Red Rider

Uras came down the stairs and told them to lead the horses through the fog. The fog swirled around Tumaris's knees, hiding her feet. The fog was not as thick as outside the town, but she could barely make out her friends. The town had fallen silent. A few more windows were burning than before, however, but the thick fog turned most of them into dim spots. The only thing visible in the misty glow was Uras' white horse. The houses in the town were as if floating in a sea of ​​clouds.

Yelis shifted rigidly from the pain of the long journey. Walking was no better than horseback riding right now. Abigial came up to him. His long coat was soaking wet. Abigial grumpily held the now-soaked coat close to the others and took it from his shoulders.Erendiz grunted to himself and muttered in a low voice. Finally, Yelis grumbled as well, words like "Hot food" or "fire" had reached Elendiz. Elendiz approached Yelis with the joy of finding a supporter. "Hello, I am Erendiz," he said, extending his hand, but Yeliz did not hold his hand.

He simply said "I'm Yelis too" with a dissatisfied expression. Erendiz walked without a word, with his back straight and his head held high. It was a painfully hesitant gait, of course, because Elendiz wasn't used to riding. He got close enough for Yelis to hear and said as if talking to himself, "Snagers, black cavalry, shadow runners sound exciting." Elendiz might have been feeling excited, but Yelis was definitely feeling confused, cold, and damp.

Suddenly, in the dark, something big and hot hit the horse next to Yelis. Yelis involuntarily let out a scream. Abigial closed his mouth and pulled him aside. Ewin and the Woman had stopped, and the rest of the group did the same, tapping the animals on their mounts to console them as well. The fog was thinner here now, enough for them to see each other as clearly as they hadn't seen in a long time, but not enough for them to see any more. His feet were still hidden by low waves, like gray floodwaters. Uras cautiously led his horse forward a little and heard his boots rubbing against wooden planks. He signaled to those behind. The man to take them across was ready. The Red River was deep and wide enough to overpower even the strongest swimmer. Uras heard a sharp "Hisst!" sound. As Uras ran to Yelis, he drew his sword and pointed to the others. Obediently but still not understanding, Tumaris threw his own cloak over his shoulder to show his bow. As Uras raced back to his horse, swaying lights appeared in the mist and the muffled footsteps approached.

A few dour-faced men in rough clothes followed the man who was going to take them across. Torches in their hands illuminated the night. The boatman was examining them. Uras leaned against his saddle with obvious indifference, but one hand was ostentatiously on the long hilt of his sword. Tumaris loosened his taut bow. He wasn't sure how his bow was doing after being outside in all that humid weather. The man looked at Ewin, then cleared his throat loudly. "Are you ready for the crossing?" he said. He looked at them again, with a sullen, sly look, "I want it now, I'll pick one of her bottles, you hear?" The woman stepped forward, opening the way for her cloak. The man nodded in satisfaction. "Okay," the man said to the woman, "You'll get it while we're on the other side." For a moment the boatman's eyes darted, but he finally shook his head. "Let's get it done then," he muttered and went out onto the landing with his six assistants. As they moved, the fog around them cleared; gray branches closed behind them, quickly filling their place. The rowboat was a wooden barge with high sides, with a ramp that could be raised to cover its end. Ropes as thick as the man's wrist passed on either side of him. At the end of the descent, the ropes attached to the huge poles disappeared into the night over the river. The boatman's assistants attached their torches to the sides of the ferry. The boat was wide enough for their horses to disembark. The horses took turns getting on the boat. After everyone got on, he pulled up the ramp and the little ship moved slowly.

The man shouted to his aides as he prepared the little ship to cross, but the men were moving slowly, no matter what he said. Finally, he gave up and stopped shouting altogether. The boat wobbled through the waves. The pier disappeared as the mist surrounded them. No one spoke. After a while, Uras approached Tumaris. "Can they really catch us?" he asked quietly, "I don't know, maybe we can get away with it." Uras glanced at the boatman and his assistants before answering with the same mildness. "The fog is hiding us, but I still don't trust this man. A man who can be bought easily at an affordable price." "Yes, maybe you're right, maybe you're not." "The black cavalry can say that we have crossed the river. He can bring them after us" Tumaris said. "I guess you're right, I'll think we'll be safe, at least for a while." The boatman had turned from looking at the fog ahead. He thrust his pointed face forward and raised the torch, looking at Uras and Tumaris as if seeing them clearly for the first time. Tumaris shifted restlessly in place. "Let's not talk any more," he said. "I feel like he's hearing us." Uras had no desire to continue the conversation any longer. A sadness came over him. Hadn't they lived in fear for years? Facing all these fears now made Uras feel strange. He suddenly shuddered.

Directly opposite Uras and Tumaris were David and Abigial. Yelis was sitting among them. The girl looked pale. He had to give up the normal human life provided for him now, and the Sage said that the magic girl who had summoned Tonka's blood must be weakening her day by day. Yelis said, "Uncle David, I didn't believe you, but this is too much for me." Aunt Abigial took his hand. "This will all be over soon and you'll be better once we get rid of our pursuers, now you have to save your strength"

Suddenly heaps appeared like shadows in the mist before them. The ferry was approaching the distant shore. As the small ship approached the shore, the men rumbled down the ramp. In turn, they took their horses off the ramp. followed by the others. After the last passenger got off, the boatman turned to the woman. "Here it is now! I will not pay," he said. The woman's voice came from somewhere out of the mist. The boatman hesitantly approached the woman. The woman opened the cloak, while the man looked at the small colored bottles there and asked something to the woman, the others were waiting anxiously for them. Ewin was staring at the waters of the river. Ewin suddenly looked up at the waters of the river. The bargain with the man had ended. Meanwhile, the boat trembled with a loud creak. The boatman suddenly straightened, turned his head towards the mist-covered boat. The boat was spinning around itself. The boat was starting to crumble. A voice Everyone was startled by what had happened.