54. Pegasus

Hilda was ready. William was a few moments later, as he had already understood what the wicked witch had in mind. Her mentioning that it would be "just like flying a broom" had said enough.

The witch, more used to riding a horse than William, made hers go faster. William's horse followed, as did the two soldiers. Then Hilda's shrieking laughter made the soldiers cringe and William grin. He sensed how she wielded her magic, her wand in her hand. He flipped up his own wand and cast a spell around the horse he was hovering over, and then two of the four riders calmly lifted off into the skies.

The two soldiers saw it happen and at first they did not really understand what they were seeing. Once the brutal fact had registered with them, they both started shouting that the two magical honourables should get down again for their own good and safety.

Hilda laughed, as did William. They felt good being out of the cart and in the air, wind in their faces and hair. "We'll be back again, don't worry," Hilda yelled down at Captain Lambert. "Just proceed, we'll catch up with you!"

Captain Lambert and Peter pulled the reins, stopping their horses. The entire caravan behind them came to a halt also as everyone peered at the two shapes on horseback, that flew higher and higher.

"What do we do, Captain?", a few men asked.

"You heard her," their leader sighed, "we'll proceed. And hope and pray that they won't get shot down. And Peter, next time I offer to escort a witch or wizard or so, kick me where it really hurts, okay?"

"My pleasure, sir," grinned Peter. He looked back and waved his hand. "Come on, gang, onwards. They'll come back."

With rattling noises, the small group started moving again.

In the air, Hilda and William flew side by side. Their horses were probably amazed by the difference in level, but they did not comment. They seemed to enjoy their sudden freedom and ran like mad trying to go even faster. To no avail.

"Ooooh, this is good," Hilda cried out, "I was going insane there. Maybe we should go ahead a bit more and- oh crap."

The ground crews that kept watch for unannounced flying visitors were awake and they had seen the two riders in the sky. As a result, a small tree in the shape of an arrow was fired at them. As they were high up and still far away, it missed by several hundred feet, but still the warning was clear.

"Maybe we should turn back and see- crappedy crap."

There were three more arrows coming their way, and this time the distance to them was worrisome.

"We'll go down and ride back to the carriage," William said. Hilda nodded, and they both dropped their horses to the cobblestone road.

"Such a shame," Hilda pouted, "we were having such fun. And we weren't even bothering anyone."

William laughed, leaned over and kissed Hilda on the cheek. "When you're right, you're right."

Her eyes flashed blue. "Am I ever not right?"

"Yeah, right," said William.

Before Hilda could question him on that, the soldiers had caught up with them.

"Honourable witch and wizard," said the captain, visibly agitated, "would you please not do that again?"

"You, Captain, are no fun. A spoilsport." Hilda hopped off the horse and handed it back to the original rider who had emerged from their carriage.

William let the other rider take over the horse he had been flying and grinned at Captain Lambert. "Can't help it," he said with a wink. Then he grabbed Hilda, threw her over his shoulder and with her screaming at him he walked to the carriage. The soldiers did not dare to laugh, afraid of any consequences.

"Was I convincing?", Hilda asked as they were in motion again. She grinned. "That was a bit of a surprise for me, you carrying me off, so some of the screaming was real."

"You did well, little witch." William hugged her. They had conjured some wine and toasted to each other. The trip out on horseback had been a good one. It would be their last one, they knew, so they were going to keep the memory.

They arrived at the border to king Herald's land, crossed it without problems and proceeded inland a while, until they reached a road station just past the town of Frad where they had been before, the town with the strange open wall that everyone had to walk through.

The resting place was off the main road a bit, hidden in a forgotten patch of woods. The travelling group was happy about that, as the view of nothing but rock was very mind-numbing. After dinner, where they all sat together again, the guards were again talking about the deal with the bedroom door. Whether or not they would be allowed to sit on a chair in front of it, as all night standing got them sore legs. Captain Lambert agreed on the chair, so that was easily done.

William and Hilda had been plotting though, and retreated to their room quite early. They waited until things in the corridor had calmed down and their guard would be halfway asleep, or at least on his nodding way over there.

"I think he's gone," said Hilda who was listening at the door, a smile on her face.

William nodded and, using his wand, turned their two chairs in two brooms. "Looks good like this?"

"Very nice, will do for an evening," Hilda said as she picked up one of the brooms and balanced it on her hand. William took the other as Hilda opened the window. They were on the upper floor. Not high, but high enough to break a neck when falling down.

They mounted their brooms and lifted off, first in the room to get a feel for their new rides, then they shot out of the window, making the thin curtains flap for a while.

At least there were no inhibitions, or trees shot at them here. They could fly and be free for a while, alone without the ever-present soldiers. As darkness had unfolded itself over the land, they enjoyed their solitude even more. The light of the half moon lit enough of the area for them to see where they were. They raced over the stone plains, sprayed water around as they flew mere inches over the surface of a lake.

