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By midmorning, the day is beautiful for a ride, the skies are mostly clear with a smattering of high clouds but it is the blue sky and its deep rich color catching the sightseer's eyes. Riding at a comfortable walk out of the barbican and onto the bridge, they passed the three towers, turned left crossing the bridge to the hard packed road. From there they followed the road south heading toward an expansive forest they could see in the distance. The two wolf pets as the entire castle thinks of them took off running as fast as they could down the road ahead of them, then suddenly turn and run back full of excitement to be finally out of the castle. When they first arrived with them, it caused consternation and fear that permeated the entire castle. Danielle and Celedryl amazed the soldiers and castle staff by making their way around the castle introducing them to human and animal alike. The castle staff and grooms grew accustomed to the animals when they realized they were actually as gentle as the pet dogs. That aside it did not mean the animals got along perfectly with a few quarrels cropping up with the dogs living there until they worked it out among themselves thankfully without serious injuries.
Shaylee rode in the lead on her spirited but gentle Dun colored horse with an overall yellowish color and black points at the mane, tail and fetlock area. Ethan followed her on a Chestnut gelding with its rich red gold coloring known for being gentle enough for children to ride yet sure of itself on the trail that it did not frighten easily. Mitch followed Ethan the second of the two least experienced riders on a Black gelding, easy to ride but does have some spirit. Danielle followed Mitch on a Blood Bay with its distinctive black points on the mane, tail and legs. Leadyl and Celedryl are bringing up the rear riding side by side on black Roans with a sprinkling of white that happed to be brother and sister.
“How am I doing Celedryl?” Ethan called back afraid to turn around in the saddle.
“If the horse has not thrown you yet, you are doing well. Please be very careful Ethan, if he does throw you, the fall could break an arm," she replied in a serious tone but laughing under her breath.
“Do you think the horse will throw me?” Ethan asked very concerned. Trying to keep straight faces and not laugh, the riders knew Celedryl was playing with him but poor Ethan was too nervous to realize it.
“If you are not very careful and hold on tight it could,” she said in all seriousness trying not to laugh. Stiffening up his entire body Ethan squeezed his legs tight against the horse holding on for dear life. Even the horse tensed its muscles feeling how Ethan is riding him. Ethan knew he had been the brunt of a joke when his friends could not contain the laughter any longer and burst out laughing. “Ethan relax I am sorry I was playing with you my love,” Celedryl said trying to mollify him realizing what she said and the implications quickly embarrassing herself by her admission of love and familiarity.
“The manor on that hill is our family home we grew up in,” Shaylee said quickly changing the subject, pointing in the direction she wanted them to look. The stately manor house is a sprawling affair with a ten-foot high wall and a massive iron gate. A fortress all in itself it is easily defendable against most attacks with four small towers, one at each of the square corners with murder holes in them for archers. The manor house is a huge affair with perfectly cut and mortared granite walls, cut glass windows all along the walls of both the first and second floors and three fireplaces strategically placed keeping the bedrooms warm in the winter. Large paddocks filled with horses grazing and huge wooden barns stacked with hay and feed dotted the hills adjacent to the manor. The area around the manor is a beehive of daily activity as stable hands moved horses from one paddock to another or out to the main pasture behind the manor.
Walking the horses down the road, they looked to the left across the rolling hills to see acres of cattle watched over by people on horseback aided by black and white dogs reminding Mitch of border collies from back home. Thinking about his home sent a pang of regret lancing through him. Here he is out riding, enjoying the company of friends he is with and his lack of sense of duty alarmed him. He should be trying to find a way back to Earth and he had no desire to. He had to keep thinking that what he is doing here protected Earth. Any defeat here had to be a defeat for the enemy thereby protecting Earth he rationalized while riding along enjoying the sun and fresh air.
Continuing south the newcomers are astounded at the expanse of land the duke and his family owned. Riding on, they could see workers busily harvesting fields of crops, loading the harvest in large wagons with teams of horses, then driving them to the enormous barns for storage and processing. Rounding a small bend in the road, a beautiful view of the vast forest jumped out in front of them. On the left in the distance, they could see the swamp with the castle looming large not far north of it.
