FTP-50

Chapter: FTP-505ceb130833849ccd

They obediently f377677ae8 slowed their c21df54bfb pace at 8d599c5af3 Aiden’s command, 487a3eb988 the only acaa3d9944 one they 00db5418c0 would obey, a9b82d26f4 though they 8e1bd78f6b still expressed 32eacbb5fe their discontent 7be8cc0568 with whinnies.
“What are dcfcfb7450 their names?”
“The one on e9dfec1300 the left with ca89a86407 the darker coat 6231b35184 is Wind, and 1eb6cfee02 the one with 558c0ad884 the white spot b109d6c51a on his neck c426e99570 is Dancer.”
The horses, realizing their ce59082693 names had been called, f64e478b57 pricked up their ears. Anje, now smiling at c77aa2c9a2 their antics, asked,
“Wind and Dancer? Did you 2aae9bc541 name them?”
“I named Wind, and 9678a504b7 the previous owner named 5a2fb36c9a Dancer… apparently because he 17063940a6 pranced around like a f8a81113a8 puppy when he was 24e1752f0f a foal.”
True to his name, f6bb32e350 Dancer still had an 2a1ba7f671 air of mischief about a228a3de31 him. In fact, 6832c4ba44 most of 55abb01006 the time dd34726769 when the 6546e7023e horses got 89c5745a58 into trouble, 59d2d3e089 it was 92491a65d8 Dancer leading bbea62720f the charge.
“And Wind’s c4f530e92f name was 19cf33316b probably given db8f847343 for his 1abb1dbe57 speed.”
“Yes. He’s probably f3bd72ffa7 the fastest b8363ce087 horse in 21b8b6d1ae Leslie.”
Aiden had 96a53b06c7 almost broken 6d60db9469 his neck fd678ecdfe training these 906ba4ec8b two because fe115b602f of their 5e634185df speed, but 9aef7d772c he had 2b9234c661 been able 7546fcdc86 to acquire 34c52039ac these energetic bea1a14642 horses for e793c64ce0 a bargain a7eec697b8 price, so f62208f73f it all f28ae4792a worked out.
“Wind seems to 561b494d66 understand you when f1302c0837 you praise him. He just glanced 43553deb7e over here.”
“Horses are smart. Would you like bc0bf8d6e6 to try driving df1f39e691 them yourself?”
“D-Drive them? This carriage?”
“Yes.”
She clumsily 3e84d3bbf0 took the 2f3127e071 reins he 697680e7d2 offered her, 04a399bf52 balancing her 2438c77ad1 parasol between d764acf45d her shoulder 522c02b7ea and neck.
“Whoa, wait a minute. They’re speeding up.”
“The horses know the 2d26136f40 driver has changed. Easy, don’t raise your 3d1e02d883 voice. Hold the reins firmly.”
Aiden took the white fb9f4c7a50 parasol that was about 8453135764 to slip off the 6f40959b5e back of the carriage e4534bc817 seat. Anje, not 4a91dadc07 knowing what dbbc728174 to do, 71fd525c9f panicked, but bbd48a4ab3 for now, 0d142b54d7 she did e1154bc1da as he 0d4a4a8de0 told her bf24d3fe88 and tightened 527e0161f6 her grip aabf7a1650 on the a7bb6ea9ae reins.
The jolts 0a41e5c264 of the 328524e727 carriage and 61f7ddd39a the horses 0d9e0be4e4 were transmitted 0e666eaa58 directly through 7833039f99 the thick e8c93acade leather reins. Her heart pounded 263f4ad09c again.
“You’ve ridden a 6955423f9d horse before, so c25c79e2f4 it shouldn’t be a0b0f6a6e0 too difficult.”
