he sun woke me up the next morning, creeping over the low hills and throwing bright orange beams through the trees. I looked around, and Cythyne was gone.

I had a moment of panic. She’d left me here. I had no idea which way to go or where we had even been going. My heart was in my throat as I threw on my clothes quickly. Then I saw her, and my heart immediately slowed, and my breathing started returning to normal. She was across the pond, gathering berries from several bushes. When she saw me, she smiled and waved. She had put her leather top, belt, sword, and knife back on. She looked ready to battle whatever came our way.

She finished up and came back to our little camp. I didn’t know what to say about before. I could feel the heat in my cheeks. She’d not been embarrassed about anything so far, but would she be now?

As it was, I didn’t have to say anything. When she returned to me, she gently handed me the berries she was holding, popped one in her mouth in a clear gesture to indicate they weren’t poisonous, and said, “You can eat while I run. We need to hurry.”

She smiled at me, but it was clear she didn’t want to discuss anything further. So, I took the berries and got on. I held the berries with one hand and wrapped the other around her waist. She laid her hand on top of mine. That was reassuring.

We rode off at a steady pace. I munched the berries as we went, which were good, but filling enough to keep my stomach from constantly growling.

We rode quickly, and I wondered where we were going and who could help me. I tried to ask Cythyne, but anytime I started to speak, she’d just pat my hand as if to say no talking for now. After about an hour, we found a dirt road that cut through the low hills. It was wide enough for a car, but I didn’t think they had cars here. We didn’t ride on it but skirted to the side by about a quarter mile, generally following the same path but keeping it in sight. As we rode on, farms started to dot the landscape here and there, the grassy fields giving way to fields for corn and other crops. We saw a few travelers on the road, most walking, but a few carts were being pulled by horses too.

She never said it, but I was certain Cythyne didn’t want to be seen by any humans and wanted less to be seen with a human on her back. I had the strong feeling Zoltares would be angry at her for allowing me to ride her like an ordinary horse. I had an even stronger feeling he’d be even more furious about what else she’d let me do.

As the morning wore on, I looked back the way we had come. We were getting farther and farther away from where I had dropped into this world, where the tunnel had dropped me. What if I needed to go back there? That was my only connection to my world. Was it wise to leave it behind?

Had Lucas and his friends been dropped there too? Had they left it behind?

“Can you find the spot where the ogres were again?” I asked, “Where you found me?”

She shrugged. “Why?”

“I may need to go back there.”

She shook her head. “I can find it, but your way is forward, not back.”

Was that like some Sun Tzu quote that was supposed to be very profound? It was less than helpful but certainly sounded wise. I hoped she was right.

We didn’t say anything else. I was feeling bad. Not about what we had done, the act per se, but more that we had done it to begin with. I felt like I had taken advantage of her. Which was completely stupid since she’d instigated it. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. I liked her. I hoped she wasn’t feeling guilty about anything. It wasn’t like I was going to tell what’s-his-name, Mr. Bulging Muscles, who killed an ogre. Nope, I wasn’t going to brag to him about anything and have him stomp me to death. If she was worried I couldn’t keep a secret, she didn’t have to. This was a secret I was going to take to my grave.

Who would believe me anyway? That a beautiful centaur, half-woman, and half-horse had… People would think I was nuts.

But obviously, when I got back, I’d have to tell Charlie.

Around noon, as farms started to pop up more frequently, we turned away from the road and headed west, if the sun here still rose in the east and set in the west like it did on earth. The farms receded behind us. Eventually, the hills and grassland gave way to tall pine trees and rocky outcroppings. Still, Cythyne had avoided talking much.

By late afternoon my butt was so sore from riding that I wanted to bathe in preparation H, or icy hot, or both. I didn’t want to complain, though. Cythyne had kept up a quick pace all day, her upper body covered in sweat, her horse flanks also dark with sweat.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Up ahead, on what was one of the last little patches of grass, brown and dry now instead of the lush deep green grass of the grasslands, was a small house.

Cythyne headed for the house, a small wooden cabin with a waist-high fence on all sides and a small garden in the yard next to it.

When we were closer, I could see a woman working in the garden.

As we approached, she looked up, squinted against the sun, and held her hand over her eyes to block out the light and get a better view.

“Cythyne,” she cried happily in recognition. The woman rose to her feet and gently used her dress to brush the dirt off her hands as she approached the fence and us.

She was a tall woman and looked completely human. I was happy about that. Cythyne was awesome, but it might be easier to talk to another human being.

The lady had thick brown hair that poked out from under her straw hat and wore a plain light blue dress that looked like it had been through the wringer a few times. She was obviously some kind of farmer or homemaker.

