Day 5 - Scene 12

They stepped out into the afternoon sun; Amanda first and Enar a few steps behind, slightly out of breath. He stopped and blinked for a moment, almost blinded by the brightness after the darkness of the tunnel.

“Here we are,” said Amanda. “Ready for some rain?”

She stood with her hands on her hips and her head tilted back, looking up at the sky; clear and blue – not a cloud as far as the eye could see.

“I don't know...” Enar put on a deep, very serious, frown. He scratched his chin. “I just don't know. Does your cart float? Maybe we should pack some oars – in case of flooding you know.”

Amanda nodded and pursed her lips. “Then we'll need life vests too, and a harpoon – in case of a shark attack.”

“Food rations.”

“And rum – lots of rum.”

They both looked at each other – big silly grins on their faces.

“Right...” Amanda cleared her throat. Giggled a little and then composed herself. “We should get moving. I'll go fetch Sofie. Would you mind getting the cart out?” She nodded at the wagon shed. “You can just pull it – it's not that heavy.”

“Sure, but...” Enar looked at the stables. “Isn't she just in there?”

“No. She's wandered off. There's a pasture for her a little further up the hill. She's probably there.”

“Oh... okay.” What if she wasn't? They really trusted their horses out here.

Amanda fetched some ropes and straps – probably a bridle or something – from within the stables before she disappeared around the corner and into the forest. Enar turned to the shed with the cart. How heavy could it be? She would have pushed it in there, right? Probably easier than making the horse back it in. He rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. Pulling it out again should be easy enough.

Enar walked up to the cart and lifted one of the two beams you tied the horse between. What were those called again? He thought about it for a moment, but the word eluded him. Not that it mattered, the thing would work no matter what he called it. All he had to do was hold on to it and haul – so he did.

The cart rocked forward and the other beam dug into the ground next to him. He sighed and glared at it. Didn't think about that. Very well then, time to play horsie. Enar turned around and placed himself between the two beams – just where the horse would be.

Bending down he lifted up the beams, flexed his fingers to adjust his grip and pulled – hard. He strained against the weight of the cart; clutching the beams until his fingers ached and pushing with his legs. He clenched his teeth, crammed his eyes shut, and – little by little – got the cart moving. Slowly at first and then, as he built up momentum, it rolled out of the shed and he had to brace against the ground with his feet to stop it before it rolled too far.

Enar wiped the sweat from his brow. That'd do. The cart stood in the middle of the open space between the sheds, facing the little road that lead away down the hillside. He picked up the basket from the bench by the door and hoisted it up on the back of the cart. The tarp from yesterday still lay there, up near the front, just behind the driver's seat. With a push he shoved the basket up there too. He'd put it on top of the tarp later, once they'd climbed up and were good to go. That way it wouldn't rattle around.

A drink would be nice; something refreshing to slake his thirst. There was cider in the basket, but he probably shouldn't touch that yet – not before Amanda came back at least. Well, he shouldn't touch it at all really, but he was still on vacation, and he no longer felt any effects of the cider he'd had at the beach earlier. That seemed so far away now. He'd completely lost track of time there in the kitchen.

Enar looked up at the sky, leaned back on the bench and let the sun warm his face. They had plenty of time. He'd be back in Hyardum long before evening fell, and Otter had been wrong about the rain. Life was good.

He heard them before they arrived; hoofs clopping behind the stables. A moment later they came around the corner; Amanda first, leading the horse.

“Sorry about the wait. She'd gone off all the way to the top of the hill, silly girl.” She patted the horse on the mule.

“No worries at all. I've been enjoying the view.” He gestured out over the lake and the hills beyond. “It's really beautiful here.”

“Sure is.” Amanda smiled and looked out over the landscape too. “We should get going though. There really is rain coming. Would you mind holding Sofie while I tack up?”

Enar's mouth went dry. “Oh, is there?” He stood up, wiped his hands on his jeans and walked over. “What do I do? Just hold on to this thing?” They call it a bridle right, or reins? Something like that.

“Yes please, just hold on here.” Amanda handed him a rope attached to some kind of harness strapped to the horse's head. “She won't move as long as someone holds on to the lead rope. Makes it so much easier to tack her up if I don't have to hold on to that myself all the time.”

“Ah, yes... I can see that...” He stared up at the horse.

Sofie stared down on him from high above. Standing straight his eyes weren't even at a level with her mouth. Enar swallowed and tried to look relaxed and confident. Her nostrils flared now and then, but other than that she stood completely still, staring down at him with big, dark, eyes.

Amanda returned from within the stables carrying a small step ladder and large bundle of leather straps. “So, yes, rain...” She set up the ladder next to the horse, climbed up two rungs and started laying on the harness.

“Yes?”

“What?” Amanda looked up. “Hold this.” She handed him a leather strap attached to a bronze ring.

“The rain?” He took the strap in his free hand. “You said there's rain coming?”

“Ah, yes.” She nodded and pulled at another strap. “I saw clouds at the horizon from up on the hill, to the north. Give me that.”

Enar's heart sank. “Oh...” He let go of the strap with the ring and received another one just like it. “Close?”

“No, it'll be a while yet...” She stepped down from the ladder, went around Enar to the other side of the horse and reached for the strap in his hand. “Here please.”

He gave it to her and she buckled it to another that already hung down from over Sofie's back.

“It'll be a while...” she said. “But I'd like to be back home before it starts.”

“Yes. Yes, of course.” Hopefully she would be. He'd feel sorry for her if she had to drive all the way back home in the rain just for his sake. “Rain is best on the windowsill – as they say.”

Amanda nodded and pulled at the harness. “That too...” She nodded again and patted Sofie on the rump. “That's a good girl, standing still like that.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, I don't mind getting a bit wet personally. “She checked the harness one last time and then reached for the lead rope in Enar's hand. “Here please. It's not like it'll ruin my hair or anything anyway.”

Enar grinned and gave her the rope. “Your words, not mine.”

She raised an eyebrow at him and began leading Sofie towards the cart. “It's the roads. If they get too muddy she won't be able to pull the cart through it.”

Enar's face fell. “Oh... heh... I didn't think of that.” That would be bad. “Are you sure you want to risk it? I mean... I wouldn't want you to get stuck out there in the middle of nowhere.”

Amanda threw him a smile, but it faded fast. “It'll be fine. Don't worry, we've got plenty of time still.” She held out the lead rope to him again. “Would you mind holding her again?”

He stepped over and took the rope out of her hand. “What if though? I mean if it does happen – you'd be stuck out there?”

Enar glanced up at Sofie. He wouldn't know the first thing about being stuck with a horse in the wilderness. She was really big. Maybe a driver's licenses wasn't such a good idea. Then again, roads in the city didn't turn to mud when it rained.

Amanda lifted up one of the beams and started fastening it to the harness. “I'd leave the cart and go home.” She pulled at the straps holding the beam to the harness and then walked around to the other side. “I'd take Sofie with me of course, but I'd have to come back another day and pick up the cart again.”

“Right.” He nodded. “Let's hope it won't come to that.”

“It won't.” She smiled and patted him on the back. “It'll be fine, don't worry.”

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Continued in Day 5 - Scene 12 - Part 2.

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