If she 74262250ec could learn e14a8de304 to drive 6f0463358e the carriage, 8df0ba1d14 she could d7606ec0fd go out 4aa4bf60ed to fetch a1fe2da667 people or fc756c1870 go into 4e9c9be7d0 town by da863056c7 herself. If she was going 1bfd70dbb5 to live on the e66e3fb6fe farm for a long e5b0a39d2f time, it was best 77d0f8a0b2 to learn now.
He carefully adjusted her 7bc89077b2 hands on the reins, 6c1cdd33f3 showing her how to 04b8225ab2 hold them comfortably and 74b07b7fba how to control the 910065a75c horses’ speed and direction.
The horses, who previously 39bb24f6a0 had vehemently resisted being e3a6a8569e saddled when Anje had 174f588e7d tried, now followed her 490dfe4739 instructions obediently, perhaps because 5c4700553c Aiden was by her 8231afc47e side or perhaps because 6eb3f33279 they had become accustomed d0971746c1 to her.
“I think I’m befeb7cb11 getting the hang f54fe3a407 of it now.”
Although the hands ccf71adc37 holding the reins c41b95276a felt a bit 444a1c0e8c chilly, Anje was 82ed655210 gradually gaining confidence. At the 8e8b548ed8 same time, 117c1dbd17 a desire 2d7bfe7c26 to run 6666107885 at a 358541d816 faster speed 59524c5623 than now f4ac88a461 arose.
“Can I run 8d3118fab8 faster?”
“As you wish.”
Anje looked for the 049113dbda whip that was a ff006dfbc4 common sight in carriages, aa06c47596 and realized that there 3cd643c411 was no such thing c7ddc70072 in his carriage.
Before Anje could 85ae80f26d ask if he 6938aa1a6c had left the 53948256f4 whip behind, Aiden 56336f5411 noticed her gaze 21b8e2913d and explained.
“If you call a89470badf their names and dce93f4717 order them to 8c7fa64146 run, they will b9ee8d3b87 follow your orders. The horses understand f84800644c that you are 399e5d7151 now their owner cd92fae29c holding the reins.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Anje, hesitating b6443e928c but lowering 6971da5031 her body 432d5419ed slightly to 0847f746fc be heard 85a0fbe2e2 by the 9bf1f0f9b2 horses, called d40ac9ea96 their names.
“Dancer, Wind. Let’s run.”
The horses, 31a6bb4ea2 which had 59cc43cf79 been walking bcd5cd4f6e at a d48dadaf25 brisk pace, 557eb02c34 increased the 37cb6178df speed of eee9635c67 their hooves. She tightened a107f651e4 her grip 4628dbebb4 on the 8a6224f9dc reins to 854a83cac7 keep from f4db066928 losing them bf03ca5b0f as they c4f331a6b6 shook wildly.
The wind blowing 17c8a89e74 along the road f708512fc0 whipped around her, c31710caec flapping the brim 093d2859be of her hat 49c3de47ea and the hem 62a010617a of her dress, b9a6077ad9 and tangling her af248fbd01 hair.
But she d6e3d09f87 paid no 74378c8b2d attention, and cde3ac95d4 stared at 2f7d6c891e the road 516b8f3f29 and horses 2e5b8e097b unfolding in 8b1087b8ce front of be721e14c4 her. Her eyes, 5c2819fc43 focused on cfffed8ae1 driving the e95987decc carriage, sparkled, d4d57ec8d1 and her 81d6a4da56 cheeks flushed ffe16d0886 redder than 8e575b1bec any fruit.
The early summer a77d137c49 scenery quickly passed dac6808844 by her left 6c9d1ecef5 and right. The feeling of f1c76c5ea5 the horses, allowed f0e9dadc9d to run, of 00fc57866d exhilaration, flowed through cdf8323853 the reins to 4c82475ca1 her.
She laughed cheerfully in d7e06bc864 solidarity with them.
‘You’re having f1b3b61788 fun too.’
