Horse King (Phantom of the Opera)

Chapter 5 - Found

Alexis's POV:

I urged Ash faster. I thought I heard some of the men coming after me. I laid the rein tips into Ash's flank and he increased his speed. At last I had escaped the open country and was in the scrub brush. I could see some of Richards men following me but in the moonlight they couldn't see me. I was perfectly hidden. I was at that moment grateful that Ash was a gray dun. The men turned back and I started my ride. I had no idea where I was going but I was going. I would rely on my instincts and I would find my daughter or die trying.

Ten hours later, Ash was dragging and so was I. We had covered miles of country without a sign of Jewel. I dismounted Ash and dropped to the ground. I had found a small pool of water and Ash was more than glad to the water. I ignored my thirst and listened. I was hoping that I might hear something on the wind. Suddenly I heard horses. I grabbed Ash's mane and swung aboard. Because he was tall enough I could see over the brush. What I saw took my breath away. There was a cleared path which ran about four hundred yards away and galloping down it was a herd of about fifty horses. They were all wild mustangs. The colors were dazzling. I watched in shock as they raced by me. Then I saw a horse. It wasn't a mustang but a palomino quarter horse. It had a saddle and a bridle. It was the missing horse. I could only gather that Jewel had been thrown and the horse had joined with the wild band. I looked around and saw on a rock outcropping a lone black cloaked rider on a black horse. I swallowed and whispered,

“Horse King.” I quickly turned Ash in the direction that the mustangs had come. It wasn't hard to track where they had ran. I was so concentrated on the my object that I didn't hear the soft tread of a mustang behind me. I looked carefully at the dusty tracks and soon found the place where the palomino had entered the herd. Tracking its tracks was a whole lot worse than the herd. They were easy but one lone horse wasn't. It wasn't long before I came to the edge of a ravine. I looked down and saw a form in white. It was Jewel. I jumped off Ash and before I could even think I plummeted to the bottom. I ignored the pain in my ankle as I hit the bottom. Tears pored down my cheeks as I ran to her side. She was still and had obviously been knocked unconscious by the fall. I started to check for broken bones and was grateful to have found none. She seemed to just be bruised and cut up a bit. I turned her over and ran my hand over her deformity. It had opened up. I flinched. They needed proper attention to close up without any more damage. I lifted her thin body in my arms and struggled to stand. I howled in pain as my ankle told me that I was doing no such things. I collapsed to the ground and held her close. Now I was stuck. If I couldn't stand that I sure couldn't get out of the ravine.

I laid her softly on the ground and examined my ankle. It was already swelling and turning colors. I tried to move my toes but I couldn't. That meant I had broken it. Now, what was I going to do? I sat back and looked up. Ash was standing at the edge and looking down at me. Suddenly my ears caught the sound of hooves toward one end of the ravine. I looked that direction and the full moon clearly showed the form of a black cloaked rider and a black horse. I swallowed as the rider drew closer. He slid off the horse and it was then that I noticed there was no saddle or even bridle. The only control he had over him was the mane and his legs. He had to be on master rider. He walked toward me and his black cape billowed behind him. I smiled at him and he laid his hands on his hips. I couldn't see his face and that annoyed me.

“What are you doing here?” He asked quietly. That voice was hypnotic. I sighed.

“My little girl got lost. I came after her.” He nodded quietly.

“Did you break your ankle?” I nodded. He walked over and laid his hand on it.

“You certainly did break it. I might be able to fix it but my medicine is at the house. Can you ride a horse without a saddle?” I shook my head. He shrugged his shoulders.

“Never mind. You need to learn.” He picked me up and sat me on top of his black mustang.

“Take her up easy.” He whispered to the horse. The horse turned and I held on for my life. I looked back and saw him pick up Jewel. He was staring at her deformity. I glared back at him but he didn't see. The black mustang walked up the ravine to the end where it scrambled up. I held on as my ankle screamed in agony. I was started to feel slightly faint. The stress of the day combined with the pain and adrenaline rushing through me was having its affect. The black mustang walked over to Ash and then stopped. I slumped over his neck and somehow stayed on as I fainted.