[Farael]

Folwren's post

Athwen


The excitement seemed to be over. Tea was being made and the men who had been given a rather cold welcome were now being made more comfortable and a few questions were beginning to be asked. Athwen found herself trembling. She couldn't exactly say why, it was a strange, uncommon feeling for her. She felt sick at her stomach and her heart beat hard against her ribs.

Silently she turned away from the others and stepped to her horse. Without speaking to anyone, she gathered up the reins, mounted him in a single swift, agile movement, and turned his head about. A light kick with her heels sent him into a long, slow lope and she cantered away from them.

For the second time that day, she found herself blinking back hot, stinging tears. The wind in her face almost dried them as they escaped from her blinking lids, but it didn't clear her eyesight and she went blindly on, her horse finding his own path through the grass.

After some time, she pulled him to a stop. He slowed quickly and came to a stand still. She bent forward until her forehead rested on his black mane and she slowly caught her breath and composure again. 'You're a sight, Athwen,' she told herself aloud in a quiet murmur. The horse's ears swiveled about and he turned his head towards her slightly. 'It doesn't make much sense, does it?' the girl went on, shaking her head slowly. 'Why were you so frightened, so over come just then? Nothing terrible happened, no one was really hurt.' She struggled with a choking sob, but she pushed it back down, blinked back new tears and sat up. Gently, she turned her horse back around and started towards camp at a slow walk. She didn't understand, and somehow she thought she never would, after what happened yesterday. Life woudln't ever be the same, and neither would her emotions and reactions to things that happened. But she would like to understand. . .at least some.

'And yet maybe not yet,' she told the wind. 'Maybe. . .maybe I will, someday.'