Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Wearily, Kira regained consciousness. Ash was splayed out beside her and together they had flattened a patch on the wheat field. Ash muttered in his sleep and thrashed around on the floor; Kira presumed he was having a nightmare. She tried to sooth him, flattening his hair out and crooning to him like a mother does to a child and he seemed to quieten. She looked about her but could only see a few more fields to one side, a dip on the other and a scraggly bunch of trees. Then she saw the barn; then the house, and suddenly out of the blue a small village was there right in front of her. Ash muttered again and jerked, before suddenly his eyes opened and he sat up panting.

Kira looked quizzically at him but Ash blushed and turned away. A neigh, followed by a whiney sounded from the village and Kira turned to their next priority.
“We need horses,” she stated. Ash nodded his agreement and passed her a chunk of cheese and some bread – breakfast. She stuffed it down.

Kira flattened herself against the wood of the barn and poked her head around the corner.
“All clear,” she whispered, and Ash darted forwards and opened the doors of the barn. A nervous neigh sounded from one of the sable blocks and Kira slunk into the gloom after him. Her eyes adjusted to the dim light and she made out a wall that Ash was taking a saddle and bridle from. He passed them to Kira and took another pair. Ash escaped to the side and began to look over a black stallion that Kira could hardly see in the gloom.

Kira slung the bridle over a free shoulder and shifted the saddle more comfortably in her arms. She made towards a brown mare but changed her mind when a creamy golden filly nickered at her. Kira smiled and put the saddle down on a box of hay. She blew into the filly’s nostrils and got the same in return. Kira opened the door to the stall and looked the filly over. What is her name? She thought. Kira turned to the door of the stall and saw on the outside ‘Sahara’ engraved into the wood.
“Sahara,” Kira whispered. She put the bridle on the horse and then strapped on the saddle. Grabbing a bucket, Kira stood on it and slung her leg over Sahara’s saddle. She sat up and held Sahara’s reins tight.
“Kira, are you ready?” hissed Ash from his seat up top of the black stallion.
“Yeah!” The door to the outside of the barn was open and Kira motioned; Sahara trotted out into the blue. Ash kicked his stallion into a brisk canter and Sahara followed naturally.

They raced out of the small village with their new steeds; they could go much further with the horses help. Ash had remembered to clip saddlebags on so when he halted the canter at their makeshift camp Ash leapt off the stallion and chucked Kira her bags and gently passed the bow and quiver. Kira stuffed her belongings into the saddlebags and slung the bow over her shoulder. Ash jumped back on the stallion and turned to face it with Sahara.
“What’s the stallion’s name?” asked Kira, bending to stroke Sahara’s neck.
“Coalic. What’s the mares’?”
“Sahara.”

Kira, somehow, knew where to go. She thought that perhaps it was Agwang, or the medallion, was giving her a nudge in the right direction – until, one afternoon when Kira and Ash had let the horses graze, found it was the earth itself. First, it came as a whispering…
‘East…then south…’
Kira looked around, and asked, “Ash, can you hear that?”
“Hear what?”
“There’s something saying…east, then south.” Ash listened, and shook his head.
“There’s no one saying that!”
‘East, east, and then south… Kira!’
Puzzled and on alert, Kira went up into an old oak, and pressed her hand against it.
‘Kiraaaa!’ it said, ‘Oh Kiraaa, we are tooo help youuu! The darknessss prevailsss Kira…run east…east and then southhh!’
Kira listened to the trees, and went east. Ash didn’t understand her reason to go, but listened. Before long, they came to another town…and some old…friends.

*

Corcky was smirking and watching as two of his boys tussled. The others were laughing and jeering, and there was a sudden cheer as one of the fighting two managed to trip the other, who landed in the mud.
“Alrigh’ boys – that’s enough!” Corcky announced, jumping down from the wall. There seemed to be no one else down this street, but Corcky knew it was because they were all at the market. Corcky’s right hand man, Billy, looked up at some horse clip-clopping. Every one seemed to fall silent, and Corcky frowned… and then he heard a voice he thought he had gotten rid of. It swore. Corcky turned around and grinned.
“Well, well, well. Who do we have here?” he said, unsheathing a dagger and advancing towards the two horses.

