“Get. Up.”
“Majesty, give her a moment—”
“Keep the line moving, General,” Er’it bit out as he took up the remaining rope, pulling Aida’s arm up above her head.
Aida whined low in her throat as she struggled to get her knees under her. With the entirety of her weight hanging from her shoulders, the grinding pops of the joints sent shivers of pain down her back. She was panting, sweat pouring from her brow to stain the dry, packed dirt by the time she managed to kneel. Collapsing back onto her heels she dared to raise her eyes to his, pleading with silent tears for him to grant some small mercy. There was none in the bright topaz of his gaze, as cold and unfeeling as the precious stones themselves. Er’it gave a swift tug on the rope, the beast he sat upon sidestepping from Aida’s wailing cry as her knees left the ground for a too long moment before she crashed back to the earth. Humiliating enough to fall flat on her face once more, but the never-ending trail of people and whispers continued on alongside her. Their stares burned along her welted back, the thin protection of her ruined gown all but gone.
“Please, sir,” Aida choked out, a broken sob that Er’it paid little mind to.
Muttering something that sounded like a curse, he yanked her tether once more. Aida screamed as she came to her feet, the pain wrenching through her in a savage burst. Balance lost as blinding light flitted across her vision, sending her tumbling sideways to crash into a wall of warmth and softness. Soft as down, smooth as velvet, it soothed the multitude of scrapes marring her cheek. There was no reality where it could be Er’it, not as the heavy bulk shifted so she could lean against it with more comfort. It smelled of nothing she was familiar with, and as her eyes pried open, she saw miles of dappled gray hide. The creature’s gray color was an illusion, a lustrous white coat patterned with streaks and speckles in a variety of darkling shades. Gasp stifled as she looked beyond the firm thigh bisecting the beast’s huge side, she saw gleaming eyes of onyx. The liquid pools watched her with intense interest. Intelligence resided in those deep wells of cool black, curiosity shining in their depths.
The beast twitched its head as Er’it’s knee squeezed its side, as if to tell its rider to be patient. Long neck arching, it put its muzzle close to Aida. The deep grays and creamy whites a delicate arrangement of tiny stars caught her focus, letting Aida ignore the terrifying horns as it sniffed at her. She held back her shriek of horrified dismay as its nimble lips picked at the lace of her bodice, testing the frayed edges of the torn silk. Letting its breath out in a gusty huff, the sweet scent of hay at odds with the wash of dusty things, it finished with its inspection.
“Finished?” Er’it snorted and shook his head, knees once again applied to the best’s sides.
This time the creature moved. Aida gritted her teeth as she followed suit, her tether kept taut in Er’it’s fist so she had to run alongside the pair. They had made up little ground before Aida stubbed her toe on a rock hiding in a clump of brittle grass. Her surprised shriek and ensuing whimper brought the attention of beast and rider both.
Whereas Er’it shook his head and returned to stare at the horizon as if he could bring it closer by that alone, the beast slowed. Its massive shoulders twitched when Er’it applied his knees again, its mane snapping with the tinkling laughter of metal when it shook its head in negation to Er’it’s further command. It swung that head back once more, slowing by increments until Aida was at a brisk walk, something she could keep up for far longer than the harried trot Er’it had forced.
“No, absolutely not,” Er’it growled, giving a twitch to the reins he held loose in his other fist.
The beast let out booming thunder. Nothing at all like the high-pitched neighs of its neighbors, its trumpeting shook through the earth, resonating for miles and echoing back through the narrow valley they traveled.
Aida watched on in slack jawed amazement as the animal denounced Er’it’s vicious whispers. The application of Er’it’s heels brought it to a dead stop, horns lowered as its neck arched high. Its deep, grunting breaths sent plumes of dust into the air, so much that Aida coughed and covered her face as best she could. Still it would not budge until Er’it sat back hard in the molded leather, his murmuring silent to all but her and the beast.
“I’m going to turn you into dinner one day, Kal. Just you wait.”
The beast, Kal, snorted, as if this were a threat often made and in good humor. Another, lighter sound like the grinding of a mountain before a landslide rumbled from Kal’s chest before it began following the train that was nearing its end. Prancing in victory.
Aida could have hugged the animal, whatever it was, for its obstinance. It was still terrifying, this Kal, but right then it was her savior as Er’it allowed it to keep the easy walk as they went deeper into the mountains.
