”I’ve heard of ‘getting lost in a book’ before, but this is ridiculous,” the bard grumbled, his inkling of suspicion confirmed by Samuel. ”Swallowed by a book…” He shook his head in consternation and no little bemusement, his anxiety at the situation fading a little now that they had a hypothesis to work with. At least he thought he knew what had happened, and that made all the difference in regaining some of his equilibrium. He was no longer running blind, though they had yet to find a way back again. Just wishing wasn’t working, so that probably meant…
”If we’ve fallen into the story, I suppose we’ll have to see where it takes us?” he tested the conclusion tentatively, seeking Samuel’s opinion – and trying to distract himself from the very unsettling sensation of the other man trying to scramble onto his back. It took immense willpower not to sidle away from the pressure against his side, or shift his weight to adjust as the bookmaker’s slight mass hung from the saddle. He might have been able to kneel down to make it easier on the other man, but in truth he wasn’t sure if he could get back up again if he tried – not without unseating the inexperienced would-be horseman who finally clambered up more-or-less astride.
Jigano felt his skin twitching, trying not to shake at the unfamiliar weight. At least Samuel was skinny, he thought wryly to himself. "Go on and put your feet in the stirrups,” he suggested, worried as much about his new friend falling and hurting himself as at the prospect of having to go through the mounting process again. ”Next time we’ll find a log or something for you to stand on…” He wasn’t as tall or massive as a draft horse, but he was a few hands taller than a pony, and Samuel’s legs weren’t nearly long enough to make stepping into the saddle an easy option.
It was at that moment that the horse realized the feather was still where his friend had dropped it. With a sigh – a much larger sound than he was used to making – he took a careful step over to it and dropped his nose to lip the burning feather into his mouth. He debated turning his head to try and pass it back to his rider, but the thought of Samuel leaning forward and then slipping over his shoulder and down to the grass again stopped the gesture before it had even begun. With a soft snort of amusement – careful to keep the feather clamped between his mobile lips – Jigano took a few steps towards a path in the perfectly-coifed bushes.
He walked slowly, but they’d barely gone two dozen paces before the forest seemed to bleed away around them, the colors shifting and the lines twisting into new shapes as they passed from cool green shade to the bright bustle of a storybook-perfect castle courtyard. An older man, grey haired and gone to fat, was standing beside a fine black horse. His clothes were rich velvet and silk, and a golden crown perched atop his brow as servants hurried around him, preparing for a ride – a hunt or a picnic, it was hard to say as Jigano’s iron-shod hooves clattered over the cobbles and he lifted each hoof with dainty distaste at the rough feel of them beneath his feet.
He seemed the most important man in the area, however, and the one most likely to know what was going on. Jigano picked his way over, but before he could try to say anything around the feather the king turned and met Samuel with a hearty smile. ”Ah, my loyal huntsman! And what have you brought for me today?”
”If we’ve fallen into the story, I suppose we’ll have to see where it takes us?” he tested the conclusion tentatively, seeking Samuel’s opinion – and trying to distract himself from the very unsettling sensation of the other man trying to scramble onto his back. It took immense willpower not to sidle away from the pressure against his side, or shift his weight to adjust as the bookmaker’s slight mass hung from the saddle. He might have been able to kneel down to make it easier on the other man, but in truth he wasn’t sure if he could get back up again if he tried – not without unseating the inexperienced would-be horseman who finally clambered up more-or-less astride.
Jigano felt his skin twitching, trying not to shake at the unfamiliar weight. At least Samuel was skinny, he thought wryly to himself. "Go on and put your feet in the stirrups,” he suggested, worried as much about his new friend falling and hurting himself as at the prospect of having to go through the mounting process again. ”Next time we’ll find a log or something for you to stand on…” He wasn’t as tall or massive as a draft horse, but he was a few hands taller than a pony, and Samuel’s legs weren’t nearly long enough to make stepping into the saddle an easy option.
It was at that moment that the horse realized the feather was still where his friend had dropped it. With a sigh – a much larger sound than he was used to making – he took a careful step over to it and dropped his nose to lip the burning feather into his mouth. He debated turning his head to try and pass it back to his rider, but the thought of Samuel leaning forward and then slipping over his shoulder and down to the grass again stopped the gesture before it had even begun. With a soft snort of amusement – careful to keep the feather clamped between his mobile lips – Jigano took a few steps towards a path in the perfectly-coifed bushes.
He walked slowly, but they’d barely gone two dozen paces before the forest seemed to bleed away around them, the colors shifting and the lines twisting into new shapes as they passed from cool green shade to the bright bustle of a storybook-perfect castle courtyard. An older man, grey haired and gone to fat, was standing beside a fine black horse. His clothes were rich velvet and silk, and a golden crown perched atop his brow as servants hurried around him, preparing for a ride – a hunt or a picnic, it was hard to say as Jigano’s iron-shod hooves clattered over the cobbles and he lifted each hoof with dainty distaste at the rough feel of them beneath his feet.
He seemed the most important man in the area, however, and the one most likely to know what was going on. Jigano picked his way over, but before he could try to say anything around the feather the king turned and met Samuel with a hearty smile. ”Ah, my loyal huntsman! And what have you brought for me today?”
