Savior (13 page)

              Alyssa skirted around the river, following closely against the wall. A few of the horses raised their heads as she passed by them, but most paid her no mind. She walked through the gates and walked on the beaten path toward the town. It was a long walk, but she sang to herself for some company and to make the walk go faster. The trail felt lonely without Marcus next to her. A soft breeze swept through the tall grass. It ruffled the soft fluffy feathers of her wings. She stretched them out, taking a long look at each of them.

              A pair of birds flew through the grass, happily making a racquet. Alyssa was happy to have some company. She thought again about what Luca had said, about riding him. She hadn’t ridden Tiernan in years and she missed the exhilaration of it all. But she had promised him that she wouldn’t. It was a long walk to town, and she did need a way to get around, she reasoned. And if she only rode the horse sometimes it wasn’t quite the same as breaking her promise. In fact, she wasn’t even sure if her old friend was still alive. That decided it; she would look for a horse to buy in town. Her heart started to race as she thought of the thrill she used to get from riding. The town slowly came into view. As much as she enjoyed spending time with Marcus, she had to be with others. Alyssa had grown up with lots of people around. Even at the carnival she was surrounded by people. It was the closest she had ever felt to being human. With Marcus, she felt wonderful of course, but it was also the most alone she had ever felt. All of the animals in his forest were nice company too, but she needed to be with her own kind, or as close to it as she thought she would probably ever get.

              Alyssa turned toward Angie’s shop, but stopped herself. She had forgotten about the woman’s trip. There was a glint of metal from a booth to her right. She walked toward it and smiled. The entire surface was covered with daggers, swords, and various other weapons. She fingered the blade of one of them, her eyes glowing with the beauty of it. It was simple in design. The hilt was covered in soft brown leather. The sheath, which the dagger rested on, was made out of the same leather.

              “Are you looking for a gift for your husband miss?” the blade smith asked.

              Alyssa looked him over. He was a handsome man of around thirty-five with a mess of brown curly hair that touched the tops of his ears. “How much is it?” she asked.

              “This one is far too feminine for your husband miss. Perhaps one of my long swords would be better for him?” he suggested with a wave of his hand.

              Alyssa’s eyes narrowed, “I would like this dagger for myself.”

              The blade smith nodded. “Do you know how to use a weapon such as this? Someone could get very hurt if they didn’t,” he said as he eyed her over.

              “I have had instructions,” she said under her breath.

              The man heard her, despite the volume of her voice. “Very well miss. Would you like anything else perhaps? I have many fine things for sale today. My wife bakes wonderful bread. I have some here if you would like to try some.” Alyssa nodded. “Would you like some fresh milk to go with your bread?”

              Her eyes lit up and her mouth began to water. “You have milk?” she asked.

              The man nodded.

              “Fresh milk?” she asked again, not believing her ears.

              Again he nodded. “Would you like some?”

              She smiled at him. “Yes, please, I would like some very much. What’s your name?”

              “Christopher,” he replied as he pulled a small jar of milk out. “Will you be wanting anything else miss?”

              She shook her head and began pulling out a small bag of coins. The bag of course belonged to

              Marcus, but she doubted that he would mind if she used it once in a while. Besides, it’s not like she had been able to find him to ask permission to take it in the first place.

              “What’s your name miss?”

              “Alyssa,” she replied softly as she brushed a blonde curl behind her ear.

              His eyes went wide and his mouth fell open slightly, “Marcus’s Alyssa?”

              She nodded. A light breeze fluttered the tarps that hung over the booth. It was then that she saw him. His coat was blacker than the blackest night. The anger in his eyes sent chills through her body.

              “How much is he? The black horse?” she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.

              Christopher looked her over and shook his head. “For your own sake, I can not answer that. I am sorry miss.”

              Alyssa’s face twisted into a scowl. “And, why is that?”

              The man looked sadly to the horse before turning his hazel eyes back on her. “I do not wish to incur Marcus’s wrath, should this horse kill you,” he replied quietly. The fear was evident in his voice.

              But it wasn’t fear for her safety, the man was genuinely afraid of Marcus. Alyssa couldn’t help the smile that crossed her lips. This man thought Marcus cared enough about her to go after a man for selling her a dangerous horse. She didn’t know if Christopher was right about Marcus’s level of feelings for her, but she hoped he was.

              “No harm will come to me, and if any does then you do not need to fear Marcus. What he does, he does for a reason,” she replied calmly. Alyssa really had no idea why she wanted the horse. She could barely ride a fully tamed one, let alone one that was so obviously wild. The look in his eyes had convinced her though. Alyssa needed to have this horse, if only for a moment. She reached a trembling hand to his dark nose. He jerked his head away from her touch, the rope around his neck going taught as he pulled as hard as he could on it. His nostrils flared violently as he glared down at her.

              “I will buy him, name your price,” she said. Her eyes did not stray from the stallion’s intense gaze.

              “But miss…” Christopher began to protest.

              Alyssa’s eyes fixed into a glare as her gaze settled on the man. “Name your price,” she repeated as calmly as she could manage.

              “For just him?”

              “For all of it,” she replied coldly.

              Christopher sighed. “Two silver,” he replied reluctantly. Alyssa pulled the coins from her pouch and let them fall into the man’s outstretched hand. “Thank you miss.” Alyssa nodded and bundled her purchases together. “Would you like a sack?” Christopher offered. She nodded and took it without looking at him. Her eyes were still fixed on the stallion. The bread, milk, and her new dagger all fit in the sack. She slid it over her shoulder and took the stallion’s rope from the man. His big black eyes glared down at her, but he did walk when she gave a slight tug.

