by Casey Morgan
“All right, we’re coming up to the beach before the trail starts,” said Riley. “This’ll give your horses a chance to get a bit of exercise and warm them up, so get ready.”
That did not sound good to me at all. My heart started to pound, and my hands shook. I was looking for a place where I could slide off the saddle or find a reason why I wouldn’t have to gallop. There was nothing here. No reason, no excuse, just beach. The horses had done this so many times, they just started galloping once they reached the sand. Their hooves dug in and flung sand everywhere as they ran. I hung on for dear life.
“That’s it. Come on. Faster!” yelled our guide. His white-blond hair flew behind him as his house raced ahead of us.
Oh, please no! Shouldn’t our guide be encouraging safety? Faster just meant that the horse bounced more, and I soon found that my ass was getting sore from the ride. It seemed like forever that the horses were running along the beach. My fingers were white from gripping the rains.
I’m sure the image of horses running by the surf was spectacular with the sun, but I wouldn’t know. I was too busy looking down and at my horse. I could hear Keira laughing and having a good time. That was the important thing, I suppose. If she liked it, then I would get credit, wouldn’t I? It was my plan after all.
Finally, the horses slowed back to a trot, again, all at once. They had done this a million times, so I started feeling safer. I was able to look around again. I was shocked at how far we had moved. The trail for the Tavish’s run was coming up.
“There’s the trail,” said Riley. “We’re going to stop in a while in a field for a nice picnic lunch. Included in your tour.”
It took another hour for us to make it up there following the trail, but the walk was nice and leisurely. My sore bum, however, didn’t care. It wanted off the horse. I lifted myself above the saddle to give myself a little relief, but then I lost my balance and fell out of the saddle completely.
“You all right, Ronan?” asked Tavish, stopping his horse and looking back at me.
“Yeah,” I said, brushing my knees off.
“What happened?” he asked.
“I don’t know. Guess I just lost my balance,” I shrugged trying to act like it wasn’t a big deal.
My horse continued to walk forward very slowly. She didn’t want to be late. I jogged to catch up to her. I had to pull the reigns a little to get her to stop. With a couple of tries, I was back in the saddle. My horse made an annoyed noise. She didn’t sound happy with my captainship. Oh, well. What did she expect? I was no better than most of the tourists that came out here even if I was an elf.
Finally, we reached the field. There was a wooden post with a loop buried in the earth for us to tie our reigns to. The horses leisurely munched the grass in the field while we helped Riley unpack his saddlebags which held our picnic lunch.
Tavish spread out a blanket that Riley provided. Keira and I had a seat and looked around. The view was breathtaking. The field was situated on one of the tallest hills in the area. We could see the full path of Tavish’s run and also quite a bit of the ocean beyond. Even a few ships were moving in the distance.
I looked over to Keira. Her strawberry-blonde hair was blowing in the slight breeze and her face was pink with the exercise. She was breathtaking herself.
“Any sign of the orb?” I asked her.
“Not yet.” She shook her head. “This is the best adventure yet, Ronan. You really know your job. Have you done all these things before? The tours, I mean, do you have to do them ahead of time?”
“Some of them,” I told her. “When a new place offers something, sometimes they have the local travel directors sample it. Ya know, so we can describe it better. A personal experience is better than any marketing gimmick.”
“I’m sensing ya didn’t do this one,” said Connor, sitting down next to me. He pointed to a new hole in my jeans that I got when I fell off the mare.
I felt my face turn red and put my hands up to hide my blush. “Well, I came down here and looked around,” I said. “I mean, I didn’t want to do the entire tour by myself for a whole day. Obviously.”
That wasn’t exactly true. I had an entire day to do all this stuff, but when I got down here and they offered me a horseback ride, I declined. If there was any way I could’ve declined today, I would have and met everyone at the next town. If there was any way I could decline the rest of the ride, I would.
