Chapter 9

Half running, half stumbling through the open gateway, Flora made for the main door of the farmhouse. There were barns to her left and the stable over to her right where she could hear ominous banging and crashing noises. Even though she could see a dim light burning there, she kept well away and made for the comfort of the light in the window to the left of the main door.

She knocked very loudly as the wind was making so much noise whipping around these walls, that it would be hard to make herself heard. She tried again and then knocked on the window. This time there was a scuffling thumping noise behind the door, then silence.

Suddenly the thunder echoed in her ears. At the same time, there was a loud bang at the other side of the door and the noises in the stable became deafening. The snorts and bellowing of an angry or frightened horse, kicking against its confines. What if it got out?

She renewed her knocking with the rain trying to outdo her with its assault on the door. Oh, hang this, she thought and, grabbing the handle, put her shoulder against the door. It was already unlocked and as it ricocheted back from the inside wall, Flora found herself flattened against it by an enormous creature that then sped out of the house and across the yard.

She screamed. The piercing scream of abject terror. She started to make for the stable in preference to finding any more huge creatures in the house. Was this a house of demons, worthy of the Storyteller's tales? She was halfway across when she saw the light in the stable move and come out into the yard. Her eyes fixed themselves on the large storm lantern, hovering in midair before its position changed and revealed the person holding it.

She almost screamed again, but it stuck in her throat. The man appeared to be a giant. His floor-length black coat flapped around his long legs and his black hair blew into his eyes and stayed there, plastered to his forehead with rain. He lifted the lantern higher, taking a couple of steps towards her. Under his thick black brows, she saw his black eyes flash in the light, looking as angry and as violent as the horse had sounded. She had landed in Hell. She tried to step back but found she couldn't move. She was rooted to the ground. He came to within a few steps of her and held the light forward to see her face.

‘Who the hell are you?' he spat.

The air crackled between them for what seemed like minutes before she could manage to reply.

‘I only wanted shelter.'

She could hear herself whining and hated herself for it.

‘ I just wanted to come into your house for a while.'

‘Don't you dare cross that threshold!' he shouted at her and then suddenly noticed the open door. He shouted a name out that must be the creature, she thought.

‘Why have you let my dog out?' he shouted at her. ‘Which way did he go?'

‘Dog? That was a dog?' Flora frowned, then pointed in the direction of the barn to the left.

The ‘demon' in front of her started running with long-legged strides towards the barn, while Flora looked towards the open door. She would rather face whatever was making that noise in the stable than go through that door to face any other creatures that may be waiting to jump out at her. She walked across to her right.

As she entered she found a large, ebony black horse, streaked with foam. His eyes were wild and going back into his head. He reared up, then pawed the ground with his hooves, shrieking horribly. There was a smaller lantern on the floor in front of her. She could see by that light that the horse had all but destroyed the wood at the front of its stable. Poor thing, it was terrified.

Flora used to go riding when she was young and remembered one highly-strung horse who hated anyone coming near him to saddle him up. He was uncontrollable. He only calmed down when the owner of the riding stables let Flora go in and talk to him. She got a reputation as a sort of teenage amateur horse-whisperer. Stallions were always more uncontrollable and she suspected this one was a stallion too. Perhaps if she just…

‘Come on now boy, the noise will be gone soon. It won't hurt you, I promise. Can I come and talk to you?'

Her voice was low and soft and she held her hand towards him palm up. The horse's eyes stopped swivelling and tried to focus on this new sound. He pawed the ground now but didn't rear.

‘That's right boy. That's so good. Nobody wants to harm you. We're on your side.'

He looked at her sidewards, still mistrustful but the pawing decreased. Now she was with him, she wasn't afraid at all. Her hand went slowly but surely to his neck where she made short, stroking movements, rhythmical and constant.

‘There, I told you so.'

The thunder rumbled again and he pulled back but she kept the pressure there on his neck and carried on talking to him calmly.

‘The storm is further away now. I don't think it will come back. It's only a sound in the sky now, going away from you. Nothing will hurt you. I promise.'

Her other hand reached out to gently stroke the horse's great head. He snorted and pulled back but she continued talking and stroking until at last he gave a resigned snicker and pushed his nose into her hand in a conciliatory gesture. She smiled.

‘There, you softie. Let's get you wiped down now.'

With unhurried movements so as not to frighten him, she opened the battered stable door, lifted the blanket from over it and began to methodically wipe the sweat and foam from his coat. She had been aware of another presence for a while but was too involved in calming the horse. Her attention had to be focused solely on what she was doing. Any lack of concentration and she would have lost him.

Now, however, as she knew the horse was alright, the focus had worn off and she felt a prickle at the back of her head. Trying not to show tension in front of the horse, she finished what she was doing, exited the stable door and hung the blanket back over it. Only then did she turn to see the black-clad man in the doorway. The angry demonic expression replaced by a look of complete and absolute amazement.