The Rider
Penned by D.C. Mitchell
Pictures courtesy of BBC Robin Hood. I do not own them. Used for inspiration purposes only. No copyright infringement intended.
Lyla stood silently listening to the leaves dance as a cool morning breeze blew through the trees. She tilted her head slightly listening intently at the sound of birds chirping in greeting of the rising sun. Living in his majesty’s forest had its advantages. Had she lived in the city, she would miss the beauty of the dawning of the day. She inhaled deeply and let her breath out slowly as she heard the soft padded footstep of her companion, Renwik, coming up behind her.
Renwik has been her companion for as long as she could remember and never seemed to age. He stood three feet tall on all fours and could easily carry her on his back. She could see the morning mist clinging to his silver white fur. He walked the forest at night keeping his mistress and her father safe.
“All is well?” she asked.
Renwik nodded in reply as his tail flicked casually from side to side.
Lyla stretched as did Renwik, his long form stretching out beside her. She scratched him lazily between his ears.
“Come along, Renwik, the chores aren’t going to do themselves.”
As they turned to make their way to the stables Renwik stopped, his ears perked up and alert. He turned back to facing the forest.
“What is it?”
I do not know, mistress. Something is coming this way. I smell blood.
Lyla stood behind Renwik as small balls of purple flame began forming in the pas of her hands. She waited for a queue from Renwik as he stood ready to pounce.
“Renwik, wait!” The purple flames quickly extinguished from her palms.
Coming out of the trees emerged a large black stallion with its rider barely hanging on. As the horse moved closer to them, Lyla could see the rider was covered in blood and had a spear piercing its side.
“Renwik, we have to help him.”
Lyla moved towards the horse reaching for its reins causing it to stop in front of her. The horse pranced anxiously in place, the smell of blood causing it to be uneasy.
“Easy boy,” Lyla whispered close to his face as she gently pet its muzzle.
“Renwik, quickly, stand beside the horse so I can help the rider down.”
Renwik did as he was told, careful not to move the rider abruptly and cause the spear to sink further into its side.
“Take him to the house while put his horse in the stable.”
Renwik carefully made his way to the house Lyla shared with her father.
Lyla hurriedly led the horse to the stable, removed its saddle and gave it a quick rub down. She filled the trough with oats and water before securing the stall gate and rushed to the house. Upon entering the house she saw her father had moved the rider from Renwik’s back and onto a bed.
“Who is he?” her father asked.
“I don’t know. He came from the king’s forest.”
Lyla removed the rider’s overcoat. It wasn’t until she was cutting his tunic that she saw the crest on his ring. He was one of the king’s personal knights. But what was he doing out here and was his majesty with him when he was attacked? They weren’t expecting him for several months yet.
“Father, get a bucket of warm water and some cloth. We have to try and remove the spear.”
“Will he live if we remove it?”
“I don’t know but we can’t leave him like this. He has lost much blood. I’ll get my healing herbs. Renwik?”
I will keep watch. Make sure he wasn’t followed.
Renwik dashed towards the part of the forest the rider had appeared from.
Lyla whispered a short incantation and began slowly pulling the spear out. Once it was pulled clear she tossed it to the ground. She quickly threaded a needle and sewed the wound close. She stole a look at his face, he was ashen white. She had to move faster if she was to save him. She hurriedly tied and snipped the thread. She then made a paste from the healing herbs and spread it over the wound. She whispered another short incantation and waited.
She let out a sigh of relief as she saw the color slowly return to the riders face. However he still hadn’t regained consciousness. Lyla tore a few pieces of cloth apart, dipped them into the warm water and quietly bathed the rider being careful not to wash away the healing paste.
She proceeded to wash his chest, her hands gliding lightly over him. As she washed his matted hair from his face she noticed he had an open cut that extended above his right eyebrow to below his eye. She carefully cleaned around it, stitched it closed and applied some healing paste. She then removed the rest of his clothing and continued to silently bathe him. Once she was satisfied she had washed away all the blood, she gathered his pants, tunic and overcoat and threw them into a wash basin. All they could do now was wait for him to wake up.
~~~
“Please don’t move. You’ll only reopen your wound.”
He paused briefly. That voice. He tried sitting up but this time he felt a warm hand gently push him back down.
“Please don’t.”
He let her push him back and felt a warm cloth being pressed against his forehead. He waited a moment before opening his eyes. When he finally opened them he was greeted by an old man sitting my a small fireplace puffing on a pipe, an over-sized white wolf laying at his feet watching him intently and a maiden with dark auburn hair and bright blue eyes standing over him.
“How are you feeling?”
He raised his hand slowly and touched his throat.
“Here drink this.” She slid her arm under his neck to help prop him up as she put a small goblet to his lips. As he drank he glanced over at the old man to the wolf and then back to the girl beside him.
“That is my father, Lawrence, and Renwik. He is the one who carried you inside. My name is Lyla.” She smiled down at him trying to put him at ease. “Your horse is in our stable and has been well taken care of.”
