there would be snow coming soon. Akira was counting on it. She stumbled out of her makeshift bed and squatted behind the hut. The air was chilling as she dropped her breeches. She saw Pegasus watching her. With no one else to talk to, she talked to Pegasus.
“What are you looking at? You do this all the time in front of me.” She finished her peeing and wiped herself with a handful of soft dried grass that had been just out of his reach. “Sorry boy, but I needed this grass more than you. While running away, we cannot expect amenities like chamber pots, but I believe there could be a nice creek just beyond those trees back there.” She pulled up the baggy breeches, tied a knot in the string that held them up, untethered Pegasus and put his lead rope on.
It was not very long before she found a creek in the rolling landscape. Even though the drier season was upon them it still flowed. It was logical that a shepherd’s hut was placed near a water source. And fortunate that the flocks were elsewhere. She led Pegasus across water smoothed rounded rocks, across a small sand bar to a small pool. He was a sorry sight, still blackened from the night before. She laughed and then apologized. “Sorry old boy, but if anyone was to report a horse and rider passing, to you know who, better they should report a black horse and not you, my dear boy. A few more days as a dirty black horse, and I promise I will clean you up first chance I get.”
She dropped the rope and followed the lead of her four legged best friend. She knelt down and drank the cold water until her thirst too was satisfied. The cold water in her belly made her shiver. She splashed her face with cold water. She splashed her face once again. The cold water was invigorating.
With her water flask refilled she returned to the hut and rebundled her belongings. It would have been nice to have a warm fire to eat her breakfast of dried biscuits and berries by, but she dared not have smoke marking or signaling her presence on the rolling prairies. It would save time to eat while riding. She looked at the horizon to the west. Her next destination across the dry plains before her was a small and narrow road in the foothills that would lead her to a steep winding mountain pass. The mountain pass would bring her to a plateau high in the mountains. On the plateau there would be a monastery. She would be looking for a mountain that looked like it had a broken top. On the right of the broken topped mountain would be another mountain with a sheer rock face where according to the stories told in the village back home, only mountain goats dared to climb. Between those two mountains was the rocky steep pass she needed to travel on, treacherous enough in fair weather but deadly in winter. Avalanches could fill the pass at any time, sweeping man or beast away, never to be seen again. It was there she needed to go. She was racing against the weather, racing away from one danger towards another. She braced her shoulders and looked towards the sky. Mother watch over me she prayed.
Akira looked to the horizon. She calculated it would still be another two days of hard riding to reach the mountains. She put her foot in the stirrup and swung up onto Pegasus. It was time to put more distance between herself and those who would use her with no regard for her feelings, men who would use her as they saw fit if given the opportunity. Even a kindly husband in the only existence she had ever known would still rule over her, treat her as a possession.
She patted Pegasus's neck and spoke. “What is it about having something hanging’ between their legs that makes men think they are superior? The world can survive with less men. One man could help many women make babies. Men are highly over rated.” Pegasus's ears twitched as if he was listening intently. “Women children and old men do all the hard work anyhow while the warmongering men are off ransacking other kingdoms and lands. Who needs them?
“What are you looking at? You do this all the time in front of me.” She finished her peeing and wiped herself with a handful of soft dried grass that had been just out of his reach. “Sorry boy, but I needed this grass more than you. While running away, we cannot expect amenities like chamber pots, but I believe there could be a nice creek just beyond those trees back there.” She pulled up the baggy breeches, tied a knot in the string that held them up, untethered Pegasus and put his lead rope on.
It was not very long before she found a creek in the rolling landscape. Even though the drier season was upon them it still flowed. It was logical that a shepherd’s hut was placed near a water source. And fortunate that the flocks were elsewhere. She led Pegasus across water smoothed rounded rocks, across a small sand bar to a small pool. He was a sorry sight, still blackened from the night before. She laughed and then apologized. “Sorry old boy, but if anyone was to report a horse and rider passing, to you know who, better they should report a black horse and not you, my dear boy. A few more days as a dirty black horse, and I promise I will clean you up first chance I get.”
She dropped the rope and followed the lead of her four legged best friend. She knelt down and drank the cold water until her thirst too was satisfied. The cold water in her belly made her shiver. She splashed her face with cold water. She splashed her face once again. The cold water was invigorating.
With her water flask refilled she returned to the hut and rebundled her belongings. It would have been nice to have a warm fire to eat her breakfast of dried biscuits and berries by, but she dared not have smoke marking or signaling her presence on the rolling prairies. It would save time to eat while riding. She looked at the horizon to the west. Her next destination across the dry plains before her was a small and narrow road in the foothills that would lead her to a steep winding mountain pass. The mountain pass would bring her to a plateau high in the mountains. On the plateau there would be a monastery. She would be looking for a mountain that looked like it had a broken top. On the right of the broken topped mountain would be another mountain with a sheer rock face where according to the stories told in the village back home, only mountain goats dared to climb. Between those two mountains was the rocky steep pass she needed to travel on, treacherous enough in fair weather but deadly in winter. Avalanches could fill the pass at any time, sweeping man or beast away, never to be seen again. It was there she needed to go. She was racing against the weather, racing away from one danger towards another. She braced her shoulders and looked towards the sky. Mother watch over me she prayed.
Akira looked to the horizon. She calculated it would still be another two days of hard riding to reach the mountains. She put her foot in the stirrup and swung up onto Pegasus. It was time to put more distance between herself and those who would use her with no regard for her feelings, men who would use her as they saw fit if given the opportunity. Even a kindly husband in the only existence she had ever known would still rule over her, treat her as a possession.
She patted Pegasus's neck and spoke. “What is it about having something hanging’ between their legs that makes men think they are superior? The world can survive with less men. One man could help many women make babies. Men are highly over rated.” Pegasus's ears twitched as if he was listening intently. “Women children and old men do all the hard work anyhow while the warmongering men are off ransacking other kingdoms and lands. Who needs them?
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