While I could now handle it without needing to drag one end of it on the ground the hammer was still too heavy to wield, so I was glad of the new club gifted to me by my new friends. I paused to wonder if it too was stolen as I strapped it to Shamoly’s saddle. I had wanted to keep the club on me and put the hammer on the horse. But there was no good way to strap it on her that didn’t unbalance the saddle and add stress to her spine. Richard and I had decided the best course of action was to have the warhammer strapped to my back and then it would be balanced through me in the saddle.

  The issue was if I parted company with my new steed and she decided to make a swift exit I would be left with a weapon I couldn’t wield. I had no idea how Shamoly would respond in the face of a monster attack. She was calm but I doubted she had any warhorse training. I said as much to Richard as we were finishing up in the barn.

  “You never said where you bought her.” Richard said, as he did up the bridle.

  “Why do you want one just like her?” I thought that was a clever deflection and had to hide my smile.

  The innkeeper shook his head. “No, she is just a strange sort of horse. She is much too small to be a workhorse, too big to be a cart pony. She is clearly well trained and has clean, if very sturdy, legs so she likely came from well-bred stock. But she isn’t refined enough for a lady’s mount nor is she tall enough or spirited enough to be a lord’s mount. She is clearly not a warhorse. She isn’t built to run so she isn’t a messenger’s mount either.”

  I stood back. He was right. She was a very nice solid citizen. Back when I had heard referred to as ‘the husband’ horse around the barns I had ridden at. In fact she looked a lot like a horse a friend of mine had. A Cheval Canadiene. Stocky, sturdy but pretty and clearly quality. I wondered if they had clergy. This seemed like the sort of horse a middle aged priest would ride.

  “She doesn’t look anything like the other horses my friends had,” I said truthfully. “I don’t know what her original job was. Now she's schlepping me through adventures.” I gave him a wide grin. “Thank you for the wonderful hospitality, as usual. I always get a great night’s sleep under your roof.” I gave him a small bow. “And of course thank you for keeping my hammer safe.”

  “Any time, Miss Elizabeth,” there was genuine warmth in his voice as he passed me the reins.

  He stooped to ruffle Dekka’s fur, much to her delight. This produced full-on terrier wiggles. She liked Richard very much, and not just because he gave her second helpings. He was an animal person and though he had never met a dog he clearly thought she was awesome. And as she agreed with that sentiment, she approved of him wholeheartedly.

  I was about to put my foot in the stirrup when I realised an issue. I was a lot heavier than usual with the hammer on my back. And while it wasn’t too bad to walk with, mounting could be awkward. I looked around to see if I could find something to stand on as a mounting block. Richard saw me looking around and deduced what I needed. “Here let me give you a leg up.” Before I could protest my left foot was in his hands and I was being lofted up over my mare’s back. Richard was a lot stronger than I realised.

  Shamoly gave a snort and a step sideways as I almost overbalanced to the far side. Once I was settled and Dekka was darting out the door and back again, I said goodbye to Richard and headed out to find my friends.

  It was a pleasant ride down to River’s Cross. Shamoly was a little fresh and I let her go for a gallop. Her galloping hooves either scared the murder bunnies and other dastardly rodents or they weren’t triggered by the sound of a quadruped on the road, as none disturbed our passage.

  We were walking, more to give Dekka and her short little legs a break, than for the mare; she was happy to trot but I gave her a long rein and she stretched down and snatched a few mouthfuls of the sparse grass that was valiantly trying to grow in the shade of the trees. My message notification lit up. It was Rose.

  [Rositilda] - Hey I hope you are close. I got a room at the Dew Drop in.

  [System Error] - Grab me a room too I am maybe an hour out. I have a surprise!

  I hadn’t told anyone yet that I had managed to find a horse that would let a player sit on it.

  [Rositilda] - I can do that.

  [Rositilda] - Wait! You must be close. You responded right after.

  [System Error] - Oh good. Waiting makes conversation harder.

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  [Rositilda] - I will get you a room then I will walk out to meet you. Give you some company.

  [System Error] - That’s great, I’d love that.

  [Rositilda] - See you soon.

  I patted Shamoly on the shoulder and spoke to Dekka, “We are going to see Rose soon.” She looked up at me and wagged her tail. We proceeded at a calm but steady pace down the road for a while when I got another message.

  [Rositilda] - Is there another Road?

  [System Error] - What do you mean?

  [Rositilda] - I think I am on the wrong road.

  [System Error] - I am pretty sure there is only one road. Explain what it looks like where you are.

  [Rositilda] - Trees and Rocks?

  [System Error] - Rose!

  [Rositilda] - LOL ok but seriously I came up the little road from the Inn and was back on the road that I came on from Bistmore from the west. I headed East.

  [System Error] - That sounds right!

  [Rositilda] - But it can’t be. The road just ends.

  [System Error] - What do you mean ‘ends’?

  [Rositilda] - The road just stops and there are thick trees, shrubs and what looks like a short steep cliff behind them.

