Follow Me When the Sun Goes Down (12 page)

The next night, being Twelfth Night, was the occasion for Odin’s Hunt.  Luckily, I had enough time to Google it, and the idea was, we’d all go riding through the countryside, hoping for a glimpse of the Norse God.  Never mind that nobody claimed to have actually seen him since the first days of the
Ellri
, but it’d become a time honored tradition all the same.  In any case, a ride on horseback sounded like way more fun than being cooped up in the mansion for a bunch of boring meetings, especially since I hadn’t been riding for a few years. 

I half expected to find an old
-timey riding habit among the clothes the fae sisters had sent over, but there was nothing like that among them.  So, I opted for a pair of jeans, brown leather boots and a soft, cashmere sweater in a mossy green, plaiting my hair back into a single French braid that hung down my back.  Rob left his suit behind for a dark fisherman’s sweater and jeans, making do with motorcycle boots.  Instead of his usual leather jacket, he wore a heavy pea coat in navy blue to guard against the cold.  It was likely to be the most comfortable outfit I’d get to wear for my stay, so I could care less if I looked less posh than my peers in their elegant riding clothes. 

Sure enough, Jennike strode into the hall in a tailored jacket and jodhpurs, a crop in hand, looking every inch the refined aristocrat.  The other delegates showed up in various riding costumes of their own, the colorful jackets adding a
festive flair to the proceedings.  The only other person who didn’t make me feel like a bastard cousin was Macallister, who arrived in the expected jeans and boots with a slim fitting vest over a button up shirt, the cowboy hat pulled low over his eyes despite the nighttime sky.     

“Let’s get this rodeo started,” he declared with a whoop as we meandered out to the stables where an assembly of horses already waited, saddled and ready to go.  There was a lot more mumbling about how they expected him to ride on the “bitty little saddle” provided, only he used a lot more colorful language involving his behind. 

I hid my smile over how Mac seemed to take it as a personal insult that they’d stuck him with a nag instead of a horse more befitting his capabilities.  I was more than happy with the gentle bay they’d provided for me.  Her name was Cinnamon, and I privately told her she was the prettiest horse there. 

“That’s it, make friends with the horse, and you won’t go wrong,” Rob nodded his approval, checking to make sure all the straps and things were as they should be.  “You going to have any trouble with this saddle?”

“I’ve never ridden an English mount before, but I’m willing to give it a go.”   

“Atta girl.  You’ll be fine as long as you
’re easy on the reins, but don’t be afraid to tell her what you want.” 

“Do you have a lot of experience with horses?”

“Oh yeah, me and horses is mates.  Growing up on a farm, you can’t help but be familiar with them, especially back then.”  His assigned horse was a spotted gray (named Flicka or Flicker – it was hard to tell with the accent), with a lively step, itching to be let loose.

I always forgot about his simpler roots, but I could see the easy familiarity with which he checked the tack and handled the horses
, especially when my gentle Cinnamon startled.   Her eyes rolled wide as she fidgeted in place, trying to break free of the lead. 

“Ho there, luv, nothing to worry about.  You’re safe with me,” Rob cooed to the mare, stroking the side of her neck while firmly taking hold of the reins to give her less slack.  “What’s got you all jumbly then, eh?  You’re fine…” 

“H…h… hello, A-Anja,” a hesitant voice sounded from behind me. I turned to see Tucker standing there, his shoulders hunched with uncertainty as he waited to see how I’d receive him.  No wonder the horse had spooked! 

“Tucker!” I grinned, thrilled to see the young werewolf again.  “I’m so happy to see you!  Did Brody give you any trouble about assigning you to me?”

“N-no, not r-really.” He shook his head, blonde hair falling into his pale, blue eyes.  “Is M-M-M-M-M…”

I realized he wanted to know if Maggie was with me, and that meant she hadn’t told him she wasn’t coming.  “No, Tucker, I’m sorry.  Maggie stayed back in
San Francisco,” I said softly, resisting the urge to hug the poor guy at the way his shoulders drooped even more.  “You can understand why though, right?”

