Let's Be Honest

There wasn't much else Cate to do for him, so she prayed. She prayed till the heavens lit up with light, till exhaustion set deep in her bones. She asked for forgiveness, and strength, but mostly she pleaded for James to be alright. He murmured in his sleep, his physical pain making way into his dreams no doubt.

He was so silent that she didn't hear him approach this time. It wasn't until she felt the hot breath of the horse on her neck that she turned around to face the black steed and his rider. Her sword and shield lay on the ground where she had dropped them, well out of her reach. Her muscles burned still, and exhaustion clung beneath her eyes. This was not a fight she would win even if she had her weapon drawn. She dropped her shoulders, defeated even before they began.

Without a word, the Rider reached out towards her with his calloused hand.

"James, go back to sleep, it will all be okay," She said, reaching for the Rider's hand.

His hand was rough and cold in hers. He hauled her up in front of him in the saddle, lifting her like she was a child. He was silent, but the horse snorted and stamped in impatience, its streaming hide slick with heat below her. She turned to say something to James, but the Rider pulled sharply on the reins and the horse jolted forward, cutting her off before she could begin. Her sword and shield lay in the dirt beside James.

They moved faster than Cate had ever experienced. Her vision blurred, but it seemed like they were passing through the trees instead of avoiding them. She felt herself slipping off the saddle, then the vice like grip of the Rider held her steady, his hand clenched firmly on her arm. The scenery flew past them, and soon they burst out of the forest and onto the last grassy plain before the desert. The horse slid to a halt, fuming. It walked in a slow circle, looking like it was deciding where to go next.

Cate's breath finally caught up to her and she looked around as well. Off in the distance, she saw a small group of people, perhaps a half dozen. Finding a strength within her she didn't know she still had, she leaned forward in the saddle, and smashed her elbow up into the Rider's face. Caught off guard, he reeled back, but managed to stay in the saddle. He let go of her, and she jumped off the horse. She started sprinting, her legs protesting with shots of pain all across her body. She hollered at the group, but they made no indication that they saw her.

"Over here!" She screamed. She could hear the Rider behind her, closing the distance between them with ease. Then there was a blinding flash of light and her head blossomed with agony as the hammer connected with the back of her skull. She fell to the ground, rolling to a stop as the Rider dismounted in one smooth motion next to her.

"That was not a good move, demon," He said. Spots grew and exploded in her vision. She stumbled to her feet and was immediately toppled over again by a swift punch to the stomach.

This time they set off with her hands bound to the pommel of the saddle. Her head settled to a dull throb as they rode, and the group she had seen faded rapidly to the horizon behind them. The desert yawned before them, the immeasurable wasteland that she had seen few return from. This was where the horse was headed.