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December Free Fiction: Advent Story: Thear Collection: Orla: 1007 words
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Turning her back on him, Orla wiped a tear off her cheek. “Tell my parents what you did.”
Artemis had been right, but that wasn't really a surprise. Orla was just thankful that she had taken Artemis' advice and written letters for both her parents, as well as the few people she truly believed might need to travel to North Square. When Artemis had told Orla that Yannis might, under certain circumstances, betray her, she hadn't wanted to believe that it was possible. They had been friends for a long time and she couldn't imagine what circumstances would lead to him telling someone about her, but it had happened, so all she could do was put her hurt to the back of her mind. She had to focus on leaving.
Orla walked, trying to seem normal, but going to the stables on the winter solstice wasn't normal for anyone who didn't look after the horses. Unfortunately she had liked horses enough to spend all her free time around them. She was much more likely to be seen in the library. Often she spent afternoons sitting in the corner, going through books on subjects that interested her and copying down anything she thought might be important. Sighing, she glanced towards the path that led to her home, but she couldn't go back. Not when someone might be there waiting for her. Everything had to be left behind.
With every step Orla took towards the stables she wanted to look back, to see if anyone was watching her, but that was a bad idea. As she walked she thought of people she knew who might be in the stable, so she could pretend she was looking for them if someone asked. There were a few people she knew, in passing, who often worked in the stables, but they weren't people she knew well enough to go looking for, and she finally came to the conclusion that there really was no reason for her to go to the stables. Other than the one she had.
The stables seemed futher away than normal. It was understandable, because Orla was waiting for someone to stop her and ask where she was going. When she finally got there she couldn't help breathing a sigh of relief. She stepped into the stables, hoping that no one was in there, and was disappointed, but unsurprised, to find that one of the boys she'd shared a class with once standing in the stables. For a few moments she watched as she brushed one of the horses.
“I've been waiting for you,” he said, without looking at her.
Orla shook her head. “Why would you be waiting for me?”
“You're not the only one here to have a connection with one of the deities.”
“They told you to wait in the stables for me.”
He nodded, still focusing on the horse. “If you weren't here soon I was going to leave without you, but I never have been very patient.” Shrugging, he glanced over at Orla. “Pick a horse and then we can leave. Your bag is in the corner.”
“My bag?”
“I took it from your house.”
All Orla could do to begin with was stare at him. She didn't know him and yet he had gone into her house, taken her bag, and filled it with her things. It was hard to work out whether she should be angry and feel slightly violated or grateful that he had taken the time to do it. As she attempted to work it out she walked over to her bag because she didn't know what a man would pack for a woman, especially when he didn't know the woman he was packing for.
Orla smiled when she saw her favourite pair of trousers, and she was glad to see that he had, somehow, found her notes and packed them. She closed it, turned to look at him, and found herself at a loss for words, because she still didn't know how she felt. Having her things was good, because she would have missed them, but that didn't change the fact he'd gone into her home without her permission.
Before Orla could find the right words he said, “You need to hurry up.”
Nodding, Orla picked up her bag. It was good to have an excuse not to talk to him, even though she felt like she should at least thank him. He didn't have to get her bag for her, and having her notes did make her feel slightly better, but knowing that anyone could get into her home without permission terrified her. Pushing her thoughts, and her worries, to the back of her mind, she started looking at the horses. She had no idea which one she should pick, so in the end she chose the one that seemed to be smiling at her.
“North Square is about five days ride away, depending on how often we need to stop,” he said, making Orla jump. “How often do you ride?”
“About once every six months,” Orla replied, staring at the horse and wondering how she was going to spend five days on top of it without going insane.
“Great...” Gently he pushed Orla out of the way and began putting things on the horse that Orla had no understanding of. “What did you plan to do, exactly?”
“Get a horse and ride to North Square.”
“Were you going to ride bareback or were you going to saddle the horse?”
Orla stared at the back of his head. “I don't know how to saddle a horse.”
“I thought so.” He sighed. “No wonder I was told to wait for you.”
“We all have different priorities.”
He turned to look at her. “I don't mean to insult you, but there is no way you would have got to North Square alone.” Shaking his head, he walked over to the horse he'd been brushing. “Why don't you try mounting? If you need help then use the bucket on the floor.”
© K A Jones 2011
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
This entry was originally posted at http://kajones-writing.dreamwidth.org/44079.html. It currently has
comments.
Read the second part of this story (LJ link).
Read the third part of this story (LJ link).
