NOVEL WEB Chapter 39: Wagon Chase
Trailing the flat ribbon of moss winding between the majestic trees of Esulmor, I pushed myself as fast as I could. Sure, doubt and dread gnawed at my resolve to catch up to Scoresby's wagon with every other stride, but the fear of what might come to bite my ass if I stayed alone in this domain of beasts drove me forward.
I ran - dashed through the forest, my heart pounding in my chest, my breath ragged. The world around me turned into a blur in my heavy focus on the path ahead, only one goal in my mind - shadowed by a nagging question:
'Where the hell are they?'
Seriously, I was running out of breath, and there was still no sign of the wagon. No squeaking, no neighing of the scalehoofs. Did I take a wrong turn somewhere? The notion was ridiculous, borne out of fear that I'd blown my only chance at a somewhat normal life. The old man made no mention of any other road leading through Esulmor and above all the tracks left in the moss by the wheels of his wagon were plain to see.
'So where the bloody hell were they?'
Just then, as I contemplated daring to call out, my ears perked up at familiar neighing coming from up ahead.
»Hurry up, beast is after us!«
If I hadn't heard the young mare's fear, I would have laughed as relief washed over me.
»No need, it promised not to hurt.«
»Sylph'ra stupid for trusting beast. Hurry up! I-I'll give you my hay.«
Feeling a bit guilty, I sped up, squeezing out the remaining drops of my strength.
'There they are...'
As the meandering road following the terrain straightened out on the flat part of the forest, my eyes finally fell on the wagon. With my heart skipping a beat, my leg muscles screaming in pain, and completely out of breath, I gave chase. And what a chase it was.
Despite the road being unmaintained for decades and with whatever potholes in it hidden under a layer of moss, Scoresby drove the wagon through the woods bloody damn fast. So fast, in fact, that at one point, the dread of not catching up to them bit into my heart.
I couldn't run any faster, let alone yell at them when I could barely catch my breath. Despite pulling a fully loaded wagon, the scalehoof mares were way faster than me.
"Whoa."
The old man's command for the mares to stop almost sent me stumbling. He noticed me. Or did he? What if something else happened? What if he was just concerned about the mares...?
"Korra? Is that you?"
At hearing the old man calling my name, whatever worries I had fled my mind, replaced by the dawning realization that I chased after him with Sage fluttering behind me and wings steadying my stride on the slippery moss. Hastily hiding my bareness with them again, I tried to reply, but no sound came out of my mouth except ponderous gasps.
Running without stopping, a little panicked, I waved at the old man, hoping he wouldn't give in to Lyl'ra's distressed neighing.
"I'll be damned. It is you," Scoresby said, leaning out of the wagon to see behind it. The joy in his voice at seeing me almost brought tears to my eyes. Although the immense relief washing over me and the excruciating pain in my legs probably had a lot to do with it as well.
"May I assume you've changed your mind?" the old man asked when I finally reached the driver’s seat he was sitting in. Holding my aching sides, short of breath, with my chest burning and heartbeats ringing in my ears, I nodded.
'That's right, I decided to come with you.'
Not needing to read my mind, Scoresby smiled back and patted the seat next to him. "Come on, sit next to me."
With my legs sore and stiff, that was something easier said than done. Not to mention that I had never hitched a ride on a wagon, any wagon, period. Nevertheless, recalling how the old man got on, I somehow managed.
"Take your time," Scoresby said, openly glad that I had joined him, and slammed the reins. "Gyddyup."
Not everyone was thrilled to see me, though.
Lyl'ra did start to pull the wagon, but her earlier "fervor" was all but gone. The mare couldn't have made it any clearer that she would rather pull a cart full of manure than me. The reason why my first words after catching my breath were directed at her.
"I promise - on my pride - that I mean you NO harm."
»See, told you,« Sylph'ra neighed, in a way, scolding the younger mare.
»Beasts cannot be trusted,« the mare insisted.
"So, it was you. I was wondering what got into Lyl'ra."
Sighing, I gave him an apologetic glance. "She...considers me a beast. Which isn't entirely wrong, of course." I added when the younger mare neighed, accusing me of lying.
"Damn, girl," Scoresby quipped, his eyebrows raised. "It's almost unheard of for even a half-Terr'den to admit such a thing. I don't know what you've been through, but you'd do better not to say anything like that in front of your own kind."
"O-okay?"
Not sure of what to make of it, whether to feel kindred spirits in these Terr'dens or to be wary of them, I figured it would be better to wait and see for myself than to say more.
"Anyway, don't mind Lyl'ra. She's a bit skittish."
"Yeah, I noticed. In fact, I think she'd appreciate it if she never had to go through Esulmor ever again."
The mare's long, scaly ears perked up.
"Is that so?"
»Yes. Not again. Please.«
Waiting for my nod to confirm what he already assumed, Scoresby frowned. "I'm sorry, Lyl'ra, but you know that driving around Esulmor to Brose is an extra day's journey. Did she understand me, girl?"
"All too well," I said, feeling sorry for the mare, now looking quite crestfallen. Bearing my fair share of stuff I had been forced into, it wasn't hard to put myself in her hoofs.
The two of us couldn't be more different, though.
The forest terrified the mare, while I was okay-ish with living in it. She looked forward to returning to the city, whereas the thought of all those people there made me question my decision to hitch a ride with the three of them.
All the gloom of what had been and what was to come my way, however, melted away when the majestic trees gave way to the open grassland, and the warmth of the late morning sun hit my cheeks.