He nodded without reply.

“Are you coming with us on the hunt?”

“Y-Y-Y…” he nodded again.

“Well, great.  Let’s get you a horse.”

“N-not on horseback
.” He shook his head and I understood that he’d be coming along in wolf form.  Hopefully that didn’t spook the horses even more, but I had to assume he knew what he was doing. 

“Oh, okay.”  A horn sounded and people started mounting their horses.  “I’d better get saddled up.  We’ll talk more later.” 

Tucker gave a shy nod and loped off, presumably to change.  Part of me wanted like anything to watch the transformation, but I figured it was a pretty personal thing and he probably didn’t want an audience.  Besides, it was time to mount up, and Rob was on hand to help me up onto the block. 

“They’ve given you a side saddle,” he said as I prepared to throw my leg over the back.

“You’re kidding me.  People still do that?”

“Gently bred ladies do.”

Sure enough, Jennike sat side saddle, her spine straight as a board.  “Gently bred my…” I pressed my lips together to keep from saying something that might be overheard. 

Rob leaned closer.  “You don’t have to if you don’t want to, but with your age…”

“They’ll be expecting it,” I murmured.  “Aw, what the heck, I’ll give it a shot.  The worst that can happen is I fall off, right?” I smiled thinly, trying to figure out how best to get on the thing. 

“Let me help you,” Rob offered, easily picking me up by the waist and setting me up on the horse.  It took a few moments to find my center of balance in the unfamiliar position, but he held onto me until I was settled.  “You good?”

“Yes, I’m fine, thanks.”  A little too wobbly for comfort, but not too bad.  “Hey, where’s Felix?” I asked, suddenly realizing he was nowhere in sight.  “And Gunnar too.  Aren’t they coming along?”

“I heard Felix say he’d rather eat dirt than go for a ride.  Though I suspect it was fear of that very thing that kept him away from it,” he grinned up at me. 

“Ah, gotcha,” I nodded.  “And Gunnar?”

“About that, Gunnar came to me and asked if he could sit this one out as well.”

“Did he say why?”

“Apparently him and horses don’t get along so well.”

“Why?  What did horses ever do to him?”

“I think it was something about their teeth he objects to.”

That struck me as hilarious for some reason, and I had to stifle my giggles with my sleeve.  My big bad bodyguard was afraid of horses?  And a vampire to boot; it seemed like the horse should be more afraid of him than the other way around. 

“Well, that’s too bad, they’re both going to miss out on all the fun.  It should be fine the two of us though, don’t you think?”

Rob swung himself up into the saddle in one perfect motion.  “Yeah, I reckon we’ll be fine at that,” he nodded, sitting with easy grace.  “Besides, we have Tucker if something goes pear shaped.”  He jerked his head toward the treeline where a dark shadow loomed.  Tucker, I assumed. 

“
Okey doke, let’s get this show on the road.” 

Already the delegates had started moving off, riding singly and in pairs
.  All followed Corley who wore a bright red jacket, Jennike beside him. 

I ambled along behind them, taking it slow as I tried to get used to the rolling gait of the horse from my precarious position.  How the heck did ladies accomplish it in a dress?  I sure didn’t feel more ladylike for riding that way
– I felt like a big, clumsy, dork.  Rob kept pace beside me, making no comment about my snail’s speed.  Every so often I caught a glimpse of Tucker in wolf form slinking along between the trees, keeping a respectful distance to keep the horses from shying away. 

Once we were about a half mile away from the house, the horn sounded again and the riding party picked up the pace.  If I’d been trailing behind before, they really left me in the dust now.  I tried
urging Cinnamon to go faster for a few awkward lengths before I gave up. 

“The heck with this,” I muttered, unhooking my leg to sit astride. 
Even without a second stirrup, it was so much easier to keep my balance, and I shot ahead, no longer in danger of completely losing the group. 

“Atta girl,” Macallister whooped as I passed by him.  “Ride it, darlin’!”

