The Stargazer - chapter 3

Willow quickly dressed into her travelling gear.  With her, she took 2 spare cloaks, some cheese, some dried fruit, and a tin of biscuits.  That should do me; she thought taking 100 dinars from the jar in the kitchen and 3 water caskets from the water barrel.  She ran outside and brought in Percy from the paddock.  He blew through his nostrils noisily in protest at having to work so early in the morning, his musky breath billowing into clouds in the cold crisp air as she slung the saddlebags on quickly and heaved up onto his muscular back.  She looked one last time at her dear home, and with that, rode into the rising sun.1

It was nearly midday when Sparrow finally arrived panting with the best swords he could find.  They were good swords, one with emeralds set into the bright silver sheath and one with silver mirror stones.  Willow took a liking to the emerald one.  It seemed to call her like a child to its mother.  And so she chose the sword and named it; Spellda.  Sparrow shrugged and tried out his own sword.  He had been practising with Firewalker again, Willow could tell as she watched him silently leaping through the air, his lithe body almost dancing with his sword.  That was what firewalker taught, to never stop moving, to catch the opponent out when they least expect it.  Firewalker was an ancient man who taught the best sword fighting in all the land.  He had earned his name by walking the mountains of fire to search for his daughter when the Felldis goblins had stolen her.  His feet were so badly scorched when he returned that even the best healers in Lire feared that he would never walk again.  But he did, and ever since, he has played with fire at ease as if he had a mutual agreement; you don’t hurt me and I won’t hurt you.  2

Stealing horses however was not so easy; Willow waited outside the city gates patiently whilst Sparrow tried his luck.  There were many horses at Swinsworth’s famous horse fair which happened every week in the town centre, but many of these horses were on their last knockings and were only being sold for meat.  Sparrow tried to erase that inconceivable thought from his mind.  How could anyone eat a horse?  He shuddered and gazed around at the ponies, most of them being badly treated.  Suddenly, he heard a scream and a high pitched squeal from a horse.  Sparrow whipped round and saw from his hiding place a beautiful chestnut filly rearing as a farmer hit her round the head unmercifully.  The filly screamed again as the man grabbed a whip, and shouting “SWINE!!! You will do as I say or ill kill you where you stand!” whipped her.  He then reached for his sword and held it up against the filly’s throat.  He whispered something coldly in her ear and the chestnut pony trembled, her eyes widening fearfully.  The cruel farmer raised the dagger and Sparrow plunged his own sword into his back.  The man gasped, clutching himself as he fell forward.  Before stopping to think about what he had done, Sparrow leaped to the pretty filly’s side and, saying a few calming words to her, led her out of that wretched place.  What had he been thinking? The man had gone too far, he was going to kill the pony! He argued to himself as he lead her ,prancing, to the gates, where Willow was waiting for him.  Wait! He had forgotten, his sister had told him to steal 2 horses! ‘Right. Ill take this one back to Willow and go for another one.’ He thought silently.3

He found Willow waiting nervously for him.  Her eyes widened when she saw spirit (Which was what he decided to name the pony.), her sleek slightly bandy legs dancing around her new master as he muttered soft, kind words to her.  Sparrow handed his new steed to Willow, and, without a word, dashed back to the horse fair.4