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The meal was simple, but filling. There were fresh eggs, root vegetables that had recently been stored away for a long winter, warm bread, and a pot of dark golden honey that Dusk had never tasted before. He had to stop himself from crying out when it hit his tongue for the first time. He had never tasted anything so sweet and rich in his life. Together they cleared through the majority of the fare that was set out for them, engaging the couple in conversation as best they could. Dusk kept mostly silent as Lex was the one making up the complex lie on the spot. Midway through their meal a little girl could be seen sitting on the stairs, watching them from between the railings. By the end of their meal she had moved down to a seat beside the fireplace, still some fifteen feet from the strange men in her home.
Lex leaned back in his chair after a while, having eaten his fill. He looked up to the couple. “Thank you for your hospitality. We sincerely appreciate it.”
“It’s the least we could do for two brave men willing to go into danger to protect us all,” the woman replied, taking his plate away from him to a wash basin against the wall.
“How far is it to the pass from here?”
“About six days on foot,” the man replied, puffing on his pipe. “If the weather holds.”
“Six days...it could be too late by then.” He looked at Dusk, “They could be overrun by soldiers in the next day or so.”
“Mhmm,” Dusk grunted, still savoring the small piece of bread slathered in honey.
“Forgive me if this is too forward.” Lex placed his laced hands on the table. “Are you willing to part with one of the fine horses you keep here? We’d be willing to pay of course.”
“No!” came a small shout from the corner. It was the little girl. “No you can’t take them away!”
“Hush Emily!” her mother cried. “You’re being rude. That’s not very ladylike.”
The little girl ignored her mother and looked to her father expectantly.
“I suppose we could... if you have the coin that is. We are proud citizens of the empire, but a horse is a valuable animal.”
“Of course, of course.” Lex held his hands up. “Please name your price.”
The man puffed on his pipe for a moment thoughtfully. “Five gold pieces for the mare would get me another the next time another breeder came through. I can’t give up the stallion, he’s got a good lineage.”
“Fair enough. Tell you what,” Lex reached into his satchel and dug around for a moment, “I’ll give you six gold pieces and you never tell anyone we were here on this secret mission. There could be spies everywhere.”
The man looked quite taken aback. “You–you have a deal.”
The little girl suddenly burst into tears and tore away from her mother, running out the front door.
“Emily!” she called after her, but there was no response.
“And an extra two silver for the distress I’ve caused your girl. I hate to see a child in such duress.”
“That’s not necessary,” her mother added quickly. “She’ll be fine.”
“I insist. The king’s gold couldn’t go to a better cause than to help a child of the empire.”
With a firm handshake and the coins counted out neatly on the table, Lex struck a deal with the farmer. The coins were taken quickly away by his wife as she went upstairs, to be hidden away in some safe place no doubt. The men stood up from the table and walked out the front door, heading for the barn. Standing on the fence was the little girl, her arms wrapped around the head of the chestnut mare. She was still sniffling as she petted the horse for the last time.
“I’m afraid I don’t have a saddle, we only use her for the plow and the cart.”
“That’s not a problem. I’m sure she’ll be fine without one.”
“She’s a gentle creature with an independent streak. She’ll make it an easy trip as long as you keep her motivated.”
Pulling his daughter gently off the fence, he grabbed the horse by its rough rope harness and led her to the gate. The stallion was surprised the gate was shut before he could follow. He gave a soft whinny of annoyance and turned back to the pasture, trotting faster in the circle. As the mare was brought closer, Dusk was taken by the urge to pat the side of her face gently. He’d seen the beasts that pulled carts away from the mines plenty of times, but he’d never been allowed to interact with them. The power of her musculature was palpable, like a static shock that pulsed through Dusk’s fingertips. He was fascinated by her, which was peppered by a healthy amount of fear. The farmer handed her off to Lex.
“She’s all yours.”
“Thank you.”
Lex gave her a pat on the shoulder and went around the side. Taking a leap he kicked one leg high and wrapped it over the mare’s back, pulling himself up to a seated position with her mane grasped in his left hand. With his right he reached down to Dusk and pulled him up so that he was placed behind him. It was much higher than he expected.
“There’s a small village at the base of the mountain before you head up. There’s a tavern you can find lodging in for the night. Once you begin on the pass, stay on the road. The ruins there are dangerous at the best of times. There are many stories of people going in and never coming out again.”
“We’ll be sure to steer clear of them. Thank you for everything you’ve done.”
“May the gods watch over you,” the farmer called from below.
“And over you.” Lex gave the horse a kick to get her moving.
Suddenly the little girl cried out, “Her name is Maribel and her favorite food is apples! Promise me you’ll take care of her?”
“We promise,” Dusk nodded. “We won’t let anything happen to her.”
Emily began to cry once more and her father put a hand on the back of her head, drawing her to his side as he waved farewell to them.
At the end of the lane they turned onto the road and Lex looked over his shoulder at Dusk. “That was a damn foolish thing to promise. This horse could be dead tonight for all we know.”
