Plan Change

TOVA

The forest was thick but one of the guards had commandeered a horse from a nearby farm. I was lifted up on to its bareback, sitting sideway. King Erik walked beside me, hand on the horse’s neck. Another guard led him by the rope through his halter.

We trekked through the forest for about three miles before it began to thin, and we saw the beginnings of a few farms and pasture lands. The nine of us were silent; the guards were too well trained to chatter and I’m beginning to notice that King Erik prefers silence. Birgir and I had nothing to say so we went along in the quiet.

I noticed that some of the villagers were coming out of their huts, standing at their doors, watching us walk into town. No one said anything, but all the men and young boys were saluting the king and the women would curtsy as we passed by. Erik moved his hand to my leg underneath the cloak and he would occasionally give my calf a light squeeze. I was confused as to what that meant.

We passed through t