Continuing for a short distance Shaylee turned right off the road heading toward a small stand of trees right outside the forest. It seemed to them that someone long ago had cleared the land between the forest and the stand of trees giving it an appearance of a small island of trees among the rolling hills. Drawing near, they could see a beautiful gardened area routinely cleaned of undergrowth with a convenient hitching post to tie the horses. After loosening the girths on the saddles, they watered the horses in the small stream and tied them to the hitching post.
The large oaks they were under gave ample shade from the sun and the cool breeze made it a delightful picnic area even in the summer. Quickly spreading the ground blankets, they placed the baskets of food strategically around the area so each of them could comfortably reach inside for the cheese, meat, and bread they contained. They were getting comfortable when a rider walked his horse up to the hitching post. Shaylee most of all seemed surprised at whom their unlikely visitor is and maybe a little pleased that he always knew where to find her when she least expected.
“I hope I am not intruding m’lady but the kitchen staff told me you had neglected to bring the wine to your picnic so I took it upon myself to bring it to you. May I dismount I have the wine bottles in my saddle bag?” Durin asked politely. Durin is a husky lad of seventeen years and some say he has arms as strong as the blacksmith. He is medium height with a shock of thick brown hair at the top of his head and green eyes that could be very serious and at times like now very hopeful. He is dressed similar to the men wearing leather pants for riding and wool pullover shirt for warmth with a gold ring belt and a working dagger. The arms master said his training with weapons is coming along better than expected with the sword and dagger. He even commented once to the duke that he reminded him of the duke himself at that age. That comment got the dukes attention who promptly promoted Durin to head page giving him greater responsibility and special assignments accorded the position. Delivering wine to the duke’s daughter was unquestionably not one of the duke's special assignments.
“Why of course Durin you may dismount and surely you are not intruding for I did forget the wine for today’s picnic. It is gracious of you to come all the way out here on your day off to bring us the wine,” Shaylee replied thinking she is glad that he had come because she felt awkward not having a companion even though neither did Danielle. Her father would not let her brothers join them because he needed them back at the castle to discuss plans for war. She suspected otherwise that her father could see there might be competition between the two for Danielle’s affections and did not want any problems associated with that to come between his two sons.
His pleasure was very evident in his mannerisms nearly falling off his horse in his excitement that his plan had worked. Thankfully, no one noticed as he nonchalantly dismounted from the horse. Recovering quickly he went to his saddlebag retrieving two bottles of wine handing one to Mitch and one to Ethan with a corkscrew for each to open the bottles. Retrieving six bronze wine goblets his saddlebag he quickly returned with them graciously handing one to each of them. When Shaylee saw he did not have a seventh her heart nearly stopped fearing that he was not going to stay.
Danielle t
he intuitive person she is, quickly came to Shaylee’s aid, ”Dorin you did not bring a wine goblet for you so that you may join us?”
“My lady that would have been rash and presumptuous of me to presume that I would be welcome to join your company,” he said bowing bashfully.
“For me, I think it would be wonderful to have such a cultured man in our company do you not Shaylee,” Danielle coaxed. All Shaylee could do is nod her head yes. “Well then Dorin my name is Danielle and you are welcome to sit with us and enjoy the day. My friends please say hello to Dorin, our new friend.”
Quickly introducing each other to him, they made him feel welcome and not out of place, as he feared. Not to let things go unfinished Danielle finished what she started, ”Dorin would you be so kind as to get the extra goblet out of your saddlebag so no one has to share? Shaylee my dear would you kindly make a space next to you so our new friend can sit?” With a red-faced embarrassed expression on his face, he quickly retrieved the goblet and sat next to the equally red-faced Shaylee. Laughter echoed through the small stand of trees and out on the plain as the young friends enjoyed the sweet red wine and fine food for an enjoyable afternoon that they knew would be the last for a long time to come.
Games of the Powerful Page 57
