FTP-50

Chapter: FTP-50a005f4f81c077df6

They obediently slowed c3a00790cf their pace at 74e0a2df5c Aiden’s command, the 3ea9823f92 only one they ebf605123c would obey, though 881a34a55b they still expressed c33aef8b0f their discontent with 934529af6b whinnies.
“What are their a2cbc4c21d names?”
“The one on the fe9108c037 left with the darker c5083ee46b coat is Wind, and a2522577fe the one with the 5a675f595e white spot on his 3c72d899bf neck is Dancer.”
The horses, 2db4c64a01 realizing their 572feac7b5 names had 02c1623229 been called, 6d5a882488 pricked up 1cae62e4e9 their ears. Anje, now a6b630e548 smiling at 3e2aa4349c their antics, 56d233d3b1 asked,
“Wind and Dancer? Did you name 8f8707a4d5 them?”
“I named bd4ba4fef9 Wind, and c797786464 the previous bfe635c9ca owner named 701bd90be3 Dancer… apparently f6c74447d7 because he a3d61aca02 pranced around 0723c31f43 like a 9e3e164c19 puppy when ae2a506273 he was a85d149b2e a foal.”
True to 31de63ff08 his name, e9f6aeb84c Dancer still 6371a8da5a had an eb96a763f3 air of d810edcb8c mischief about ed9cac2d4c him. In fact, most ff593ab966 of the time f215e80d3c when the horses ef9c7dea6a got into trouble, dcbfb52544 it was Dancer e922294b65 leading the charge.
“And Wind’s name baaffda1db was probably given 3fc5521052 for his speed.”
“Yes. He’s probably the f8a2026978 fastest horse in 9e3ec80cc1 Leslie.”
Aiden had 077d28d6b0 almost broken 13ff8bc776 his neck d1357ecf93 training these 7857a92228 two because 0c97a415b6 of their f24bd55367 speed, but 21ef2ff785 he had 2d087e6159 been able 0fdfe40277 to acquire b090754f9f these energetic e2302c47c9 horses for f2362a0291 a bargain 3f8e7197cc price, so 28e438a40f it all 9b825c78b1 worked out.
“Wind seems to understand 95d504bd6e you when you praise e42b266a9c him. He just glanced 68a7c74b15 over here.”
“Horses are smart. Would you 4b0eafad10 like to a43e4590b6 try driving 656418a46a them yourself?”
“D-Drive them? This carriage?”
“Yes.”
She clumsily abb87dd2af took the f3bee4fae4 reins he 5a89a79c51 offered her, 154b42dbd8 balancing her d9b43504b2 parasol between 73cef34b41 her shoulder 73ec5e29ed and neck.
“Whoa, wait a 04bab29e77 minute. They’re speeding up.”
“The horses 7224f9c0e9 know the ce0fec2a4f driver has 3a96b18e14 changed. Easy, don’t raise e00507d91a your voice. Hold the 9bc8bff67f reins firmly.”
Aiden took the white 7304f19517 parasol that was about e35c96c8e0 to slip off the fe84acca75 back of the carriage 5a4789f21b seat. Anje, not knowing what 4016ff19c3 to do, panicked, but 574555cac6 for now, she did b03b4a6157 as he told her bbc5591f91 and tightened her grip 55528d7468 on the reins.
The jolts 5a8c3acdb0 of the 0526a347ff carriage and 893efd22f0 the horses c2ca2a6db6 were transmitted ccd205f67a directly through 981c06d129 the thick 3819de2061 leather reins. Her heart pounded again.
“You’ve ridden abf0355111 a horse ebf1d5d5d8 before, so 27502f486a it shouldn’t cbdcd08328 be too f542ffa7be difficult.”
