The Dark Rider

CHAPTER Ten



“It’s so beautiful up here,” said Nicola as they walked along the cliff tops.

“I agree,” said Paul. “Sometimes I feel I am waiting all year just to come back. There is a real atmosphere, a real presence.”

They both fell silent for a while as they enjoyed the warmth of the sun and the light that defined the land and the sea.

“What do you do?” he asked.

“I work for a bank in London but I hate it.”

“That doesn’t sound good,” said Paul. “Why do you hate it?”

“Because of this,” she said raising her arm to take in the sweep of the bay. “I can’t stand being stuck in a cage in a dirty smelly city when this exists and I know that some people make their living by being in and around it.”

“What’s stopping you then?” he asked.

She fell silent. All the thoughts, reasons, and inhibitions for her inaction flooded through her mind and she did not want to admit what she saw as her failure. She felt a sudden upwelling of despair and from nowhere tears filled her eyes. She looked away blinking furiously to hide them. He glanced at her, transfixed by her wild beauty. Seeing her sad made his heart heavy.

“I didn’t mean to upset you,” he said.

She half-laughed, her voice shaky as she said, “I thought you wouldn’t notice.”

He smiled, “Sorry.”

“It’s not your fault,” she said. “I seem to be about to spend my life not doing what I really want to do.”

“If you don’t want to talk about it that’s no problem, but maybe I can help, add a different perspective.”

Again she looked at him, amazed by the maturity he showed on such young shoulders.

He looked back at her hoping for a sign that she liked him, that she felt the same for him as he did for her.

“It’s difficult to express,” she said. “Like I know what I should be doing but I still can’t do it. In my head I know who I am, but in my actions I am someone else. I’m waiting for someone else to come along and hand everything I want to me on a plate, all the time not realizing that the only person who can do that is me.”

“It’s the same question then,” said Paul. “What’s stopping you?”

Nicola was silent for a moment. The breeze carried a bee past her, its drone heavy in the air.

“I broke up with my boyfriend because I realized it was time to act,” she said looking at him. He saw briefly the defiance flash in her eyes, the desire to fight, and it thrilled him. “When I knew what I was going to do I felt so free, so determined to change my life.” She sighed, looking away. “I just hope I can maintain it when I get back to reality.”

“You feel it is easy to have these thoughts now but you’re scared you will just go back to the trap, in fact willingly submit to it, despite knowing it is the opposite of what you want, what you are.”

She studied him again, amazed at his perception.

“How do I stop it?” she asked.

“You’ve already begun,” he said. “It’s normal to feel fear now but you have taken the first step. Never forget that.” He looked out to sea, the vast horizon freeing his own thoughts, his own mind. “We all travel one step at a time.”


*****


The children walked side by side pushing their bikes up the steep lane that led up out of the town and back home to the cottage.

“Well, that was an eventful morning,” exclaimed Neil.

Vicky turned to check behind them for what seemed the hundredth time.

“He’s not following us,” said Neil in exasperation.

“How can you be sure?” said his sister. “I don’t like it. What if he follows us home?”

“We can’t stay out forever,” said Neil. “Anyway, if he wants to spy on us at home bring it on I say. Gives us a chance to catch him.”

“There’s something creepy about them,” said Vicky.

“I agree. What do you think they were looking for?” asked Neil.

“I don’t know,” said Vicky quietly as she recalled the voices she had heard. It was only now that she remembered the name they had given to the key. They had called it the Key of Arachar. They had wanted her to give it to them. She shivered suddenly despite the warmth of the sun. “But I think we have to find out.”


*****


“This is just what I needed,” said Nicola between sips of her milkshake. “I’ve spent the last days thinking myself into a downward spiral.” She reached across and touched his hand. “Thanks,” she said.

“Hey, I’m glad you’re feeling happier,” said Paul feeling relieved, for he was sure he must be a burden to her.

They were sitting in a small cafe on the harbor drinking milkshakes, eating sandwiches and watching the world go by. Out in the bay a steady stream of windsurfers were being towed out to take their first lessons and Nicola watched, fascinated by their antics which involved very little windsurfing and a lot of falling in the water.

“So tell me about yourself,” said Nicola. “What do you do?”

“I’ve just finished at college. Should get my exam results in a few weeks but I don’t know what I want to do. My dad wants me to go to university. My sister could have gone but she didn’t. To be honest I don’t fancy it. I’ve no idea what to do, so why just pick a subject at random and write off three years?”

“I went to university,” said Nicola.

