Into the Woods- Really What Are You Thinking?

I'm not sure why my characters do such stupid things but here they go again- but all the more fun for us readers and writers. Bianca search for the highway man.

Chapter 3

 

All of the little travelling party was exhausted by the time it reached its destination of Lucas house. Juliana and Frank were waiting anxiously in the open door way wrapped up warmly in thick cloaks.

“What happened?” they exclaimed together when George shouted for a doctor for the carriage driver. Bianca hopped out unaided and was swept up by a distraught Juliana.

“It was the high way man,” she told them calmly, “He shot the poor driver and threatened our lives then made off with my purse, happily a small one, and my jewellery, something I was much more attached too. But George assured me the drivers gunshot wound was just a flesh wound and he’ll be fine. It’s really nothing to worry about.”

“Nothing to worry about!” Frank bellowed “the fiend attacked my own guest, my best friends little sister he has to be brought to justice. God if Jonnie finds out about this it will be me that swings from the hangman’s noose for endangering you rather than the highway man.” He paced up and down running a hand through his dark hair, scowling.

“There is no need for Jonnie to know,” Bianca soothed him then catching sight of Juliana’s white face she redirected his worry. “Jewel needs you Frank.” She ordered him shoving him in that direction. Then closing her eyes to dredge some patience from her tired body she quietly told them. “I’m going to bed we’ll talk in the morning.” She yanked the front door open and trudged up the stairs to her room.

Frank and Juliana stared after her speechless, but realised after a moment’s hesitation that she must be feeling awful and they should leave her alone, for now, to sleep they supposed. Upstairs they went too. They couldn’t be more wrong though; tired as she was Bianca couldn’t sleep. She tossed and turned unable to sleep exhilarated by her night’s adventures. Emerald green eyes haunting her mind’s eye.

~

The next morning dawned grey and drizzly and depressing. Bianca slipped out of her bed despite the early hour and dressed in her riding habit. The house was silent and asleep still as she used the kitchen door to head for the stables. Unlatching Jupiter’s stable door she saddled him quickly and efficiently and rode off into the misty woods surrounding Lucas House. Being the younger sister of a horse expert had its advantages. She trotted through the wet morning air, ignoring the way her skirt were growing heavy with damp and her hair formed a frizzy halo of way ward curls around her rosy cheeked face. The woods thinned out after a while and Bianca took full advantage of the open road to canter along with purpose. The soft ground held deep obvious tracks from the wheels of her coach last night.

She pulled Jupiter up short suddenly. They had reached the spot of their attack the night before surprisingly quickly. She studied it with interest. As far as she could tell there was nothing different or particularly special about the area. It must have been pure chance he had chosen them and this place the night before. Sliding down from the saddle and looping the reins over Jupiter’s broad golden head she lead him behind her as she inspected the mixture of footprints, tracks and hoof prints imprinted liberally through the mud. The majority of the tracks were simple boot prints like those she often saw left behind the servants who assist her brother and his friends on their hunts. There were two sets of hoof prints from the horses that lead their carriage and a few sets from single horses and their riders but they only followed the roadways. She distinctly remembered the highwayman fleeing - no, he had not fled because he was not afraid; rather he made a tactical retreat to his hideout through the woods. His foot prints, at least she was almost certain they were his foot prints, were precise and clear he definitely knew what he was doing and where he was going. The boot tracks led clearly to the dense woods at the side of the road. With a reluctant sigh she hitched her skirts about her knees and slowly led Jupiter through the narrow paths between trees as she followed the prints.  Her stockings quickly got as damp as her skirts were and the trail gradually became harder and harder to follow in the dense undergrowth. The trees thinned out and she was able to lead Jupiter more easily but the tracks disappeared. Bianca borrowed a few colourfully explicit words from her older brother and even one from her older sister before stopping completely to look more closely. His foot prints were almost invisible unless you knew what you were looking for. He was clever and experience. More experienced than Bianca that was for sure. She knew he had covered his tracks, taking advantage of the clearing to gain his bearings, check if any one was following him and then cover his tracks. She spotted a few hidden prints but then lost them completely.

Time for breakfast she decided, pulling an oil skin wrapped parcel and a small blanket from her saddle bag. She sat carefully on a now blanket covered log with some remnant of hope that the dry patches of her skirt wouldn’t get wet too. The business of searching for someone wasn’t as simple as she had hoped. She did not wish the highway man harm. Intrigue and curiosity were her motivation. Also an urge to get her grandmother’s pendant back. As she nibbled on her apple she gave her surroundings a more general inspection, mapping out her location to see if she could work out how far she was from any where she knew. The glade was nothing special, a small patch of mossy grass, damp bracken and glistening blackberries nestled amongst some vicious brambles. Tall oaks and golden beeches with their flaming foliage blocked out most of the weak sun. One tree stood out from the rest though; a dead pine, presumably stuck by lightning at some point in its life, veered of at an unnatural angle its branches devoid of life. She stared at it, her attention captured by a broken branch on the left side of the tree. Perhaps he had gone through there? It was unlikely she knew but it was her only lead so far. And she did not want to return to Lucas house just; they would want her to explain far too much. Throwing her apple core into the bushes, she gathered up her skirts and Jupiter’s reins and walked to the lopsided pine. Other than the broken branch she could see no more evidence of him but she continued onwards with determination. It started to rain again.