If she 22470a94a4 could learn fe1bd7ab37 to drive 8678721e99 the carriage, 2f65ba1cea she could 1469aab99a go out 0c5c84062a to fetch 126f9dd71c people or 0005bb6d6b go into e7ab80d53d town by a0163fb7bc herself. If she e6e16ac8ae was going b519ce2a07 to live 7d4fc55819 on the 2745e03014 farm for 9bf6b5535a a long 93761ab166 time, it 7983d08642 was best 302cdfb088 to learn 1d249cc790 now.
He carefully adjusted efa8cd7c93 her hands on 5b1fc32a8d the reins, showing 230b530978 her how to ec0377966a hold them comfortably ea457407c7 and how to f344812667 control the horses’ 49615b007b speed and direction.
The horses, 2248e9670c who previously f28de85c93 had vehemently 2367bcdea8 resisted being 956061f98c saddled when 0db46b223a Anje had e73e291efc tried, now e2616e0d44 followed her ffaad1b5e3 instructions obediently, 1c13864c97 perhaps because 9d3cc7ec55 Aiden was 5a4b72a412 by her 157346893e side or 1ad4787610 perhaps because 516222e2bf they had 717eddfa14 become accustomed aec65b5d88 to her.
“I think I’m getting 23cb3d35b3 the hang of it caa1360f43 now.”
Although the f6d6f0407d hands holding 42691c6309 the reins 96ff7dfff2 felt a 5916a2d283 bit chilly, 143e084a11 Anje was 617fb1bda0 gradually gaining 8de32f1538 confidence. At the same e187a54f08 time, a desire eb1d29641d to run at cff39b09e4 a faster speed 26537088e6 than now arose.
“Can I run faster?”
“As you wish.”
Anje looked for 29b3e6c831 the whip that 2b7f454ea4 was a common 3e1cf442cf sight in carriages, 842b419077 and realized that e7874aac86 there was no 3444e1348a such thing in a2e3528c9f his carriage.
Before Anje could ask e86045b266 if he had left 24b965e6e6 the whip behind, Aiden 8e40adda5f noticed her gaze and c13ba7d7c7 explained.
“If you f7440999b2 call their 8030e0e4ef names and 870f100ced order them 6e76f3a2e8 to run, 4006fe4a6b they will d7fa1c4902 follow your 78091397f5 orders. The horses understand that 634f2c4fd1 you are now their 4f6ed95019 owner holding the reins.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Anje, hesitating but acb2997cfd lowering her body ff891477a7 slightly to be bec010dabb heard by the 0ece43384c horses, called their 8db02b8735 names.
“Dancer, Wind. Let’s run.”
The horses, which 41806e7638 had been walking 93d05734a4 at a brisk e25e5b7ce8 pace, increased the 3439cce887 speed of their aeab98dda7 hooves. She tightened her grip 1390f0a0c2 on the reins to 841230a0b3 keep from losing them 8a10ed3fb3 as they shook wildly.
The wind 19ea62c9b0 blowing along 965800ac4d the road 634097b0c1 whipped around 0174d1aeb7 her, flapping cd67e7f7b6 the brim a666348338 of her d86102c47d hat and e3afacabf2 the hem a68760d07b of her 80a73fd6e4 dress, and 682120ad53 tangling her 1227db114a hair.
But she paid 1e01a01dfe no attention, and 48231b9646 stared at the de7c7daf5d road and horses 4a46079784 unfolding in front 912edcedff of her. Her eyes, focused on 59f881b477 driving the carriage, sparkled, 3e7ef9de50 and her cheeks flushed 92bc93ae14 redder than any fruit.
The early summer 94a5cbd11b scenery quickly passed 9858baf0bf by her left 7ed994ea97 and right. The feeling 02eb021261 of the 48eb4165de horses, allowed 4c179b6af1 to run, 8bb07e6860 of exhilaration, baae4c0716 flowed through 1e73357b05 the reins aee397efb2 to her.
She laughed cc3aeb3a24 cheerfully in 674f64cf72 solidarity with 09928e6d60 them.
‘You’re having fun too.’
