Before Cassandra stepped into the dusky shade of the forest canopy, she eyed the dark clouds looming over them. The smell of earth was already rich around her. Despite it, the air around her felt surprisingly clean and obviously moist.
"Young Lady, from here on, we cannot ride our horses. It will be very hard to bring one inside."
She shifted her head toward Steve who was riding his horse next to hers. She nodded and turned her attention toward the five guards following her. "We're leaving the horses here." The forest were off limits to any animals. Unless, of course, you wanted them dead.
"Young Lady, are you certain about this matter? We can always inform the master about the lost child. I am sure that the master would immediately—"
She shut him up with one glance. "Bring the horses back," she ordered.
"Young Lady—"
"I must go inside the forest. Tell grandfather that I insisted on going and I… I will be coming out alive." Or at least, that was what she saw.
