Post by The Smith on Apr 4, 2008 13:08:09 GMT -5
Jaymes helped Alyssane mount her horse, and kissed her hand before mounting his own. He looked at her and grinned. "Race you back to the castle?"
"Just don't complain when I beat you," she said with a laugh. The two lined up their horses, and counted down together. At the last second Aly grabbed an apple seemingly out of thin air, and tossed it on the ground in front of Jaymes' horse. The gelding bent to eat it, and took an extra second to get moving when he spurred it to a gallop. Lord Smallwood's daughter was two lenths in front of him by then, and he pressed the gelding to close the distance.
They were in a light wood, with a few trees spread around but not particularly thick. Faircastle was visible up on it's hill, three leagues away. Jaymes' gelding dodged around trees and slowly he chipped away at the distance between himself and Alyssane. He drew up even with her and stood in his stirrups. With both horses galloping at full speed, he swung his right leg over his horse so he was standing in its stirrups on the left side. He leaned over and planted a kiss on her cheek, but as he did so she jerked away and he almost lost his balance.
She flashed him a mischevious grin as he struggled to regain his saddle. He did so successfully and turned his head to smile at her, but he saw her eyes go wide. A second later he was facedown on the ground under a tree, his horse galloping away with a sharp pain splitting the back of his head. He dimly registered a voice speaking and tried to concentrate on the words. He turned his head to one side, which sent shooting pain throughout his neck, but it told him his neck was not broken. The wind had been knocked out of him when he hit the ground and he struggled to regain his breath.
He felt a pair of soft gentle hands on the back of his neck, and he shoved with both arms, rolling himself onto his back. Aly's face swam into focus above him. She looked scared, and he tried to smile at her, but winced instead. "Tree branch?" He laughed weakly. His neck hurt less now. She nodded and started to laugh a little too. Jaymes rubbed his head, and laughed harder, which caused Alyssane to laugh harder as well.
The young heir to Faircastle lay on his back laughing so hard he could barely breathe, and Alyssane sat next to him with her legs folded laughing equally hard. She lay across his chest as their breathing began to slow and she traced some invisible design on his leather vest with one of her fingers. Their eyes met and she shifted her body slightly, moving closer to Jaymes. He lifted his neck and kissed her deeply on the lips. She returned it passionately and her fingers curled around the neck of his vest, pulling him closer.
When the two broke apart, both were blushing like children. Alyssane helped him to his feet and and laughed again when they both realized his horse was gone. Jaymes helped her onto her own horse and then climbed up in front of her. She put her arms around his chest, and rested her head on his shoulder as he guided the mare back up the hill to Faircastle. They heard horns blaring in the distance, and he spurred the horse a little faster. "They don't appreciate young lordlings disappearing into the woods, and I don't imagine that your father is pleased either. We'd better get back quickly." She said something in his ear, but the words were lost in the wind. Suddenly he could not feel her anymore, her body was no longer pressing against him and he spun his head around, and saw only empty space.
He shot bolt upright, and realized he was on the floor. He was shaking and covered in sweat. Remembering his dream, he began to weep again, for the woman he would never see again.
Lord Jaymes Farman increases towards Master Horseman
"Just don't complain when I beat you," she said with a laugh. The two lined up their horses, and counted down together. At the last second Aly grabbed an apple seemingly out of thin air, and tossed it on the ground in front of Jaymes' horse. The gelding bent to eat it, and took an extra second to get moving when he spurred it to a gallop. Lord Smallwood's daughter was two lenths in front of him by then, and he pressed the gelding to close the distance.
They were in a light wood, with a few trees spread around but not particularly thick. Faircastle was visible up on it's hill, three leagues away. Jaymes' gelding dodged around trees and slowly he chipped away at the distance between himself and Alyssane. He drew up even with her and stood in his stirrups. With both horses galloping at full speed, he swung his right leg over his horse so he was standing in its stirrups on the left side. He leaned over and planted a kiss on her cheek, but as he did so she jerked away and he almost lost his balance.
She flashed him a mischevious grin as he struggled to regain his saddle. He did so successfully and turned his head to smile at her, but he saw her eyes go wide. A second later he was facedown on the ground under a tree, his horse galloping away with a sharp pain splitting the back of his head. He dimly registered a voice speaking and tried to concentrate on the words. He turned his head to one side, which sent shooting pain throughout his neck, but it told him his neck was not broken. The wind had been knocked out of him when he hit the ground and he struggled to regain his breath.
He felt a pair of soft gentle hands on the back of his neck, and he shoved with both arms, rolling himself onto his back. Aly's face swam into focus above him. She looked scared, and he tried to smile at her, but winced instead. "Tree branch?" He laughed weakly. His neck hurt less now. She nodded and started to laugh a little too. Jaymes rubbed his head, and laughed harder, which caused Alyssane to laugh harder as well.
The young heir to Faircastle lay on his back laughing so hard he could barely breathe, and Alyssane sat next to him with her legs folded laughing equally hard. She lay across his chest as their breathing began to slow and she traced some invisible design on his leather vest with one of her fingers. Their eyes met and she shifted her body slightly, moving closer to Jaymes. He lifted his neck and kissed her deeply on the lips. She returned it passionately and her fingers curled around the neck of his vest, pulling him closer.
When the two broke apart, both were blushing like children. Alyssane helped him to his feet and and laughed again when they both realized his horse was gone. Jaymes helped her onto her own horse and then climbed up in front of her. She put her arms around his chest, and rested her head on his shoulder as he guided the mare back up the hill to Faircastle. They heard horns blaring in the distance, and he spurred the horse a little faster. "They don't appreciate young lordlings disappearing into the woods, and I don't imagine that your father is pleased either. We'd better get back quickly." She said something in his ear, but the words were lost in the wind. Suddenly he could not feel her anymore, her body was no longer pressing against him and he spun his head around, and saw only empty space.
He shot bolt upright, and realized he was on the floor. He was shaking and covered in sweat. Remembering his dream, he began to weep again, for the woman he would never see again.
Lord Jaymes Farman increases towards Master Horseman