“Hello, Martha,” Cythyne said. She gently pushed my hand away so the woman wouldn’t see me holding on to her, then softly patted my leg in a sort of get down gesture.

I threw my leg over her back and slid off her. After a full day of riding, my knees were weak and almost buckled when I put my weight on them.

“Easy there, young man,” the woman said, smiling. “By the looks of you two, you’ve had a hard ride.”

“Yes, we have,” Cythyne said. “Martha, this is Jack. Jack, this is Martha.” The lady smiled at me again, and I tried to give her my friendliest smile back.

“So you found another one,” Martha said to Cythyne.

Cythyne nodded. “We found him on the Glowing, about to be eaten by ogres. I thought your house girl would like to talk to him.”

“Oh, I’m sure she would,” Martha said. “And she’ll be right keen to when she returns from the city market in a day or two. But I’ll keep him till then.”

Cythyne nodded. “Then I will leave him here.” She turned to me and smiled. “Goodbye, Jack. I hope to see you again someday.”

My jaw went slack. “Wait… That’s it? You’re leaving? Where are you going? It’s almost dark-”

“She’ll be all right, honey.” Martha had stepped through her little gate and was standing next to me now, giving me a comforting smile. “You’ll be all right. I’m a friend.”

I looked between them, and they were both looking at me the way you look at someone with a severe brain injury when you’re telling them to eat their peas. I felt like a little kid.

“But you can’t just leave,” I said. “Where will you go?”

Cythyne just gave me that same you’re sweet, but you’re stupid look. “I go back to my herd, Jack. Back to my life. You must go on without me. Find your way home.”

Martha gently took my hand. “You’ll be alright here, honey. I think you’ve picked up on how noble Cythyne is. She wouldn’t mislead you.”

I knew she was right. I just wanted more. I didn’t want her to go. She’d comforted me, taken care of me. I was all alone without her.

Cythyne could read the pain on my face. She glanced at Martha, who nodded as if whatever Cythyne was about to do was okay with her.

Then Cythyne reached down and held my cheek in her palm. “You’ll be fine, Jack. Find your way home.”

Her green eyes misted over, and I could feel mine well up. Then she turned, and said, “Goodbye, Martha. Goodbye, Jack.” And galloped off into the setting sun.

I wanted to run after her screaming her name like the little boy at the end of the movie Shane. But I just stood there, Martha holding my hand like I was a little kid.

I wiped my eyes. “Sorry.”

“No need to be,” Martha said. “Cythyne is a special creature. Centaurs are noble, but, to be honest, most of them are assholes.”

I looked at her in disbelief. Martha giggled. “Well, they are, honey. And if you met any of the others, you’d agree. But Cythyne has always been different. Special. Always cared about others. I’m not surprised you fell in love with her.”

“I… I…didn’t.”

Martha frowned and winked at me at the same time. “You’re a young man, and she’s a beautiful, kind woman. Half of her is anyway. So yes, you did. And that’s okay. But she’s also half wild. Always will be. But her human half is more human than the others are. Did you know her herd could sentence her to death for letting you ride on her back? Those other centaurs would be so offended and upset that she lowered herself and allowed a human to ride her they’d probably do it, too. A bunch of assholes is what they are. I bet she avoided the road, didn’t she? Most centaurs prance down that road and revel in how everyone bows and curtsies and gets out of their way. Not Cythyne, though.”

I was having a hard time processing all of this. “She could be killed for allowing me to ride her?”

Martha nodded gravely. “Of course. Centaurs are very prideful and look down on humans. Common horses? They spit on them. So for her to allow that was a very big risk for her. She must have really liked you. She must have seen something in you.”

I stared out into the horizon, hoping I could still see Cythyne, but she was gone.

“Come on, honey,” Martha said. “Let’s get you in and fed, and you can tell me your story. I bet it’s a lot like Harper’s.”

I froze. I stared at Martha. “You know Harper?” What had Martha said to Cythyne? I’d been in such a daze that it had slipped by me. So you brought me another one?

Cythyne had brought someone here before? Harper?

Martha studied my face. “Yes. I know Harper. Cythyne showed up here with her one day, all bloody and bruised. Dropped her on my doorstep just like you. Actually dropped her, though. I had to nurse her back to health.”

“Where is she? I have to find her. I have to see her. I have to talk to her. Does she know where my brother is? What about the others?” I was frantic. Was it the same Harper? How could it not be? How many girls in this world were named Harper? It was statistically unlikely it was anyone else.

Martha softly patted my arm. “Calm down, honey. Calm down. I’ll explain everything.”