CHAPTER 14

Calantha found herself amid towering trees and the sound of birds chirping. Her mood was more sour than a lemon that had been left out too long, and that was all thanks to the dastard riding ahead of her. As she rode, her mind replayed the events of the past night. 

She had thought the man was bluffing about travelling to the east, hoping it was just one of his antics to get a rise out of her. But, true to his word, he had awakened her at the crack of dawn with a loud knock on the door, startling out of sleep, and then with a simple bark of "Get ready." Before she could think of any excuse, the man was already dragging her bag out of the room and before she knew it, she found herself on a saddled horse. 

All her life, she had only ridden a horse for the fun of it, not like a soldier Ryder was trying to turn her into. They had been riding for hours without a break. Her derrière ached and so did her legs from the unfamiliar saddle. If she could lay her hands on a riffle, she wouldn't hesitate to leave a bullet in his head. How can one man be so thoughtless and cruel? 

The sun beat down on them like a relentless drum, the heat was so intense that Calantha could feel her skin crackling like a parched riverbed. She wasn't sure how long she could last on the horse without falling over.

"Time for break," Ryder declared, his voice like a cool breeze, yet so annoying. He looked over his shoulder to make sure she heard him. When he saw her face, he said, "You look like you are about to evaporate like the last puddle in a drought."

Calantha glared at him, her eyes narrowed to slits, "I can keep going." She said angrily, her face red from the heat.

Ryder snorted, "Oh, I am sure you can. But I would rather not have to carry your desiccated corpse the rest of the way. It would by all means slow me down." He dismounted his horse and walked to help her down.

"Don't you dare touch me," She warned, her eyes flashed with disgust. Ryder shrugged, walking back to his horse to look for something to eat.

Gathering her last strength, she swung herself down from the horse, almost collapsing to the ground at the feel of the ground. It took her a few seconds to get her legs to move. She sat under a large tree to catch her breath. Ryder pulled out a dry, crumbly loaf of bread and offered it to her. Calantha's stomach growled at the sight of the measly food, but she turned her head away, her pride winning over her hunger. 

Not wasting another second, Ryder placed the loaf of bread beside her as he took a large bite from his own, "Don't say I didn't offer." He went to take a shield from another tree. 

As they sat there, Calantha couldn't help but sneak glances at the bread, her mouth watering at the sight. Ryder caught her looking and raised an eyebrow. "Changed your mind?" He asked, his voice dripping with amusement. 

Calantha scowled and looked away, trying to ignore her stomach. But as the minutes ticked by, she found herself sneaking glances at the bread again, her resolve weakening with each passing second. At the next growl of her stomach, she gently took the bread and began munching on it, all the while trying not to look at Ryder's satisfied face. In her defence, it was the man's fault. He didn't even give her a chance to whip up something to eat, well, not like she knew anything about cooking. She suspected that he knew she had been secretly eating his cooking. She had always made sure to wait until he was out of the house or too busy with something, then devour whatever measly meal he prepared. If he knew, he never said anything or teased her about it.

Watching her take the last bite, his voice cut through the silence. "If you are done with your meal, get on your horse." 

Confused she said, "But we just got here."

"The break is over, we don't have all day. We need to arrive at the next village before nightfall, except if you are planning on camping here for the night." He raised a bushy brow in a questioning gaze.

"I would like to rest a little bit more." She stated firmly.

"Not that I mind. Just don't blame me when you get attacked by a wolf."

"Wolves?" She looked at him suspiciously. He was trying to scare her, she knew. 

"Seeing the look on your face I would assume you didn't hear the story of local hunters spotting some extinct wild animals."

"We don't have wolves in this country." 

"Why don't you stay and find out for yourself? As for me, I will continue my journey." He mounted his stallion and with a swift kick, his horse began disappearing into the trees. 

Calanntha watched the man's back for a few seconds, her heart racing with a mix of emotions as she looked around, the forest's eerie quietness sent shivers down her spine. The trees seemed to loom over her, casting long ominous shadows on the ground. She couldn't help but imagine herself being devoured by a wild animal. 

She quickly moved closer to her horse, trying to mount it, but her legs were still soft from the long hours of riding. Her attempt was clumsy, and she struggled to find her balance. Panic began to set in as she realised she was alone, surrounded by the forest's unseen danger. She grew agitated with each passing second. Just as she thought she couldn't take it anymore, she heard the sound of hooves approaching.

"Need help?" Ryder asked, his voice calm and collected as he rode up to her.

Calantha hated how serene he looked, "No, I am good," She lied, trying to hide her fear.

He raised an eyebrow. "You looked like you were about to cry." He said, his voice dripping with amusement.

"I said I am fine!" Calantha snapped.

Ryder dismounted his horse and walked towards her, his movement fluid and confident. "What are you doing?" Calantha asked, her heart pounding against her chest. 

Before she could react, Ryder reached out and lifted her off the ground, settling her onto the horse's saddle. Calantha felt a rush of indignation, but couldn't do anything as she was already safely mounted. 

"I will kill you, do you hear me?" 

Amused, Ryder couldn't help but chuckle at the threat as he handed her the reins. "You are welcome." He walked over to his horse and mounted it with so much ease. "Try to keep up." He called out as he disappeared into the trees.

Her legs ached. Her back hurt and her mind was filled with curses of different languages for the scoundrel as she struggled to keep up with his relentless pace. Why did he have to be so fast and unyielding? Throughout the journey, she seethed inwardly, her anger and frustration simmering just below the surface.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Ryder reined in his horse and pointed to a rustic inn in the distance. Calantha wanted to ask if he didn't know of any other inn instead of the old one that looked like a deathtrap—just like his farmhouse. But it was better than sitting on a saddled horse all day. Her relief was palpable as they rode into the inn's courtyard, exhausted and parched.

Inside, the innkeeper greeted them warmly but his expression turned apologetic as he explained that there was only one spare room available. Calantha's nose flared when Ryder nodded amiably and said, "We'll take it."

Calantha began her protest, suggesting that they found another inn with enough rooms, but her protest was drowned out when she was told that it would take another hour or two to reach the next inn. Ryder assured her that it would be fine to share the room without an issue. He volunteered to sleep on the floor, far away from the bed. 

After much contemplation, she agreed, but as they entered the small cosy room, her discomfort grew a hundredfold. The bed was small and designed to accommodate not more than two persons. The thought of sharing it with Ryder made her skin crawl.

"You don't have to look so disgusted," His voice broke the silence as he tossed the bags onto the floor and turned to her. "You have nothing to worry about. You can have the room all to yourself. I have a business to attend to. I won't be back until midnight or tomorrow morning."

Calantha's eyes narrowed at his sudden change of mind. "Morning is preferable."

"I will arrange for your comfort on my way out." His voice was crisp. Without waiting for a reply, he turned around and left the room. She quickly bolted the door from the inside before he could change his mind. Alone in the room, Calantha couldn't help but feel relieved by the man's absence.