“Was it worth it?” he asked quickly.

“On the face of it, not at all,” she said. “I studied environmental politics and all I am doing now is working in a bank, so that’s just crap. Anyway, you’re very good at steering the conversation away from you,” she grinned. “I want to know more.”

He was quiet for a moment, his gaze dropping to the table.

“What’s there to know?”

She studied him, suddenly scared for him. It was as if a black cloud had appeared and washed away his spirit. Eventually he spoke.

“I have this dream.”

Her heart leapt into her mouth. For a while she had forgotten about the dream, had wanted to ignore the impossible. She could not look away as he carried on speaking.

“In my dream there is a rider on horseback, dressed in dark amor and with a sword and shield, like something out of a fantasy film. I follow them yet they never let me get close. Last night I had the dream again but this time it was different. I was the rider.”

He moved his hand forward, his fingers touching the soft, smooth skin of her arm and then following the contour of the muscle, their minds remembering.

“There was some kind of hut. I went inside and there was a girl, a young woman. I kissed her and she woke up. Then we had to flee, to run away from something bad. This is the crazy thing.” He paused, his eyes rising to meet hers. “She looked like you.”

To hear it made Nicola recoil in shock. She stood up and his hand fell from her arm. His gaze dropped to the table, and in that moment it felt as though she was leaving him forever, that it was their last touch before dying. Her mind began to race. They had each dreamed of the other and now they were together in reality. If it were true, if it were real, what did it mean? Where did it end? She felt so scared yet at the same time a rush of adrenaline was coursing through her body, and for once she would not turn her back on it. She had to live.

“Paul,” she said quietly. He did not respond.

“Look at me.”

He looked up, his eyes full of fear and loss, and her heart was torn.

“What’s the matter?” she asked. “Please tell me.”

He could not speak for a long moment. Finally he found the words.

“I don’t want to lose you like I’ve just lost Gwen.”

She sat back into her chair, feeling stunned. She reached out to him, taking his hands in hers, wanting to feel the reality of his skin, his being, to know that he existed when everything else was falling away around her. Suddenly the words came tumbling out.

“I don’t know what is happening either,” she said, “I have these dreams too. This morning in the lobby, just before I went up to my room, it was as if the person in my dream was standing in front of me. And before, it’s like someone, or something’s been watching me. Then at night, in the storm, I saw,” she shivered as she remembered. “I saw a rider on horseback standing outside our hotel window.”

His eyes hardened. So it was real. He had wanted to ignore it, to pretend that it was some kind of waking dream, but she had seen it, seen him. And she had dreamed too, of him. Nothing in Gwen’s teachings had mentioned or prepared him for this. He was totally alone and did not know what to do or how to act. His mind began to spin into freefall and he fought for control. All he could think of was his aunt, of his failure to be awakened, of all the things that were happening that should not be. Something was going badly wrong and he had no one to turn to now.

“I am not a bad person,” he whispered. “What have I done to deserve this?”

“Paul, what’s the matter?” she asked suddenly scared at his appearance.

He looked away. He had to shut it off, to stop thinking. He focused on Nicola, this hauntingly beautiful girl sitting opposite him, speaking to him. They were linked somehow in their dreams and now in real life. It was the only thing he had left to hold onto.

“Nothing,” he said. “Since my aunt died, it’s all been odd, strange, like I’m living another person’s life. I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”

“But our dreams?” Nicola began to say but he cut her off.

“I said I don’t want to speak about it anymore.” He turned away to look across the bay.

She fell silent, her mind numb with shock.

“Do you want to go windsurfing?”

“Are you serious?” she asked.

“Of course,” he said looking back at her. “Come on, it will cheer us up, get us out of ourselves.”

For a moment Nicola could not cope with the rollercoaster of feelings and happenings flooding through her. She wanted to be back at the start of the holiday just her and Stefan, everything simple and happy and uncomplicated. Not like now, where she was feeling more and more out of depth, out of control. And now he wanted her to go windsurfing. She almost laughed at the surreal nature of the situation.

“Okay, sure,” she said hesitantly.

He stood up.

“You can hire boards and wetsuits from the lifeboat house on the harbor.”

He moved towards the exit gate onto the road and then turned round as Nicola had yet to move.

“Come on, it will be fun.”

He held her gaze, a renewed glint of mischief in his eyes. She gave in and got up.

“Okay, let’s go.”

