章節 13: Chase

The Prince went somewhere and soon came back with two horses.

"That's good that your horse falling hasn't broken its neck or it would be hard for mine to take both of us."

"Would you say I'm fat?" Lica was indignant.

"No! I say only what I mean!" the Prince remarked ironically.

He led the horse to the girl and gave her the reins.

"What a cad!" Angelica thought. "If it had been the Prince Edward, he would have helped me to get into the saddle."

Thinking of Edward tears welled up her eyes. But Lica pulled herself together and quickly climbed the horse.

"Wow, you can even ride a horse! You are the girl of worth!" the Prince was sarcastic.

"If you do not shut up now..." Angelica threatened.

"What?!" the Prince was amazed. "And then what will happen? You will kiss me to death, won't you? I have no doubts that you will."

The girl was furious; so not to continue the conversation she pulled the reins and rushed forward. The Prince followed her. In about half an hour they got out of the fallen trees and saw the wide field.

"Where are we?" Lica asked.

"It must be the Ghosts' Fields," the Prince replied. "I think the enchanted path has exactly led us here."

"Henry said that it was a pretty safe place!"

"Well, who knows...? I mean besides the ghosts we may meet with werewolves, they also live here. By the way one of them had attacked you. And the vampires - the children of night also favor this valley. So be careful!"

"Why are you worried about me?!" Angelica smiled. "I think I'm not your type; you said I was slightly overweight!"

"Do you know my taste?" the Prince asked mockingly.

The girl pulled the reins and rode to the silent valley. The young man followed her. In less than ten minutes they heard the sound of chase behind them.

"Well, what did I tell you?" the Prince said looking back. "The crowd of riding ghosts is chasing us. We are unlikely to get away clear!"

"There should be Sleepy Lake after the Ghosts' Fields!" Lica shouted. "Maybe we still have time to escape?"

"Let's try," the Prince answered and spurred his horse.

But they were getting closer. And soon they heard blood-thirsty screams.

"Angelica, can you use a sword?" the Prince shouted.

"I've never tried!" the girl answered.

"So I think it's time to try! The main thing is… Remember do not let anyone come close to you. If something is, just wave your sword around. And I'll try to deal with them myself!"

The young man drew his second sword and threw it to Lica. The girl was just in time to catch it. And the Prince slightly slowed his horse and left behind.

Angelica looked back and saw her fellow traveler fighting with the group of vampires surrounding him. Two vampires have rushed to Lica. One has already reached out his filthy hands to her. The girl screamed and stabbed him with the sword.

"Apparently, I've got," she thought so, because the vampire gasped and fell off his horse.

The second one has almost caught the escapee. But then Angelica remembered the Prince's instruction and began waving her sword. Seeing her clumsy attempts, the vampire suddenly burst out of laughing and let the reins for a second. At that moment a tree branch, which the horses were passing by, knocked the vampire to the ground. Lica has escaped the chase. Soon she saw Sleepy Lake ahead. The girl came down the horse and began to stare back to the darkness of the far Ghosts' Fields.

"Has the Prince defeated these monsters?" she thought.

Suddenly she heard the sound of hoofs and saw the figure of the Prince in the moonlight. Angelica nearly screamed for joy but restrained herself and said only one thing:

"Are you all right?"

The young man came closer and, as always, smiled.

"What can they do with me if I have such a defender? Your sword master class so impressed the battle-seasoned ghosts that they were taken aback by watching this scene and I got a temporary advantage."

Lica flushed and tried to say something in response but then she noticed that the Prince was clamping down the left side of his body by hand and saw blood oozing through his fingers.

"Have you been wounded? Get down, I'll bandage you!"

The Prince did not argue and went down his horse. The wound was more serious than Angelica had expected. So she tore off her shirt sleeves and made the Prince a pressure bandage.

"How do you feel?" she asked having finished.

"It's bearable," the Prince said with a grimace. "However now I won't able to sleep on the Sleepy Lake."

"And what about the horses?" the girl said. "They can't be on the boat!"

"We have to leave them here," the Prince shrugged his shoulders.

"But there will be the Nightmare Forest ahead! I would not want to go there on foot."

"We'll move short dashes."

"You are always so sarcastic!"

"And you are always so sensitive!"

Lica did not know why but she started to sympathize this man. Yes, he was sarcastic and mocking but Angelica noticed how brave he was and never gave in to threats.

The girl and the Prince went down to the boat. Lica picked up the food basket, which Henry had given her. They got into the boat and pushed off from the bank. When our heroes were quite far from the Ghosts' Fields they heard a loud howl.

"We are lucky!" the Prince said. "But our horses are not!"

In this bustle Angelica had forgotten to cut her hand and sprinkle with salt. A few minutes later her eyes closed and she drifted off to sleep.