FTP-50

Chapter: FTP-509d8f57b38c6046da

They obediently slowed 0a3de81ad8 their pace at a56aa2713c Aiden’s command, the e2f26eb801 only one they a08661be11 would obey, though 4af595d994 they still expressed 27de0b2e65 their discontent with f4b7a30a71 whinnies.
“What are 8101e8688e their names?”
“The one 0fc4d85281 on the 53c079445b left with 42cbefc243 the darker bdfe3154e6 coat is fe8dfe3347 Wind, and 608c2e0966 the one 0770498856 with the f3b805652e white spot b090edfbda on his 7f9e06a107 neck is 5d90c8eb52 Dancer.”
The horses, realizing 6dc0fa070f their names had 7705f34b5e been called, pricked 6105abc3b2 up their ears. Anje, now smiling at 925bb834f6 their antics, asked,
“Wind and Dancer? Did you name 2476fc9bb0 them?”
“I named Wind, and 52e6b120de the previous owner named 878b7c6d17 Dancer… apparently because he 1a2d6cc206 pranced around like a d55e683e42 puppy when he was 0a0acf1083 a foal.”
True to his name, eb4a8f49bc Dancer still had an 94d8cfd2dd air of mischief about ebdeb72d4c him. In fact, most of f583779cd8 the time when the 42b1928d94 horses got into trouble, 83b20bf212 it was Dancer leading 5705373c10 the charge.
“And Wind’s name 19ef54b882 was probably given 5232970525 for his speed.”
“Yes. He’s probably the fastest 61a4412e60 horse in Leslie.”
Aiden had almost broken 2112bca4d0 his neck training these 753a88adea two because of their 2d2646ee5e speed, but he had fc664e1fd2 been able to acquire 549f9f21ea these energetic horses for 3b2e8d2a5a a bargain price, so 19aa248ba2 it all worked out.
“Wind seems d2571b42e5 to understand 4ca5854176 you when 9a2891bcdf you praise 5f6d35df15 him. He just glanced over 9cd7a5e3ca here.”
“Horses are smart. Would you 2e76c8b4f5 like to b09197f08c try driving 958d035011 them yourself?”
“D-Drive them? This carriage?”
“Yes.”
She clumsily took the cc583d9123 reins he offered her, d66c7ede91 balancing her parasol between 13e96fa29f her shoulder and neck.
“Whoa, wait a 3e7f8f9055 minute. They’re speeding up.”
“The horses know the 7403da5225 driver has changed. Easy, don’t raise a2fc33a7b4 your voice. Hold the reins b90b642633 firmly.”
Aiden took the 43d8d95f14 white parasol that 81dc0b867c was about to eb3f7c8584 slip off the 45971bc7e9 back of the a1eeb9f21d carriage seat. Anje, not knowing 6bf7ec903b what to do, d24b49b94e panicked, but for f6452835f4 now, she did c5428fd48e as he told 6ac2f35c8e her and tightened 624aa8a839 her grip on ddbdab803e the reins.
The jolts of c3ec7b07ca the carriage and 1ed948dd35 the horses were 6ff7c10ab5 transmitted directly through 3a1550179a the thick leather 579a53d5f0 reins. Her heart pounded 395f0b0fee again.
“You’ve ridden 8860a75180 a horse 195292d4ef before, so fa4ad6b742 it shouldn’t 0147d00ff6 be too e290b2c6f3 difficult.”
If she could 84c475c69e learn to drive 80ae419d83 the carriage, she a509ca0df1 could go out b6165699f8 to fetch people 0ff423892f or go into dd9af49f07 town by herself. If she bd9b952d1e was going b3a9119219 to live 490122159b on the c9f92f977e farm for 97f642be01 a long 7e5d8e55ce time, it 288983eafb was best 88e2b90c5c to learn 9ca136d76c now.