“It’s a good thing ye fell off yer horse on the grass,” said Seth, as he ate a sandwich Tavish made for him out of the ingredients Riley provided. “Best place to fall.”
“Why?” I said a little worried.
“A friend of mine has done a bit of horseback riding on dates. He was with this bird, and her horse bolts, right? He and the guide go after, and they find her on the side of the road clutching her arm. Broke it in two places after a fall on concrete. The horse just threw her off at some point.”
“Yeah, but that’s rare,” assured Riley. He walked over and accepted a sandwich from Tavish. “That’s not going to happen with one of our mares. They’re trained.”
“This one was trained,” said Seth. “An old one too. Thought it was the most gentle. But, ya know, horses are powerful creatures.”
I kind of went pale and imagined myself getting hurt in various ways on the horse. I imagined falling off and breaking my arms, I imagined the horse running me into sharp branches or just getting trampled to death. Yes, these were all possibilities.
“Ye all right, Ronan?” asked Tavish. He handed me my own sandwich. “Ye seemed lost in thought, brother.”
“Oh, just thinking about the next part of the trail,” I said faking cheer.
“Don’t worry, lad,” assured Riley. “The next bit, the horses won’t run. It’s a grueling trot up and down the hills. Just don’t let them throw ya off a cliff. Ha-ha.”
Everyone laughed, and I laughed nervously. I imagined my horse abruptly stopping and me going over his head and off the cliff. Or that the horse did a short gallop, stopped at the edge and threw me off. Or that the horse suddenly bucked at a curve and I slid off the back and plunged to my death.
Anything was possible.
Chapter 17
Ronan
After lunch, we got back on the horses and started the ride up Tavish’s run. The horses were a lot calmer. Again, they did this all the time, so I guess they knew how to pace themselves. At one point, Connor’s horse stumbled and bumped into mine. For a second, I imagined both me and the horse falling off the cliff. The horse would, of course, crush me at the bottom of the ocean in my nightmare. Fortunately, that didn’t happen, and we moved on.
At the top of the trail, we saw a lot of the sights: Dunquin, the Great Basket Island and the Sleeping Giant. I have to say, it was worth the ride. We got off our horses for a moment and tied them to a post that was there for that very reason. At one point, I was standing behind one of the horses and Riley pulled me away.
“Never stand behind a horse, lad,” he explained. “They could get spooked and kick. Ye don’t want to be kicked by one. Trust me. It’s not pleasant.”
I then had another vision of one of the horses kicking me off the cliff and down into the ocean. The kick would initially break some bones, but the fall would finish me off in my dark dream. I shook my head and tried to get out of my unpleasant daydreams.
Keira was standing near the drop off on the trail taking some pictures on her phone. I got mine out and did the same.
“Ya know, ye live in Ireland all your life,” said Seth, walking over to stand next to us. “But ye never come to see things, ya know? It’s nice.”
“Peig Sayers was born there, ya know,” added Connor.
“Who’s that?” asked Seth.
“Who’s that?” said Connor, outrage. “Ye don’t know anythin’ of history, do ye? She was a great storyteller. Ya know, of the old folktales.”
“Meh,” shrugged Seth.
“Ye wee Philistine,” muttered Connor.
He crossed his arms in front of his chest. “I’ll bet if she were a billionaire, ye know her name.”
“I’ll be if she were a billionaire, everyone would know her name,” countered Seth. “Get off your high horse. Get it? Because you were already on a horse. Ha!”
Connor frowned at our older brother and walked away.
“This is really great, Ronan,” said Keira, smiling at me. “I’m really enjoying the ride and scenery. This was a great way to search for the orb. Thanks so much for this.” She put her hand in mine.
“Ah, it’s… Well, ye know…” I stammered. “Nothing that you can’t find on the Internet.”
“Oh, don’t be so modest,” she said.