He nodded his thanks as he drank the last drops in the goblet. He licked his lips before speaking, “My name is Ronin.”
Lyla slid her arm from under Ronin’s neck. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. You are one of the kings personal knights, are you not?" Lyla asked as she lightly tapped the ring on his left hand.
Ronin nodded.
“I am not sure what happened to you but your horse brought you here. You were pierced by a spear. I removed it, stitched and cleaned you up. It will be a several days yet before you are completely healed.”
Ronin let out a heavy sigh as he closed his eyes, “My men? The king?”
“Renwik searched the forest. There was no sign of anyone else or that you were followed.”
Ronin looked over at Renwik who only nodded in agreement to what Lyla had just said.
“His majesty had received word that his next shipment of stallions was ready for delivery but he wanted to see them first. We were on the way to meet the courier when we were ambushed. I have to find out if they are ok.” Ronin tried getting up but the sharp pain in his side caused him to fall back on the bed, a painful reminder that he wasn’t going anywhere soon.
~~~
Several days had passed before Ronin could move by himself. Lyla was there beside him undressing, cleaning and redressing his wounds. As she tended to him he would tell her of the stories and myths that circulated around the city, especially of the one of the enchantress that lived in the king’s forest with an old seer who imbued his majesty’s stallions with magic. No one had yet to find the pair and if they did they never returned. Lyla laughed at his description of the enchantress.
“I don’t think you look anything like they say in the stories,” Ronin said smiling up at her accepting the bowl of soup she offered him.
“Well, I should hope not. I am not an enchantress,” she replied as she sat down beside him.
“But you are the girl I saw with the purple flames in your palms before I passed out?”
“Yes that was me but still not an enchantress. I am something . . . different. And there is no truth to his majesty’s stallions being imbued with magic. We breed and raise them as he commands.”
“Not even a little magic in them?”
“Nay.”
She giggled at his look of disappointment. “The magic is all around us. The horses here accept this and thrive here until they have accepted their destiny and are ready to leave. It is then that we usually send them to his majesty’s stables.” Lyla stood and reached for his hand, “Come I will show you.”
Ronin hesitated a moment before setting his bowl to the side and took her outstretched hand.
“Careful,” Lyla cautioned as she slid her arm around his waist so he could use her as a crutch. Renwik following beside them.
“I have never seen anything so breathtaking,” Ronin said in awe.
Before him were a large open meadow with lush green grass and a small creek running through it. Stallions and mares grazed lazily, the tall grass at their feet swaying gently in the breeze. A few of them raised their heads and glanced in their direction as they walked along the small trail. A colt trotted over to Ronin and nudged his hand with its head. Ronin gently pet it until Renwik let out a low growl causing the colt to prance excitedly back to its mother. Ronin had never felt as peaceful as he did now watching the horses roaming freely about.
“Max!” Ronin yelled excitedly as a familiar black stallion came trotting up to him. The horse stopped in front of him, shaking his mane and neighing excitedly. Ronin removed his arm from around Lyla’s shoulder and hugged his horse.
“Max brought you here. He was one of our best stallions before he joined his majesty’s stables. I think he knew where to go when you were injured in the forest.”
“Thank you. I was worried he had been badly injured in the ambush.” Ronin gave Max a pat on the muzzle before letting him return to the open meadow.
“Here you two are,” Lawrence said coming up the trail behind them.
“Father,” Lyla nodded in greeting.
“Lawrence.”
“Master Ronin I made you a walking stick." Lawrence held out an exquisitely craved walking stick. "It isn’t much but it will help until you can walk without help.”
“Thank you Lawrence. You didn’t have to do that. My horse and I are indebted to you and your daughter and appreciate the hospitality and care you have shown us. I don’t know how I can repay your kindness.”
Lawrence stroked his chin for a moment before answering, “Well there is this field . . .”
“Done!” Ronin answered without letting Lawrence finish.
Lawrence chuckled to himself, “I must be going if I am going to get these charms to market. I will be back before nightfall. Goddess be with ye.” He bid them farewell and walked down the trail to his merchant wagon.
“Charms?” Ronin asked as they made their way back to the house.
“They are actually protection gemstones. I find the gems and make them into either jewelry or standalone gems and father sells them in the city.”
“May I see them?” Ronin asked as Lyla helped him into a chair.
Lyla reached for a basket filled with many different colors of gems and sat it on the table.
“What are the different colors?” he asked as he picked a few up and looked them over.
“Some can have healing powers as well as a protection power. The black one can ward off evil, the green one is for luck, the yellow for protecting your home, the blue for protecting yourself, the pink for love and the white for the protection of the Goddess.”
Ronin held a few blue gems in his hand, “These match the color of your eyes.”
Lyla felt her face blushing and quickly gathered the gems together and put them back in the basket but not before Ronin was able to drop a blue gem in his pocket.
