The figures that emerged from the mist continued to advance and had already reached the road. The horse stamped at the ground that was becoming softer as the spring rain continued.
The man’s heart pounded. His mind was overwhelmed as his memory exploded with all of the childhood stories of the Outlanders that lived beyond the boundaries of civilization. Logically at a subconscious level, he knew that it was unlikely that a raiding party would come out seeking a single traveler. Still he considered his options as he struggled unsuccessfully to climb into the saddle.
The nervousness of the man coupled with the increasingly bad weather caused the horse to be even more skittish. The low rumble of thunder finally spooked the horse, which reared back with its forelegs kicking out.
The man held tightly to the reins in a futile attempt to control the animal. As much as he dreamed of living in a rural area, his experience as a horseman was minimal. Under the best of circumstances, he could prod a horse along in a direction that the horse was inclined to go.
However, the optimal conditions for controlling the animal had long passed. The horse was well aware of the inexperience of the rider. It was also somewhat annoyed that the rider had ignored the signs and prevented the animal from making for shelter before the storm arrived. The horse had little confidence that the rider would be able to respond appropriately and pulled away to find shelter on its own.
The rider struggled to hold onto the lead. Ultimately the brute force of the horse was too much for the man to control. The horse flung the man away as it escaped to seek refuge. The man crashed into the slippery mud, uprooting the flowers that he had been admiring a short time before.
Powerful hands clamped onto his shoulders and hoisted him into the air. The heavy rain continued to pelt his face like sand kicked up by the wind preventing him from seeing.
He rubbed his eyes with balled fists in an effort to clear his vision. Through the haze he could barely make out the outline of the muscular man holding him. He attempted to clear the tightness in his throat and speak above a whisper. “Who are you?”
The man holding him up laughed and placed him back on the ground. “Welcome Physician. I am Karl, and we came from the village seeking you out before the storm set in.”
The Physician’s body seemed weak as his feet slid uncontrollably on the smooth rain slick soil. He staggered as he attempted to remain standing. “How did you know that I would be here?”
A second man joined the first and steadied the rider. Like all adult males in the population, they were nearly the same height, but the second man seemed much smaller. Karl had the brute strength of an oxen that pulled the plow through the fields, while the second had a slightness about him that conveyed an antipathy for manual labor. “We were worried when you didn’t arrive at the meeting place. You need to get into shelter quickly. These spring storms can come on fast. If you aren’t careful you could lose your way and end up sitting out the storm on the cold wet ground.”
Previous: Chapter 2
Next: Chapter 4
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