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I swatted it away “I got it” I got to my feet and brushed all the dirt from my palms and knees

His eyes shifted back and forth as they looked at aze

“It’s fine My et it” I turned to the ray dots “Let’s go”

Riding my own horse in unfa on to Huntley as he controlled the reins, but I got used to it alhtly like he did, running fast down the trails and through the valleys

Huntley glanced at me often tothe way

It was a hard ride, but Huntley seenized markers we passed A pile of boulders here A copse of trees there Indications thatto me

At sunset, we entered a forest, the light even dimmer under the canopy of trees

He tugged on the reins and brought his horse to a walk

I followed close behind hihs in the quiet

The darkness crept in further, but he kept going, like he knew the way even in the dark

Then I heard it—the sound of a stream

My horse seemed to see better than I could because he came to a stop

A uided his horse forward by the reins, leading him to a stream so he could drink

My horse did the sa for me to dismount

I rubbed the back of her neck as she bent down to drink “My kinda girl…doesn’t wait for nobody”

Huntley’s hand reached for uide me down

I swatted at his hand “I can get down ht?”

“Sure about that, Princess? Can you even see the ground?”

“Ooh…don’t start with that princess nonsense”

“Answer my question”

I ignored him and started to dismount

And because I had the worst luck ever, I slipped on the way down and almost landed on my ass

Of course, he was there to catch e arms a powerful net

Thankfully I faced the other way, so he couldn’t see my embarrassment

His arh I was stable on the ground, and his sainst o and pulled out his bedroll fro

The torch burned on the ground where he’d left it, tipped up on a rock It was a beacon of light in the dark forest, but the circu the rest of our world into darkness

He got the caiving her a nice rubdown after riding so hard to get me there She continued to drink from the stream, her front hooves in the water