Checking to see if the others were looking and convinced they were not, she gave me a quick peck on the cheek. That was nice. Even though I was trying to be in a relationship with so many people, Keira still managed to make me feel special. How did she do that? I guess just by being nice.
If I was being honest with myself, I didn’t think this dating thing would last. Sure, we were having fun now. Everyone was sort of ducking their responsibilities to be here and help Keira with the curse. But what happens when the curse was over? Then real life begins again. People have jobs and have to do routine and mundane things. I felt like, the moment I stopped the adventure would be the moment it would all be over. And then Keira would be on her way back to America and taking my heart with her.
Tavish would go back to the bakery, Connor would go back to bartendering, Seth would have to run his shop and I mine. Where did Keira fit in with all that if she stayed? Or would she just return to the States realizing that she couldn’t make this work? It seemed to me, relationships take a lot of time. Keira would have to make time for all four of us. How could one person do all that and make a life for herself?
Our break was over, and I had to drag myself back up on my mare. The horse and I were starting to get along better as the day went by. She was very calm now and I was starting to enjoy myself.
“Now here’s some history,” said Connor, gesturing to some ruins along the trail. “That’s Ireland, Keira. So much history.”
“Yeah, like what?” asked Seth, pulling his horse up next to him.
“Right there,” pointed Connor. “The ruins.”
“Yeah? The ruins of what?” Seth asked glaring at our little brother.
“I don’t know the exact sort of building they were. It depends on which one you ask about.”
“That one right there,” pointed Seth. “Nearest the crest of the hill.”
“That one’s Minard’s Castle,” Riley said, pointing to a castle on the water.
“That’s not the one I’m point at,” argued Seth. “I want to know about those rocks and I want Connor to tell me with his history degree.”
“I’m not an archaeologist,” explained Connor.
“You’re not much a history buff, are ye either?” joked Seth.
“I see what you’re trying to do,” scoffed Connor. “Like you know everything about business.”
“I know a store when I see it,” countered Seth. “How much did our poor folks spend on that degree? Probably more than my wee shop.”
“You’re a ball buster, Seth,” said Tavish.
“Oh, aye,” smiled Seth. “I’ve been waiting the whole ride to do that.”
That’s another thing I had to consider. I wasn’t just entering into a relationship with Keira, I’d also be tied to my brothers: Tavish, Seth and Connor. Obviously, I was okay with Tavish. We had our differences over the years to be sure, but we had moved on in our relationship now that we lived apart. We got along much better having our own places. What if living together again would mean we would drive each other crazy?
Then there was Connor. Sure, he was a good kid, but we were the closest in age. Ma made us share everything as kids and it caused us to fight a lot. These days we weren’t very close. Would being in a relationship with the same woman make us closer or drive us further apart? That could put a lot of strain on things. He’d be off to school and his lectures, while the rest of us worked at home. He always a bit of an elitist. That could come out and not in the nice way with Seth teasing him.
And Seth, of course, was always a wee bit dangerous. He was a greedy git, to be sure. He was always looking for an angle or a way to make money. I guess, in the long run, that was a good thing, right? Could come in handy if I need help with the agency and he was around more. Guess we could all help each other out.
Still, I had to compete with the boys if I was going to look like a man in their eyes. I couldn’t let them treat me like the little brother or something. Then I’d be at their beck and call, organizing all the dates, hearing them complain when they didn’t like what I planned. I couldn’t let the dynamic end up like that. I would end up doing all the work.
“Hey, Seth,” I said. “Where’s the nearest shop so I could get some Bengay? My arse is killing me.”
“How would I know?” he said. “We’re way out in the middle of nowhere.”
“Aye and ye said ye knew what a store was,” I said. “Did ye not see any on the way in?”
“That’s what Google’s for, ye daft pansy,” he snapped. “Look it up on yer phone.”
“So, you don’t know then?” I confirmed.
“I just said,” he hissed. “Why ye askin’ me such a stupid question?”