He carefully adjusted 81b398ff7a her hands on 61814f66ee the reins, showing 203d1aa824 her how to 1452130486 hold them comfortably 268e87c5dc and how to 549f35b350 control the horses’ eea9407ed7 speed and direction.
The horses, d35a3bd02a who previously 675fa6e320 had vehemently 8d1da4c633 resisted being beb3434f02 saddled when 7ee57d74e5 Anje had a2541e3227 tried, now 7079da252a followed her e01eb72ab1 instructions obediently, 4dc77a8daa perhaps because 056d84777e Aiden was 151f5a9f48 by her 50dc12754c side or 1c174ff15d perhaps because 5781a0a302 they had 8ea45db95b become accustomed 9c97949199 to her.
“I think 6e5b55c6d3 I’m getting 4943fd7fd3 the hang a8e926acc9 of it 5e6984c98d now.”
Although the hands 273d2faf13 holding the reins 5635f52318 felt a bit 9cd7a23f1f chilly, Anje was f213e72e97 gradually gaining confidence. At the same 40fedc422f time, a desire 0717140de1 to run at ad3fef9c2f a faster speed 42e53962ff than now arose.
“Can I run faster?”
“As you wish.”
Anje looked 18769be58f for the 4294c37691 whip that 4c06ba8ed8 was a 8b80eae833 common sight 8ea0f11ce3 in carriages, 4d94982523 and realized ae512c74e2 that there 193d59e746 was no e37fa94a5a such thing 4f5b66981a in his ba4f8a9b64 carriage.
Before Anje a09c4b725f could ask ef41382f17 if he 9496883033 had left d310c2d804 the whip 7eabf4aa20 behind, Aiden d06272414b noticed her 5558b187c0 gaze and b679fcc665 explained.
“If you call 612292b572 their names and 22cecbfcdd order them to 9d121de6be run, they will b59f3ae98f follow your orders. The horses understand d3d76ec4bd that you are 898327af68 now their owner 596b840a5b holding the reins.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Anje, hesitating 13692789c9 but lowering 5b025d5a52 her body eb957d2ea2 slightly to 69e4d00fa2 be heard 23f0a8dff9 by the 55d186f2bb horses, called 5f6c88ee59 their names.
“Dancer, Wind. Let’s run.”
The horses, which 94532ae406 had been walking ed26a0b5f6 at a brisk 4a48a8fcf2 pace, increased the 185f8b207e speed of their e068537506 hooves. She tightened 9654b1804e her grip 4d8bcde0cb on the 27c2180c49 reins to 7f4f7fe98d keep from 2b06062082 losing them 55402d3c34 as they e86746a758 shook wildly.
The wind 8e5247f75f blowing along c0415e6478 the road ae1b5e2220 whipped around aff95ebd18 her, flapping 25c30254a5 the brim d988351804 of her f5cdeeb044 hat and 6012ad87c9 the hem 7d41ddba8d of her a518c65d2e dress, and 146e8114b9 tangling her b975ac931c hair.
But she paid 8487ae37c5 no attention, and e4b4f5677f stared at the b94257a28e road and horses 2454a5305f unfolding in front 8ff111284d of her. Her eyes, focused 4418398885 on driving the 294ec81e2d carriage, sparkled, and 4da10e2505 her cheeks flushed 326dbc9be7 redder than any 1a06aa42e7 fruit.
The early summer ecde55192b scenery quickly passed d905be44f6 by her left 4f6dcc4b31 and right. The feeling of 6cd2cba22a the horses, allowed 23de3f868a to run, of a9033fbedc exhilaration, flowed through 16965621b9 the reins to 646c7c4aa5 her.
She laughed cheerfully a47d2912c5 in solidarity with 8ee7e5c3c2 them.
‘You’re having 6ce676975c fun too.’
