowed the sweating horses down into a jolting trot that nearly bounced Mari out of the saddle again, then slowed them down even further to a walk. Mari's horse put its head down as it walked. She could feel it breathing hard against her legs.
"They won't come after us past the border of her land," Chase said. "Especially not when they realize I'm with you. Attacking me in force on Royal land would be a declaration of war."
"Chase," Mari said, words interrupted by panting that was just as hard as her horse's. "Whose castle was that?"
Chase stretched the lead rope out over the tops of his legs. Her horse was tired, so he gave it a little more leeway with the line. It was unlikely to act up. He ran a hand through his dark hair, looking over at her.
"I'm betting you can guess," he said. "There's only one woman who wants you out of the picture."
Mari relinquished her death grip on the horse's mane and took a moment to pat its neck. Once they got back to the Palace, she wouldn't have to worry about Lady Silvia anymore. Surely kidnapping would be enough. Add that to the attempts on her life, and Mari knew that the woman would have to face judgment. Now she could get her happy ending with Vladmir, no betrothal in the way. The Queen wouldn't want her son to marry someone like Lady Silvia after hearing all the facts. Mari didn't know how long Lady Silvia would have held her in that cramped dungeon if she hadn't managed to escape so soon. She was pretty sure only a day had passed... it didn't feel longer than that.
Mari mused on that for a few moments, feeling tired rather than elated. Those thoughts didn't fill her with joy; they just made her feel stressed that someone would try to hurt her like that. True love didn't come easy, but she wasn't expecting someone to repeatedly try to kill her.
Mari turned in her saddle, looking over at Chase. There were circles under his eyes she hadn't noticed before. He was coated in dust, sweat creating tiny rivulets of mud along his skin. His left arm had a slice in it from a sword; it was small and crusted over, but not before the wild ride stained the entire sleeve of his shirt in red.
"Chase," she said, pointing at his arm.
He looked at his arm. "It's fine. It stopped bleeding a while ago."
Mari tucked her hair out of her face, still looking at him. He was wearing the same clothes he had on the day before at the market. While she had gotten knocked out and then taken a nap, he tracked down her kidnappers, snuck into the castle, battled six men, and then led her on a wild escape. He didn't stop to get reinforcements; he just rushed after her like a mad man.
"Thank you," she said, feeling like those simple words didn't come close to being enough.
"Don't say that," he replied. "It was my fault they got you in the first place. I owe you an apology. You could have been killed because I..." his voice trailed off, not finishing the sentence.
Mari smiled at him. He was silly to blame himself, but at the same time, it was endearing. "You shouldn't bla-"
"Come on," Chase interrupted, squeezing his tired horse into a trot. "We have a lot of distance to cover."
Mari had to focus on riding, and so the hours passed in silence on the dirt road surrounded by edges of the forest. The sun began to set in the sky, painting it in colors of auburn and rose.
Mari gripped the horse's mane with both hands. Her legs ached, small stabs of pain in her knees and ankles. Her calves hurt, her thighs hurt, and her butt hurt.
"How much farther do we have to go?" she asked while the horses walked, her voice fainter than she thought it would be.
Chase had his feet out of the stirrups, dangling down the sides of the horse unsupported. He flexed his feet, pointing his toes at the ground and then back at the sky.
"We need to stop, but we can't," he said. "There is a small farming village up ahead, but if we stop there, they will catch us. If we stop anywhere close to this road, we'll be sitting ducks. The best thing we could do is camp out in the woods."
"Whatever we do, can we do it soon?" Mari whined.
A cold breeze ruffled her hair, piercing through her cloak and sturdy clothes. She shivered, clutching the fabric around her.
Chase sat up, looking off into the distance.
He pressed his left leg against his horse's side, turning it to the right and into the forest. There wasn't any path Mari could see. As they moved, she had to duck under branches and keep them from scratching her.
"So, we're camping?" She asked.
"No," Chase replied, his voice distant.
Mari glared at his back as she bent a branch above her instead of ducking under it. "Well, what's going on?" she snapped. Her body ached all over. She'd spent hours on her first horseback riding lesson, and she needed a break.
Goosebumps raised along Mari's skin. She pulled the cloak tighter.
Something began falling from the sky, and it wasn't rain.
Mari held out her hand, watching as tiny white flecks fell into it and melted against the heat of her hand.
"Snow?" Mari asked. She'd spent her life in sunny LA; ice belonged in a drink, not falling from the sky. Just a few minutes ago, on the road, it had been temperate, comfortable in just a cloak.
Soon she was shivering, and the trees and the ground around them were turning white. Chase stared ahead, intent on a destination he didn't share with her, not responding to her repeated complaints.
Mari scraped some snow off of a burdened branch and threw it at his back. It fell apart as it left her hand, showering her horse's mane with white. She tried it again, squeezing the snow between her hands. The mass made it a little farther, hitting his horse's rump.
The snow deepened as they moved, and the horse's feet began sinking in it, the snow above their ankles.
"We should go to the village instead," Mari said to Chase's back with chattering teeth. "We're going to freeze out here!"
Chase didn't respond.
He was ignoring her! Mari wasn't going to put up with that, so she looked around for something to hit him with. Perhaps there was a stick she could break off. The trees were starting to thin around them; there weren't any within reach. Mari remembered what he said about her heels.
Mari brought her heels up, tapping them into her horse's sides.
The equine sighed and stretched out a little, taking a few faster, longer steps before falling back into its previous rhythm.
Mari brought her heels up harder, kicking it in the ribs.
The horse's ears flicked back, and it broke into a trot, bringing her next to Chase's side before dropping back down into a walk.
"Hey!" Mari said, reaching over to smack him on the arm, trying to use physical force to get a reaction where words failed. "Where are we going?"
Chase looked at her, face blank of all expression. His eyes were dull and unfocused.
"We're here," he said, his voice monotone and empty.
The snow was whirling around them. She could barely see Chase, let alone where they were in the woods.
Chase kicked his feet out of the stirrups, swung his leg back over the horse's rump, and slid down to the ground. Mari followed his lead, feet sinking into the snow. She pulled the reins of her horse over its ears and held on to them.
He began leading his horse into the blinding snow.
Mari grabbed a stirrup on his saddle, afraid she would lose him if she relied only on her sight.
They walked for a few minutes, Mari slipping and struggling in the deepening snow.
Chase stopped, turned, and walked up to her. She waited, shivering as the howling wind ripped right through her clothing.
"Go inside," he said, pulling the reins out of her hands. "I need to take care of the horses."
"Go where?" Mari shouted, cold and angry. "I can't see anything!"