              “What’s his name?” she asked as she continued to watch him.

              Christopher shrugged, “He doesn’t have one as far as I know. I bought him off a trapper a few weeks back. He was only too happy to get rid of a horse like this. You will be careful with him won’t you?”

              Alyssa nodded and led the horse through a side street out of town. He was already prancing and striking angrily at the ground as they walked. Some of the children wanted to pet him as she led him past, but their mother’s thankfully pulled them all back. She didn’t want anyone getting hurt by her new horse.

              If there was a way to leave town without going past the people, she would have taken it. The last of the small buildings were finally left behind and Alyssa led the stallion up a short hill. She sat down in the warm grass and tugged on the rope, pulling her stallion closer. “Would you like some bread?”

              The horse continued to ignore her. Alyssa tore off a chunk of the loaf and put it on the ground next to his hoof. “What’s your name?”

              After getting no answer she sat the bread on a rock nearby and took off her white cloak. The horse looked at her, for the first time really, her skin glowing in the sunlight. Alyssa knelt down next to him and continued eating her meal.

              “We’ll, well, I’ve never been owned by an angel before,” he spat once he had caught his breath.

              He began nibbling the bread that she had given him.

              “You still aren’t,” she replied as she took a drink of the cow’s milk. It was unfortunately warm in the afternoon sun, but it was still a treat to have milk again. Ruben only gave her milk after she had been especially good.

              “What?”

              Alyssa looked up into his big black eyes. “I don’t own you. If you want, you can come live with me. But I will not make you.”

              His long black mane fell into his eyes as he nodded. “Will you hurt me little Alyssa?”

              Her eyes met his. “Of course not.” She reached a gentle hand out to touch his shoulder, but he instantly pulled away.

              “Do you wish to ride me someday?”

              Alyssa shrugged. “If you don’t want me to, I won’t.”

              He nodded. He would have preferred a definite one way or the other, but her answer was good enough for the time being. “Why did you buy me then if you do not with to ride me?”

              She played with a piece of grass in her fingers. “Being owned made you angry didn’t it?” The stallion nodded. “I was too scared to become angry when I was.” Again he nodded but said nothing. She looked up into his eyes and tried again to move toward him. The stallion glanced at her and put his ears flat back against his neck as a warning. He kept one keen eye on her and continued grazing. “May I touch you?” she asked softly. The muscles in his neck and shoulders rippled softly as he considered it.

              “Alyssa?”

              “Yes?”

              He turned to her, his eyes full of pain and anger, “You may touch me. But when I say stop, you must stop. Will you do that for me?”

              Alyssa’s heart was racing as she nodded and rose to her feet. She moved in front of him, his nose almost touching her stomach. “What’s your name?” she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper as he sniffed her cautiously.

              “I don’t have one.”

              “Well that won’t do. Would you mind if I gave you one?”

              The stallion pressed his nose against her open palm. His wide nostrils flared as he breathed in her scent. “Does your Marcus have horses?” he asked as her fingertips brushed his long, untrimmed whiskers.

              “Sort of, but not how you are thinking. You see, Luca… that’s his horse’s name, and his herd live on the property, but he and Marcus are more like friends than master and horse.”

              The stallion snorted and shook his long mane. “Preposterous, no human would befriend a horse.”

              “I would like us to be friends,” she said quietly.

              He shot a hot breath of air into her hand. “As I said… no human would befriend a horse.”

              “I am human enough,” she retorted.

              The stallion looked her over and nodded. “You are angel, but you were sired by a human. That, though, does not make you any more than a half breed.” Her face flushed as her anger rose. She was about to start yelling, but he quickly cut her off with a sharp look. “We are all mixes though Alyssa. I have not met a pure anything, ever. We each come from the crossing of many other things.”

              “How do you know my father was human? I have never told anyone,” she said as she fought to get her anger under control.

              “I can tell a great many things about you Alyssa,” he replied with a playful grin.

              She raised an eyebrow, “Such as?”

              He shook out his mane and went back to grazing on the patch of fresh grass at his feet. “Just… things, really. Animal senses are better than yours are.”

              Alyssa nodded and sat down on a large stone. Her temper had cooled to a dull numbness just below the surface. She hated that it could be brought forth so easily. Ruben had often scolded her for feeling her emotions too intensely.

              “I have a name for you I think.”

              He lifted his head. “Oh?”

              “Would Blackberry be okay?” she asked hopefully.

              The stallion watched her carefully as he repeated the name, liking the way it rolled off his tongue.

              “Yes, that is a good name Alyssa. Thank you.”

              She smiled at him and tossed the last half of bread at his feet. “You can have the rest,” she said as she drank from the milk jug. Blackberry nodded and lay down next to her in the tall grass. He seemed more at ease around her now. Alyssa studied him in the afternoon sun. His features were not as fine as

              Luca’s, but he was larger. Blackberry was well-made for labor. Luca was a riding horse; built for speed and grace.

              Alyssa closed her eyes and dreamed of going on long rides with Marcus through the forest. She knew that it would be an even more beautiful place after the snow came. In the winter they could bake pies and have hot cider. They could go for long walks through the bare trees and frozen fields.