Was he preparing me for this very moment?
Voices echo outside the door. The men have finally reached the cottage. I hear the piercing whinny of a horse, and I make my choice at last.
I don’t even get to say goodbye. The last thing I see of my father before I disappear into the cellar is the back of his silver head, his body poised as he readies the crossbow.
Mama and I trip over jars and bags of grain as we stumble to the escape door at the end of the cellar. She grips my wrist, pulling me around to the stables at the back of the cottage once we’re outside.
Their shouts surround us, and I’m pretty sure one of them has spotted us, but we don’t stop.
We just keep going forward.
Once we reach the stables, Papa’s chestnut bay, Flame, rears up on his hindquarters, crying out in alarm. Yet my own horse, a beautiful mare with a bright coat of shining silver, remains poised. Belle will be the one to carry us away to safety tonight.
We open Belle’s stall, leading her out into the main aisle. We don’t have time to tack her up, but I have no trouble riding bareback.
“Up you go,” Mama instructs, keeping her voice calm. I don’t know how she does it.
I climb onto the mare with ease, and once I’m seated on Belle’s back, I reach my hand down. “Take my hand.”
She steps away from my outstretched fingers.
I gaze down at her shadowy silhouette, wishing I could see her face, but it’s too dark. “Mama…take my hand…”
She closes her eyes, shaking her head. “No, dear. An old bird like me will only slow you down.”
Heat rises at the back of my neck, settling at the base of my skull. “Mama. Take. My. Hand. I won’t leave you behind, too!”
She glances away from me, and I don’t miss her tears. They glisten as they trail down her tawny cheek, capturing the light of the moon.
“I’m sorry it had to come to this. I just hope you understand one day. We love you, Ivy. We always have. But you must go on without us.”
Anger boils in the pits of my stomach. “No! I won’t leave without you. Just take my hand, and we can—"
She slaps Belle’s flank, and the horse shoots off. The world flashes by, and once again, I never got to say goodbye…
I squeeze my eyes against the cruel wind, hoping and praying that this is another dream, and I’ll wake in my bed at any moment.
Yet I don’t wake. This is real, and I have no choice but to move forward.
Something heavy lumbers after us, and I nudge my heels into Belle’s flank, urging her to move faster as I grip her mane.
Suddenly, a large black wolf jumps out from the trees, snapping its teeth at my calves. Belle increases her speed, and I have never seen her gallop so fast. She dodges trees with ease, and at one point, she appears to be flying.
Her coat burns as bright as the full moon, and I can barely believe it. I always knew she was special, but neverthisspecial.
She almost seems magical.
The wolf re-emerges on our left flank, and I scream. “Belle!”
The horse kicks the wolf with her hind legs, and the beast disappears with a yelp. I’m too afraid to look back.
It was a massive creature, and I’m pretty sure it had silver eyes…
I don’t breathe, not until I no longer hear those giant footfalls, and it seems we’re safe.
The wolf is gone.
Still, I won’t relax. Not just yet.
