Ah, life is indeed unfair. So unfair that I wanted to throw tantrums as well! Even horses are huge! Way taller than me!
How can a freaking horse be this huge at all!
"That's my favorite horse, you are not thinking of beating him, are you?"
It's just the two of us left now. Sahana is riding the horse so I think he's well enough. They all left with Flora too. So it's just the two of us here!
Flora insisted of taking a wagon, a carriage but since Baley took her with him. There's no use complaining now.
They even help me out with this small ladder so I can ride the horse. But there is no way I can do that alone! This is irritating at all. How can a person like me be so small.
Sob.
"We'll be late, lady. I don't wanna deal with your moods right now." After saying that disrespectfully, he placed himself easily on top of the horse. "Come on. We must keep moving."
Offering me his hand is one thing too. It's weird. And at the same time annoying.
"Hold me tight! I don't want to fall!" I glare at him that made him laugh.
Tsk. So annoying.
But I cannot complain! As I said, I really can't complain! Sahana mentioned that this dude is the strongest magician here. So how am I gonna complain with that?!
Remembering how I hit him on the face.
I reach for his hand and with all my force I tried my best to have the most comfortable seat.
"Hey!" He was saying something, but it was too late for me to realize that.
"Ha! Sorry!" I panicked when he look at me with disbelief. Tsk it's not my fault! I swear to God. "I didn't mean too hit you with my shoes."
"Tsk.." He just said and pull me closer to him. "Hold on tight as well Milady."
I was trying to get amazed of how it feels while riding a horse. The sadle feels comfortable and the air that's fresh is real. While I let my eyes focus on every green leaves I smile. 'I wish I could enjoy this scenery with my friends.'
With that thought I remeber them. Ellis who'd practically take every picture, that's for sure. Adriane for sure will be the photographer of her. Then Tessa would be drinking with her wine.
Shane, she must be very worried about my sudden disappearance. If only there is a way for me to contact them. I will tell them about everything I have experience here. Every little thing, from the underground prison, being chased after those monstrous wolves. The dresses I wear everyday here. The food. The magicians.
"You're in deep thoughts, mind sharing.?"
I roll my eyes when he stopped me from thinking about my friends.
"Seems like you have the habbit to gossip about a lady's thought, Milord."
He laughed at what I said. "Not so, it will take us longer than you thought, so I think talking while traveling is not a bad idea."
I look at him, if this is a car, he is obviously focus on the road. But since this is a horse, he still have the guts to look back at me.
"Mind sharing your thoughts?"
"Aren't you suppose to hate me for hitting you?"
"That would be a waste of energy, and you should be honored about that Milady."
"Hah!" I scoff and take my eyes off of him. Looking at him is quite weird. There seems an effect to me. "I just missed my friends."
'Honor my ass!'
"You must be close to them."
Again I look at him when his voice suddenly became sad. What's with him? He's great with hiding his emotions, but not to me. I grew up with an undeniable situation that taught me how to read someone's emotions. Even if he treats others coldly he still looks sad. Longing for something. As if...
"Yeah, they were with me even before I became succesful. They supported me along the way of creating my own name in the industry."
"That'a great to hear. So, tell me about your friends?"
I wanted to laugh, why? It seems like I should introduce my friends so he'll let me know about his friends. Lol
"Well, Ellis is the highest paid model, with that industry, it was even hard to get for an indorsement."
"Model?"
"Yeah, she's a model, she pose for some clothes, lingerie, everything! And every fashion show she attended she always hit the greatest approval of the designers."
"O...kay, so is that your job too?"
He look at me, this time he is curious.
"Ah no! I am an author, I write books."
"Aren't authors smart?"
I wanted to hit his head this time. "I have created books more than my age could do! I have written a lot of stories to even be featured on televisions!"
"Oh, I think I get what you are saying. We have books here too, but mostly about magic."
"You don't have romantic books here? Or different genre?" That piqued my interest.
"I think there are books like that, but since I don't read those kind, I don't know."
"Aw, that's too bad! I am a succesful writer back in my world! I became succesful at the very young age!"
"You obviously looks so proud of it."
I got stunned with that smile. What a very handsome being.
"You should smile more..." My eyes widened when I suddenly blurted that out. Of all the things I must say! "I-I mean..."
"Why, do I look different when I smile?"
