by Lorna George
‘I don’t think so, it’s pretty small,’ replied the other man. ‘What do you think, My Lady?’
Arun glanced at her, then back to the Sergeant. ‘She’s in no fit state-‘
‘I’m fine,’ she interrupted him, staring at the cut and blinking. ‘We need to move.’
Her voice was slurred, her tongue swollen and her teeth feeling as though they were made of lead. She saw the way Arun shot a warning glance at the Sergeant for daring to ask her opinion, then looked pensively at her arm.
‘No magic,’ she warned, guessing his thoughts. ‘Bind it tight, then we leave. We need to circle West a bit, alright? Clabbert nest in groups.’
The Sergeant nodded, moving to do as she bid, but Arun was there, suddenly snatching up the bandages. ‘I’ll do it. You see to the men.’
She watched as though through a window as Arun began to bandage her arm and Sergeant Naseem winked at her from behind him. The gesture was confusing, and she continued to stare even after he went back to the other soldiers, speaking quietly to the young guard, Rostam. They both looked over, and the worry faded from Rostam’s face with whatever the Sergeant had told him.
‘You like him?’ Arun asked, his voice odd. He didn’t look up from his task, wrapping her wound carefully, but firmly.
‘Who?’
‘Rostam, is it?’ he sounded very tense. Naomi briefly wondered if the poison was affecting her ears. ‘You seem very friendly with him.’
‘He’s a friendly person,’ she replied mildly. ‘He’s been kind to me.’
‘I see.’
He sounded so deeply troubled by that, Naomi snorted. ‘Does it bother you that other people don’t hate me because you do?’
Arun looked up at her then, surprise evident in his face. His eyes were serious, and he reached out to take her chin in his hand. ‘I don’t hate you.’
‘Why do you always do that?’ she demanded, all humour gone as she jerked her head away from his fingers. He looked taken aback, his brows shooting up and lips parting. He didn’t even know what he was doing was wrong!
‘You don’t have to touch me to make a point. It’s such a disrespectful way to behave, using physical force to make a woman listen or pay attention.’
‘Physical force?’ he said incredulously. ‘I barely touched you!’
‘But you did touch me,’ Naomi scowled. ‘You’re always touching me, and it’s rude. You wouldn’t grab another man to make him listen, would you? Not unless you were trying to threaten or dominate him. What makes you think it’s alright to do it to me and not expect an angry response?’
He looked so shocked, as though the world had been blown out from under his feet. It made her feel better to know he hadn’t meant it that way, that it was just a case of being thoughtless or uncorrected in the subject as most men were, but she wasn’t about to let him off the hook. He needed to stop doing it, and now he knew better, he couldn’t claim ignorance again. There was only so much leeway she was going to give him regarding differences of culture, and invading her space was a step he had repeatedly gone over the line with.
‘I didn’t mean…’ he reached forward to take her hands, then pulled up short as he realised he was about to do the same thing again. ‘Forgive me. I never thought of it in that way. It wasn’t my intention to make you feel threatened, I only… I apologise.’
Seeing his genuine horror at the realisation, she sighed tiredly, giving him the opportunity to do better in future. ‘Thank you. I appreciate that, and I’m sorry I snapped. I’m just… I’ve been kicked about a bit over the years, and it makes me nervous when I’m touched unexpectedly.’
Her head was swimming and she felt ill, but she knew they had wasted enough time. Standing unsteadily, she leaned on a nearby tree trunk for support. It wasn’t really the same thing, but if she suddenly grabbed Arun after making her point, it might seem hypocritical.
‘You’re not well,’ he said, regaining some of his usual gravitas. ‘You need to rest.’
‘No. Going around the Clabbert nesting grounds is going to put us behind as it is,’ she sighed and rubbed at her foggy eyes. ‘Can’t waste any more time. I’m fine.’
Speaking was difficult and she hated how weak she sounded, so she didn’t add that with the smell of blood would come predators, maybe even attract however many harpies were hunting them.
