Stormwielder (The Sword of Light Trilogy Book 1) by Aaron Hodges Read Free Book Online

He did so without complaint. Now Alastair’s pace was slower, his exhaustion obvious in the heavy tread of his feet and slump of his shoulders. He would not make it far without help.
    A surge of despair threatened to overwhelm Eric. There was no one out here to help them, and without treatment Alastair would surely die of blood loss – or worse. Eric barely knew the man, but in the last few hours Alastair had risked his life, and more for him. It was a gesture unlike any Eric had experienced and one he doubted he would ever understand.
    “Alastair, are you sure we shouldn’t take a look at your shoulder? How much farther–”
    Alastair raised a hand. “We’re here,” there was relief in his voice. He gave a short, sharp whistle.
    Two horses appeared from the trees and walked over to join them. The first stood sixteen hands tall and wore a glistening black coat and a brown leather saddle. It watched them with intelligent hazel eyes. It was a horse fit for a king. It wandered across and nuzzled at Alastair’s shoulder.
    The second was a similar build to the other, although its chestnut coat did not glisten with the same magic. It stood slightly smaller at fifteen hands and stared at Eric with glistening blue eyes. Four saddlebags and a water skin hung from its saddle.
    Alastair tightened the straps of each saddle and turned to Eric. “The black is Elcano; he has been my horse for a long time. You can ride Briar. He’s a packhorse, but a good gelding. I hope you’ve ridden before.”
    Eric hesitated, his tongue tied in embarrassment. He had not been near a horse since his banishment, and even then his family had never been rich enough to own one. He had certainly never ridden a horse. He gave a short shake of his head.
    A slight smile added colour to Alastair’s face. “Very well then, a quick lesson will have to do for now. There’s no time for more than that. Come here”
    Eric moved cautiously to where Alastair stood with the horses.
    “Quickly now, stand on Briar’s left side.”
    Eric hurried to comply, though the horse seemed to tower over him. Shivering, he placed a hand on Briar’s silky coat. He felt the warmth of the horse beneath the thick hair and drew some comfort from it. The cold of the forest had long since seeped into his bones. He breathed in the scent of mud and straw and horse, the rustic smells bringing memories of his former life. Pain rose in his chest and he quenched the thoughts from his mind.
    Looking up at Alastair, he caught the old man’s emerald gaze. Alastair nodded and began to instruct him. “Place the toes of your left boot into the stirrup and grab the saddle horn.”
    Eric complied, listening as Alastair continued to speak. “Now push off with your right leg. As you push, straighten your left leg and swing your right over the saddle and into the other stirrup.”
    In one smooth movement Alastair demonstrated with Elcano.
    Eric tried to copy the movement. He made it halfway before he lost his grip and fell to the ground. He rose with a groan, mentally adding another strike to his tally of bruises. But he refused to quit. Stabbing his foot into the stirrup he half climbed, half scrambled onto the horses back; inhaling a mouthful of horsehair in the process.
    For a few seconds he sat doubled over in the saddle, his body racked by a coughing fit. When he finally recovered, he looked up to see an amused grin on Alastair’s face.
    The old man gave a weak chuckle. “There’s no time to adjust the stirrups properly, they’ll have to do for now.”
    Eric nodded, feeling awkward in the saddle.
    “Now, horses are generally trained to obey a few simple commands. To make him move forward, give him a small kick with your heals. If you want to stop, pull back on the reins. Gently mind, you don’t want to hurt his mouth. To change directions, give a small tug in the direction you want him to turn. Got all that?”
    Eric nodded silently. The instructions sounded simple enough but he