I didn't look at him. My heart started beating, so I try to calm my heart. This is way more weirder than the first meeting!
"People tend to smile." Is what I just said with his question. Now that it's only two of us, no one will interrupt us! This is weird. And my heart won't stop from beating! What's going on?
"People usually smile with a reason, for a reason and another reason why people tend to smile."
"You are saying that smiling takes an effort to do so."
"Isn't it?" He argue.
"You know what, smile once you feel happy, or you are comfortable with someone, that way you will guarantee that being with random people is a great experience as well."
"Is that how you live in your world? Perhaps those smiles you are telling me are full of plasticity. Fake."
"Hey! I smile with all my heart!"
Gaaah, this is getting annoying. I am just telling him to smile so that I could see how handsome he is, yet all he ever do is argue with my point of view.
"Will you hit me if I don't smile?"
He sounded like teasing me. Yeah, and my cheeks feel like heating up as well. This dude!
"Am not that violent."
"Are you really gonna argue with me?"
Enhale....
Exhale...
Calm down..
Then I smile at him.
The horse stops so I was wondering what will happen.
"Should I start running for my life with that smile of your Milady?"
I roll my eyes and made sure he sees it.
"Why did we stop here?" We are currently in the middle of nowhere.
"Those weaklings turn their path differently."
"What do you mean?" He help me down from the horse and stand behind him.
My height really didn't reach his shoulders.
"This is supposedly open by them, I instructed them to open this barrier."
Now that I notice, there's this weird looking wall infront of us. A very faded wall that cannot be seen easily. But the forest behind this wall is quite clear.
"What happened?" I ask and tried to touch this clear wall.
It's just like a glass wall.
"Eiliff..?" I called his name. But to my surprise he's nowhere near me!
I look around, and the horse is standing still, but the man who's supposed with me is gone!
I panicked. No one's with me right now! And I am in the middle of a forest for heaven's sake.
"Eiliff!"
As I try to walk further, the horse slowly walk behind me. Does this horse know how to follow someone? Aren't horses suppose to stay on where they stop?
"Ei---"
"Aaah!" I almost stumble on the ground when he appear infront of me. "The hell is wrong with you?!"
"They took this way." He said and look ahead us. There's no way with that. The tress and random plants are bigger in this area.
It looks like no one will dare walk here.
"You sure about that?"
He started walking so I reach for his arm. "Wait for me."
He look at my hand that's holding to his arm, but I didn't remove my hand. There's no way I will be walking alone! What if he disappear again.
"Scared?" He ask with a low voice.
I tried acting cool, but I suddenly remember the dream I had back then. Where I saw that guillotine. I shiver with that thought.
"Yeah, scared." He mumble to hisself but I heard.
We continue walking and as the time pass by, still in the middle of the forest, I would barely look back to check the horse behind us. It's still following us.
"Ahm, Eiliff, about the horse?" Can't help it, I am curious!
"What about him?"
"Can he really walk like that? Without being guided?"
"Is this the first time seeing a horse following it's master so diligently?"
"Ah, yeah..?" I scratch my face, then the air blow stronger this time. I tied my hair up but it' still became messy. Trying to fix my hair when I felt another hand.
"Aren't you a lady? Can't fix hair properly."
My lips parted because of what he did. He's even brushing my hair gently with his hand. And again, for the record my heart pounding like crazy.
My cheeks heating up too and it's weird.
"I-I can manage this.." I felt shy. What should I do? No one has ever done this to me before. Except when some make up artists help when preparing me to meet with celebrities.
He didn't stop until he tie my hair up again. I can feel how he've done it neatly.
"T-thanks.." Without looking at me, he continue walking, so I reach for his arm again.
"Aren't you scared of me?" He suddenly ask.
"At first." I honestly said. "When you were bullying Sahana. You look scary at that time. I thought that you could even kill Sahana with your magic."
"So now?" He stops walking and look at me. His face came closer to me that our noses almost touch. "You are not scared of me now?"
I gulp, he is so close. Despite of my heart pounding so loud, my face heating up again. Even my ears felt like it's heating up too. I didn't bat an eye and look straight at him.
"Is there something I should be scared of you?"
I saw how he stops. I don't know the reasons though. Smiling at me like that is dangerous!
"Good to hear that. Calling me by my first name without hesitation. Not scared of me is new." He said in a very happy voice.
