Creeper - 4. Chapter 4: Fait Accompli

Does my shadow love your shadow?

CREEPER

Chapter Four: Fait Accompli

New birth Spring, Full bellied Summer, Contented soul Fall, and Hard penetrating Winter. An instant for a lifetime. An instant moving forever.

~*~

Charger was running full out. Landry did not have to spur the huge beast. Man and horse both were full of pride. Bred for speed and endurance this horse was the epitome of perfection. And yet he was not gaining on Daisy. How not? Daisy was the most docile and placid of animals. It was why she was picked for the Prince. Lady Garnette hand picked her. Landry felt a grimace cross his face. This run would most likely kill Daisy. The Prince was running her to ground. And for what? Landry’s lust turned to disgust, as he spurred Charger. This had to end now. And the Prince would wish he stayed in bed this day.

~*~

Prince Isaac was wild with glee. He was free. They would never catch him. Landry was far behind. And Captain Asshole and the Palace Guards were miles behind. His secret wish coming true. To run away. Not just from his illness and all the sorrows that brought, but from his own stunted self. He would ride all the way to the ocean. Yes. Daisy said they could. Daisy was as excited as the Prince. At last they were both free. Daisy was as wild with glee as the Prince.

Green. Golden. Fields and forest. Blue. White. Sky and cloud. Pounding. Beating. Hoofs and hearts. And laughter. Glorious joy. Man and horse in a symphony of movement and grace. Exhilaration overlaying a primal lust. But Prince Isaac would think about that later. Now was time only for this. Time ceased to exist. It was a dream after all. Soon it would end.

~*~

A shimmering image of wonder and beauty created a shadow screen between two stoic and reserved countenances. How many times must beauty be seen before it loses its appeal. How long does the flame burn before it burns out. Maybe knowing the answer is what snuffs it out. Maybe. Garnette spoke to her Sister Ettenrag.

“It goes well does it not, Sister?” “It goes as it goes, Sister. You know this well.” Ettenrag sang.

“I did my part.” “Yes, and now I must do my part. I can only continue the path until the end.”

“Will we succeed?” “Will we survive, you mean Sister?”

And with their words the spell was said.

Two of you who be one

Find heart to have won

One for love, One for hate

Lift the dove a step too late

~*~

Landry slowed his pace as he still raced Charger down the bluff path to the ivory white beach, where the ocean waves beat in galloping echoes of his own passage to this deserted end to land. Here he hoped finally to put an end to this whole misadventure. The churned up sand led his eye to two distant specks down the beach in the gleaming sparkling air. Landry sighed, so Daisy had floundered. What is badly done is badly done, Landry thought. The Prince had lost more than he would ever know this day with this deed. He slowed Charger to a walk, he deserved his rest for he had proven his worth. No horse could match him, but Daisy had out run him. This was still unimaginable to him. As he got closer he saw that the two specks were not at rest, but were darting back and forth. Still closer and Landry was disbelieving his own eyes. Daisy was not floundered on the sand near death and the Prince was not cursing her passage as the undeserving little shit that he was. No the two were playing in the surf. It looked like a game of Tag. And the Prince had shed his clothes and was seabathing nude. It was a scene of simple play. Even if the players were of uncommon beauty and grace. Landry sat his jaw.

~*~

The light was dim. Was there light in this place? Creeper felt like he had talked for days. But he knew it had only been a matter of hours. So he was in agreement with himself. He was now a kind of prisoner of his own mind. But this was still his mind, his inner world and he ruled here. No other. Not even Iggy. Does Mistress know what has happened? Did she have a hand in this? Creeper stood and looked at the many reflections of his existence. His brothers in a way and he made his decision. He stood in front of the now blank spot where earlier he had see and talked to Iggy. And he stepped forward into a new awareness. The center of Iggy’s being.

It was different. Well it was very different. And at first Creeper was shocked with the disorientation of it. He stood on a high plateau. But the view that surrounded him was not the one he would expect. It was a view of the ocean and the coast line near the palace. And the peculiar sensation of movement he felt as he stood still, was the view moving. He saw the ocean pan to the beach and there was Daisy being all frisky. Another pan and Creeper saw in the distance a rider approaching. He looked familiar, but, yes it was Landry riding Charger. What was this, a vision Creeper wondered?

~*~

Landry slowly rode Charger up to within twenty feet of the Prince. He said nothing. The Prince, who had stood still and watched him approach, said nothing. Landry looked to Daisy who was unsaddled and on her back rolling in the sand. He watched as the mare climbed back to her feet and pranced back into the surf. A happier horse he had never seen. He had avoided looking at the Prince long enough. He turned his stare upon the person of Royal Prince Isaac of Haven. Standing nude before him, hands on hips. Wearing the biggest cockiest smile Landry had ever seen.