She too 9710e43aa7 enjoyed the 192008e792 speed. Even when 0da4f3c8e8 she was df41a6fe6a learning to d3150bd163 ride, she cf82126165 had almost 0a8973240d always walked, b291927c60 and had a418eaf110 never run 2c007b8001 this fast.
Moreover, driving a carriage bd2768e4fe was a completely different 3c32b35638 feeling from leading a 9567e6bdd9 single horse.
She felt like she 737f5bed29 had more freedom and 8c689bfc1c power. She thought it would 350c5d955c be great if the 0113c8aa9e road went on forever bc12adcb26 and she could keep cd09c3f1ce running like this.
‘It’s exactly 1b0527fc52 the same 834e0cdd00 feeling as 4b89e5e1df when I 2b03fc5f1b ran in 0450d60c4e the forest 8df96b69ab last time.’
A breeze c24a8c7266 swept in 7640665fca from beyond 83265598cc the road d61cbce287 and approached 0c6d828530 them. A feather fell f6fb1fdff7 from the brim 2112afeab7 of her hat, 180a9b8628 which had been da68afc494 happily swaying up 793d04d100 and down, riding 35fef6649a the wind.
“My feather!”
“Here, I got it.”
Aiden caught f5f112edd0 the white 0f8fc2a3c8 feather and e80ced5509 carefully put 0deb92cbde it in d742d56b02 the front 25bb997766 pocket of 43b06c8322 his shirt. He was able to 11caf7b86e do this because he f5a63bd150 never took his eyes 89bd70af2a off her.
“Don’t worry b16bfd5162 about anything, e57359f736 and run b250155073 as fast a27927a991 as you b5cc41ee5c like.”
“You said ‘as fast dc77d6eaac as I like’? Did you hear that, 79b0f54b1c Wind? Dancer? Let’s go!”
Behind the carriage, d2c7462aa2 which was running f81608aa8e at a fast 31094ac2e7 speed, kicking up 94b5fb8118 dust, signs marking 0806d065c3 the boundaries of 599d511574 the land passed 2013714ba3 by.
「Dilton Farm – 0c00233a4f No Entry Unless 2d02412139 Authorized Personnel」
The thick trellis vines 2faa2cd0d9 that grew along the 5d4bb6117a sign almost obscured the d16b276c7d first word, “No.”
* * *
Arriving in af321b4185 town, they 44938c6471 left their 24a02ab313 carriage in ea22c7b613 the inn’s f426a3acfc stable so 30c4be197d that their 671f78a900 weary horses 19c470bb7a could rest.
“Here, one penny.”
The boy 38960f7f5c who managed b9aa9601bf the stable eb4e459996 couldn’t even 34857d3fd9 meet Aiden’s 658fb53b8a eyes as 36b3f0bf8b he gave 953f654034 him the 0a73385322 money, but 3247fd59f5 he couldn’t 974cbe1ac4 help but c77d0d8245 stare curiously f7d05e446b at the 424b14c307 woman accompanying a188b5382e him.
He pretended not to bb5ee1f8d0 notice the boy and 944dafe493 guided Anje towards the 09fc4b8596 center of town.
“The shops are ebdf93595c all gathered around 0e195ca3e2 here.”
Perhaps because it was 1381200c4f market day once a 1612edefcf week, Anje found town 3ca023389c to be more lively 34fbc82239 than she had expected.
She muttered as she 15d1414f1a looked around the bustling 1638074edd square.
“There are quite a d2f4e62fc3 lot of people.”
“People are likely e0cc9cc449 stocking up on c4574eb785 essentials before summer 6273fbcc4d truly begins.”
They needed ffba1a5348 to cross eb77187b9e the square 97b2bb4b57 to get 8b9e190498 to their 5c5bedb869 destination. Aiden walked 08b53ed9e3 ahead, assuming 3f0f65a634 that Anje 2282757dae would follow 3e425da537 him on f841bec3cb her own, d56f72ee0e but after 81f02ffc27 a few 4554904618 steps he 2214540571 realized that ff731f62d0 she was b94def442c not behind 8118d8032b him.