I wanted to take a look at his face, but since I can't. I am now contented of hearing his voice happy.
This is different from when he's teasing me about being violent. This is really different.
I look up at the sky. I hope that he will always be happy like this.
"Milady!" It was Sahana who's running to me like a kid. "Are you okay?" Then he whisper. "Master didn't threatened on the way?"
I laugh at what he said. "No, he took good care of me." Roaming my eyes around the area, it's almost night. The sunlight's is almost covering with darkness.
We are now in a town called Tohan's Town. Unlike the first village we came, this one looks like there are more people live here. The night didn't bother the children from running around, playing. They are playing happily. That's clear to their smiling faces.
I don't have any recollection of my childhood. So seeing children like them playing innocently touches my heart.
"We have already rented a room for us to stay." Baley said while standing with his team. The three idiots.
"Milady, it's so good to see you again!" Chess said cheerfully. "I thought you'll get lost with the Master."
"Hey!" Arcon taps his shoulder. "The master should take extra care with her!"
And as soon as they started debating about their master, Flora saved me and took me to the inn they rented.
"Milady, I have prepare everything." She guided me to my room. "This is where you will be staying for the night."
It was a single bed room. "How about you? Where are you staying?"
"I will be at the next room." Sha answered and pointed the door next to my room. "I shall prepare your clothes. But dinner will be served in an hour, so you can rest for awhile."
"Then Sahana? Where did he go to now?" I tried looking but he's gone with the three idiots.
"Sir Sahana is with the Master now."
After giving me instructions, Flora let me in my room for the night to rest. She said that she'll call me once the dinner is ready.
Looking around at this simple bedroom, there's a lamp next to the bed and few steps is a balcony.
I bring the chair to the balcony and rest.
Now that I am alone, I don't feel lonely. Unlike from the past days. Boredom really struck me. I remember Sahana, he always looks so happy when seeing me. Perhaps, is he thinking of me like a sister?
He mentioned about his sister. I wanted to know what happened, but remembering how sad he was when talking about his sister, I don't want to ask for more. Maybe he'll let me know about her soon.
Aside from Shane, I don't think I ever had a friend back then. The memories of how I grew up is so blurr. As if I intentionally forgot those memories. Didn't I have a happy childhood back then?
I remember this one middle-aged woman. The one who's often gave me bread to eat for a day back then. But I can't remember well how'd she look like back then. The only clear memory I have was when I was struggling from submitting my manuscript back then. Then I met Shane who's struggling to live too.
When I decided to take her with me, she didn't even doubted me. Shane did everything to support me.
She was with me from the pains of rejections until my name was became known.
I wonder, if I didn't meet Shane, will I ever be successful?
After her, I met Ellis, then Tessa, then Adriane.
They were all successful too. So being successful is a way to meet another.
"Flora said you are resting."
That voice made me jump from surpise! There he is, sitting comfortably in the baluster railing.
"God! That really surprised me! Will you stop doing that?!"
"What am I doing?" He said acting like a fool.
"Tsk, stop giving me jump scare! I might develop a heart disease because of you!"
He just laugh of my over reacting. "That's impossible. I was sitting here for a minute already. I thought you have noticed it already. But seems you are in your deep world again that I have to say something. Is it really a talent?"
"Of what?"
"Being in deep thought, without noticing your sorrounding?"
"Don't you do that sometimes?"
"Even if I do that, a simple foot step that I hear, can stop me from doing so."
"Are you always like that?" I ask him. I rested my face on my knuckles.
"Like what?"
"Being always guarded?" Did I,somehow offended him? "I didn't mean---"
"I have to be always on my guard." He cut me off. Then look at me seriously in my eyes. "You should always put on guard everytime, that way you won't get hurt easily." After saying that he disappeared from my sight.
'You won't get hurt easily'. Was he hurt somewhere before?!
After wondering about that shory conversation we had, I just realize how sensitive a man could be.
I shouldn't pry any further. It is for my safety. Well, that's how things should be. He is the master of Sahana, the strongest magician as he said.
Of all the things, he could be the only help of me to return to my world. I just hope to be back home sooner. I miss everything there! My cellphone! My computer and the upcoming fantasy book I was about to start!
Coming here maybe giving me ideas, about magic and so on. So I could finish the book once I got to go home.
Well, I really wanted to go home.