‘Then let me carry you.’
‘No,’ she responded without preamble. He went to grab her shoulder, but again pulled his hand back as though burned. The look on his face was priceless as he realised just how often he touched her to make his point, and clenching his fists, he lowered them both to his sides.
‘You’re a practical woman,’ he said carefully. ‘If you don’t let me carry you, you must realise you’re going to slow us down. We could keep up a steady pace with you on my back and you could rest at the same time.’
She was intrigued by this new tactic. He was right, of course. She would slow them down in her present condition, and by appealing to her common sense, he had won her over before she even realised he had. He was smart when he used that pretty head of his.
‘Alright,’ she agreed at last. ‘But only because it’s sensible.’
Arun looked relieved then, and took a step towards her. ‘May I, then?’
She nodded and he took her good arm tentatively, wrapping it around his neck as he turned his back to her at the same time. He lifted her easily, which surprised her more than it should have, and she had no choice but to brace her other arm over his shoulder as he shifted his hands along her legs and under backside. Suddenly she wondered if this really was such a good idea. Maybe she could just walk it off?
‘Is this alright?’ he asked, concern evident in his voice. She wasn’t comfortable. It felt as if every inch of her was pressed up against him somehow, and she had to fight off the irritation that threatened to burst out of her. It wasn’t his fault, it was hers. He hadn’t asked her to be stupidly heroic, and he was right that she wasn’t really in any condition to walk unaided. Another wave of dizziness hit her, and she knew she had no choice but to deal with it.
‘Are you sure you can manage?’ she mumbled into his shoulder.
‘You’re not exactly heavy, Firefly,’ he laughed quietly, shifting her weight slightly and walking towards the Sergeant. They were ready to go, and as she had previously instructed, they moved in a Westerly direction in an attempt to give the clabbert nesting grounds a wide berth. Naseem moved up to the front of the formation, and she felt guilty for not being able to lead them through as she’d meant to. It was dangerous, as she’d unfortunately just proven.
Their pace was slow as they once again began to move through the thick forest, and she knew she must have dozed off a few times. Her arm was throbbing painfully, but there was only a few spots of blood that had seeped through the bandage. Despite Arun’s assurances and her own knowledge, she felt heavy. She could barely keep her head up, and jerked upright every time she found her face buried in his neck. The fourth time she did it, he puffed a small, exasperated sigh.
‘I don’t mind, you know. You should try and rest if you can.’
‘I don’t want to sleep,’ she murmured. The clabbert poison wasn’t deadly. It was supposed to incapacitate an enemy, but Naomi couldn’t shake off the fear that she might not wake up again. Her thoughts were taking an increasingly morbid turn, and the idea that she had endured all she had just to die like this caused a sharp pain in her chest.
‘Would you like to talk for a while, then?’ he asked, almost hopefully. Naomi felt suddenly suspicious.
‘What do you want to talk about?’
‘Well, under normal circumstances I suppose I might ask you about your childhood,’ he watched her from the corner of his eye, and she tensed up. ‘But since I gather that topic isn’t on the table, perhaps you could tell me if you’ve reached a decision yet?’
She frowned deeper. ‘A decision?’
‘I’m not sure whether to be offended or not,’ he sounded
like he was smiling. ‘I suppose a lot has happened, though, hasn’t it?’
Naomi realised all at once that he was talking about his offer of marriage yesterday and experienced a peculiar mixture of embarrassment and amusement. Only half in control of her faculties, she snorted in a decidedly undignified way.
‘You really think that’s been top of my priorities today?’
She hadn’t exactly meant it to come out that harshly, and expected Arun’s sudden light humour to dissipate immediately. She was surprised to hear him chuckle instead. ‘No, I suppose not. After saving my life three times in as many days, I probably owe you a little space to breathe, don’t I?’
‘You don’t owe me anything,’ she reiterated, not wanting his thanks. ‘But it’s only once by my count.’