“What are 992133fe52 you looking 733ebf5268 at so 1b1f8968d4 intently, young 244f1179f4 lady?”
Anje, who cdb7ec18f3 had been ab6002d931 standing still e499305851 and staring 5e495b7c2a intently at 60bb65df67 a shop 04bb31c3df display, came d9a899bdfd to her 6adf06eb3e senses at c171ef5ba6 his voice 6619100146 and hurried 6a47473013 to catch 49cebbdaff up with 3f8ba78b93 him.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Everything is so fascinating.”
For her, who 088864fb3b had never been 289f210a5c in such a e4aa1f66ce crowded space with 3dc689eacc commoners before, everything 3ca28cfc20 seemed strange and 0eefe9969b new.
From the fish 07a3852f8f with their gills 533806fbd7 flapping on the a990fda976 stalls to the 876f1dad8c old woman selling e702e90d59 coffee and sandwiches 9b5fc2d982 on the street fc233489d4 to the peddler 71bf2b67d3 selling pots, toothpicks, ef40f91c6a and other miscellaneous 42bfaf9c7e items.
Noticing that 9dcc7aa682 her feet 20cc5c42af kept stopping 7f538bf08d as she 7f08dcf8bd followed him, ce2cb71524 he reached 01d382727a out his a67f5e3f77 hand instead 84abe65f5f of scolding feba7702f1 her.
“It’s good to look e078de13e4 around, but don’t get 391a9597e3 lost.”
“Ah.”
Anje’s hand, which had 239ed4c2fb started walking again, was 9fe57e0277 clasped in his. Anje opened her 5f86207017 mouth in surprise, 30985544c0 then replied curtly.
“I’m not a 0cc23b2308 child, you know. Aren’t you looking d09e26ca4b down on me 27c75cbb90 too much?”
Her words 627c132378 were harsh, 1483161c00 but she d6187667d4 didn’t mind a0bc967bea that he d3741d1374 was looking 766668a851 out for 9303db0b45 her.
His hand, 0ace4d8821 which was 3ab750c95d like an 7253e6fc9e old wood c0481a594a or a b8a2b052a4 huge rock, 184408140f felt quite 7820f0ad9d reliable. She also thought 269d21cd96 it was like b1395ddf1e him to grab 60d09ff69d her hand gently ac0ca866c2 without using too 12386393ff much force, out eaf9c7c1ad of consideration for 4ea1b00297 her.
Misinterpreting her tone, e84ac27716 he thought for bdf8b70379 a moment and 941e5b06e8 muttered hesitantly.
“Well… if you don’t a28bdf7856 like this, please let cafa11bd98 me know.”
He had taken this 3af4ae7260 action thinking that it 3f533bbf6d was okay to this e6a328ee78 extent given the special 6ce45f22e9 circumstances, but he became e17ed3a600 worried that she might 974848f7e1 be holding back her 17a8f0c4ab dislike of holding his 35431be363 hand.
Not knowing 67d7408134 if he f091fdb9b2 would come 046b40c063 out and 0e9f051737 ask her d3b736e940 what she ca47c061fe wanted, she, 7ee9554a6d like him, 04b8d6f89b fell silent 630095c26b for a 8abb13f01e moment and f20a8756f1 then whispered 4f1ba5056d to him, 8715e0d30b barely audibly.
“……I don’t mind.”
At her answer, he 9bbfdf4688 deliberately suppressed his relieved 1ec89d246e expression and replied curtly.
“I see.”
The grip 44d2f944b8 on her 3fd6eeb987 hand tightened 04f088015b slightly. She noticed 32b79e28e8 that the 77a654224f back of f0689c2607 his ear, 583f38065f which she 3d03451753 could see, ae8ac213f6 was redder a7ff2671d2 than before.