Kira felt ice shoot down her spine. She glanced at Ash, but his gaze had hardened, and he was glaring at Corcky. Ash steadied Coalic, who was getting skittish with the feelings of anger and fear coming off his rider.
“What to you want?” Ash snarled.
“Ooo, touchy much?” sneered Corcky, making some of the boys cackle. Ash closed his eyes, and then heard Kira’s voice echo what he had said.
“Stop messing around, Corcky – tell us what you want, or move!” Corcky snorted.
“Or what?” he asked, still advancing on the horses. What he didn’t notice – none of the boys did – was that both Kira’s and Ash’s bows were now strung with arrows. Kira looked uncertainly at Ash, who had finger and arm guards – while Kira had none.

Corcky sauntered up the side of Sahara, much to the horse’s displeasure. He felt completely confident, until he looked up and saw an arrow pointing at him.
“Now Kira,” he said, raising his voice, “is that really necessary?” Kira laughed harshly.
“Yes, it will be – unless you get out of the way.”
“Kira!” hissed Ash, suddenly realising that Corcky had been the distraction, and that the rest of the boys had circled them. Corcky frowned, and opened his mouth to reply, but some one beat him to it.
“We have un-finished business, Kira.”

A deep pit erupted in Kira’s stomach, and her face paled. She let out a small gasp, and suddenly the bow and arrows didn’t seem so helpful any more. Ash seemed to choke.
“Kira has no business with you, so leave her be,” he managed to say, though he too was practically quaking. Something about Scorpio radiated fear. Kira gave Ash a grateful smile.
Scorpio snarled.
“What place do you have in this affair, Ash? The lover, perhaps?” he smirked as Ash’s face reddened, and there were jeers from the crowd.
“Enough!” demanded Kira, and let the arrow fly. It melted inches from Scorpio, and he fixed his green eyes on Kira’s shocked greenish-amber ones. Ash was thinking hard; quickly he shot three arrows at Scorpio, all of which he melted – but the plan was already in action. While Scorpio was preoccupied, Ash kicked Coalic hard, and he bolted, finally losing control after sensing the dark character.

Kira looked wildly at Ash, and saw what he was doing. She urged Sahara forwards, and let the horse lead the way away from the boys that wished to cause her and Ash harm. As much as she hated doing it, the only way Kira could see as to a way out of this horrible mess, was to run. But she knew, sooner or later, the time would come when she couldn’t run anymore, and would have to face Scorpio. The horses’ hooves sent up clouds of dust, and they pelted away.

Scorpio snarled.
“After them!” he shouted, and watched as Corcky and his gang chased after the horses. Scorpio cursed and spat out the dirt that had gathered in his mouth. He grit his teeth, and promised himself that one day, soon, Kira would be his. Scorpio, seething, walked away.

*

Kira halted Sahara, and Ash did the same with Coalic. They saw figures coming towards them, and knew straight away it was Corcky’s gang.
“Which way Kira?” Ash asked tensely. I know where to go, said Agwang, noticing for the first time Kira was flushed and in a panic. Good, thought Kira to Agwang, so where do I go?
No, I cannot tell, Agwang argued. Kira saw she couldn’t, truthfully.
“Kira!” Ash said, reminding her of the approaching danger. Release Agwang into Sahara, said the medallion, nudging Kira in the right direction. Kira knew she didn’t have any choice, and went up to Sahara. She looked into the mare’s eyes; thinking, Go, Agwang. There was a sudden flash of white light, and Kira knew Agwang was gone, and in her place a very confused horse spirit, that neighed in Kira’s head and made her clutch her temples. She looked up, and saw Sahara’s eyes were now amber. Agwang.

Kira leapt up into Sahara’s saddle, and not a moment to soon.
“Get them!” Ash heard Corcky shout, before watching as Sahara sprung up onto her back legs and sprinted away. Ash kicked Coalic hard, and soon was thundering along beside Kira, who seemed lost inside of herself. He shook his head, and held on. The two horses pelted away into the distance.

Corcky spat on the ground, where Coalic and Sahara had kicked up more dust, and swore. Boss would not be pleased, he knew. Corcky had no idea where Kira and Ash were headed, but he did know a short cut to the next town. Corcky turned away from the open road where the horses were now only specks, and made his way to tell Boss the bad news.