Night Forest

Chapter 6

         When Kylara woke, it was midnight and all she could see was blackness. Kylara felt around her and found herself in a bed. An arm length away, Kylara found a small table. As she continued to move her hands around, she found a candle and a small piece of flint to light it. Fumbling with the flint, it took her a few tries before the wick caught fire and a glow illuminated the room. The room was bare stone, not the pretty white of the outside, just gray stones. On the ground was a woven rug and a few pieces of furniture. Next to the small table where she found the candle was her sword. On a chair near the bed was a leather outfit made out of light-brown deer hide and a piece of paper. Kylara moved over to the chair and took a better look at the piece of paper. It wasn’t just a piece of paper though; it was a note in a feminine scrawl. Kylara set the candle on the chair and picked up the piece of paper to read it.

         Dear Kylara,
This used to be my great-great-grandmothers. She wore it in her youth, back when women were thought more of than today. I would like you to have it. I do not have any living children to pass it on to and you are the closest person to me. Please be careful dear.
Fanna

         Kylara smiled and removed her blood stained clothes. She carefully pulled on the leather skirt. It was soft and went to the middle of her thighs, and had slits in the side so she could run and move freely. She then pulled on the leather top. It laced up the front like a rich woman’s corset, but it was soft and comfortable and had short sleeves. Kylara laced up the front, not so tight as to hurt her bandaged side. She picked up the candle and set it on the floor than sat in the chair and pulled on the leather boots. The boots stopped right below her knees and also laced up. Everything fit so perfectly it was like they had been made for her.
         Kylara walked over to her weapons and tied her sword, which had been cleaned by someone, to her side. There was no mirror in the room, but Kylara found a hairbrush in the drawer of the table. She brushed her hair and pulled it back in a high ponytail. With a last look at the room, Kylara left.

         Kylara wound her way through corridors and up flights of stairs. Finally she had reached the kitchens and came to find that there were many servants already preparing the morning meal. One of the servants walked up to her and smiled sweetly, though Kylara could see fear in her eyes.
          “Good morning miss, Fanna said you would make your way here. My name is Allena. Fanna asked me to tell you, that you have the day off and are to go out and relax. She also said that you have permission to go where ever you wish as long as you are back by supper time,” Allena took a quick breath and continued on, “Lastly, she says to meet her here after supper time so she may speak to you herself. I must get back to work miss, have a good morning”. The servant walked away as quickly as she had talked, which was fast.
         Kylara looked around the kitchen and gave a quick shrug. She walked out and down the corridor she had entered yesterday. She made her was outside with a quick nod to the guards outside the door. As Kylara walked to the stables she knew everyone was staring at her and watching her because of the way she dressed, and probably because gossip had already spread. Kylara walked to the stables and tried to ignore the whispering and stares.
         Luckily there was only one stable boy inside and he was too busy cleaning out the stalls to notice Kylara. With her quiet warrior’s walking she was able to get over to Mystery, her black stallion. He whined quietly and nudged her hand with he nose; Kylara smiled and pet his forehead as she opened the gate to go in. It squeaked and caught the stable boy’s attention. He looked up at Kylara and stared, frozen in fear.
         Kylara smiled gently, “Nothing to worry about kid, just going out for a ride.”
         The boy smiled slightly, “Alright miss, do you need some help? I can get you his saddle,” the boy gestured toward a small room that was the tack room for the horses.
         Kylara smiled and shook her head, “No thank you, I’ll just use this blanket her and his bridle,” Kylara said as she picked up a soft horse blanket off the stable’s rails.
          “Are you sure you can ride him without a saddles miss?”
         Kylara nodded and gently put the blanket on Mystery then she looked at the boy, “I’ve been riding horses since before your age, I am sure I can handle it.”
          “Alright miss, have a nice ride then,” the boy went back to work, but every once in a while looked back at Kylara.
         Kylara put the bridle on Mystery then lead him out of his stall and out of the stable. As she came out of the stable, everyone around stopped what they were doing and watched as Kylara nimbly mounted Mystery. With a quick nudge from Kylara, Mystery went into a trot and quickly made their way to the gate. A stunned guard opened the gate for Kylara. She gave him a sweet smile and with another nudge, she and Mystery were off at a gallop, leaving only a dust trail behind.

         Kylara rode hard for an hour through the forest. She slowly halted to a stop beside a small stream. She jumped down and let Mystery wander and drink while she rested beneath a tree. It was so peaceful here. The music of crystal-clear water running down the rocks and birds singing. Then the music of the trees whispering to each other as the wind sang through them. Then the just the beauty of everything so green and starting to bloom with coming spring.
         Kylara sat with her knees drawn up as she drank in the beauty of everything around her. Here, it seemed nothing could go wrong, nothing could hurt her. Nothing, nothing at all could happen except nature. Kylara heard the cry of a hawk right before it came falling through the branches of trees and landed in her lap.
          “Oh, what happened to you?” Kylara carefully picked him up.
         The left wing was broken, that was what had caused him to fall. Kylara smiled and whispered a small thanks to her father in heaven. He taught her long ago how to help animals, now she could put that to use. She gently placed the bird on a bed of ferns and rummaged around the wood’s floor for something to splint the wing. In no time at all she had two long, semi-flat sticks to splint the wing and a large leaf to bind it.
         It helped to have the woods quiet and peaceful as she worked. The hawk was out cold and that made things even better, for the time being. By the time she finished the sun was high over head, which meant that it was almost dinnertime. Kylara thought it was best she started heading back. But before she could get up and start riding, the hawk in her arms started to move. Kylara smiled and looked into his eyes.
          “Hello there,” she spoke softly and gently.
         The hawk let out a small chirp, to Kylara she took it as a thank you.
          “You’re welcome. Would you like to come back with me till you are better?”
         The hawk awkwardly got up on his feet and let out another chirp, louder this time.
         Kylara laughed, “Alright, but I must give you a name first, how about…Talon?
         The hawk let out a high pitched chirp and ruffled his feathers, then jumped on to Kylara shoulder.
         Kylara grinned, “I’ll take that as a yes.”
         In a graceful movement, Kylara was astride Mystery and they were off. This time instead of galloping she only went into a canter so Talon could stay on top of her shoulder.