“I didnae mean that.” He extended a slice of apple, stifling a laugh. But that did not tempt her to forgive the insult. Slowly, she approached him. “Would ye like to meet her?”
He has had the idea since she returned. He wanted to include Talia in every aspect of his life. The clan, its restoration, its growth. Even the leisure aspect, like horse riding and hunting. Talia did not have any experience riding horses, and Daisy would be the perfect horse to teach her. Darragh trusted her.
A cacophony of neighs carried to him through the passage, which he deduced to be excitement over the treats. He resolved that when her sister was older, he would gift her to Talia.
Just then, he heard a yell. Daisy was also stunned by it. Just as he turned, a flash of heat whizzed past his head and landed in the thatch padding Daisy’s stall. Suddenly, it caught fire.
Daisy neighed frenetically as the fire climbed the wooden pillar and lit the roof. Quickly, Darragh unlatched the door. She was easy to calm down. He led her outside, grabbing a bucket withthe intention of scooping water from the trough before the flames spread to the main stables.
Daisy bolted into the clearing, and outside, he saw something he hadn’t expected. White smoke was coming out of the main stables and… What was that pounding?
He needed Angus’s help. The fire had covered the roof, and the wind was the only deterrent, blowing it away from the mass. He yelled the boy’s name, but as he was about to burst into the stables, a horse rushed past him, leaving a trail of smoke in its wake.
That was too quick; the fire couldn’t have spread so fast. His suspicion was proved right when he hurried in to find smoke rising to his left.
“Me Laird!”
Another horse bolted past him. The banging was Willow attempting to free the horses. The back of the stables was on fire; flames rose from floor to ceiling like a furnace. He found the source of the voice.
Angus was pinned to the ground by an arrow to his thigh. “I daenae ken what happened. I saw the fire and tried to put it out when I felt an arrow stab me in the leg.”
He was drenched head to toe; he must have fallen into the trough from the shock. A trail of wet ground led to the tipped trough, empty and burning.
This was bigger than both of them now. The last two stalls closer to the flames were empty. Willow had freed them both. She was now banging on the next gate. The other horse trotted frenetically, throwing their weight around against the walls, but they did not have the common sense to escape.
“Come on.” Darragh heaved Angus onto his back. He unhooked latches as he moved.
Outside, five horses ran about, Daisy among them. Darragh whistled for her. She lifted her head. When she saw him, she galloped over.
“Get to the keep and alert the sentries.”
He dropped Angus to his feet; he could barely hold himself up. It would be difficult to ride her with the arrow poking out of the boy’s thigh. Darragh could not pull it out unless he wanted the man to bleed out, so he hoisted him onto Daisy’s back.
“To the keep,” he commanded, and she bolted away.
The left V was completely enveloped; the wind could not help now that the flames traveled through the passage. The wood darkened, and fire licked up the door, still tempered by a soft breeze.
The moment he bolted in, a horse collided into him with the force of a sledgehammer. He was slammed into the ground and winded instantly. It was only his luck that the horse did not trample over him as it made a hasty escape.
Pain shot from his spine and settled at the base of his skull. The hissing flames and loud neighs turned into muted buzzing… until it wasn’t.
It was loud and chaotic, and his ears worked overtime, picking up the sound of the grass swaying around him. He shook his head to clear it and pushed to his feet. He stumbled, but at least he was standing.
The front was completely engulfed in fire. Even if Willow managed to free all the horses, they would never willingly go through it. Through a gap over the flames, he saw a horse come to a halt. Hesitantly, it backed away, its eyes wide with horror.
The right stall! The other V was completely untouched. When the horse saw him burst through, it followed him.
“Willow!”
The smoke was thick and blinding. Darragh shielded his face with his hand, but the smoke crawled over and under, causing his eyes to burn. “Willow, get out now!”
The pounding did not cease. Another horse ran past him, its back charred. He felt for him.
Trying to wrestle Willow out of this chaos was futile. She had the spirit of a leader and would never leave him or any other horse behind. The best he could do was help her.
The horse in front of him was restless, and the bolt was too hot to touch. The pain was electrifying, and the sound of his sizzling skin would forever be engraved in his mind. He pushed through the pain and removed the bolt, then unlocked the last two stalls.
Willow neighed beside him, fear finally taking over. She was now his frightened little girl, waiting for his orders. Her red eyes watered, wetting her lashes and fur. He couldn’t see much himself, and his breathing had become shallow. There was no visible escape now.