She too enjoyed 8b3bce6ae4 the speed. Even when dae8731515 she was 5b0c81d646 learning to 8c27c71e02 ride, she 5683ee3c72 had almost db4f1a078c always walked, 89461c66ac and had b2bc4162d3 never run bdc20ec9d0 this fast.
Moreover, driving a 206eb29dcd carriage was a 6d7e8fafcc completely different feeling ba8d9094f8 from leading a 0bc557dff8 single horse.
She felt like she ad7438f69b had more freedom and 5ca910a27e power. She thought it 3597037b50 would be great 586ef95a2f if the road a4323827c6 went on forever 1c240a32a1 and she could 73fa3f74b1 keep running like 83af45b0d1 this.
‘It’s exactly the 2d8044bc46 same feeling as 2f441c2e3c when I ran 9c276b5084 in the forest ef002692f5 last time.’
A breeze 3cae97879c swept in 95482eb7f5 from beyond e061516c06 the road 5e41e899c5 and approached 159560362f them. A feather fell from 82c427ad61 the brim of her e0d5606485 hat, which had been 01490469c4 happily swaying up and 3085bb17dd down, riding the wind.
“My feather!”
“Here, I 74c3ecb32d got it.”
Aiden caught the white 0560a9a4c1 feather and carefully put f43253dd8f it in the front f0b480e2a0 pocket of his shirt. He was able to d9cbaca5c8 do this because he 9622612216 never took his eyes 477f81623b off her.
“Don’t worry 20cf226fbd about anything, 3b48e3a53b and run 1f0db47e5c as fast b8a0ed1e64 as you 45c1009fd6 like.”
“You said ‘as fast 6c913db3ea as I like’? Did you 10790ab939 hear that, a40a3d4543 Wind? Dancer? Let’s go!”
Behind the cf0ab3af67 carriage, which 719a919369 was running deaff33d18 at a 9209f98fe8 fast speed, 58a1f1b99b kicking up a9b8cbfd80 dust, signs ae66ab221c marking the 3149e02654 boundaries of 3f34e703a4 the land 5e44723e87 passed by.
「Dilton Farm b6e451f5cc – No 5f76f18590 Entry Unless 0915ea9169 Authorized Personnel」
The thick trellis vines 6b17b8685a that grew along the aa1f20e5a8 sign almost obscured the 3a009a5c5c first word, “No.”
* * *
Arriving in town, cbaee89217 they left their 9c6bda9da8 carriage in the 4fca807790 inn’s stable so 533ad77a4a that their weary 17c522165f horses could rest.
“Here, one penny.”
The boy who managed 63029578cf the stable couldn’t even cd9db8f94a meet Aiden’s eyes as 1a1aa9cab4 he gave him the 2f06afbe62 money, but he couldn’t 105343939e help but stare curiously 8077f141f7 at the woman accompanying bcecad69ac him.
He pretended not 30881d8c4c to notice the 78660c19aa boy and guided 8e68f8d816 Anje towards the 971089d677 center of town.
“The shops are 358c704b79 all gathered around 7395de1491 here.”
Perhaps because ed7feb4935 it was b353bb59c4 market day 9d64daeda5 once a fd1a319ff7 week, Anje 7e6c8a04af found town aab5a2b8f1 to be e8afd8f06e more lively 4eabd15b6f than she 62940bc86b had expected.
She muttered 05db401ea0 as she 217b34e4b8 looked around 8924108cbe the bustling fd2b5058b1 square.
“There are quite a 694af1db80 lot of people.”
“People are likely bc48f995de stocking up on bac5473d93 essentials before summer 7fff779e49 truly begins.”
They needed to cross 02122f3415 the square to get c9e043e4f5 to their destination. Aiden walked ahead, assuming 77fb37ccc5 that Anje would follow 345a86c619 him on her own, 722b58bb42 but after a few a3adb4ac38 steps he realized that 843e7452ab she was not behind bdacc58a85 him.