Turning her back on him, Orla wiped a tear off her cheek. “Tell my parents what you did.”
Artemis had been right, but that wasn't really a surprise. Orla was just thankful that she had taken Artemis' advice and written letters for both her parents, as well as the few people she truly believed might need to travel to North Square. When Artemis had told Orla that Yannis might, under certain circumstances, betray her, she hadn't wanted to believe that it was possible. They had been friends for a long time and she couldn't imagine what circumstances would lead to him telling someone about her, but it had happened, so all she could do was put her hurt to the back of her mind. She had to focus on leaving.
Orla walked, trying to seem normal, but going to the stables on the winter solstice wasn't normal for anyone who didn't look after the horses. Unfortunately she had liked horses enough to spend all her free time around them. She was much more likely to be seen in the library. Often she spent afternoons sitting in the corner, going through books on subjects that interested her and copying down anything she thought might be important. Sighing, she glanced towards the path that led to her home, but she couldn't go back. Not when someone might be there waiting for her. Everything had to be left behind.
With every step Orla took towards the stables she wanted to look back, to see if anyone was watching her, but that was a bad idea. As she walked she thought of people she knew who might be in the stable, so she could pretend she was looking for them if someone asked. There were a few people she knew, in passing, who often worked in the stables, but they weren't people she knew well enough to go looking for, and she finally came to the conclusion that there really was no reason for her to go to the stables. Other than the one she had.
The stables seemed futher away than normal. It was understandable, because Orla was waiting for someone to stop her and ask where she was going. When she finally got there she couldn't help breathing a sigh of relief. She stepped into the stables, hoping that no one was in there, and was disappointed, but unsurprised, to find that one of the boys she'd shared a class with once standing in the stables. For a few moments she watched as she brushed one of the horses.
“I've been waiting for you,” he said, without looking at her.
Orla shook her head. “Why would you be waiting for me?”
“You're not the only one here to have a connection with one of the deities.”
“They told you to wait in the stables for me.”
He nodded, still focusing on the horse. “If you weren't here soon I was going to leave without you, but I never have been very patient.” Shrugging, he glanced over at Orla. “Pick a horse and then we can leave. Your bag is in the corner.”
“My bag?”
“I took it from your house.”
All Orla could do to begin with was stare at him. She didn't know him and yet he had gone into her house, taken her bag, and filled it with her things. It was hard to work out whether she should be angry and feel slightly violated or grateful that he had taken the time to do it. As she attempted to work it out she walked over to her bag because she didn't know what a man would pack for a woman, especially when he didn't know the woman he was packing for.
Orla smiled when she saw her favourite pair of trousers, and she was glad to see that he had, somehow, found her notes and packed them. She closed it, turned to look at him, and found herself at a loss for words, because she still didn't know how she felt. Having her things was good, because she would have missed them, but that didn't change the fact he'd gone into her home without her permission.
Before Orla could find the right words he said, “You need to hurry up.”
Nodding, Orla picked up her bag. It was good to have an excuse not to talk to him, even though she felt like she should at least thank him. He didn't have to get her bag for her, and having her notes did make her feel slightly better, but knowing that anyone could get into her home without permission terrified her. Pushing her thoughts, and her worries, to the back of her mind, she started looking at the horses. She had no idea which one she should pick, so in the end she chose the one that seemed to be smiling at her.
“North Square is about five days ride away, depending on how often we need to stop,” he said, making Orla jump. “How often do you ride?”
“About once every six months,” Orla replied, staring at the horse and wondering how she was going to spend five days on top of it without going insane.
“Great...” Gently he pushed Orla out of the way and began putting things on the horse that Orla had no understanding of. “What did you plan to do, exactly?”
“Get a horse and ride to North Square.”
“Were you going to ride bareback or were you going to saddle the horse?”
Orla stared at the back of his head. “I don't know how to saddle a horse.”
“I thought so.” He sighed. “No wonder I was told to wait for you.”
“We all have different priorities.”
He turned to look at her. “I don't mean to insult you, but there is no way you would have got to North Square alone.” Shaking his head, he walked over to the horse he'd been brushing. “Why don't you try mounting? If you need help then use the bucket on the floor.”
© K A Jones 2011
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
This entry was originally posted at http://kajones-writing.dreamwidth.org/44079.html. It currently has
Feedback
This doesn't seem to fit together. Did you mean "hadn't liked" instead?
>>“North Square is about five days ride away<<
That should say "five days' ride" above.
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