Riley Moon

Hustling to get my chores done, my day went by quickly. It was almost time to light lamps. I was already done fixing Lou’s cart, and was brushing down Clovis when I heard the voices of Kat and Ms. Wickets, approaching the house. I whistled at Kat then waved, she was holding up a basket that meant dinner time. I dropped what I was doing and ran to the house were everybody was gathering. Lou and my father already had a fire going, with six rabbits roasting. Kat placed her basket filled with fresh biscuits and honey on the table, next to a bowl of sliced apples and blackberries Father prepared. I picked up a wood barrel full of hemp oil and joyfully asked Kat if she wanted to light the lamps with me. She always did. There were half a dozen lanterns on the porch, they were already lit. We started on the row of twelve large blown glass lamps that highlighted the path to the barn. The walkway curved all the way down to where it met the main road. Each light was hung on a heavy wooden post, connected by a cobblestone wall that stretched the entire length of the drive. There were four more lamps on the end, two on each side, set close under a carved sign that read, “Alester Moon and Son, Woodworkers.” The trees are so thick along this part of the road, sometimes it appears as if the road is an endless tunnel, only separated by a few small villages and a few patches of sunlight that break threw the tree tops. Wild blackberries grow along the way leaving a sweet smell in the air. Lighting the lamps went quickly. Kat knew a trick her father taught her. She could light the wicks of the lamps without a stick of wood or a lamp that was already lit. The same way Lou could light cards on fire. A trick Lou taught her when she was young. With a simple snap of her fingers it was like sparks came out of her hand. No matter how many times I watched her do it. I could not figure it out. She sure made lamp lighting easy. We were lighting the lamps around the sign, when we first heard horses coming from the south up the road. The trees that lined the road amplified the rumble of the oncoming carriages. Kat was excited, nights seem to go by quicker with a few Passerbys, and we could get a better look standing right by the road. I didn't mind. I was always hoping for a kiss, in the romantic lamplight. Even if I knew that it would never happen. Kat didn't want to be known as the girl who kisses Selvain boys. I still liked to try. A single rider came first, he was dressed in dark clothes. He flew by us, continually beating his heavily panting horse with a whip, pushing it to run faster. That’s when the carriage came into view, pulled by two jet black stallions, its silver lamps lit up the road. It must be someone important because the coach’s bright metal fixtures and finely polished sides glimmered in the moonlight. It was moving a little fast for the dirt roads in these parts. Then something terrible happened! When they reached the bend in the road that hugged the property by the far end of the barn, it looked like the wheels got stuck in a rut, ripping the heavy cartwheels apart, separating the axles from the cab. The horses fell forward dropping to the ground, their harnesses were torn apart. The driver was thrown, forward, followed by the cab of the carriage now separated from the wheels rolling sideways over the horses, and then over the driver, crushing his legs as the cab slid, settling on its side. It did not seem such a wreck could be possible. Carriages don’t just stop when moving at full speed. Wheels don’t shatter, horses don’t trip. Abruptly the door on top of the cab slammed opened, two figures climbed out. Jumping down they immediately darted away from the crash into the woods opposite the farm. I ran to the barn to get a portable lamp. Kat moved slowly up the road, I quickly ducked through the trees to catch up with her. Calling out, “Kat wait up you can’t see a thing.” As I got closer, I could hear odd shrieking sounds like I'd never heard before, dreadful sounds I thought were coming from the injured horses. The high pitched shrieks continued, followed by six of the strangest shaped mounts I'd ever seen. Riding them were cloaked figures, their eyes glowed their faces seemed to shimmer in the dim light. One of the figures pointed toward us, shouting in a tongue I’d never heard before. Two of the riders darted down the road, in our direction, passing us by. I finally got a shocking glimpse of their unique animals as they passed. They weren’t horses at all. There mounts ran on two legs, were scaled and had a beak like a parrot. Not to mention a thick tail that stretched to the ground. The creatures lowered their heads as they ran forward grunting. They followed in the direction of the single rider who passed us very quickly. Then the leader pointed to the forest where those who left the wreck had escaped. Two more robed figures darted into the woods after them. The creatures navigated the wild blackberries well, jumping over the large bushes disappearing into the infinite network of the dark forest. The lead rider approached the wreck and dismounted. As strange as it seems, he reached out touching the cab. Its wood walls that shined started to lose their luster. Floors and axels seemed to bend and warp. Leaving a pile of unidentifiable wreckage, no one would know was once a carriage. As the cab crumbled apart, it exposed a hurt passenger. His animal immediately bit into the leg of the injured man lifting him out of his would-be coffin, now a pile of rubble. The last rider moved his mount forward, with a word I did not understand and with a yank of the reigns, the second odd beast lunged forward grabbing the man in its oversized beak by the chest. In seconds he was ripped apart by the ferocious creatures. Not believing what I was seeing I held up my lamp. The two men caught my eye. The leader on the ground pointed and yelled. His counterpart prepared to charge, pulling out a spiked club. The ghastly creature he was riding let out a horrifying jeer, lowering its head, it was going to charge. In anticipation we attempted to dodge the incoming threat. I don’t understand how we had not noticed walking into a patch of heavy weeds. The plants by the side of the road had just reached out, entangling our feet holding us in the path of the rushing villain. Kat in a smashing blow knocked the lantern from my hand spilling the oil on the growing plants, sparking the oil with her special talent, creating a fire charring the plants that clung to our feet. The flash also caused the now charging beaked creature to rear back dropping its rider, who lost control falling forward loosing his heavy club. It slid on the ground toward me, as the rider took a detrimental bounce twisting his neck with a cracking sound. His startled beast took a chance at freedom running off into the woods. Even though its spikes were almost as big as me I grabbed the club, placing myself in between Kat and the mangled figure on the ground, waiving it in a defensive motion. Everything was happening so fast. It took a moment to realize the rider was dead from his fall. I turned toward the leader, Yelling. “You will not hurt her.” He just leered back with malcontent. His eyes reflecting, like an animal in the moonlight. I could now hear familiar voices behind me. Our parents were coming up the road. Father was carrying a pitchfork in a threatening manner. The cloaked figure mounted his ride retreating back down the road from which it came. It was not the moment I had so long waited for. Kat leaned forward and gently kissed me on the cheek. That’s when we heard the driver. He was badly crushed, still alive, but not for long. There was too much blood that had stained the road. More blood than I had ever seen. Lou knelt down and comforted the dying man.