~~~
Over the next several weeks Ronin regained his strength. He helped Lawrence clean out the stables and take care of the horses, hunted with Renwik during the evenings and occasionally would walk the forest alongside the wolf.
The day came when the field he promised to plow would be finished. Lyla dreaded this day. She knew when his debt was paid he would have to return to his majesty’s court.
She stood at the end of the field watching him and Max plow the last few rows in preparation for the spring crops to be planted. Ronin paused a moment to wipe sweat from his brow. Lyla couldn’t help but watch as he pushed his tussled raven hair out of his eyes, the ripple in his muscles as he stretched before pushing the plow behind Max as her father directed them. They stopped at the end of the row. She blushed as Ronin turned, caught her staring at him and waved her over.
She walked over to them and offered first her father then Ronin a ladle of cool water from the bucket she was carrying. She watched as water spilled from the corners of Ronin’s mouth as he drank thirstily. The droplets slid down his chin, his neck and finally down chest. She inhaled sharply and bit her lower lip resisting the urge to wipe the droplets away.
As Ronin handed the ladle back to her, their hands touched briefly causing Lyla to look up at him, his silver-grey eyes watching her intently. He licked the last of the water from his lips. As Lyla watched him she felt her face turning red and the rapid beating of her heart echoing in her ears.
“Ronin, one last row and we are done,” Lawrence yelled from in front of Max.
Ronin looked away to wave at Lawrence. Lyla took that opportunity to take her leave and headed towards the house, not trusting herself to look back.
Dawn broke early the following morning and what was usually Lyla’s favorite time of the day didn’t boost her spirit. She had overheard her father and Ronin talking last night, today he was leaving. Lyla let out a heavy sigh.
“Who cares if he is leaving?” she asked Renwik as he appeared from the forest from his nightly patrol.
You do.
Lyla sighed, he was right of course. She walked with Renwik back to the house. The least she could do was prepare a meal sack for Ronin. When she entered the house, Ronin wasn’t there. She quickly grabbed a sack and tossed in some cheese, a loaf of bread and some wrapped meat. As she headed out the door she grabbed a small jug of warm ale and headed to the stables.
As she approached them, she could hear Ronin talking to Max. She let out a sigh of relief, he hadn’t left yet.
“Morning Ronin.”
”Morning Lyla,” he replied from the other side of Max.
“I brought you some food for your journey through the forest.”
Ronin nodded his thanks as he bent to check Max’s hoofs.
Lyla could feel her heart beating faster. “We wont be seeing you again, will we?”
Ronin looked up at her, “Will you miss me. . . us?”
“I know father will. He rather enjoyed your company not to mention having the extra help.”
“But you won’t?” he asked as he stood up and checked the buckle to his saddle one last time.
“I didn’t say that,” Lyla felt her face grow flush.
Ronin chuckled as he glanced at her from the corner of his eye. He was just about to hoist himself onto his saddle when Lyla stopped him.
“Ronin,” she called him causing him to turn and face her.
She looked about nervously, her heart beating faster. She clinched her hands into fists at her side and then unclenched them before meeting his gaze. She then rushed towards him and grabbed the openings to his overcoat, pulling him down towards her as she stood on her tip toes. With his lips just above hers she kissed him urgently then softened the kiss before letting him go.
She released his coat and took a step backwards as her eyes met his. As she took another step backwards he took one towards her. She couldn’t read the expression on his face. She took another step backwards and felt her back hit a wall. Ronin took another step towards her, realizing that she had nowhere to go. A small smile played at the corner of his lips as he closed the small gap between them, placing himself directly in front of her.
“Ronin?” she half whispered his name. He did not answer.
He reached down and tucked a few lose strands of her hair behind her ear. As he withdrew his hand he slowly caressed down her cheek with the back of his fingers until he held her chin. Lyla tried looking away but he wouldn’t let her. As Ronin leaned forward she caught a glimpse of a gem he wore around his neck – it was blue. She looked up at him, surprise in her eyes. By now his face was very close to hers. Seeing the expression in her eyes he let out a low chuckle.
“The color of your eyes, something to remember you by,” he whispered against her lips. His eyes searched hers, “Maybe you are the enchantress from the stories. You have enchanted me and stolen my heart, Lyla.” His lips found hers and he kissed her gently, slowly, deeply. She slid her arms around his neck and he pulled her closer to him, his strong arms wrapped around her waist. He didn’t want to let her go but knew if he didn’t leave now he never would.
He broke away from her lips and kissed her on the forehead before letting her go and climbed onto his saddle. He paused a moment before looking down at her. He leaned forward and caressed her face one last time.
“Wait for me Lyla. Look for me at the edge of the forest where our paths first crossed. I will find my way back to you.”
She kissed the palm of his hand before he pulled it away. Renwik came and stood beside his mistress as they watched Ronin leave. With one last look back at her, the rider disappeared into the forest.
Penned on Saturday, 21 September 2013