The Warrior (The Hidden Realm) by A. Giannetti

Author:A. Giannetti [Giannetti, A.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: A. Giannetti
Published: 2012-07-30T04:00:00+00:00

THE ENCAMPMENT

Ignoring Ascilius’s loud protests, Elerian guided Enias toward Dacien. In a panic, Ascilius grasped the stallion’s mane in both hands but soon saw that he was in little danger of falling off, for the Enias’s gait was so smooth that Ascilius had little trouble keeping his seat, even with his short legs.

Now that the problem presented by Ascilius was solved, Dacien sprang happily onto Mylachen’s broad back. Riding easily without saddle or reins, he followed Heald south, toward the encampment of the Tarsi. Enias trotted close behind Dacien, easily carrying both Elerian and Ascilius. Behind them, the sentries returned to their posts, deep in discussion of the strange events they had just witnessed. Gwerth, riding a little apart from the others, breathed a sigh of relief. He had expected to be punished for his treatment of Dacien, but now it appeared that he had been given an unexpected reprieve. He fervently resolved to stay out of Dacien’s sight for the remainder of his stay in the encampment.

Despite having lost some of his fear of tumbling off Enias’s back, Ascilius could not resist grumbling to Elerian about being forced to ride.

“Confound it, Elerian, I told you that I would rather run on my own two feet than risk life and limb on this great beast. Put me down and I will run the rest of the way.”

“You would cut a sad figure if you came huffing and puffing into the camp of the Tarsi long after everyone else had arrived,” said Elerian unsympathetically.

“I hardly cut a dashing figure now,” complained Ascilius. “I feel like a sack of potatoes.”

“You certainly ride like one,” said Elerian with a laugh. “Try not to be so stiff.”

“Easy for you to say with your long shanks,” retorted Ascilius. “I cannot get a proper grip on this beast with my short legs. Let me down and I will run,” he insisted again.

“Do they go on like that all of the time?” asked Heald of Dacien who was now riding next to him on his right. He was looking back at the odd pair behind him, trying hard not to laugh.

“Constantly,” said Dacien with a smile. “At first, I took them for bitter enemies, but then I realized that only fast friends could abuse each other in such a manner.”

Ascilius complained the whole way to the encampment at being forced to ride. Each time he started to feel at his ease, Enias made a sudden start as if the stallion had seen something in the grass that frightened him, setting Ascilius’s heart to pounding. The Dwarf soon became convinced that Elerian and the gray stallion were somehow in league against him, almost as if they could talk to each other, and he could not wait to set his feet onto the ground once more.

The shadows were beginning to lengthen when the four riders crested a low knoll, and a long, shallow valley suddenly spread out before them, covered with dozens of dome shaped tents made of heavy linen and arranged in no particular order.

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