  [System Error] - That makes no sense.

  I nudged my heels into Shamoly’s sides and she obligingly broke into a brisk trot.

  [Rositilda] - Tell me about it. I can’t think of where another road could be. If the growth didn’t look old I would say maybe a rock fall or something?

  [System Error] - Stay put I am coming faster.

  [Rositilda] - Ok.

  It wasn’t like there were distance markers or prominent landmarks but I was pretty sure I was getting close.

  We trotted around a long gentle curve and when the road straightened, I could see Rose. She was standing there looking perplexed. I slowed my steed to a walk and waved, but while she was facing me she gave no hint of seeing us.

  [System Error] - I see you.

  I watched Rose spin and look in all directions.

  [Rositilda] - Where?

  [System Error] - Down the road. I’m waving at you.

  [Rositilda] - If I didn’t know better I would say you are playing a trick. Oh a trick. Maybe these trees aren’t real.

  I watched as Rose walked forward her hands out and then stop suddenly as if she came up against something solid.

  [Rositilda] - Nope the trees are real. Well as real as anything in here is.

  [System Error] - Yeah. Weird I saw you stop. One sec.

  We picked up a trot again and in short order we were almost at Rose. Dekka shot ahead. Rose jumped when my dog must have materialised out of the barrier. Maybe it was a one way magical barrier?

  Then Shamoly stopped dead and I almost slid over her head. Only a quick grab of her mane stopped me from an unceremonious dismount. I gave the mare a nudge. She didn’t move. Even a light kick didn’t elicit forward movement. I gave a firmer squeeze and the mare spun her head and gave me a dirty look. “Ok Ok,” I told her and dismounted.

  I walked forward but she wouldn’t follow. Not wanting to drop the reins I walked to the end of them. That must have been far enough.

  “Oh hey there you are!” Rose said looking surprised, then, “what are you holding?”

  I looked back at the mare standing there patiently with her head slightly stretched out refusing to take one step further. “Um. You can’t see the horse?”

  “A horse?! No. All I see are two leather straps disappearing into the trees. You have a horse?”

  “Yeah, that is supposed to be the surprise. But it seems she won’t walk through this spot either.”

  “Well this is weird. Even for this game.”

  “It is. I wonder if you can walk back through with me if we are touching.” I held out my hand. Rose took it and I started to walk back towards Shamoly, but I only took a couple of steps before she stopped.

  “Ow stop pulling.”

  I looked over and her face looks squished. Like it was being pressed up against a tree trunk. I let go of her hand but took another step. “Can you hear me?”

  “Kind of, though you sound really quiet.” She was rubbing her cheek.

  Dekka was running back and forth. Whatever this was didn’t deter her at all. I tried numerous ways to see if I could get the mare to walk through. I tried leading her to the edge of the road, but she couldn’t get through.

  Sighing. I guess I wasn’t to have a horse. What should I do? I didn’t want to ride all the way back to Richard’s and then walk back. I needed to know what was going on that no one would tell me over message. The monsters of the forest had ignored her. I made up my mind.

  I walked back out to where Rose could see and hear me. “Do you have any paper on you?”

  “No. I think I have a pencil though.”

  “I will take that.” I took the writing utensil and passed back to beside my horse. Well maybe not my horse. I sighed. It had been too good to be true.

  I pulled the note for Mary out of my inventory and without reading it ripped off the bottom section that had no writing on it. Hopefully Mary wouldn’t mind. I wrote a note with very small letters:

  To whomever finds this horse - Please take her to Richard the Small in Scott’s Hill. He will reward you with a few coppers for your trouble.

  To Richard - Please give the finder a few coppers and keep her for me till I return. I will pay for everything, if I don’t come back she is yours. - Elizabeth

  Rolling the note very tightly I then took a bit of twine and tied the note carefully and attached it to the leather strap under her jaw figuring that would be the safest place. Then I finished untacking Shamoly, but only undid the bit strap. The bridle she had been wearing converted to a halter. I set everything on the ground and gave her a pat. She looked at me expectantly. Being abandoned on the road was not something she had been trained to deal with. I felt bad. Pulling a couple of apples from my inventory I told her I was very sorry and I would try to find a way to come back for her.

  I then walked through to talk to Rose, there was so much to tell her. But she was looking a bit anxious. “Sorry to rush you,” she said. “We need to meet up with a new friend. She just messaged me that she is able to meet us before we get to the inn. Which is good I am running low on time and need to log out soon.”

  That was disappointing. “That sucks. I was looking forward to catching up. But I will wait for you at the inn.” I smiled at her.

  She didn’t smile back. “Yeah about that..”

  So in light of the author's dinner I have a question for you all. The one bit of feedback I got from the fellow authors is that while they all liked CYtC (they all quite liked it, well they said they did. They were pretty much all caught up so they are likely telling the truth) They suggested that the story would improve with more visual descriptions. They wanted the word to be more described, and bigger. What do you think? Also please leave comments.