She left a tip for the waitress and then got up, following him out of the cafe and onto the harbor road. They walked side by side along the pavement, passing fishing boats and lobster pots, seagulls and nets, and all the other paraphernalia of a working fishing town. Their opposing hands hung loosely at their sides and once or twice they brushed together. Neither looked at the other nor dared to take the other’s hand in their own. They turned left, walking along the five-meter wide jetty that jutted out into the bay and formed one side of the harbor. At the end was an old lifeboat house, since converted into a bar and windsurfing center. As they approached Nicola felt the familiar knotting sensation in the pit of her stomach that came every time she was due to do something physical she had never tried before.

Paul walked straight in and up to a counter at the back of the shop. He spoke with the man behind the counter and then turned and gestured to Nicola to come over. She walked up and the man cast his eye over her before disappearing into a door on the right and coming out a few moments later with two wetsuits.

“Changing rooms through there,” he said pointing to a door behind them, his Australian accent totally unexpected. “Leave your stuff in the lockers and go out the doors at the back to get your boards. We’ll tow you out and come back to get you in an hour unless you are waving, in which case we’ll come straight over. The safety boats out there all the time.”

He grinned at them both.

“Have a great time.”

They walked through to the doors to separate changing rooms.

“See you on the other side,” grinned Paul.

Nicola grimaced and went into the room. It was empty except for the lockers and some towels strewn across the benches. She slipped off her t-shirt and jeans wondering if she was supposed to go naked into the suit. Not liking the idea she kept her underwear on and grimly stepped into the suit, pulled it awkwardly up her legs until it was tight against her body. She threaded her arms through and then used the cord to pull the zip up her back.

Now ready, she threw her clothes into a locker and then went out the door marked “Surfers Exit” feeling suddenly self conscious, for the suit left little to the imagination in terms of her figure. The door opened onto a small platform and she blinked in the sudden brightness. Paul was already there climbing down a steel ladder onto the boat. She followed him, the boat rocking from side to side as she stepped down, and she felt the boatman steady her as she moved forward.

“Thanks,” she said to him.

“No worries,” grinned back another young, tanned Australian. Her stomach shrunk by another couple of knots as she saw there was no going back. She sat down opposite Paul who was grinning evilly.

“You ready?” he asked.

“No,” she said back at him.

He laughed.

Soon they were speeding across the bay, their two surfboards being towed behind them. The boatman took them to the far side, away from a group of people on a lesson. The boards were cast off and Paul and Nicola slipped into the cold water. The boat turned round and motored off, and soon they were alone.

“Right, have you done this before?” asked Paul resting his arms across his board to keep himself afloat.

“No, have you?” asked Nicola as she did the same.

“Err, no, but I’m sure it can’t be too complicated,” he said, a grin on his face.

He pulled himself up onto the board so he was sitting astride it. He then got into a crouch and gingerly stood up grabbing the rope and pulling the sail up from the water. At the same time he leaned backwards to counteract the weight of the sail and, as he did so, a strong gust of wind swept across the bay and he began to move forwards.

“Here we go,” he said as he moved quickly away from Nicola and then promptly began to wobble before he lost his balance and fell into the water with a big splash. Nicola giggled.

“Come on,” he shouted. “Your turn.”

For the next twenty minutes they tried their best to wind surf. Paul picked it up quite quickly and was able to make some progress backwards and forward across the bay but Nicola just could not get the balance right and was about to give up in frustration when he came over to her.

“This is so annoying,” she said harshly as her sail fell into the water for the one-hundredth time. “And you’re so good at it.”

“Hey, it’s just beginner’s luck. You’ll get the hang of it.”

“I won’t,” she said, struggling with the sail again. She pulled it up, overbalanced and fell backwards with a big splash. With all credit to him he managed to keep a straight face as she surfaced spitting sea water from her mouth.

“That went up my nose,” she cried indignantly.

He slipped from his board and swam over to hers. He pulled himself up onto the board.

“I’ll try and help you,” he said.

She looked at him before somehow managing to swing herself around on the board so that she was sitting up. She felt him swing his legs around until he was sitting behind her pressed up against her. Before she could feel uncomfortable he was moving up into a crouch.

“Follow my movements,” he said, “I’ll keep the board steady.”

She pulled her legs up into a crouch and they stood up in unison. She pulled the rope attached to the sail taught and he wrapped his hands around hers. They both pulled, the sail lifting from the water, and he grabbed the rail, his body tight against hers, holding her in position. They began to move as the wind hit the sail and for a moment she really did feel like she was flying across the water and she laughed in happiness. She looked all around her, drinking in the sights and the scents, the sun high in a cloudless sky, the deep azure blue sea all around them, the land clad in its cloak of green rolling across the horizon, the feel of his body strong against her, holding her, and she felt totally and utterly free.