After a good deal of unleashing their energy in flight, they lay together, on an elevated rocky platform overlooking a sea of boulders that had probably come down from a nearby slope long ago.

"I feel alive again, William," said Hilda, her hand over his.

"So do I. This is what we have to do."

"It is what we're born for," Hilda agreed. It made William smile, hearing how naturally she included him in the experience, the idea. "Too bad we have to go back to the resting place, before they miss us."

William sat up and looked at her. "We can stay here for the night. Wake up early and fly back. No one is going to get the idea in their head to wake up a witch in the middle of the night, right?"

"Unless there is an emergency," Hilda said, nodded.

"And usually you create the emergency, so they should be all fine," William grinned.

"You flatterer," grinned Hilda, pulling his sleeve to make him lie down again. From that position it was much easier to snuggle up to him and kiss him. "I think you have just convinced me that your idea is a good one."

Using magic, they pulled a comfortable and warm cover over themselves and that way they fell asleep.

The next morning, as the sun was rising, they woke up. Stiff, from lying on the hard rock, but happy that they had escaped from their watchers. They got up and flew back to the place where their bed was waiting for them, unused.

Their return did not go as unnoticed as they had hoped: several of their guards were already up and about, checking on the horses, so there was a bit of disturbance as they shot into their bedroom.

After the two had had quick baths and cleaned their clothes, they went to eat and then the journey was on again. Today, they knew, they'd reach Heraldion.

As the town that was their destination drew near, the magical couple fell more and more silent. Hilda stared in the small crystal ball that William had brought with him, he was paging through his special book. Suddenly there were some voices coming in from the outside and the carriage stopped moving.

"Now what," William mumbled. Hilda was already out of the carriage by then, and he followed her.

Captain Lambert was talking to a quartet of riders that had come from Heraldion. "No," he said, "you can not take them away from us. We have an obligation towards our king to see to their safe arrival and return. I understand your orders but they do not supersede mine."

One of the four, clearly the leader as his trousers were covered in golden chevrons, stared past the good captain. His eyes seemed glued to Hilda.

"Careful with that one," she whispered to William, "he's magical."

William nodded. He had already sensed the magic that was radiating from the man on the horse.

"You two will come with us," the rider barked, drawing his sword. He pointed it at Hilda. "I am serious."

"Wrong," said Hilda. "You four are coming with us, and if you don't like that, go back to Lamador and cry on his shoulder. We were summoned by King Herald, not by one of his doormats." She prepared for an attack from the man who held the sword. She was certain that he used that as a wand.

Venom all but dripped from the rider's eyes. "You are going to regret your words, witch." The man's voice was cold. Ice cold. "We are going to take this whole troupe into the city of cities." He tucked the sword away again and barked commands to the three that were with him. "And you two, get back inside the cart!"

Hilda ignored the man completely and walked up to Captain Lambert. "Captain. Thank you for being the man you are," she said. Then, after a glance at the barking man, she turned and slowly walked back to the carriage.

As soon as they were seated, the convoy went ahead again. The barking leader tried to push Lambert into going faster, but the captain was steadfast and maintained the speed they had held for most of the journey.

An hour or so later, after Heraldion was well within view, the carriages and horses clattered into town. The streets seemed to empty themselves of people: the oncoming mass of horse bodies did not give reason to believe that they would stop for anyone. It was only as they approached the castle of King Herald that their speed dropped to a mere trot.

Hilda and William were ordered to exit their carriage before going inside the castle walls. It was clearly an attempt to humiliate them, making them walk inside as people of low importance. They had however discussed that option already, Hilda bringing it up as she was well versed in things like those. As they had talked about this, they had also called up Captain Lambert and told him to inform the other guards that William was to be seen as a non-magical person. That message was of course a strange one for the guards but they would do as Hilda asked. After all, she was a witch, and witches were known for being obsessively opposed to anything normal.

The witch and her companion found an insane amount of Herald's soldiers around them. Hilda insisted that Captain Lambert and his men were to accompany them as well, or she would not walk on. The magical, harsh leader of the Heraldic men cursed her and tried to make her move on magically, but her power combined with that of William kept her standing where she was. Grudgingly he gave in and allowed their own guards to come along.

Hilda grinned. This little trick had shaken up the bullying magician, Gountar, quite a bit.

He had not expected her to counter him that forcefully. His somewhat increased respect showed immediately in the way he treated her. "Grimhilda, please enter the castle."

Hilda frowned as he only named her and did not bother about William, but decided that this was probably a beneficial thing and let it slip. They walked along, with their legion around them.

William looked at the armed men everywhere. Men with lances, swords, bows and arrows and men with nothing but chain mail. These unarmed ones, he assumed, would be magicians or wizards. Good to know that Herald had a truckload of those around.