‘If you say so,’ he sounded dubious. ‘I’m not here to force the point, only that I’m glad we’re on even footing now. There’s no need for you to keep throwing yourself into danger to try and prove yourself.’
‘Oh?’
‘It’s not that I don’t appreciate it,’ he hurried on, then hesitated, shifting her weight again as he stepped carefully over a fallen log. ‘It’s just that I can’t help wondering if you’ve considered the possibility that you might be with child.’
Her heart lurched sickeningly in her stomach at this, but she quickly tried to compose herself. Her already woolly head barely processed his words, and she found she had to close her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, there was an odd expression on his face, hesitant but somehow provoking at the same time.
'I'm not,' she kept her voice steady. 'Due to my living conditions and general health, I haven't menstruated in almost two years. I understand it to be common with underfed women and while I expect it to return to normal as my health returns, it's highly unlikely that I'm with child now.'
'It isn't impossible, though,' he insisted doggedly. ‘Would it make a difference to our situation if you were?’
What was wrong with him? It was like he wanted her to be pregnant. Then she realised that he probably did. His line of questioning had been about whether she would stop fighting his supposed marriage to her, so this was just another way to tie her to him. Just like the Bond spell. Part of her was angry with him for trying to use such an idea against her, but another part understood. After all, he had been getting married for a reason. She knew that without an heir of his own to continue the Hadrian line, with his death would come civil war. It wasn’t a particularly nice pressure to have placed upon you, but it was one Naomi could understand. Lineage was everything to royalty. She would just rather he didn’t involve her in his, that was all.
‘I’m truly sorry, Sire,’ she lied, more for his sake than for hers. ‘But I don’t think it’s very likely at all.’
‘Arun.’
She blinked. ‘Pardon?’
‘I would really like it if you called me by my name,’ he explained, his eyes flicked quickly towards her, then became very fixated on the forest in front of him. ‘You did say you would.’
It took her a moment to realise just when they’d had that conversation, but when it finally came to her she felt slightly less charitable towards him. ‘It wasn’t actually me you made that request of though, was it?’
‘Actually, you might be interested to know that I had decided not to go through with the marriage if my bride turned out to be as horrific in private as she was in public. Myself, my family, and my people were all treated by her with utter contempt, and with the Bonding spell and her own marriage ritual not completed until consummation, Rayan made me swear not to tie myself to her unless I could find a redeeming quality or two,’ he smiled mischievously and Naomi found herself at a loss as how to react. ‘Imagine my surprise when I entered the wedding chamber expecting more disrespect, but was met with courtesy, education and an easy frankness of manner I’m not often privileged to experience.’
Screwing up her face, she mentally chewed this over. Was he trying to manipulate her somehow? It didn’t make sense for him to suddenly come out with something like that, especially when she was really quite certain he felt no sense of privilege at all when on the blunt end of her tongue.
‘Too bad the Commander isn’t here to corroborate your sudden need to share these very flattering sentiments.’ she hummed, closing her eyes and resting her head on her own shoulder casually.
‘Oh, you don’t believe me?’ Arun sounded genuinely surprised, and she opened one eye, watching him slyly. He seemed either oblivious or uncaring of her scrutiny, and his lips kicked up at the corners in wry amusement. ‘I suppose that’s fair. I didn’t want to believe it either, in truth, that’s why it’s taken me so long to admit it. This little mix up of ours is going to cause uproar, I don’t mind telling you, but I was wrong to blame you entirely. I, at least, have the comfort of knowing that I chose you, even if only subconsciously.’
She forced herself to swallow a rather spiteful comment at that and instead tried to work out just what game he was playing here. He sounded sincere enough, but there was more to it than a simple admission of acceptance. She didn’t trust that it was a straightforward confession and apology; something had driven him to telling her. Most likely was that he was trying to take advantage of her weakened state to coax a positive response to his so-called proposal, but she wanted to think better of him than that. Perhaps he felt guilty or responsible for her current state of health?
