Free Silver Dragon by Jason Halstead Page A

than it had when she'd first donned it.
    She stared at the box placed beside the horse and the acolyte who stood near it, ready to assist her. Aleena took a deep breath and blew it out. She'd never ridden a horse before and now she was expected to get on one that looked to her like it was as big as her father's tavern!
    Aleena nodded to bolster her nerves. She'd survived so far . Leander wouldn't let her go after all the work she'd already done, would he? Aleena put a foot on the box and stepped up, and then grabbed the saddle and put her foot in the stirrup. She stepped up and balanced precariously in the air for a terrifying moment until the acolyte sprang into action and guided her onto the horse's back.
    "My lady, snap the reins and kick his flanks. He'll know what to do," the acolyte whispered to her after he handed her the lightweight jousting lance.
    Aleena groaned at the weight of the lance. Her arm was tired and her body sore ; how could she possibly hold the lance out to strike on a galloping horse! She thought back to Celos's ride and remembered how he had started with the lance up, and then he lowered it across the horse as he rode. She could do that, couldn't she?
    Sir Amos rang his bell, signaling that she could joust when ready. She took a breath and was about to leave when the acolyte cleared his throat loudly. Aleena looked down and saw him holding up a shield for her. Unlike the shield she'd used when fighting, this one was a kite shield, designed to protect a mounted knight while jousting. She took it from him and rested it on her hip, and then realized she wasn't holding the horse's reins tightly enough to guide it.
    She looked down when she heard someone else cough. They expected her to ride. It was cold out, the snow was blowing , and the sun was starting to set in the west. Aleena bit her lip and nodded again, though the movement was unnoticed inside her loose-fitting helm. She kicked the horse in the sides and let out a yelp when it surged forward.
    Aleena's stomach was either in her throat or on the ground behind her. She wasn't sure but she was afraid to turn and look. She squeezed her knees against the warhorse and found herself constantly being tossed up with each uneven step the horse took. There was no way she could ride on it, not with holding {the lance in} her hands.
    The straw dummy holding the club-tipped lance drew closer to her as the horse ran along the rail. She just had to keep her balance a few more seconds, and then she could toss the lance away and grab on for her life. Maybe even slow the horse down, except she wasn't sure how. What if she kicked it again; would it know to stop?
    Aleena lowered the lance and tried to control it as the weight of the weapon pulled it towards the ground. It fell quickly, bouncing off the saddle and slipping out of her grasp just as she reached her target. The dummy's lance struck her shield and slid up to her shoulder, jarring her so painfully that she fell away from the horse. She threw her arms out and opened her mouth to scream but the ground slammed into her and knocked her breath and her consciousness from her before she could utter even a squeak.
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 6
     
    Patrina found Caitlyn sitting and watching the flames consuming the logs in the large hearth. She walked up beside her, making sure she scuffed her feet on the wooden floor to alert Alto's sister to her presence. When Caitlyn didn't look up, Patrina frowned. "May I sit with you?"
    Caitlyn jerked out of her thoughts and glanced up at Patrina. Her cheeks flushed to match the fire and she nodded while scooting over on the bench she sat on. "If it pleases you, my lady," Caitlyn stammered.
    Patrina smoothed her dress and sat down beside the troubled woman. She found her eyes captured by the dancing flames and felt their warmth drive away the chill from the visit to her mother's garden. "This is nice," Patrina offered, trying to break the ice between the two.
    Caitlyn let out a