Page 2 of A Winter Awakening

He noticed a trail off the main path. He pulled on Daisy’s reins, and she halted.

He stared along the path. The snow lay unmarked between bare, scraggly black trees. Without giving it any thought, he urged Daisy along the path. No one would come after him on this trail! If anyone followed him, they’d go along the main track leading from Castle Evermore to Bordertown. No one would search for him on a random track through the forest!

Would anyone even be looking for him yet? Had Alisa read his note?

I’m sorry, dearest. I can’t.That was all he could manage to write. He’d handed it to a servant and told him to deliver it to Alisa. Then he’d fled, already dressed, and readied for his wedding. He’d taken his horse from the stable and ridden.

I’m such a coward! Such a bloody, foolish, stupid coward!

But he couldn’t face her. He couldn’t bear to see the pain in her eyes.

He glanced upwards trying to determine the time of day. He’d left shortly after dawn. How much time had passed? Was it later than the planned wedding? He didn’t know.

The trail split. It split again and again. Each time, he guided Daisy to the path that seemed to lead further away from Castle Evermore. He did not wish to be found.

But where was he going? Should he try to get to Bordertown?

Probably.

Although, what would he do when he got there? He touched the bag of coins by his hip. He’d grabbed it before he left. Once he reached Bordertown, he could take a room. Then plan his next move.

But first, he had to get there. He drew Daisy to a halt. They’d left the main path that led to Bordertown ages ago. But surely these other paths led to Bordertown. Where else would they go? He tried to cast his mind back to his few journeys to the city.

Their party had always travelled along the main path. He, his sister, Alisa, and several others. He had a vague memory they’d stayed at a rustic inn.

Or had they done that in Bordertown? No. They had better accommodation in Bordertown. Of that he was certain. So perhaps Gael needed to get to an inn tonight. Truth was, he never paid attention to that sort of thing when he travelled. Others took care of those details. Usually Gracie. After all, she was his older sister. He just followed along.

So how should he get to this inn?

He looked around the forest. Nothing but trees, shrubs, and snow.

Well, if he didn’t find the inn or Bordertown, he’d just have to find a village.

Villages existed in the mountains. He’d seen them. Visited some. Although, never on his own, and once again someone else, usually Gracie, had been in charge of those excursions.

He kept going. Snow caught on the wind and floated gently down.

It hit Gael suddenly that he’d never been in the forest on his own. Never left Castle Evermore on his own. In fact, he was never alone. During his days at Castle Evermore, Gael always had been surrounded by servants, family, or friends.

His eyes darted amongst the trees, whose skeletal figures rose over him. A crow cawed. Unease crept up his spine and spread through his limbs.

“Daisy, do you know where to go?” Perhaps she had a sense of these things. She was an animal, after all. Animals belonged in forests, and so she might know the way.

Unsurprisingly, Daisy didn’t answer. But now, when they approached a fork, he let Daisy lead, hoping she’d somehow know where to go.

They rode on, for minutes or hours, Gael couldn’t tell. His nervousness grew. Surely he could find a place to stay. The mountains couldn’t be that big! Could they? After all, he’d ridden through here many times. But never alone.

“At least I have you, Daisy,” Gael said, trying to sound upbeat.

Daisy’s bells jingled as she and Gael continued weaving through the forest.

ChapterTwo

Gael rode on and on. He and Daisy passed a frozen stream. A layer of snow rested on the ice. They wove through pine trees, their leaves weighed down and drooping with snow. His eyes searched for movement. For a village. For people. For anything.

“We’ll come across somewhere or someone soon,” Gael said. “Surely we must.”

They rode through a valley. His gaze traced the rocky cliffs towering over them. He spotted movement at the top. It looked almost like a person. But it couldn’t be. No human could climb that high. He squinted.