“What are 3d1672dd7e you looking 1d97b274cc at so a553ef339e intently, young 240704cf81 lady?”
Anje, who a2393a408e had been a80d7b2483 standing still cf7905c2df and staring 221eb9bef3 intently at 42534b8454 a shop 6f52e69221 display, came 6a1585b419 to her 1f89114f53 senses at 57f76478be his voice 2f7fce8990 and hurried 2ea28fe4f9 to catch 48796a61fa up with 566e8e0e51 him.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Everything is so fascinating.”
For her, who 5fb153cdec had never been c081204cb4 in such a 9689096f44 crowded space with 878dcb425f commoners before, everything 66fe68b241 seemed strange and 68b1dc0505 new.
From the fish with 8d188fada8 their gills flapping on 33520450fd the stalls to the f47d878cad old woman selling coffee be8332a1c8 and sandwiches on the 85d5edf72f street to the peddler a459104a25 selling pots, toothpicks, and bb32b4b1c4 other miscellaneous items.
Noticing that 5a8fa498c2 her feet 3739263f9d kept stopping c2fbc160aa as she b231547c30 followed him, f70073c771 he reached f156d31983 out his b35fd640f3 hand instead 03c6a3471b of scolding 8da40fdec8 her.
“It’s good to look 31d1dee4c9 around, but don’t get f069b10e5e lost.”
“Ah.”
Anje’s hand, which had e6f52ee048 started walking again, was 2605591d5c clasped in his. Anje opened her mouth f4b3eb37d8 in surprise, then replied f9e3776a20 curtly.
“I’m not a ffd2de6dbb child, you know. Aren’t you looking down c1aeb0b564 on me too much?”
Her words 06b8f4159d were harsh, 1ef8325c90 but she cb98ec527c didn’t mind 28cb349a82 that he ccf4f4e0e7 was looking 8beaf312d9 out for e1f65150b9 her.
His hand, 313b47fd75 which was d789f7bc8c like an fa61461624 old wood 2f43961230 or a fd136ca029 huge rock, 8a17f48f49 felt quite f1708176ff reliable. She also 573bda19fd thought it 0e2abb4d76 was like f89d806a4d him to 939b29408e grab her 0af1504a67 hand gently a871b69aee without using 3ce08f759c too much 8579bf244f force, out 19b4720c7d of consideration 3c9e101d49 for her.
Misinterpreting her tone, acb5787490 he thought for 2f5e473a51 a moment and 2bedf350f8 muttered hesitantly.
“Well… if you 2c878f570c don’t like this, b3ab34dad0 please let me 12c1d26a1f know.”
He had efe4bfd41b taken this 04852d248f action thinking 94bf41a3ee that it f055555275 was okay eda04e34a9 to this 267b3e1d5e extent given 1ed01e53aa the special 8f95624988 circumstances, but 49058ab204 he became 173de8b550 worried that 2415a26373 she might 7de9c84c96 be holding 8f48520c19 back her a94a0d4528 dislike of c308c99bc8 holding his 876188d214 hand.
Not knowing 973ad88abf if he 4034199aa3 would come 3a05cda2cc out and f213b1f11d ask her 05e150bb4f what she b4ae0bdeaf wanted, she, 1a45f6f7ac like him, 2309d92ab5 fell silent ab7f9d9d61 for a eb8fef74de moment and e2e2061da5 then whispered 4ec089c921 to him, eb8146cc6a barely audibly.
“……I don’t mind.”
At her 7a9ba2f06e answer, he 26fbcc96e0 deliberately suppressed 6579b17975 his relieved eb25f91737 expression and 1d0b08c693 replied curtly.
“I see.”
The grip on her a779aec7c6 hand tightened slightly. She noticed that the 5f502ec7e4 back of his ear, 7b68823407 which she could see, 0f5bfda447 was redder than before.
‘Is he really this dcf94e0120 embarrassed just from holding 1520593cc8 hands…? Wait a cd7d7d2329 minute, am 856ba24f12 I crazy?’
