It had been a couple of minutes Ella and Anna had been strolling through the forest within the Viscount's territory. It was mostly safe, but some wild animals were lurking around.
"Umm, Anna. I think we have travelled too far. Don't you think?" Ella stated from behind as she looked around.
"Don't worry. I know a good spot," Anna said excitedly as she rode even faster.
"Anna! Wait!" Ella yelled, but Anna ignored her, and her horse galloped faster.
Ella wanted to catch up, but she was scared that she might fall and get injured.
But then, the forest answered Ella's shout with a low growl of thunder.
"Anna—!"
Ella's voice was swallowed as Anna's horse surged forward, hooves pounding harder against the damp earth.
Within moments, Anna's figure blurred into the curtain of trees, then vanished altogether as the rain began to fall. First in hesitant drops, then in a sudden, merciless downpour.
"Great," Ella muttered, gripping the reins tighter.
The sky darkened unnaturally fast.
Rain slammed against Ella's cloak, soaking through the fabric and plastering strands of her hair to her face.
"Ah, god! Can this rain be any heavier!" Ella stated in annoyance as she looked around to search for Anna, but she was no longer in her line of sight.
Ella's horse snorted nervously, ears flicking as the forest came alive with unfamiliar sounds. The rustling of leaves, and the sound of wild animals trying to find shelters.
"Easy… Easy," Ella whispered, trying to calm both herself and the horse.
A flash of lightning split the sky, followed by a crack of thunder so loud it started the horse into rearing.
Ella gasped, losing her balance. "Oh—!"
Then, Ella slipped.
The world tilted violently, mud rushing up to meet Ella. She hit the ground with a dull thud, the breath knocked clean out of her lungs.
Rain splashed into Ella's eyes as her horse whinnied and staggered back, reins slipping free. Then the horse ran away to god knows where.
Ella groaned, pushing herself up on trembling arms. Her elbow throbbed, and her pride even more so.
"Perfect," Ella muttered hoarsely. "Just perfect."
Ella wanted to cry about her situation, and the heavy rain didn't help at all, making it worse. She walked a couple of steps in hopes of finding shelter, and that was when she noticed a large rock formation nearby, curving inwards like a shallow cave.
Water streamed down its sides, but beneath it looked dry enough to survive the storm.
"That's it," Ella hissed in pain as she stumbled to her feet and hurried toward it, dragging herself under the stone just as another burst of rain came crashing down.
Ella leaned against the rock, chest heaving and her heart pounding far too loudly in her chest. "Ugh, I hate rain," she exclaimed while trying to dry herself as much as possible.
"You know," a voice drawled lazily, "most people prefer to dismount* before kissing the ground."
Ella shrieked. She spun around, nearly slipping again, eyes wide as she backed against the stone.
Standing a few steps away, far too casually for someone who has apparently been there all along, was a man.
A handsome one, unfortunately.
Rain-golden hair fell past his shoulders, loose and slightly wavy, framing a sharp face that looked as if it had never known seriousness for more than a few seconds at a time.
His lips curved into an infuriating smile, one that spoke of amusement at Ella's expense. His clothes were travel-worn, but well-kept, clinging to a lean frame that suggested ease with both blade and saddle.
And his eyes—
They were a bright shade of copper mocking even… yet beneath that playful glint lay something cold. Watchful, like a blade hidden behind silk.
"W-who are you?" Ella demanded, trying and failing to sound authoritative as water dripped from her cloak. She was scared at first because she was alone with a man, but the way he talked to her made her pissed off.
The man tilted his head, studying Ella openly. "Ah, alive. That's disappointing. I was almost impressed by the dramatic fall."
"You thought I died already? Also, I fell because of the rain!" Ella snapped.
"Of course," the man said smoothly. "The rain. Not the poor riding."
Ella's eyes twitched. 'What's wrong with this man!?' She thought.
"You're irritating," Ella said flatly.
He grinned wider. "I get that a lot."
Thunder rumbled again, closer this time. The man glanced briefly toward the forest beyond the rock, eyes narrowing for a fraction of a second before his careless expression returned.
"You shouldn't be wandering around here," he said lightly. "Especially alone and during a storm, looking like a lost kitten."
"I am not alone," Ella protested. "My sister is nearby."
"Mm," He hummed, unconvinced. "There she must be very good at disappearing."
Ella clenched her fists. 'Anna, where are you?' She thought.
The man stepped closer, boots stopping just short of the edge of Ella's personal space. He smiled faintly as he noticed that Ella was a bit scared of him.
"Relax," He said, tone playful but gaze sharp. "If I meant you harm, you'd already be screaming."
"That's not comforting," Ella shot back.
He laughed softly, a low sound that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Well," he said, glancing out of the storm again. "Looks like we're sharing shelter for a while, Lady-Definitely-Not-Meant-For-Horseback."
Ella glared at him, rain roaring beyond the stone. "Why are you so obsessed with my horse, huh?"
Ella wanted to punch the man in the face and felt that being alone in the woods was no longer her biggest problem.
The man blinked, visibly taken aback. Then he placed a hand over his chest as if wounded.
"Obsessed?" He repeated. "That's a strong word. I prefer to be deeply invested in your continued survival."
"I don't see how mocking helps me survive," Ella snapped. She didn't want to talk to the man, but her irritating was winning inside her.
"Oh, it helps me survive," he said cheerfully. "Watching you glower like that keeps the rain from boring me to death."