Arun sighed quietly. ‘I’ve been worried about my wedding for months now, my choice being quite unpopular with practically everyone…’
‘Imagine that.’
‘…Even the Tsumetese Empress had some very strong words to say on the subject,’ he continued, ignoring her comment. ‘She should be pleased that things didn’t go as planned, at any rate.’
Naomi silently took stock of information she had missed while imprisoned in Chloris Castle. Empress? The surrender of Tsumetai in the Pirate Wars made more sense now, at least. Smiling to herself as she remembered Ayeko playing indulgently with her in the vast gardens of the Imperial Palace as a child, her mother watching and smiling from the side-lines, she felt a sharp pang of sorrow and loss such as she hadn’t felt for a long time. A lump quickly formed in her throat, her eyes stinging as she fought back the ever-waiting tide of tears. After all that had passed, Naomi could imagine just what she had thought of the Korenian King giving power to Adrienne’s false reign.
‘Are you asleep?’ he murmured, bringing her back to the present again. She realised her head had dropped back over his shoulder once more and she was feeling exhausted beyond reason.
‘Why are you doing this?’ her voice came out hoarse from the suppressed grief, but she tried to ignore it. ‘Why are you suddenly telling me these things?’
It took him a long time to answer her, and for a while she thought she might doze off again. The pragmatist in the back of her mind reminded of her earlier hope that she could have simply “walked it off” and knew that without his help the whole group would have been much further behind than they currently were. She knew she should be grateful for his assistance, but for bringing up memories and feelings she wasn’t in any position to face right now, she found herself itching for a fight with him, despite her sluggish limbs and slurring words.
‘The last thing my cousin told me before he left yesterday was that you had no reason to trust me,’ he said at last, speaking slowly. ‘That for you to trust me, I had to show that I trusted you.’
Naomi let out a long breath, exhaling the fight that had been welling up out with it. She knew Rayan and Esta were probably dead by now, and it wasn’t in her nature to give false hope, but still she found herself hoping against the odds. False hope had kept her sane these past years, after all. Who was she to deny it to another who might need its power?
‘They’ll make it,’ she assured him, trying to sound certain. ‘Nothing’s impossible, you know.’
‘Nothing’s impossible,’ he repeated quietly to himself. After a mom
ent, he leaned forwards slightly and adjusted his hold on her gently. ‘You should sleep. I’ll make sure you wake up again, I promise.’
Naomi was already slipping under the darkness, and even as his words lulled her the rest of the way, she wondered if she had actually spoken that particular fear aloud.
Chapter Fourteen
Despite her heightened awareness and the dark magic coursing through her body, Genevieve had been unable to locate her prey. The Small Warrior was clever. A hunter herself, she knew how to hide, using the forest to conceal them from both sight and smell. At first Genevieve had appreciated the challenge, but as she flew low over the thick canopy of trees, the spell her master had gifted her with twisted agonizingly, wrenching her flesh under her metal plumage. His voice whispered in her mind, filling her again with the craving for the blood not of the Small Warrior, but of her dragon.
His magic was strong, but vast. Like a volcano, its true force was deep and hidden, but the ash that it erupted went wide, making it harder to see its source. He was careless with its use, and his presence could be felt by anyone with a sense of magic. The dragon made no attempt to hide his power, yet that was what had kept him safe so far.
Genevieve had managed to narrow the search to a smaller area, but only because some small instinct was fighting through her master’s commands and scented out the blood of the Small Warrior. The blood was laced with the bitter taint of poison. Hunting it, she had drawn ever closer, then realised that while the Small Warrior and her dragon were no longer in the area, others were. Three groups of humans, one hot on the trail of the Small Warrior, another a little ahead, and the last moving along the main road to the salt of the great sea. These last were clever. They had discovered where the Small Warrior was headed, and would wait for her to emerge, bringing their prey to them. Her master coaxed her to find them, to join them, to dominate, and eventually fulfil her mission of bringing death to the dragon and his followers, but there was another familiar scent powerful in the air.