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The stables was the opposite way she was planning on going, but still made the trek from her and her mate’s half built beach shack. She allowed a small smile to raise the corner of her mouth while she pulled apart hay from a bale. But it quickly faded when another pained whinny came from beside her. Ever since Heath had disappeared along with Ruri, she had been trying extra hard to keep up with her Page duties. It was hard to step into his shadow when every glance at the deep dark eyes of the horses in the barn, expecting the Marshal instead of her, sent icy daggers down her throat.
A cold breeze crept into the barn through the cracked open door. The girl tossed in the flakes of hay to the horses waiting devastated behind the bars. She let out a sigh which turned into fog before her muzzle. Everything was so difficult; she knew she had to get away sometime. With the duty of building her own house and the stress of winter along with her stable occupation, Ever had completely neglected her stallion. He grazed a way off from the stable, lifting his head and peering at her through the old, dirt-tinted windows protectively.
Ever cleaned up quickly, sweeping the fly away bits of straw. Slipping in a dark, cluttered corner of the barn, the silver girl rummaged through a chest of old clothes. So far, this was her only source of clothing. She stripped off her heavy sweater and replaced it with a maroon shirt dress. It was her favorite winter outfit with long sleeves and a turtleneck. She liked to keep it in the barn because it was the best to ride in.
Back out in the cold the girl went and was immediately joined by her companion. As soon as her nimble body struggled with the frozen door and managed to close it, he arrived to see what’s next. Ever rubbed both sides of his neck vigorously before swinging on top of him. She entwined her black fingers into his white silk of fur in the same second he took off without command.
It didn’t take long to get to the other side of the coast on horseback. Saphraine breathed raggedly by the time Chien hotel came into view. His neck was slick in the cold and Ever shivered on top of him. She silently led him to a big pine where he grazed slowly while she rested easily against the trunk. Ocean colored eyes started at the unfamiliar, old sight of the hotel.
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