Hope

Farthing put his hand up for them to stop. 

"What is it?"  Silvi whispered.  She had started riding next to him in the last hour as she slowly recovered from her embarrassment and fear.

"Over there," he said, pointing.  "Those are deer."

"They are very small!"

"Scrubland Deer," Seb said quietly, riding up on the other side of the girl.  "Go on, Silvi.  I have seen you get a small boar with your bow.  You can get one of those.  They make great eating."

"You think?"  She looked nervously at the two men, both of whom for different reasons she felt she must impress.

"I think you should try," Farthing said.  "Get down so you are stable, I will hold your horse."

"What if I miss?"

"Then it is beans again."

Silvi concentrated, trying to ignore her audience of two men and six horses as she notched the hunting arrow and pulled the string back.  She took a slow breath as she brushed her cheek with the string.  "Come on Silvi," she said to herself.  "He is watching, you can do this, you know you can."  Feeling her mouth going dry she aimed at the lower chest of the deer standing closest to her and let fly.

"Yeah, why have you turned up?  I have never had you as an imaginary friend before."

"Another one for you to try and work out.  You are getting a collection of questions now, aren't you?"

"You are a pain!"  Mistry stopped the cart and threw down the reins, folding her arms. 

"You going to turn around then and find your old friends?"  Weasel asked, climbing back onto the cart.

"No."  Mistry sagged and picked up the reins again.  "It's the past isn't it?"

"What do you mean?"

"I am expecting to ride into the past.  I know they are all older and have children and the rest, but in my head they are all still riders, wearing leathers and missing their dragons.  But they won’t be like that at all will they?  They are all ten or more years older than me.  Most will be creaking, too fat for their leathers, and be far more concerned about whether it is going to rain or not than what is over the next hill.  They will have all changed, that is what you are saying, isn't it?  They will have changed, but I haven't.”  She looked down at herself and sighed.  “I have hardly changed at all.  That is it, that is what I am scared of, isn't it?”