@DaGlobster It had been a bad day. Well, rather yet another bad day in a series of bad days in a bad week that was turning into a pretty bad month.
It had started with a convoy of five knights and three times as many foot soldiers sent to deal with a raiding tribe of Duhjari terrorizing Adelan traders. Of course, being the rookie, Elora was sent on what should have been an easy job.
It wasn't.
The second night they'd made camp was the first attack, catching them off guard and taking it a third of their force. The second attack came at dawn the next day, and though they were more prepared for the riders their force clearly wasn't prepared to handle what they'd been sent to do.
It was the third attack that separated Elora from the rest of her party earlier that day. She'd been knocked from her horse by a raider and someone else's mount had collapsed on top up of her, knocking her unconscious and keeping her pinned.
By the time she woke, it was nearing sunset and she was alone.
Fucking fantastic.
A sudden, soft whinny drew her attention just as she was wriggling the last few inches out from under the dead animal. She froze, panicking. Were the Duhjari back? She'd never had a fear of the horsemen before- in fact her family kept good trade relations with them- but this damn raiding party had her skittish as a kitten.
The whinny came again and she suddenly recognized the sound. Shoulders slumping in relief, she scrambled to her feet and pursed her lips to whistle.
Faithful as always, her mount had come back for her. Or perhaps she'd simply been hanging around the sight of the skirmish. Elora smiled and moved toward the obviously tired and spooked grey mare, patting her neck and shoulders and combing her fingers through her mane.
"Good girl," she cooed, resting her forehead against the horse's, suddenly rather overcome with emotion for the animal who'd been her companion since she was a filly. "Atta girl, good Calla."
Well, at least she wasn't totally alone. Just stranded with no supplies. Or map.
...Could be worse.
