Free Bliath: Shattered by Theresa Caligiuri

really big he looked from the girl to the horse and back. “What do you mean Oren is telling you stories, you mean like a game of pretend?”  She laughed like Vance was the crazy one of the two of them, “No, silly like I talk to him out loud and then hear him in my head.  Like I can do with the other horses, but Oren is the smartest horse ever, OOHH and Leo’s icky slobbering dog he always just wants food or for someone to  throw the ball….. throw the ball……throw the ball, but no one believes me, they think I am just making it up.”  Vance suppressed a laugh, looking at the small girl with scowl on her face and a hand on her hip. “Larin, I believe you.”  She beamed and threw her arms around Vance.  “Larin, what kind of stories is Oren telling you?” She rattled on for a while about the adventures Oren told her about and their special midnight rides.  How worried he was when she started to get sick, but also how he reassured her that Fera would be fine. Then she looked up at Vance with a puzzled expression, “Vance, I am supposed to tell you that she is his, and not yours.”  Then she shrugged.  “Larin, can I tell Oren a secret and you can tell me what he says?”  She jumped up, and nodded, she was happy someone believed her and she could help.  Then went back to Oren’s stall, Vance leaned in and whispered, “Ok, I know who she is, and I think you do to, since you're an Elven horse, she won’t be safe here for long, and I think in a few days, I can have her ready to go, so when it is time to go, you will cooperate and go the way I lead you?  Vance didn’t take his eyes off Oren as Larin spoke “He said you are not going with them.”  “Oren, the way I see it you cannot defend her like I can, she needs help, you love her, so I know you will tolerate me to keep her safe.”  Oren snorted and pawed the ground.  Larin sighed “He said fine, but he doesn’t have to like you.”  Vance nodded, and turned to walk away.  “Vance, where are you going, and why wouldn’t Fera be safe?”  Vance froze, he forgot that Larin understands more than you would think for someone her size.  “Ahh Larin, we just need to, um, take Fera to see her grandfather and the world is not a safe place.”  He was not lying to her.  “Oh that will be nice for her, you know Vance, I don’t think Oren is a horse.”  Before he could ask her what she meant, Leo was in the door. 
     
    “Larin there you are, when the storm hit mother was worried when she could not find you, so she has me and half the staff looking for you.”  Larin skipped over to her brother, Vance’s eyes met Leo’s, Vance put on his best business face and in a non-emotional tone asked how Fera was doing.  He said no change really but the fever was staying down, and she mumbles every so often.  Then Leo scooped up his little sister and headed back to the castle.   Vance went back into the tack room, and no sooner then he sat down, he fell asleep.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 10
     
     
     
    Vance woke in the middle of the night drenched in sweat.  He had not had a nightmare since he was young; he couldn’t remember what exactly was hunting him, but the eyes glowed and the world around him got cold.  Trying to shake it off, he deiced to go back in the castle and check on his mother.  He turned to the corner on the way out of the barn, to find Oren sleeping sprawled out in his stall.  Vance muttered what an odd horse and headed for the Rose room.
     
    Once inside the front hall, his excitement picked up, he could at least tell Fera he had a plan, and that was good news.  Vance peeked his head in the Rose room the find Leo asleep holding Fera’s hand, and his head leaning on the bed.  He was not liking Leo hanging over her so much, but what could he really do, right now her survival was in the hands of those protecting her and he was doing just that.  Desree, was sitting in the corner knitting, what looked like