Someone entered the stable with a lantern.

"Karigan?" King Zachary called.
She buried her head in her arms, angred by the intrusion. Why couldn't he just let her be?
Another part of her craved him to lend her comfort.

The light flickered and moved down below as the king searched for her. She should be flattered, she thought, that the king of Sacordidia thought enough of his Green Rider to seek her out.

He paused at the bottom of the ladder. She prayed he would go away, and she prayed he would climb up and find her.

The ladder creaked as he stepped on the bottom rung, the light rising and growing brighter as he climbed. When he stood upon the loft, she covered her eyes.

"Karigan," he said, "I'm terribly sorry. For everything, and more than I can ever express. I know you and Alton were close." He sat down beside her, and she willed the grief away, but his presence only seemed to incite it.

"I am sorry," he said again.

Before Kargian could entertain another thought, the grief engulfed her, racking her body with sobs that came from deep down. She didnt know when it happened, but the king had given her his shoulder in which to bury her face. He held her as the sobs took over.


(This is an excerpt from Kristen Britain's second book "First Rider's Call," it is a wonderful story and I hope to have captured this moment as well as this author had described it. If you would like a fast pace, simple book about magic, hope, determination... this is the book to look into. Thanks to my boyfriend Andrew for giving me advice and critique on giving this picture as much detail in this drawing.)