The Irish Jewel

Over the next few days, we passed through areas where I had never been before and it was an extremely frightening feeling, to be almost completely alone in an unknown place. At night, we could hear a large number of strange, and sometimes dangerous, sounds. We never crossed paths with other travelers and the road was merely a ridden down path through the green hills of Ireland. Four days had passed without anything happening, no sign of pursuit came from behind us, before I finally worked up the courage to ask what has been troubling me mind since Connor delivered his evil tidings.
"How do you know me da is dead? Did ya see him killed?" I kneed my horse to walk a bit faster until I was riding next to Connor. "And why are you the only one who survived? We know nothing about who you are or where you came from. Who's to say you won't be leadin us into a trap of some sort?"
"Think about what you just said, dearie. If I was going to kill you, don't ya think I would've done it when I first met ya?" Connor kicked his horse into a gallop and left my side, not content with his answer, I sped up to ride beside him again. "What do you want now," he asked exasperatedly.
"You didn't answer a single one of me questions before taking off like that. Being your princess, and now your queen, I think I deserve a few answers from ya."
Connor didn't say anythng at first, taking his time to think about he was going to say.

“I was abandoned by me ma and pa when I was a small boy, sent to live me gram. She told me when I was older that I had a twin sister and that my parents kept her with them but I would have been in mortal danger if I had stayed with them. After she told me, Gram gave me this here ruby ring as a last token from me parents. That’s all I know of me family.” We continued in silence through the rolling hills, occasionally catching glimpses of the setting sun through clouds.

Riding up between me and Connor, Aedan said, “Don’t ya think tis time for us to pullover and rest for the night? I’m exhausted from sitting in the saddle all day.”

“You’re right. Let’s see if there’s a place we can rest at the bottom of the hill,” Connor said, steering his horse to the edge of the hill and peering down. “There’s a cluster of trees we could take refuge in down there. Follow me.”

Aedan and I followed behind him and Matilde came behind us. “Leaning to me, Aedan said, “I don’t like you being alone with him. He’s a queer fellow; not quite right in the head if ya know what I mean.”

“No, I don’t know what you mean. He is perfectly normal and I can take care of meself thank you.”

“Come now, dearie. I only want to keep you safe and all to meself. Is that such a bad thing to ask for?”

I turned my head towards him and laughed. “I guess not.”

The hill became steeper as we went farther down it, sometimes causing our horses to slide. We heard a scream from behind and turned around to find Matilde hanging on to the saddle for dear life, trying not fall off. Aedan flumped off his horse within a split second and helped her down. “What happened?”

“He slipped and then I slipped! It happened so fast I didn’t know what was happening.”

“Maybe we should walk down the rest of the way,” Connor suggested, coming up behind us. I had gotten off my horse by then and was standing with my arm around Matilde.

“I agree. It’s not that much further anyways.” I took hold of mine and Mathilde’s horse and we set off down the hill again. We arrived without another incident and began to set up camp. “Did you happen to spot a river anywhere close for a quick dip? I feel disgusting.”

“There’s one a little further down that way,” Connor said, pointing behind him.

“Do you want me to come in case there’s a wild animal there,” Aedan asked.

“No, I’ll take Matilde so the two of you can stay here and make the place nice and cozy. Have you a change of clothes, Mathlide,” I inquired. She shook her head, embarrassed. “No need to feel down about it. You can borrow my blue dress, God knows I brought more than I need.”

“Thank you, your majesty,” she said.