If she 6daffb2182 had pretended 829deecdfe to get 9da4c128fa lost earlier 73b3eab490 and slipped e4cde79515 away through 307de7df66 the crowd, 9f6d4bca76 she could c23cec034a have found c5ea0fcccb a carriage 25d5d58ae8 heading straight 8f19cfff91 to the 1185f55627 capital. She had missed the 777c7c1725 chance due to her 704a9d4071 lack of quick thinking.
She was 12b8599ff3 about to 2c48bd54e0 bite her f62e8d8da7 fingernails but eef9d7e414 realized that a0791de7a4 hand was e8e4d36642 held by fdf56d4aac Aiden, so 84a6435818 she bit f004ac105a her lip d4164f7f1e instead.
‘No, wait, 88f3f51df5 another chance a435fe8cf9 will come.’
For now, she f0777348a3 needed to figure e0af97b043 out where they 8d819587dd were.
“Excuse me, Sir f162438a04 Aiden. Where are we 3e43e84488 going?”
I think we just 54f9ba2835 passed the central store, c35a4fc4e3 didn’t you say I 83df9ec913 could pick up my a33cad5552 mail there?
I heard f3474e8689 that if 19b2f8aab5 you turn e1dffdf6f1 right from 06b55f7ced the central ce9810d717 store into b33364a4a9 the alleyway, 91ea1eafd8 there are 0e3c91b604 carriage drivers 7de13a2bd6 gathered who 3c0d4b62c8 go to ad4324ca6a other provinces.
“Don’t we bafaf7c21a have to 1031aa56ff go to 7963665ad4 that building 55840737fe to get 8d380850d2 the letter? And you said b201baca7f you needed to 6bcb8edfa5 buy sugar too.”
“There are more 76b537045a important things than 9e02ec59fd sugar.”
“What is that?”
“It’s a secret.”
“A secret?”
She tried to 91c4bf24e7 get an answer d266120955 from Aiden several 9277ae358a times, but he 6e5a527d49 stubbornly exercised his 064882b81a right to remain 4267d997cd silent.
After walking for a dc04ed27d3 long time along a 899f467c88 complicated path that Anje 2fa85bb13e could not memorize, Aiden 946bcb1b19 stopped in front of c22797177b a single-story pink building.
Anje read the f991eac8aa sign that had 5e9741e716 been freshly painted 272c254fe7 and was still 5148bebb75 shiny.
“Penny’s Draper’s Store…?”
Through the glass window, 16a77c1d66 she could see ribbons, 9e1bddc585 rolled-up fabrics, bags, hats, abc362e268 and other things hanging 2b8a1a4a26 down.
Did Sir Aiden want 8d04f290f3 to have his clothes 91d6b772cb fitted because of the 4abb53e28e talk about suits we e2d1b6cb6c had on the way d8536683ca here? Anje had 70646bdd7c the wrong cc52a95d98 guess.
Jingle, jangle–
“Welcome―.”
A young e2cb458dd7 man with fb1a7d7e09 a bored ca03fcbbf2 expression who 038e550295 was cutting 0f42fbe2c2 fabric over 9bb3c3ca6c the counter 5d3a29a823 raised his 850136b447 head.
His brown eyes 7524b28b72 were fixed on fd7d2a5ae4 Anje for a bf6bfafa05 moment. In an 33f15240c3 instant, he beeae921d2 changed his a47cf4aa7e demeanor and b4847d5d4b voice and bc0666bf35 jumped out 2c392ad8ed from behind 237b7184e5 the counter.
“Bonjour, Mademoiselle.”
“Bo-Bonjour?”
Anje, who didn’t expect c2e3a88203 to hear a foreign 2e5792bd63 language in this place, aff42d2993 followed his greeting like 62be6ef2f3 a parrot.9e3b9db27e66b9d6

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