Everything Begins

Chapter 23

“Have you never ridden a horse before?”

“No. Please do not let me fall, Ga’briyel.”

“I would never let you fall. Just place your hands on the back of the saddle. Hold on tightly, but do not tense up. Relax and enjoy the ride. We are not going far tonight, just another hour or so. You will be fine.”

With that, Frank heeled Kumar to a walk and started upstream to join Dinton and Tero.

“What do you think they are talking about?”

“Home, probably. Although, Sophyra looks a couple of years younger than him, so I wonder how much she actually remembers about their village. After all, he was only six when he left.”

Dinton and Tero were tending to last meal as Frank and Sophyra sat together on the ground about fifty paces away, out of earshot of the others. They had traveled upstream for about an hour until the light failed to the point of danger if they continued. They had made camp, and Frank had helped Sophyra down from the horse.

“Are you all right?” he had asked when he saw her grimace as