“That might be true, but I couldn’t bring myself to take her horse and her hope away.”
Lex nodded silently in understanding, a small smile on his face.
“Hold on, we’re gonna get moving,” he called out.
Dusk wrapped his arms around Lex’s waist as he gave Maribel a kick, causing her to take off down the road towards the mountains looming in the distance.
***
The day slipped by along with the countryside as Lex drove Maribel on at a quick pace. The northern side of the road remained mostly wooded while the south side gave way to open grasslands as far as the eye could see. As the day wore on the mountains drew ever closer, seeming to grow higher and more intimidating the nearer they got. By the end of the first day Maribel was starting to sag under her heavy load, unaccustomed to having a rider, much less two at the same time. Dusk was sore and tired. He assumed Lex must have felt the same way. As the sun began to set they called their journey to a halt for the night.
Instead of sleeping in the forest as usual, they found a small clearing under a tree in the tall grass. They tied a long rope to a branch and attached it to Maribel’s halter. She immediately turned her head downward and began to rip up grass with vigor. Dusk walked over to her and patted her sides that were still hot from exertion. He reached into his satchel and pulled out one of the apples he’d bought as their rations for the journey. As if she already knew, Maribel gave his head a playful nudge with her muzzle. Gently she reached down and took a bite of the apple, the crunch echoing in the quiet.
“Don’t feed it our food! We may not find more!” Lex grumbled.
“She worked a hard day. Didn’t you?” Dusk scratched her ears, holding the apple for her to continue munching. She was careful not to bite his fingers.
“Don’t get attached to that animal. They probably won’t let us take her over the border anyway.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know! Just don’t get attached. It’s a beast of burden, not a pet.”
Dusk ignored Lex and turned his attention back to Maribel who was searching him for another apple. “That’s all for now girl.” He patted her on the side of her thick neck, speaking low. “I promised I’d look after you and that’s just what I’m gonna do.”
Maribel, knowing exactly where the apple had come from, immediately tried to stuff her head into Dusk’s satchel. He swatted her off playfully and wandered back to Lex. Not seeing any more handouts coming her way, she turned her attention back to the grass and continued to feed.
The night was cold once more and clouds were beginning to come in over the mountains, heading towards them, blocking out the stars as they became thicker. Lex and Dusk ate their meals cold, huddling in the four foot tall grass, which stopped the wind from blowing on them at least. Both wrapped their blankets around them and without much conversation, nestled into the fronds and quickly fell asleep.
Travel over the next two days was slower as they continued down the road. It was obvious Maribel was not used to such prolonged work or having so much weight on her back. At times they gave her a break and walked themselves as they pulled her along. The clouds continued to grow thick and dark as they floated by overhead, but not a flake of snow had fallen upon them. By the middle of the second day the peaks of the mountains had become engulfed by the clouds themselves.
As they drew closer the road turned north for a bit, going around the lower hills and carved valleys. The road passed through a section of forest, blocking off all the landscape except for the cliff sides that rose above the treetops. Dusk was beginning to wonder if they would have to sleep outside for another night with the threat of snow so close. Just as they were about to give up, the road curved gently back to the west. Around the long bend a small village came into view, nestled at the base of the mountain. Beyond it, Dusk could see old stone walls and buildings on the mountainside that had long since crumbled into ruin. They seemed to stretch out for thousands of feet on either side, creating a vast maze of disintegrating walls and ravaged buildings. The road cut right through the center as it went up the mountain, snaking back and forth to keep the path from getting too steep. The farmer had been right, leaving the road would have been like stepping into a labyrinth. One they might not find their way out of before they froze to death.
They continued forward, reaching the edge of the small village before the last light left the heavily clouded sky, the sun having long ago slipped behind the mountains without their noticing. For a town so small, it seemed to have a lot of trade, Dusk noticed. But then, it was the last stop before anyone climbed the mountain to cross into Inahan. There were shops for clothing,general goods, and even weapons, something they had yet to really run across. Dusk thought maybe he could replace his bow there before they left if they could spare a moment.
Lex spotted the inn first. Standing near the door was a young boy wearing an apron who looked like he might work there. He was staring up into the sky and swinging a small stick like a sword.
“Boy!” Lex called out. “Do you have stables for my horse?”
The boy dropped the stick and stood up straight. “It’s Samuel sir and yes, we have stables for guests of the inn.”
“I’m going to be a guest very shortly, please take my beast in and make sure she’s well fed.”
“Yes sir. Right away sir.”
The boy bowed slightly and ran over, taking Maribel by the halter. She gave a quick glance at Dusk and audibly snorted before letting the boy lead her around the building. Lex looked to Dusk and entered the well lit, although somewhat quiet inn. As Dusk was about to follow he felt something prick the tip of his nose. He looked up to see hundreds of tiny snowflakes falling from the sky all around him, dancing in the lantern light. For a few moments he stared, reaching out to touch some of them with his gloved hand. They stayed for only a second before they melted on the warm leather. It was just long enough to see some of their delicate crystal formations. He smiled as they melted away, and trudged on to follow Lex.