You knew that path, that he was leading you to. It was an old racing path, with sand to even the hard forest ground and its bumps.

Because of the lack of care nature had reclaimed that path and little weeds grew from the golden sand. A little brown earth was visible beneath it already.

"Huh. I remembered it a little different.", Morvran mumbled, as he saw the damage that time had done.

Sarcastic, you raised an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah? When was the last time you've seen it? Ten years?", you mocked.

Below you, the mere shook herself.

"How old do you think I am? Ten years... I was barley an adult man as the war started."

"So when did you buy the mansion then?"

"About... three years ago? Maybe four. I wasn't using it a lot. Never had the time to. I always needed to lead decisions and be at the emperors side."

"So you've only ever been here once?", you looked at him questioning.

He nodded.

"For about a month.", he confirmed.

"Gee...", you shook your head while trying not to laugh. "You rich people are weird. Why would you buy a mansion this big and never use it? That's a waste of money."

A grin appeared on his face. It was neither mocking nor angry. He seemed to be ashamed.

With one hand, he stroked through his auburn hair, tiled his head back and sighed. That view alone was godly. The soft moonlight was falling onto his pale skin, making it shimmer like marble. He was way to handsome to be a human. Only elves had this kind of beauty. And not even every elf.

"It was a waste of money, sure. But if I wouldn't have bought it you wouldn't have work today. And no roof over your head.", he glanced over to you, smiling. "It would be a shame, wouldn't it be?"

Halfway enchanted by his piercing eyes and halfway thinking what to do next, you just stared at him. Your eyes were sticking to his face like bees stuck to honey.

Warmth filled your cheeks and a light red shimmer began to spread.

Gods, you were not supposed to think the way you were thinking at the moment.

Shamed, you opened your mouth and let out a frustrated scream.

"Stop being like this!", like a child, you pressed your eyes together.

With another scream, you grabbed the rains and ordered the mere to run.

Without hesitation, she began to pick up speed. At first, it was a fast laced walk. The she began to gallop. With anger burning in your eyes, you rushed past the general, while telling the mere to go even faster.

You grinned at him, waving a goodbye.

Struck by surprise, he froze for a moment, until he realised that you had started the race without him noticing. With a protesting call he ordered his stallion to start running too. But you had already won a good amount of time.

With insane speed, the mere hunted down the racing path. Her white mane was dancing with the wind, while you were clinging onto her like your life depended on it.

Your could feel the force, with wich she was moving her hooves over the forest ground. Earth and sand were jumping in the air.

"That's unfair!", Morvran yelled, about four horse lengths behind.

Laughing, you threw a gaze over your shoulder.

"You were not paying attention! See you at the finish line!", you turned around and let the mere run faster.

She was running like the devil himself. It was as if she had magic below her hooves that carried her. It seemed that your weight was just a little thing to her. It didn't slow her down, nor did she pay any attention to it.

She had truly been born to win races.

Struck by euphoria, you began to cheer.

Beging you, Morvran fell back and got out of view.

Half of the track was already behind you and the horse did not throw you off its back yet. Everything was going according to plan. Even better. White steam rose from her nose. Salvia was covering her mouth.

But as you began to get a little too comfortable about winning, the mere got a change of heart.

Suddenly, she jumped.

Screaming in surprise, you dug your fingers into her mane and tired not to fall.

That feeling made her furious.

Again, she jumped. This time, however, she wasn't just jumping in the air but also to the side. That gave her the idea to leave the sand of the racetrack and run through the green fields of the forest.

"Shit!", you screamed, as your horse developed an own mind and jibed.

It was like sitting on the back of a taurus. You were barley sitting properly on the mere, as she broke through a wall of green and ran freely.

Tears filled your eyes, as the realisation hit you that a fall from the meres back by this speed would kill you.

Frightened, you pressed your face into the fur of the mere, closing your eyes from the danger and the sage death that was awaiting you.

Sooner or later she would try to get you off of her back.

"(Y/N)!", Morvran's voice cut through your mind like a knife.

Surprised, you opened your eyes to look into his face. He was riding his horse next to the mere, one had was reaching for you.

"Sir, this is dangerous!", you screamed as he leaned towards you, only one hand holding onto the saddle for support.

"Shut up and jump!", he screamed. "Don't stare like this and jump!"

You jumped without thinking. Squeezing your eyes shut, you leaned towards him and jumped as good as it was possible from a horses back. Your hands stretched out for him.

Morvran's hands grabbed you by the wrists. But he underestimated the balance he had and fell out of the saddle.

Out of reflex, he pressed you against his chest to protect your body from the fall. Pressed against each other, the two of you rolled down a slope. Grass was ripped from the ground, leaves twirled and branches broke.

As you reached the end of the slope, Morvran landed on his back, while you were caught by his soft chest.