“You’re a bit sensitive,” I mocked. “I thought fat people were supposed to be jolly.”
Tavish burst out laughing and gave me a high five. The others laughed as well.
“Oh, fuck off, ye wanker,” muttered Seth.
“They’re just playing the same game you are, Seth,” said Keira, riding up next to him. “Don’t be a sore loser.” She gave him a wink.
“I’m not,” he assured. “But I am ready to get off this horse. This is a bit rough on the ass after while, aye?”
“I know something that’s even rougher,” joked Keira.
We all laughed at that one, except Riley. He eyed us suspiciously, although he probably suspected we were all a little closer than the average party of tourists. If he knew or cared either way, he didn’t say anything.
We rode on silently for a few minutes. The view and the experience was just so pleasant. I even relaxed in the saddle some. I could do this, I could ride a horse without fear. I smiled at myself and then looked over to see Keira smiling at me.
“Starting to feel comfortable, finally?” she asked, giving me a wink.
I leaned in close to her, bringing my mare right up next to hers. “Ya knew?” I whispered. “Ye could tell that I was scared?”
She nodded and reached out a hand to squeeze my arm. “I could tell, but I could also tell that you wanted to overcome your fear. I think you are so brave for taking this on with me.”
Her comments made me feel ten feet tall. Maybe I should have shared what I was going through with her in the first place. Keira did seem like the kind of girl that you could tell anything to and she wouldn’t judge you, in fact she would help you through your fear. I promised myself that if this relationship worked out that I would never keep anything from her ever again. The thought made me happy.
I took her hand from my arm, and making sure no one was looking, I kissed it. She smiled at me and ran a finger down the line of my jaw. I wanted to kiss her lips, but now was not the time. I could see the desire in her eyes as well, but we both held back. Our gazes promising each other more, later.
“Stop for a second!” yelled Connor.
“What’s wrong, lad?” asked Riley, turning back to face him.
Connor looked like he was unsure of what to say for a second. “I umm…Well, you see, I need to tie my shoe,” he finally blurted out.
He jumped down from his horse and kind of shuffled to the side of the path. As I watched closely, Connor pretended to retie his shoe, but really, he was reaching in a bush along the path and picking out the orb we were looking for.
Next to me, K
eira hissed in a breath. She was also seeing what Connor was doing.
“That’s a relief,” I whispered to her.
She nodded agreeing with me.
Connor put the orb in the pocket of his jacket and got back into the saddle. “I’m all set,” he yelled up to Riley, and we went on our way.
The fourth orb was in our possession. I could relax ever more now. There was only one or two more to go. Soon Keira would be free of this curse and we could figure out what we were all doing. It was a moment that excited me and made me anxious all at the same time. Could this really work?
I looked over to Keira. She was so perfect with her delicious curves and her strawberry-blonde hair catching the sunlight. These last few days with her were the best of my life. I hope they never ended.
Tavish’s run ended abruptly at the slope of a low hill. Riding along it had been a wonderful experience and I was glad that I finally had done it. After a few more kilometers we were in the town of Shamrock Cove. The tour agency had a stable here too and we headed to that to turn in our horses. I was pleased to see that my van was already here. The company had a guy drive it over as we rode. I thanked Riley and promised to tell more clients about his tour. And then it was done; my day of horseback riding was done.
I smiled to myself as we walked to the van. Keira crowded around Connor and after we made sure that no one was looking she asked for the orb. As she held it in her hand, this time Connor worked the dissipation spell. The orb shimmied and popped out of existence just like the others. We all sighed in relief.
“Let’s get some seafood,” I suggested and climbed into the van. My leg muscles wavered under me and I grunted. I was sore. “Ah, dammit,” I muttered.
“Aw, you okay, Sweetie?” asked Keira.
“I’m really sore after that,” I said.
“Probably from falling off that time,” added Tavish.
“I’ll give ye a nice massage when we find a room,” she offered.
