As Warrior jumped a fallen tree, Tad noticed something. Concentrating, his eyes flashed and changed, changed into cat-like eyes and looked at his surroundings. There it was again, a dark moving figure. Anything else, he couldn't see. He squinted again and his eyes now were those of the owl. Seeing through the darkness much better, his eyes scanned the area, hunting for the figure. Something moved in the corner of his eye. Turning his head, Tad caught a glimpse of it. A horse. Zack!
"Faster," Tad whispered softly. "Zack's right behind us."
"How did that soldier catch up to us?" Warrior asked to no one in particular.
Tad didn't answer and looked back. Clearly as daylight, he could see the brown mare the soldier had ridden into the village, and on that mare rode, tall and astride, Zack. Suddenly, without warning, he saw a dear run in front of the mare and stop. The soldier stopped, and waited for the deer to move.
"That would only slow him down."
"Well if that horse is a normal horse, then he must've had help," Warrior retorted and picked up speed.
"Are you getting tired?" Tad asked, suddenly concerned.
"Not yet, I'm not."
Silence. The hoot of an owl, the whispering of the wind. Tad's eyes were silver-gray again as the first glimpse of the moon could be seen at the horizon. He pressed his lips grimly, Zack definitely had some help. No normal horse could catch up to Warrior when he's traveling as fast as he was now.
He heard something behind him, like a man shouting. Smiling a little, Tad urged Warrior faster. They were near the city limits. Only a few more miles through the night. They would be there at sunrise unless something happens.
"I don't suppose we would be resting tonight," the racing horse neighed.
"Not if Zack would stop for the night, and somehow I don't think he would."
Nodding, the horse sped among the twisted trees. The silver moonlight tapped the two travellers. Hugging the little warmth it gave, Tad looked about for landmarks. Finding none, he returned his gaze to the road ahead. As the moon rose higher and higher, the road became clearer and clearer. Ducking from a low hanging branch, Tad grimaced a little as the hard bark scraped his back. Hoping that the cuts would heal, he looked ahead to see if there were more.
Under his saddle, Tad felt the strong muscles of the horse as they galloped through the forest. The moon now halfway above the horizon gave the bit of warmth that Tad needed. Sometimes he wished the moon would rise sooner so the biting could wouldn't actually take a chomp out of him. Breathing, he watched the puff of steam disappear in front of his face. Half the night was gone already, and yet they weren't half way to the capital.
"We've gotta go faster, " Tad insisted, eyeing the rising moon.
"The moon's nearly over the horizon," Warrior commented plainly.
"Yea, well we won't have much of the moon while we go, and it is definitely going to be freezing once it goes."
Warrior picked up speed, getting the point, after all, he too was cold. He understood the urgency, especially since destruction would definitely be along the road.
Shivering a bit, Tad hung onto the reins. He wished he had brought along a heavy coat. That would've have helped against the cold, but he didn't have any coats. Frowning, he studied Warrior. Tad knew he was cold, feeling in his pocket, he hoped that the money he had was just enough to buy the horse a heavy blanket. Tad looked closer and saw sweat among the dark coat even though it was cold. If they don't reach the capital fast, Warrior is definitely going to get sick.