She too 7e90fe7e4f enjoyed the f523fc80d0 speed. Even when f8822b8947 she was 1fdf14dfd8 learning to 0fd2f2b27e ride, she 6dfccbfc6d had almost ec5be2311d always walked, 28c7c971f5 and had b882c0ab57 never run 9ed32fb2c5 this fast.
Moreover, driving acb97c39d1 a carriage 3726038d9a was a 4cbb1dfc9d completely different ed8fb3f378 feeling from 4217309484 leading a 1f73878109 single horse.
She felt like she 8ff3cfe7a8 had more freedom and ae95b17a7f power. She thought 68e4ba8556 it would e6a4d96a90 be great 95d3db94ea if the 756ecf8b9d road went 69e6489021 on forever dde70ef798 and she cf92c8d960 could keep 2d43652268 running like 60afa1caf1 this.
‘It’s exactly 9df6c61596 the same 5e05a0c504 feeling as 0610c3ef2a when I 89102a6b7d ran in 12089cb4bf the forest 82e05f4d93 last time.’
A breeze swept 5778a3dcd6 in from beyond f3de03862c the road and 89e849ab48 approached them. A feather 49c6dc9a6d fell from 043c767e27 the brim 3869bd69d9 of her e93368f3af hat, which ba828b1bd9 had been 23cd76df68 happily swaying cae8ed3d18 up and b823866a4c down, riding 48cd665feb the wind.
“My feather!”
“Here, I 22e91fd704 got it.”
Aiden caught 5981170bdb the white d14ad2822c feather and 98f9afdc7e carefully put 7475433369 it in 98a2ca033c the front f05e2a8eb1 pocket of 6ddc630983 his shirt. He was 47ce86a91d able to 230a401cdd do this 489414a28f because he 57a6674e8b never took 8a77530e73 his eyes b344fe3c80 off her.
“Don’t worry about 8c3a8b9794 anything, and run f88e00fb34 as fast as f2957bca20 you like.”
“You said 1df7495c85 ‘as fast 391741669e as I 8f1a039d81 like’? Did you hear that, 461abb375e Wind? Dancer? Let’s go!”
Behind the carriage, 60fcbfbeeb which was running 0b8e64bc88 at a fast 993fa6d0bd speed, kicking up 01a8685089 dust, signs marking ddd2955ef9 the boundaries of 1b261d31bc the land passed 8cf277d04f by.
「Dilton Farm 7d25b6d6a9 – No d7dc6cc45a Entry Unless bc54171f23 Authorized Personnel」
The thick trellis f6915bf245 vines that grew 862059e5ae along the sign 2d0277801e almost obscured the 6405bd72c7 first word, “No.”
* * *
Arriving in town, they cebe19c04e left their carriage in 61960a93de the inn’s stable so 4b28bd1497 that their weary horses d52e74a868 could rest.
“Here, one penny.”
The boy who managed 1ad85f5af7 the stable couldn’t even c22a14857b meet Aiden’s eyes as e3c53bec0d he gave him the c2180feeee money, but he couldn’t 2469174d43 help but stare curiously e81841824e at the woman accompanying 88628240d9 him.
He pretended 31857d89c5 not to 19b97bb5a3 notice the a32eb754ca boy and 9a69b6d8ca guided Anje 9e24789092 towards the fdc81b1475 center of 3a94f2a3e4 town.
“The shops b9731f2cc0 are all da75115576 gathered around 65df02a261 here.”
Perhaps because 8d6913d6b7 it was a3880880be market day 0e17b77a27 once a f503cdaf45 week, Anje 7cd7f973ec found town a5756e7e1d to be f3624748e2 more lively d077ee5a94 than she 98ea1b289d had expected.
She muttered as she 6b055c7b49 looked around the bustling a8c3c22f24 square.
“There are quite a caf0ce9b14 lot of people.”
“People are 309bdd9282 likely stocking eb5bde53b1 up on cf0e6bc981 essentials before 2ac168658f summer truly c2e48d94f6 begins.”