Flashing him a smile, I kept up my speed, feeling more confident as the horse surged beneath me, eager to get in a spot of exercise.   I could hear Rob behind me, and I trusted him to keep up as I let Cinnamon have her head.  After all, falling wasn’t nearly the scary option it used to be.  Odds were I’d be able to walk away from any injury unless she happened to throw me in such a way that I landed skewered on a tree branch. 

After a while, the group of riders fanned out, and I slowed a
touch as the trees grew more dense.  Rob picked his way to my side, and we rode in companionable silence until I wondered if there was something in particular we were supposed to be doing. 

“So… is this it then?  We’re out for a ride?  We’re not actually hunting anything, are we?”

“Nah, it’s just an excuse for a drunken ride most of the time.  At least that’s how I remember it from when I was a boy.  Don’t get much of a chance to do this in the city.  Why, you getting bored?”

“Me?  No, I’m having a great time.”  Thanks to my vampire endurance, my muscles weren’t even the least bit
tired.  “It does make me wonder what it’d be like to ride through the woods during the daytime though.”

“Do you miss it?”

“Sometimes,” I admitted.  “For the most part I don’t think about it, but when we stop and spend time at the beach or out in nature like this… I can’t help but wonder how gorgeous it’d be in the sunlight.”

“If it helps, it’s cold and miserable out here most days, not like it is out in
California.  You’re not missing much.”

“It’s nice of you to say so, but we both know that’s not a hundred percent true.”  Sometimes I forgot Rob wasn’t a vampire, like me.  He moved around so comfortably in our world, it was hard to imagine him waking up at dawn
to put on a suit and tie, working the nine to five day job.  Then again, he probably hadn’t had to work a real job for years, if ever.  Not with Jakob keeping him on the payroll. 

“You can tolerate the sun somewhat, if you’ve a keen desire to watch the sun over the water, or see the flowers in bloom.”

“Sure, if I feel like covering myself from head to toe and if I can stay awake long enough.”  It wasn’t the same. 

“You’ll get better with time.  You already have a much better tolerance than most and it’s only been… well, you know.”

He was right, we had to be careful what we talked about.  Sound traveled long distances through the woods, and vampires had excellent hearing.  As if to prove my point, the sharp whinny of a horse in distress cut through the night, a man’s cry of pain right on its heels. 

“What was that?” I whispered, nudging the horse to a stop. 

The cry wasn’t repeated, and the woods became eerily silent.  “Sounds like someone’s had a spot of trouble.  Nothing to concern us with.”

“I’m not so sure.”  Craning my neck, I spotted Tucker, and gave a low whistle.  “Tucker, I want you to lead us to where that sound came from.  Can you do that?”

The wolf made a chuffing sound, its massive head bobbing once before tearing off to the east.  I set off after him before Rob could warn me against leaving well enough alone.  Something in that cry led me to believe it was more than a clumsy accident. 

Tucker led us to a small clearing, giving a low whine of distress, but not entering it. 
Jean Pierre Severine, the Elder of Toulac sat on the hard packed ground, clutching his thigh. 

“Hey, are you alright
?” I asked, reining Cinnamon in to a halt and sliding down to the ground. 

“It’s nothing
, I’ll be fine in a few minutes.” He waved me away, but I could smell his blood in the air. 

“Are you sure?  That looks pretty nasty.  What happened?”

“Something startled my horse and he threw me.  That’s all.”  Despite insisting all was well, there was a wild look in his eyes, almost as if he expected another accident to befall him at any moment. 

“Rob, can you please go and catch his horse and try to calm him down?” I asked, but
Jean Pierre grabbed hold of my arm, his voice low and urgent.

“You should not send your man away, it’s not safe here.”

Was he for real?  I was only talking about Rob going about fifteen feet away from us, how could that possibly be unsafe?  “Not safe?  What do you mean?”

Jean Pierre
hauled himself up to his feet, pitching his voice low, for my ears only.  “This was no accident.  I was attacked,” he replied, his eyes blazing with intensity.