• THE BOY •

THE OSTRICH HORSE APPEARED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. She never would have expected someone to come knocking on her door when it was pitch-black outside. She definitely never would have expected that someone to be an ostrich horse. And, most importantly, Kazue never expected to ride one out to the middle of nowhere.

She clutched the reins, burying her face in its mane to avoid the biting wind as the horse galloped through the darkness, her lantern the only source of light. It squawked furiously, as if to share just how urgent this little trip was. "Shh, shh." Patting it's neck, she pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders. While the day had been hot, the night itself was cold, far too cold for her thin night-shirt. Thank the spirits I wore my warm pants, she thought with a shiver.

A sudden halt jolted her. The horse stomped from foot to foot, its shrieks more frantic than before. Whatever had prompted it to find her, seemed to be right here. Kazue slipped out of the saddle, rubbing its beak to calm it down before unhooking her lantern and creeping forward. There was a knife in the pocket of the horse's saddlebags, and she gripped it tight. What does it want me to find? The animal nudged her forward, sounding more sad than upset now.

In the low yellow glow, she could make out a lumpy shape on the ground. Almost like an animal curled in on itself. No. Not an animal. Crouching, she held out the lantern.

A pale face, scarred pink across the left side, followed by trembling shoulders and clenched hands. It was a boy.

She gasped, quick to roll the boy onto his back, careful not to worsen the tears in his tunic. The slow rise and fall of his chest assured her that he was breathing, and she began to check for injuries. Gashes in your arms, bruising on your stomach, radiating fever heat ... "What happened to you?" she whispered. How did he end up here on the ground, in the dark, alone? The ostrich horse settled down next to the him and let out a pitiful squeak.

"Don't worry, I'll figure this out," she told it. Turning back to the boy, Kazue placed his arm over her shoulders, pulling him up as gently as possible. She sat him in front of her in the saddle, letting him lean on her as she secured the reins. With a click of her tongue, the ostrich horse rose to its feet and began the journey back to the shop.

I don't know how this happened, but I will help you, stranger. Let's get you patched up.

___________________________

i swear every prologue i write nowadays is ugly asjkdjfkl

aNYways it'll get better i swear

it's not soft rn but just you wait

k bye