AllFreeNovel
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A stampede of hooves made us look up. The sound came from a pair of horsemen who sprinted in our direction. One was tall and lean with a tan overcoat flowing behind him. The other man was slightly shorter with longish hair and a plaid cap perched atop his head.
They skidded to a stop close by us and leapt off their horses. The taller of the two tossed his reins at his companion, who gave him a scowl in return, and hurried over to us.
“What’s happened?” he questioned us.
Ben stood and shook his head. “I’m afraid we don’t know many of the details ourselves. This thunder shot out of the brush in front of our carriage and crashed into the bushes on the other side.”
The man who held the reins snorted. “Of course he did.”
Ben gestured down at the man he had carried out of the machine. “We don’t think there’s any lasting damage, but you may want to take him to a doctor.”
“I doubt that’s necessary,” the tall man replied as he knelt beside his fallen comrade and rapped on his head with his fist. “Mouse! Mouse, wake up!”
The short man stirred and his eyes fluttered open. They were unfocused until he squinted up at us. A loopy smile slipped onto his lips. “Hey, there. How’d I do.”
The other man rolled his eyes. “Terrible, as usual, and you’ve wrecked the car again.”
“Again?” I repeated.
“It’s his second time in the driver’s seat and the second time in a ditch,” the taller man explained as his compatriot eased himself onto his arms.
‘Mouse’ winced and clutched one side of his head in his hand. “What hit me?”
“I believe it was the steering wheel,” Ben told him.
“At least you used the hardest part of your body to cushion yourself,” the other man quipped.
Mouse grinned. “I did, didn’t I? How’s Bashful?”
His companion rolled his eyes. “We are not calling it that.”
“Bashful?” I repeated.
Mouse bobbed his head. “That’s the name of the thunder because it’s so quiet.”
“We are not calling it that,” his acquaintance insisted as he climbed to his feet. “Now get up on the horse and let’s get you to see a doctor before I finish the job you started.”
Mouse tried to stand, but the moment he climbed onto his feet his legs wobbled. He would have toppled over if Ben hadn’t caught him. Mouse sheepishly smiled up at him. “Looks like I don’t have my land legs back yet.”
“I don’t believe you’ll have them back for a while,” Ben mused as he turned his apologetic face to me. “It would be best if you came with us in our carriage.”
I sighed but nodded. “It would be safer than him falling off a horse, but will he fit?”
“I can ride Ferox,” Ben offered. The horse in question flung its head and whinnied in protest.
The man who held the reins walked over to us. “We wouldn’t think of burdening you two with our nincompoop friend.”
I smiled and shook my head. “It’s no problem.”
“Then why don’t we have you take him back to our rooms at the inn?” the taller man suggested as he nodded down the road in the direction of the city. “We can get a doctor to come see him there and the rest of us can have a pint while we wait.”
“And where is that, Mr.-?” Ben asked him.
“The Griffin Arms,” the man replied as he waved a hand in the air. “And the rest of that can be taken care of later.”
The man who held the reins glared at him. “Your manners, you oaf. We need to introduce ourselves or they’ll think we’re taking them for a ride.”
His compatriot shrugged. “I don’t see the point. They probably already know who we are.” Ben and I shook our heads in unison, and his face drooped. “You don’t recognize us?”