They needed to acf1b7c00d cross the square 5ed6ef2384 to get to ae090603b6 their destination. Aiden walked ahead, 906438c4c9 assuming that Anje 9fd0846527 would follow him 7ad5e5d1c2 on her own, 22e554448a but after a a1650ed2c5 few steps he fccc627b88 realized that she 226ad29268 was not behind 0ba89cb30b him.
“What are d8f2b3c4b1 you looking f98f059ab5 at so 933ba86bb5 intently, young 0bf7e08cd0 lady?”
Anje, who had 7d4ca7e261 been standing still 8bea011a80 and staring intently 04ca819291 at a shop 9372637d35 display, came to 20a3515b14 her senses at 16d0e1844b his voice and 3cac44a49a hurried to catch 6655344a44 up with him.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Everything is so fascinating.”
For her, 315b9138ff who had b2cd3848fc never been aaffa39326 in such c83c8210a0 a crowded 38b55acedf space with ba378229d4 commoners before, 71cf834933 everything seemed fe3b337b9b strange and f72c059019 new.
From the 76e53d1720 fish with e1e5014129 their gills 18901762a9 flapping on efa9e79e1b the stalls f4462aa23b to the 861438e88a old woman 0d481edf6b selling coffee ca117fe3a5 and sandwiches 198a08aa82 on the 4cf36ea3ba street to 4e69d5fa31 the peddler 75a9eeace1 selling pots, d2dec8aa94 toothpicks, and 77b281c0de other miscellaneous d00ac784c6 items.
Noticing that her fe61209e36 feet kept stopping 112c21b821 as she followed 91b4c844ff him, he reached 4612397b36 out his hand b1dc4001c5 instead of scolding 5d911e8fdf her.
“It’s good 258cdb93af to look aa57f6f7a9 around, but f1a008df81 don’t get 959d2235f2 lost.”
“Ah.”
Anje’s hand, which had 2268d6d988 started walking again, was 6aa248adfd clasped in his. Anje opened her mouth fdd25e2ee5 in surprise, then replied 38b3f16c3a curtly.
“I’m not a 5b6c07f46d child, you know. Aren’t you looking 40a7a0a35b down on me 498ff8ffee too much?”
Her words 6260b505ac were harsh, b45cb29172 but she 9fcf87f3a4 didn’t mind 3157dbabf1 that he 2c4bfc7d3e was looking 1a7dd70d8a out for ee6a2d79b1 her.
His hand, 90ddb24b76 which was fce99916bd like an 96b7649c5c old wood 04298948e5 or a 4cc647bfff huge rock, 01ae8cc50f felt quite 9482f410ff reliable. She also thought fb46ecaa43 it was like d1671a74c6 him to grab 0fa9d14766 her hand gently 91a8431869 without using too 33f07a42ab much force, out ba90873a49 of consideration for f8a95684ff her.
Misinterpreting her deab6b0e66 tone, he e90adcdae1 thought for 02860703d2 a moment f8fd9136f7 and muttered 304fcb52c4 hesitantly.
“Well… if db751e3cd7 you don’t 423277bd11 like this, 00c2837e02 please let 320c1aa5f7 me know.”
He had taken beecb1d78e this action thinking 2d26453096 that it was 8728202bd2 okay to this b9b682a11c extent given the ed33f53dd5 special circumstances, but bc468df368 he became worried db17f6b3f3 that she might 91d8a18b4f be holding back 30da3cfb29 her dislike of 541b11e799 holding his hand.
Not knowing if he 6b5e78db40 would come out and c7931b8bbf ask her what she 08129159e7 wanted, she, like him, 7a8e350513 fell silent for a 3b8f3d7192 moment and then whispered ff89ca7da9 to him, barely audibly.
“……I don’t mind.”
At her answer, 28fd457047 he deliberately suppressed 5094b93e5b his relieved expression 06a1ea8b9d and replied curtly.
“I see.”
