Penitent

Chapter 254 Book 4 Ch 35: Thundering Hooves

While Gabriel gave orders and set plans into motion, Michael and the others made sure that their group was well and aware of the situation.

"I'll take good care of everyone," said Lance confidently.

Michael smiled. "I know you will. At least this way you get to head back to Delia sooner."

He smiled at that then forced it down. "I'd rather be with you and the others."

Michael shook his head. "That's what you feel you need to say, and it's what you'd do as your duty, but it's not what you want. That's fine. I'd never doubt your honor, Lance. You're the finest man I've met here. I'm proud of you."

Lance nodded, unsure of exactly how to respond to that. "Thank you."

Michael clasped him on the shoulder for a moment, giving him a final nod before he took stock of the others. Marcus and Pyotr were waiting for him a bit further away, but Ollie and Blake were still standing together. She gave him a quick hit below the belt with two fingers, but pulled away when she hit a barrier. He laughed, and she pushed him before pulling him into a passionate kiss. They held that for a few moments before she pushed him away with a smack on his rear for good measure. Michael found the entire scene oddly sweet.

"Gonna miss her?"

"Depends on what I throw and if she's paying attention," replied Ollie with a grin.

Michael laughed and they joined the others walking purposefully toward the command tent. He felt… light. He was worried about his grandchildren and his daughter-in-law, but he knew he would see them soon. Everything was just more right than it had been even days prior. He could hear the god's whispers in his ears, their divinity passing through him more easily as that sense of rightness and light grew within him.

They reached the tent and pushed their way inside. Gabriel was sharing a few quiet words with a man in full-plate. He gave him one pat on the shoulder and sent him away before turning his attention to them. His expression was serious and controlled, but Michael could sense the worry in him.

"We're ready when you are," he said.

Gabriel nodded, and gestured for them to follow. He had donned a sleek set of blackened armor with a red tabard over it, a sword swirling with titled letters at his side. He had no shield, and he'd kept his simple iron crown.

They reached the edge of the camp, closest to the road, where there was a large temporary stable. A middle-aged woman stood at its entrance, and bowed as Gabriel approached.

"Lord Castor," she said.

"You don't have to do all that Madlyn. You taught me to ride for divines' sake."

"Maybe I just like having this argument with you every time we talk. It's got a nostalgic feel," she responded with a twinkle in her eye.

Michael felt a pang in his stomach as he watched the interaction. His son had lived a whole life without him.

"Are they ready?" He asked.

She nodded. "They've been ready. They can't stand being cooped up this long to begin with. I hope you have a good ride ready for them."

He nodded. "They'll be sick of it by the time we're done."

She nodded and gestured for them to follow. The first part of the stable was, well, a stable. Full of all the sights and smells one would expect. At the far end though, Madlyn reached up and pulled on a heavy wall of canvas, bringing it down to reveal that the structure was even longer than it seemed to be.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Behind that canvas were four massive horses unlike anything Michael had ever seen. They were nearly twice the size of normal horses, with thick brown fur, long black manes, and powerful muscles. Their hooves looked as if they could crush rocks beneath them, and their eyes seemed to hold surprising intelligence as they looked back at them. Michael could see golden letters dancing around them. He divined them to find that all four of the steeds were titled and had Major Speed, Durability, and Recovery.

"These cost the fortune of a small kingdom," said Gabriel as he gave the nearest of them a firm pat on the neck. "It took a lot of effort to buy them from Creant, but with them we can cross countries in days."

"These aren't the men you had with you before," said Madlyn. "They aren't used to them. They'll only acknowledge those they deem strong enough to ride them."

Michael walked to the second stall, holding out a hand for the horse. It sniffed, its massive snout dwarfing his hand. It pulled its head back for a moment, then it pressed its nose firmly into Michael's hand. He wasn't a great rider by any means, but if it was strength they were measuring, he could show that in spades.

Pyotr went to the next one and received a similar response, as did Marcus and Ollie on the last of them.

"Will our combined weight be a problem?" asked Marcus.

Madlyn snorted. "To him it's the difference between one feather and two."

Marcus nodded and they guided the horses out of the stable and mounted them. Ollie and Gabriel did so with the most natural ease.

Once they were mounted, Gabriel looked back at them.

"They know to follow my lead. At the speed we'll be moving we won't be able to communicate, but I'll give you a brief idea of layouts, guards, and everything else you need to know whenever we stop to water and feed them." He paused. "Will your friends be able to ride without sleeping?"

Before he could answer Pyotr laughed. "Anything for my nephew."

Gabriel raised an eyebrow.

"We arrived at the Academy in Stent together. We're as close as brothers," said Michael.

"Don't worry, I'll sneak you a bit of weed and booze later to make it official," said Marcus with a smile.

"And I'll go into far too much detail about my lovelife than a man of your age should hear," said Ollie.

"Who are these guards, lord?" asked the stablemaster.

"A lot of things apparently. Trustworthy, most importantly."

She nodded.

He pulled on his reins to turn his steed toward the road. "Let's ride!" he said, sending his mount forward.

The others followed behind quickly, Michael having to rebalance himself as the horse bolted forward. He had anticipated that it would be fast, but had underestimated just how fast. The wind howled in his ears, and their hooves sounded like thunderclaps when they struck the ground. With eyes squinted near closing due to the wind buffeting against him, he saw the scenery to either side of him rapidly sliding away. It reminded him of riding in a convertible back on Earth, even the speed of them. They were running at what felt like twice the regular gallop speed of a horse and didn't show any signs of tiring even after maintaining that speed for more than an hour.

They hit the checkpoint between Cantalia and Swandia. At first Michael thought that they might pause for a moment so that Gabriel could signal to let them pass, but they didn't. The horses kept thundering forward until they reached the barricade at the border, then they simply leapt directly over it, clearing it with ease.

Michael hunkered down to stay in the saddle, and heard a resounding "woo!" from Pyotr behind him.

He was concerned about taking a horse through Cantalia, but the main roads, while narrow, could support them and Michael found that the steeds were much better at handling muck and swamp than regular steeds.

After nearly five hours of hard riding they finally came to a stop at a small spring, letting the horses drink and eat.

Gabriel wasted no time going into details.

"My false mother's manor is nestled in the mountains in western Burndan. It is more like a fortress than a home, with high stone walls and a moat surrounding it. It's guarded by men that were loyal to the former king and are now absolutely loyal to her. They have a number of titles, but I will be able to revoke the majority of them when we arrive. The bigger problem is her…advisor. It's insectoid in the shape of a man. He's very fast, and wouldn't hesitate to hurt my wife or children, especially once he realizes that I'm no longer under their control. My mother has allowed him a nest. A carrion pit deep within the caverns behind the manor. I am certain he has forces within them gathered, though I can't guess at how many."

"I can take care of it. Just need to get in there," said Ollie.

Gabriel's horse pushed its head against him.

"They're ready. Let's mount back up. We'll get into specifics next time we stop."

They all nodded and remounted their steeds.