And then the wind dropped, and there was a wobble and they both fell into the sea.

She came to the surface and grabbed for the board, resting her arms across it to keep afloat. He did the same on the other side and their faces were inches apart, arms against each other. She stared into his eyes, noticing nothing else but him, her pulse racing, her body moving forward towards him. Dreamily, she closed her eyes and their lips brushed and then touched, and they kissed, a long, sensual kiss.

A darkened room.

Paul standing above her, his armor glinting in the dying firelight.

The shouts of men.

“Hey.”

A shout penetrated her consciousness.

“Hey.”

She opened her eyes and pulled away from him as if waking up from a dream. A hundred meters away the boatman was waving and then pointing to something in the water.

“Is this your board?” he shouted.

“Oh my God!” said Nicola.

“Oops,” said Paul. “Forgot about that.”

“Yes,” he shouted back to the boatman. “Sorry.”

“We’re taking you in,” the man shouted back. “Can’t have boards drifting around the harbor, right.”

They waited sheepishly for the boat to come to them.

The man hooked up Nicola’s board and then helped them in.

“Sorry mate,” he said. “But that’s against the rules, never leave your board floating around on its own, okay, or you’ll get us all into trouble.”

“I’m really sorry,” said Nicola. “It’s all my fault, I was not doing well and asked my friend to help me. We totally did not think about the other board.” She gave him her best smile.

“Okay, well, let’s get back in,” he said and opened the throttle. As the engine revved he said under his breath, “Wish the girls would do that to me when I was helping them.”





After they had showered and dried themselves, Paul and Nicola headed back along the cliffs towards the hotel, climbing up the steep path onto the headland. They walked until they came to a ridge of land where rocks seemed to make a natural fortress, splitting the land. They sat down on the highest point taking in the vast sweep of sea and sky framed by cliffs. The wind had dropped and they sat in silence, the occasional cry of a seagull, the only sound on the still air. The total absence of background noise was something Nicola could not remember really noticing or experiencing before, and it seemed to make the landscape stand out with more clarity and detail. For once, all she could hear was the sound of her own breathing. She turned her head to look at Paul, his back resting against a rock as he sat next to her.

“That was fun,” she said. “Thanks.”

“No problem, we can do it again tomorrow,” he said laughing.

“Maybe,” said Nicola coyly.

They fell into silence again. Although they were not touching, Nicola could feel his body a few inches away from hers. She longed to reach out and touch him, to feel his kiss, his tongue pressed against hers. She had never felt this way about anyone before, had never felt such a deep connection with someone. There was something between them that went further than the brief time they had known each other, and she was sure he felt it too.

“I know this will sound corny and cheesy,” said Nicola before she could stop herself. “But I feel I’ve known you all my life.”

Paul remained silent, his head bowed. Nicola could feel her heart thumping in her chest. Would he think she was being weird, or coming on too heavy?

“Maybe you have,” he said quietly.

“What do our dreams mean?” she asked.

He looked at her face outlined by the glow from the late afternoon sun. His whole being shuddered, for he had never met anyone so beautiful in his life.

“That we’re connected,” he said before his face broke into a grin. “And we will be together for the rest of our lives happily married with many children.”

“Now you’re making fun of me again,” she said punching him on the arm.

“Hey, that hurt,” he said in mock shock. “You’re in for it now.”

He rolled over and grabbed at her sides to tickle her. She cried out and tried to wriggle away but he was merciless and she collapsed into a fit of painful giggles and cries still trying to grab his hands to stop him.

“Stop, stop,” she pleaded in between fits of giggles.

“Not until you say sorry for hitting me,” he said tickling her relentlessly.

“I’m sorry,” she cried.

“Louder,” he said.

“Soorry,” she breathed. Seeing she could not take much more he stopped, finding himself lying on top of her, his face inches from hers. She looked up at him, the mirth fading from her eyes. He kissed her and she responded pulling him tightly against her. Their lips parted.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured.

“For what?” he said heavily.

“I don’t even know you.”

“Maybe that will change,” he said.

“I hope so,” she whispered reaching up and stroking his hair. “Come to dinner with me tonight, at the hotel. The restaurant overlooks the sea. It’s beautiful.”

“Is that a date?”

“You have to ask?” she questioned laughing.