He/Heroine And My Villainess

HE/HEROINE AND MY VILLAINESS

(ZOOMED THROUGH FLICKERS)

"It does! Uncle," Yerre gazes towards Sir Aloit with a worried expression. 

"Aiya, don't worry. We're almost back home," Sir Aloit reply with an assuring smile on his face, which made Yerre sigh in relief and nod. 

"Em," Yerre reply turning to face front again, then she thinks of suggestions. 

"Uncle, how about we speed up more?" She blurts out without thinking, which made Sir Aloit shock and almost stop his horse from running. 

"HUH? No, we can't do that," Sir Aloit reply with a complex face. 

"Eh? Why?" Yerre ask, cluless. 

"Because a horse can feel exhaustion too. If we force and push our horse to go all out from the limit. The energy that our horse reserves will drain and lose balance, which causes us to walk back home instead," Sir Aloit explains, still have a shocked and problematic expression.

"Oh, I didn't know that," Yerre reply, surprised. 

"Aiyah, I forgot to tell you about that," Sir Aloit respond with an idiotic expression. 

"Hahaha, it's fine, uncle, at least now I know, right?" Yerre reply laughing at Sir Aloit expression. 

"Right," Sir Aloit reply with a smile. 

"So this means that we will be arriving back home at night?" Yerre ask. 

"Not quite," Sir Aloit reply with a plain expression. 

"Huh? What do you mean by that uncle?" Yerre asks, confused by Sir Aloit response because she saw that the sun is almost setting and the road through Astrod land still not showing. So Yerre felt sure that they got back home at night, but Sir Aloit words say otherwise, making her confused.

"What I mean is that we will take another path to get to the Astrod land fast, but I need you to ride with me in my horse because the way in is stiff and slope. There's also a possibility that we will face some animals," Sir Aloit mentions which made Yerre jolted from fear. 

"Animals? What kind of animals? Is it," Yerre ask in her anxious tone of voice.

"Aiyoh is only a random animal. There's no need to fret about it," Sir Aloit mentions, but Yerre is still not contented and relaxed. She still has a fear feeling inside her heart, and Sir Aloit notices it.

"Aiyo! Let's stop, let's stop," Sir Aloit slowed his horse then wave his right hand, signaling Yerre to stop her horse from running for a while, but Yerre didn't understand what he meant by his words and waves.

But with a confused and clueless face, she followed her instinct of the mind, stop her horse from running, then faces him.

"What is it, uncle? Is there something wrong?" 

'"Aish! Your trembling, that's it," Sir Aloit answer.

"Trembling?" Yerre asks, shocked.

"Yes, let us take a break for one minute," Sir Aloit mentions, making Yerre surprised.

'He saw right through me?' She thought. 

"But, un-"

"No buts,"

" But, uncle, the time is running," Yerre responds, worried. 

"And so do my worries," Sir Aloit responds, sighing. 

"I'm sorry," Yerre apologize, fidgeting.

"You don't have to apologize and worry. Once we enter the place that I was talking about, we then ride away as fast as we can, okay?" Sir Aloit reply and Yerre only reply with a nod.

"Those wild animals won't notice that we intrude to their place if we ride away in silent and faster than them," Sir Aloit added with a grinned smile, but Yerre still has the same reaction and feeling. She had trauma back to her childhood, and it still lingers to her till now.

"Em," Yerre responds as Sir Aloit leaps down from his horse. 

"Get down," Sir Aloit demand as Yerre nod then leaps down from her horse. 

"Aren't you hungry?" Sir Aloit ask as they stood on the ground facing each other while the stiff wind passes through them. 

"I am, but I will eat later when we get back home, uncle," Yerre answers with a bright smile as she endures the hungriness she feels inside her stomach. 

She does not want to delay because Yerre's worried about Alda. She does not know that they spend almost ten days in the Nipa village. Alda only knew that Yerre would be away for four days, not six days. 

"Are you sure? I have bread in my bag. Do you want one?" Sir Aloit mentions, making Yerre eyes bright from delight.

I mean, who wouldn't? They have been riding for who knows how long hours, not eating anything or resting. Sir Aloit and Yerre only drink water from their cloth tumbler, filling their tummy with a bit of feeling of fullness from the water. 

