ArHi FF:1: The BEASTS and the BLEEDING ROSES - Page 52

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Chapter Fifty Four: Through the Rain

Lightning flashed and thunder roared as the panicked horse ran insanely through the string of trees before it. A petrified Kushi lay flat upon its back and held onto its reins by the harness at its mouth, "Please stop, Gracie. Please stop………." The rain poured down and she didn't know if what she tasted on her mouth was rain or her own tears.

"Please stop!!!" Kushi screamed at the horse and then the horse almost ran into a tree and Kushi shrieked but it deflected its path and rode on, faster and more scared by the lightning flashes now racing across the sky.

Her scream reached his ears and Lord Arnav changed course, "This way, Shadow!!"

His horse, unafraid of the wildness of nature's forces, raced through the forest, ducking branches, scaling past long tree trunks and prancing over the protruding tree roots.

"Faster, Shadow! Faster!" Lord Arnav squinted through the rain at what lay before them. Since his night vision was quite powerful, he was hoping to see some glimpse of her red and gold silk robe but the rain was too thick to see through. As he raced onwards, he heard her scream again and he led his horse down a different path. Faster and faster he rode until suddenly, he heard the sound of horse hoofs racing somewhere to his right. He glanced over his shoulder and realized that there was a tiny dip in the plain to his right side, and that it was in the lower level of the forest that the horse was riding her away.
"Shadow!" he said, as he tugged at his horse's reins and in the next moment, the dark horse was leaping into the air with its Master bent forward in determined balance, and lightning streaked over the dark branches of the trees.

Shadow's hoofs landed firmly on the wet ground of the lower level, splashing a puddle of water, and after a moment's retaining of balance, the horse was riding forward, heading towards the sound of the other horse's hoofs. They were getting closer and closer and, Lord Arnav expected to see her before him any moment. And then, through the thick rain, he saw the horse. He caught the shimmer of red and gold and her wet black hair.

"Faster Shadow!!" he growled and he spurred his horse's sides. With a neigh, Shadow shot forth and before long, sloshing through wet mud and thick rain, Shadow was in line with Gracie.

Kushi was so pale with fright that her face stood out in the darkness, brighter than the moon.

Lord Arnav called out, "Kushi!!"

Kushi looked up, frantically looking to her right and left and her heart leapt in her throat when she saw him on a horse, next to her, riding at the speed of the horse she was on. She didn't know what he intended. She didn't know what to do. Her mind was numb with fright and all she could do was stare.

"Kushi," he barked angrily, reaching out a hand, "When I say, jump!"

"What? NO!" she had found her voice, shaking her head.

"Just do as I say, foolish girl," he said, his hand stretched towards her.

Kushi fidgeted with this idea of 'jumping' in her mind and just then the horse ran right into a tree and Kushi would have knocked herself off by hitting her head on the dark tree before them, if Lord Arnav hadn't crashed his horse into the brown horse and his hand had encircled around its rider's waist, pulling her with all his strength and seating her on his horse, facing him. Fear of almost meeting with a fatal death, struck Kushi senseless, and she clutched at the man before her with all her might. She cried into his chest and let the rain wash upon her trembling dread. Her hands that clutched at his arms were white and her knuckles were pale with strain. The horse, upon which they were riding, raced onwards and thunder rolled overhead.

Lord Arnav stared fixedly to where they were going. They had come a long way from the Industry and the thickness of the forest was blinding along with the rain. He inhaled to calm his anger and got a whiff of the beautiful smell of her wet hair. He closed his eyes and dug his face into her hair, breathing in. Kushi was too tired to know what he was doing. He had never felt so awakened before. Lord Arnav could feel her trembling hands clutched at his shoulders but he was more awakened by the proximity of her face upon his chest.

Thunder clapped, and Kushi's clenched hands tightened suddenly, wakening Lord Arnav from his momentary trance. He frowned at the girl's head; the wretched girl is messing with my sanity.

Lord Akash stood outside, waiting under an umbrella. Master Hari had been dismissed for there was no further use with him. It was nearly night now, and all the workers had also been dispersed and only Master Aman and he remained at the stable. They watched the line of forests for any sign of Lord Arnav and they had been standing so for a very long time. Suddenly, they caught a sign of something moving in the dark distance and then, out of the dark line of trees and through the thick rain, stormed out Shadow, with his Master and the girl riding upon his back. The horse raced forward and slowed to a stop when it was before the stable. With one quick move, Lord Arnav had dismounted from his horse back and he helped the awakened and now-calm Kushi get down.

"Don't touch me!" she said, pushing his hands away as soon as her feet had touched the floor, "You are the worst thing to ever have existed!"

Lord Arnav gritted his teeth and pulled at her shoulders, "You think you are so great!! How dare you mess with me! How dare you try and answer me back always! How dare you try and make me-"

He stopped suddenly. And she stared at him. What was he about to say? Why did he stop?

Lord Arnav pushed her away and barked at Lord Akash, "Take the beggar to her house."

Kushi wanted to pounce on him for his words and for the way she had almost got her killed but Lord Arnav was already mounting on his horse and, without even giving her a glance, rode off into the night.

"Come Miss Gupta," said Lord Akash.

Master Aman handed her a towel and she dried her hair with it and then followed after the two men to the waiting carriage. Before entering it, she cast a look over her shoulder but there was no sign of the detested horse rider or his black horse.

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