Jupiter harrumphed and with a toss of his golden head pulled Bianca in the opposite direction. She stumbled and slipped on the mossy forest floor. A scream of pain echoed through the damp morning air. Jupiter skittered nervously from side to side at the noise, pulling on his reins. Dragged a bit further Bianca gasped as her ankle was wrenched from the root it was hooked on. Darkness descended, clouding her sense and her hand loosened and slipped from the reins. A large golden nose snuffled at his mistress’s inert form. He snickered and pranced nervously. She didn’t stir at the sounds. The giant horse waited patiently for her to awake. A cold breeze stirred his mane and tickled his velveteen nose with a tantalizing scent he couldn’t resist. With a last snuffle at his mistress’s body, Jupiter trotted off into the trees.

~

The fire crackled and hissed as the damp logs dried. He kicked his boots off next to it to let them dry. A white linen shirt joined them, draped over his armchair. A black, muddy great coat was already steaming on a wooden stool commandeered from the small kitchen. Roughly drying his hair with a towel he laid back on the bed pushed up against one wall and closed his eyes wearily. He yawned widely, puckering the scar that ran down the length of one side of his jaw. Pushing black waves of hair off his face with irritation, he winced at the pain the movement caused in his shoulder. The country he had fought for and returned too with eagerness and fond memories was quickly loosing its appeal. England was a lot damper then he remembered. He craved the dry heat of an Indian sun on his face and dusty clothes rather than muddy ones.

He was just drifting off to sleep, dreaming of bright colours, even brighter sun and even hotter food, when a loud neigh and frantic kicking startled him awake. He bolted up, his soldiers training forcing him alert in an instant. He strained to hear the sounds of other humans. He could only hear the nervous noises of horses. Pistol cocked and still shirtless he went cautiously out to the small lean-too stable that housed his two horses. The door was pushed wide and inside in the gloom he could make out the shifting bulk of horses, all still snickering, neighing, whinnying and stomping there hooves agitatedly. He did a double take. Inside there were three horses. His black mare Athena and his sturdy brown stallion Apollo but also a bright glowing gold palomino horse, saddled and sweating trying to get at a startled Athena. Latching the safety back on his gun and tucking it in the waist band of his trousers, he approached the excited stallion carefully. It eyed him warily, momentarily distracted from his new lady friend. Before the horse could back away he deftly snatched up the reins.

“Where is your owner?” he asked firmly but softly so as not to startle the large horse. But his soft tones and commanding presence had pacified the horse who nudged him in friendly acceptance. He smoothed the broad velvety nose and inspected the expensive tack with interest. The horse shifted nervously as he lengthened the stirrups and then shot off into the forest when he mounted. He was startled by this sudden and unexpected reaction but stayed seated with ease. But the horse refused to stop no matter what he was commanded to do. Rain slicked his hair to his head and ran rivulets down his bare chest, branches whipped at him as he tried to stop the strange runaway horse. It stopped so suddenly and randomly in the middle of no where in particular that he almost fell off in surprise. The horse circled and shifted around the close knit trees, snuffling at the ground. He slid out of the saddle and took the reins firmly in his hand to lead the unruly horse back to his cottage. Then he saw the reason the horse had stopped. Her green cloak made her blend in with the woods but he also caught a glimpse of rich blue skirts underneath. A small dainty hat lay muddied and battered next to her. Golden hair cascaded about her head, wet and curling wildly. She did not move, sprawled in an uncomfortable looking position on the wet woodland floor.

Tossing the reins over a stout branch and then tying them deftly in a secure knot, he left the palomino to graze and crouched next to the inert woman. Gently shifting her hair away he peered at her muddied face. He rocked back on his heels in surprise. It was the young woman from the night before. He may be a highway man but he wasn’t a senseless killer, not any more. He couldn’t just leave her out here; she may well die from exposure before she regained consciousness. He slid his arms carefully under her, ignoring the tingling of his senses as one hand brushed generous breasts and the other a flat stomach and gently curving hips, and rolled her into his arms. Cradling her in just one arm, he steadied her horse and lay over the saddle. He stared at the shifting beast debating. Then moving her forwards slightly he mounted behind her. Gaining his seat, he pulled her over his knees and held her in place with one hand. Riding awkwardly and slowly he guided the horse back to his small cottage.

Author's Note

well what do you think? and arent you impressed i have updated something! lol. just be honest love jules x

Reviews

[zack]

i agree to this is very cool i love it

[Abhinav]

yeah..i agree..it was really really awesome!!!!!
just one thing,i wish the font could have been a bit larger....
besides that,it was a great great write.......

[MusicJunkie66]

Honestly, that was awesome!!!! Besides a few spelling errors, it was great, I literally got sucked in. Awesome job!! :]