The grip 1ab48cf09e on her 3ed4ed1fc6 hand tightened 454d277653 slightly. She noticed a947624c65 that the e518f595b0 back of ba55703821 his ear, 79bc74d3f7 which she b10b1181b2 could see, b932ad7f94 was redder de23345b1b than before.
‘Is he really b6523eeb61 this embarrassed just 22f1d58f0f from holding hands…? Wait a minute, am 900e3218cf I crazy?’
If she had pretended f15e0b1afe to get lost earlier 2b9494af38 and slipped away through d959fd1c49 the crowd, she could 39972a3681 have found a carriage 9b466546be heading straight to the b83c4c270e capital. She had c8d2103f95 missed the e2f24ad4e0 chance due 7681fc0735 to her ba9a5cf637 lack of a49075d37e quick thinking.
She was 4fa1bf5ed7 about to 2e01d9ffdd bite her 04d54b8f5f fingernails but db327eeb3f realized that 1619ff4d0b hand was 6d205c82c2 held by 9b206c0156 Aiden, so 3e6fde7bbc she bit 4087ec230b her lip a091c3ccb1 instead.
‘No, wait, another 0280f7cae8 chance will come.’
For now, she needed d79a07054b to figure out where e0958dd56f they were.
“Excuse me, Sir Aiden. Where are 01affb9de5 we going?”
I think we just 6eb4a37485 passed the central store, 11ff49369f didn’t you say I ce271f5bd4 could pick up my 262f3151e1 mail there?
I heard that if faa5043bcd you turn right from 45d4ab812e the central store into 345705875c the alleyway, there are 2e8e836eeb carriage drivers gathered who 65cfdd4bbb go to other provinces.
“Don’t we e53186f180 have to 04f71d980f go to 278d16ac6a that building fd196da64e to get fb3797b0a0 the letter? And you ce6ff0dfd2 said you e4fe98f7cb needed to 53d24fd263 buy sugar a51f44ccbc too.”
“There are more 8cf8f4ea53 important things than 7a823b297a sugar.”
“What is that?”
“It’s a secret.”
“A secret?”
She tried to a873dfa52d get an answer dccc6cc619 from Aiden several e7f0b2e111 times, but he 377a222b04 stubbornly exercised his 312f18c961 right to remain 6a8d94bc27 silent.
After walking for a 79f84a60bf long time along a 7e9ef5ab63 complicated path that Anje 8de572fd64 could not memorize, Aiden fdc6688044 stopped in front of eafbc428b8 a single-story pink building.
Anje read the sign 0d46c18629 that had been freshly 72a731f66f painted and was still 4f2eb81a1f shiny.
“Penny’s Draper’s Store…?”
Through the glass 5c42dedb93 window, she could a8176324d8 see ribbons, rolled-up 75f90c00cb fabrics, bags, hats, 8463a6834d and other things a4f90acc36 hanging down.
Did Sir Aiden b43fff9827 want to have eb13c7a126 his clothes fitted daa90ad51e because of the b071ba1d11 talk about suits 5923cd54df we had on b46c46bda4 the way here? Anje had the wrong fb13cc60ae guess.
Jingle, jangle–
“Welcome―.”
A young man with 2a71352285 a bored expression who 04a4371aa5 was cutting fabric over e31cb3a5ea the counter raised his fdc7ad2cd9 head.
His brown eyes e4b65aaf69 were fixed on a3e75ca217 Anje for a 02938100ee moment. In an instant, 5951fe387f he changed his ff2211d7c7 demeanor and voice 83981164e7 and jumped out 439b76d7f8 from behind the 0700f8eaf0 counter.
“Bonjour, Mademoiselle.”
“Bo-Bonjour?”
Anje, who didn’t expect ade3a39669 to hear a foreign 5a2bb81ed3 language in this place, a81b235425 followed his greeting like 46a9288cdc a parrot.da6234a21aacfc4e

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