A Queen is Knighted by R.J. Setser

Author:R.J. Setser [Setser, R.J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-06-07T16:00:00+00:00

A faint, shrill whistle pierced through the pouring rain, and Lauraine perked up out of the crouch she had made in an effort to keep warm. The wind that ripped through her wet tunic felt like icy claws trying to rip her skin off her bones. Her arms and legs itched and prickled with gooseflesh the longer they rode. They had slowed the horses down to a walk, but still, the ride was rough.

Breaking her huddle of warmth to locate the source of the whistle only resulted in her cursing at Sir Tupac’s back through chattering teeth. How could the man possibly be whistling right now? Does he enjoy misery?

Another whistle bit through the hard pattering rain, and she saw Sir Tupac perk up and look behind him. So, it wasn’t Sir Tupac.

Her heart quickened, and she looked around the forest with greater caution. Sir Tupac reined Moonshine to a stop and held a finger to his lips. She nodded and held her breath, hoping to hear any sign of where the whistler was.

Thunk!

Lauraine’s heart stopped. Swishing right past her right shoulder, an arrow narrowly missed her and hit the tree in front of her. She sprang into action and kicked Montana into an urgent trot, shouting over her right shoulder at Sir Tupac as she passed him, “Someone is shooting at us!”

Lauraine didn’t wait to see if Sir Tupac had heard her as she kicked Montana into the fastest pace he could run amid the trees, which was basically a trot that periodically broke into a canter. When she glanced over her shoulder, Sir Tupac was right on her heels, and so was the shadow of another horse and rider.

High-pitched whistles cut through the rushing wind and the rain pelting leaves around them, signaling the release of an arrow that would occasionally come close to hitting either Lauraine or Sir Tupac.

They were riding side by side by now, dodging away and towards each other as trees appeared in their path. Sir Tupac had been right, Ambis were slow in comparison to the smaller horse breeds, but their stamina more than made up for it. If they could just outlast the other rider without getting shot, they might get away.

The whistles fell silent and the arrows stopped, but neither Sir Tupac nor Lauraine slowed their horses. They kept at their pace of a fast trot and sped up again when it was clear. They had redirected the horses away from following the river north to instead ride east in an effort to get away from whoever was attacking them.

Lauraine could tell when they neared the edge of the forest because the trees grew thinner and thinner and they were able to break into a gallop for short bursts. Both horses began to cough and wheeze from the strain, and only then did Sir Tupac and Lauraine, who continually looked behind them and to their sides, allow their steeds a break.

Not allowing the horses to stop completely—for fear their hearts would burst—they encouraged the horses to walk slowly.

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