But that is not enough for Yerre, so when Sir Aloit said that he has bread inside his bag, Yerre eyes light up from gladness and relief. Thinking one bread is enough to cover up someone's empty stomach. 

"Mn! I will have it, uncle, thank you," Yerre answer with a thankful smile, which made Sir Aloit feel relief. 

"Okay," Sir Aloit answer with a grinned smile, then went to his bag to take the bread that the Nipa people gift to him for their travel and went back to Yerre side, giving the bread for her to eat. 

"Thank you, uncle," Yerre takes the bread with a grateful feeling. 

"Your welcome, come, let me help you leap up in my horse. My Erhen here is taller than your horse so," 

"Your horse has a name?" Yerre asks upon hearing the name of the horse.

"Yes, aeyo, don't tell me you haven't given a name to your horse," Sir Aloit guess. 

"I..." Yerre could not finish her answer. 

"You haven't, am I right?" Sir Aloit asks again, and Yerre shakes his head as a no. 

"I see. Why don't we give a name to your horse before we continue going back home?" Sir Aloit suggested. 

"Okay, but..." 

"But, what?" 

"I don't know what to name him," Yerre speaks out her worry. 

"Oh, I see. Hmm, let's do it this way. What is your favorite flower and food?" Sir Aloit ask. 

"My favorite flower is salvia, and my favorite food is sweets," Yerre answers, full of honesty. 

"I see, then how abou,"

"I get it now! I got one! I got one, uncle," Yerre exclaimed, happy upon figuring a name for his horse, leaving Sir Aloit words unfinished. 

"Mn, tell me," Sir Aloit respond with a wistful smile. 

"Alre, I will name my horse as Alre," Yerre answers with a satisfied eye and smile. 

"I see. What made you think of that name for your horse?" Sir Aloit ask, curious.

"Oh, is simple. I combined my name and my bestfri-uh," Yerre pause in realization, not talking any further.

'I almost blurt out Alda name,' Yerre thought, anxious and nervous as an invincible sweat formed from the right side of her forehead. Upon realizing, that she almost blurt out Alda name to Sir Aloit without thinking. 

Yerre combined her name and Alda name, then formed them into one by choosing the correct letters to combined. So, it won't sound boring and plain.

"What's wrong?" Sir Aloit ask in haste as he saw Yerre reaction change into a displeased one.

"Uh is nothing, uncle. I combined it with my name and the things that I love before," Yerre answer with a forced smile. 

'With the things she loves before?' Sir Aloit asks inside his thoughts. 

"You remembered the things you use to love before?" Sir Aloit asks, concern and afraid of something. 

"Yes, I do," Yerre answer.

"Oh," Sir Aloit respond, jolting inside his voice. 

"Yes, it's beautiful, right?" Yerre asks with the same smile.

"Ye-yah, it is," Sir Aloit stutter from replying as he thinks of the name combination that Yerre gives to her horse. 

'Alre, ha, Alre, Alre, hmm...' Sir Aloit continues thinking about Yerre's horse name with a theory guess, but he ended with nothing.

After their conversation, Sir Aloit then helps Yerre leap and sit on his horse, Erhen, while munching away the bread that Sir Aloit gives to her not long ago. 

Yerre put herself in the correct and comfortable position as Sir Aloit also went to leap up from his horse, sitting at the back of Yerre, securing her not to fall when he made his horse run in fast speed. 

"Are you ready to go?" Sir Aloit ask. 

"Uncle, what about my horse, Alre," Yerre worried about Alre. 

"Don't worry, I already connect his leash to my horse, so if we move and ride away, he will follow," Sir Aloit explains. 

"Are you sure that Alre will follow?" Yerre asks for assurance.

"Of course, don't you trust your uncle's words anymore?" Sir Aloit asks, acting offended and hurt with an exaggerated tone of voice. But Yerre didn't notice it because she only focuses on her horse.

"Aiyoh, don't worry. Your horse recognizes you as his master. So, wherever place you go. Alre will follow without orders," Sir Aloit explains, making Yerre nod and sigh in relief.

"Thank you for your consideration about my horse, uncle," Yerre thanked him.

"Aiyo, you always thanking me. You're always welcome," Sir Aloit answer with a gentle smile.

To be continued.