‘Is he 1c51c173ff really this 93204c7771 embarrassed just 4676b2f53b from holding b9aa28877d hands…? Wait a minute, am d9dd9e6ba2 I crazy?’
If she had 0dd08aebb6 pretended to get a30d923cec lost earlier and 601526b21f slipped away through de068eb837 the crowd, she 3115a972b1 could have found 324329ba89 a carriage heading 9072b29c83 straight to the 34f89ebbdb capital. She had a55bc28280 missed the 6c1f5d9871 chance due 7f92ed052c to her 7692ae36e8 lack of a5f2ba8ea9 quick thinking.
She was about to 320683ea3e bite her fingernails but 2c0d472efe realized that hand was ff9acad499 held by Aiden, so 87657bb8a0 she bit her lip 7c5e8e1f27 instead.
‘No, wait, another chance 9cfeaba3d8 will come.’
For now, 26c96c79bd she needed d2fbbb669c to figure 8c1d4f74bd out where 8fbf5543fd they were.
“Excuse me, Sir Aiden. Where are we 4438c0346d going?”
I think we just ed45d0e73c passed the central store, 84b7d423a3 didn’t you say I 19f06a329e could pick up my 81c5c62efe mail there?
I heard 7ad17cfc75 that if 96997d4dba you turn 5d05f81f88 right from 63c4d89f50 the central b271e81d90 store into 3be7159dc0 the alleyway, f78f947823 there are cded625215 carriage drivers 82b46387a7 gathered who d13189ad2c go to 0d3255ad68 other provinces.
“Don’t we have to f02e430065 go to that building 2158a10cb7 to get the letter? And you 210b00cef1 said you 92a51451f3 needed to 7b50e90188 buy sugar f129299d79 too.”
“There are f86ec9877a more important ff5ffa8041 things than b45c9460f7 sugar.”
“What is that?”
“It’s a secret.”
“A secret?”
She tried to get 41880a6e3c an answer from Aiden e04ee15846 several times, but he ac8ad41944 stubbornly exercised his right a014ce1fd7 to remain silent.
After walking for a d5afe3b45c long time along a 5a5ac7314d complicated path that Anje 206cb405b8 could not memorize, Aiden 79aef2d71a stopped in front of 073849a4bb a single-story pink building.
Anje read 8d63b6e5f0 the sign e8b3bfa233 that had 76a02ef979 been freshly bde2b4ce50 painted and ccf861bdfe was still 2868d93b4c shiny.
“Penny’s Draper’s Store…?”
Through the glass 6257b6361c window, she could 06bbdb70bb see ribbons, rolled-up bba58c0fe9 fabrics, bags, hats, 053686fae1 and other things 0acb1b90f9 hanging down.
Did Sir 04750e2a48 Aiden want 16780193d5 to have 9309f73153 his clothes db1c9c724a fitted because aeed914afd of the 1280830fb5 talk about 78ab4e3142 suits we e021e1c88c had on 661580dd3d the way 1e774cbf3a here? Anje had the wrong 7376114355 guess.
Jingle, jangle–
“Welcome―.”
A young man f0e09e0545 with a bored cf8b4edee9 expression who was 1106e254c9 cutting fabric over c55bd4cd4d the counter raised 85871af425 his head.
His brown eyes b10583d701 were fixed on 1f04bb32a5 Anje for a 37bfee7389 moment. In an instant, 198f868ea3 he changed his 7309fbaa6b demeanor and voice f7eae2b1f2 and jumped out c02781f34e from behind the 2647a5b5cd counter.
“Bonjour, Mademoiselle.”
“Bo-Bonjour?”
Anje, who didn’t d4045e2dc4 expect to hear 43f61494fa a foreign language c79b2b2035 in this place, e619fc736c followed his greeting adfb8a53ba like a parrot.bc7b769ea52178a9

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