Chapter 9

They eat lunch while riding. As the stretches turn into leagues they are feeling better about their chances of reaching Andromeda’s Free Lands.

They pick the path that allows the most sunlight through and as soon as the beautiful little sweetheart in front of him warms up a little she once again starts chattering away.

“What does this cabin look like that we are going to live in?”

“Actually, it is quite nice. It has four rooms and...”

“Four rooms! Do I get my own room?”

“Yep and we’ll fix it up any way you want.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely. Of course, I haven’t been there in decades and there are some bad memories there, but it is well hidden and protected by the grace of Andromeda herself.”

“I thought Andromeda decreed that there couldn’t be any human homes in The Free and Wild Lands of the Goddess Andromeda”

“There can’t be any human cities, but for certain honored families single homes are allowed. For everybody else, they can camp there for a week or so, and plus anybody who comes in peace can venture across her lands.”

“Your family is honored?”

“They were.”

Then there is a bright flash off to their left and standing along side the trail is Andromeda in all her shinning radiance in her full length white gown and with her long curly blonde hair and pink eyes that radiate with, love, tenderness and strength. As they are riding up to her she is saying, “His family is still honored above all others. Why don’t you tell her your real name?”

“I have.”

“Why don’t you tell her your full name.”

Dakota twists around to look at him and Sorbo is looking at the divine goddess with annoyance. With a sigh he turns and looks down at Dakota and tells her, “My full name is Sorbo Harper Pralene.”

Dakota’s eyes go big as she says, “You are from the lineage of Pralene, the first Royal Family?”

“Yes.”

“You could take over the rule of Pralene any time you want to.”

“It is not in me to be a king. I was born to be a Knight of Andromeda and protect those who would make the world a better place through their natural beauty until...” Sorbo trails off and lets it drop as tears flood his eyes. Then he looks over at Andromeda and asks, “I have been getting the feeling that we are being pursued and driven into a trap, is that true?”

“Yeah, even I felt something weird on the winds of the storm.”

She just looks at him with no indication one way or the other, which answers his question for him, but what she does say is, “All I can say is Loki has unleashed several dark creatures that are searching for you. As for all the other forces that are maneuvering against you, they are weak-willed fools who are being tricked into believing this is something other than what it really is.”

“Which is what, exactly?”

“An end game.”

Sorbo says hmm, but Dakota asks, “What is an end game?”

Andromeda helps Dakota off the horse and then Sorbo dismounts so they can stretch their legs. “An end game is when one of the forces hopes that it will be the last battle and they will rule forever.”

As Dakota is standing there she rubs her bottom and says, “My tushy is sore and asleep.” Both Andromeda and Sorbo smile. “So it is Loki who wants to rule over every one and everything?”

“Yes,” says Andromeda.

“And because of his black heart he cannot see the beauty that is girl so he doesn’t like you very much. If he can’t turn you into warrior killers he doesn’t have much use for you. That’s why it is poetic justice that a beautiful sweet-hearted girl such as your self will put him back in his place.”

Andromeda nods emphatically before adding, “Unfortunately nothing is set in stone. Loki tried it once before, a millennia ago, and even though he didn’t succeed, he caused great harm. Now unfortunately he has gotten smarter as he has watched the centuries fly by and now he is using deception and lies to get humans to do most of it for him. He has got once great and peaceful nations gearing up for war because he has made them believe that there is only one way to live, and even that is made up lies and deceptions. Even if we win...”

“When we win.” corrects Dakota.

Andromeda smiles at her and strokes her hair. “When we win, it is still going to take a long time for the truths to come to those people. They have good hearts and strong minds and once they realize what they have done to their own girls they are going to be heartbroken and ashamed and sometimes when people are ashamed about something they take up a defensive aggressive position to mask the true pain of the deception and lies. They are a marvelous people with wondrous caring and sharing hearts with endless potential, but for now war is brewing.

“Your Captain of the Guard Ledger has sent riders to all the friend nations, especially Nalla and Canton and they are preparing for the coming war. All the human forces in the world aren’t going to matter if Loki can’t be stopped by the White Sorceress.”

“I know you have explained this to me many times as I’m growing up, but why again can’t the Gods come together to stop him?”

“If one dark god comes into the light they will all come into the light and then all of the Gods of Light will stand against them. The Gods of Neutrality will choose sides or do nothing, but the struggle between the gods alone could destroy this world.”

“Oh yeah.” says Dakota, disheartened.

Sorbo sees it and says, “But don’t you worry, babygirl, we will not fail.”

Dakota gets a determined look on her face and her blue eyes shine with love, tenderness and strength as she nods her head in confirmation.

“I will meet up with you again inside my lands.” and with that and a flash she is gone again.

“Bye.”

Sorbo takes a big yawn and stretch and Dakota does the same. “You ready, White Sorceress?”

“Ready, willing and able, Knight of Andromeda.” Sorbo picks Dakota up and gives her a big hug and kiss. They stand there for a second staring at each other from marks apart and then with a shake of his head and a smile he puts her on the saddle.

He climbs up behind her, takes her securely in his arm, and urges Hugs, their mare, forward. As the stretches again turn into leagues Dakota again starts fidgeting about trying to get more comfortable. At first she pulls her knees up and sets her feet on the front edge of the saddle. Soon her tushy falls back asleep so she stands up on the saddle for a second. Sorbo repositions his left arm from her left thigh up to her right hip so as to have a better center of gravity hold on her. She leans back into him and stays that way for a couple of minutes. Then she really gets adventurous and climbs up and over him onto his shoulders. Sorbo is trying desperately to keep one firm hand on her while still having the reins in his right hand. As they are riding along she takes the front of her nightshirt and pulls it up, over and down his head.

The world goes dim. “I’m not in your way, I am?” Sorbo asks, through her nightshirt.

She pulls it up and takes it off of him and says, “Nope.” and then she gives him a bunch of little kisses on his right cheek.