Free dragon archives 02 - pursued by a dragon by linda k hopkins Page B

about her early morning ride with Margaret, and despite the inclement weather, was eager for the pursuit.
    Warmly dressed, she descended the stairs a half hour later. Margaret was already awaiting her presence in the hall, and she greeted Cathryn with a warm smile.
    “The horses are saddled and waiting, but we can remain indoors until the mist burns off if you prefer.”
    “No,” responded Cathryn. “A little mist does not scare me, and it is bound to lift as we ride.”
    “Excellent,” responded Margaret. “Then let us be off,” she said, “the stables are not far.” She led the way out the hall and into the courtyard. As they reached the stables, Cathryn could see the wilderness stretching into the distance ahead of them, while to the east lay the woods.
    “We will follow the bridle path through the wilderness,” said Margaret as she mounted her horse, “and then swing back through the woods. There is a pretty little pond where we can stop for a while.”
    Cathryn knew that many country estates allowed a few acres of their land to remain wild, although the name ‘wilderness’ was often misleading, since it was carefully cultivated. As they rode, she saw bright yellow daffodils dancing in the early morning breeze, while purple lupines and small white daisies added to the colorful display. The mist was starting to lift, revealing the sun hiding behind the curtains like a shy debutante. Birds sung out their chorus in the grass and bushes, and as they rode, Margaret pointed out robins, wrens, sparrows and woodpeckers flittering between the trees. A speck in the sky caught Cathryn’s eye, and she looked up to see three shadows circling high in the air above them.
    “Are those hawks?” she asked Margaret, directing her attention to the distant specks. Looking up, Margaret stared at the sky for a long time.
    “They are too far away to see,” she finally replied. “They may be hawks, or perhaps eagles. Too large for falcons, I think. You may see some other animals as we ride, though. Some deer, perhaps, or maybe a fox.”
    “What about wolves?” Cathryn asked.
    “No, there aren’t any wolves in these areas.” Margaret pointed into the distance. “Can you see the swans? They will be landing in our little pond, which is not too far ahead.” Following Margaret, Cathryn kicked her horse into a trot, and they quickly covered the distance to the pond, reaching it as the swans made their somewhat ungainly landing in the water, honking loudly as they did so.
    The disturbance caused waves to lap against the edges of the pond, causing water lilies to bob on the surface. A loud plop signaled the presence of a frog exiting into the water, while other water birds loudly proclaimed their annoyance at the intrusion. In just a few minutes, peace and calm had been restored, and Cathryn slid off her mount to examine the flowers and weeds growing at the water’s edge. Small birds flew amongst the reeds, while dragonflies hovered over the water’s surface, waiting for a tasty morsel. Butterflies flittered about, and with the peace restored, frogs climbed back onto the lily pads.
    “It is so beautiful,” said Cathryn quietly, afraid to disturb the peace once more. She watched as a mother duck took to the water from amongst the reeds, a brood of fluffy ducklings following in her wake. Their presence created barely a ripple as they moved smoothly through the water, diving their heads below the water’s surface in search of food before bobbing back up once more. As she watched, Margaret moved around the pond, carefully collecting plants and flowers.
    “Ah-ha,” Margaret said with satisfaction as she broke off the stems of a plant with small white flowers. “Marsh mallow, useful in the treatment of many ailments.” She moved to another tall-stemmed plant. “And this is yarrow, which prevents poisoning of the blood.” Margaret’s arms were soon filled with an abundance of plants, which she carefully placed in a saddle