Lexin's Quest (Knights of Kismera Book 2)

by Tamara H Hartl

“Where were you before you came in here?” Cerise asked him softly, after he had moved to lie on his back, settling her against him. With her head pillowed on his broad chest, she felt him sigh.

  “I stood outside your door for some time, until Cearan came out of his room to go check the horses. When he returned he guarded the door and I made use of the bath.” He idly stroked her arm. “I thought to come to apologize but when I saw you sleeping I wanted more. You were everything I have imagined and more so.”

  “Oh?” Cerise questioned, one hand moving down to check the now dormant part of his anatomy, making him grunt.

  “First you taunt me and now you toy with me. You are very brave or very foolish, my lady,” Lexin whispered, his body responding to her gentle touch.

  “I have been accused of both at various times,” she admitted. “Take your pick.”

  Lexin moved and took her by the hips, pulling her up to straddle him. Hard once more he sheathed himself in her, bringing a low moan from her lips.

  “I choose neither, for you are a sorceress and I am under your spell. Do with me as you will,” he coaxed, and she did, until neither had the strength to move until morning.

  Chapter Ten

  Early the next morning, Lexin lucked into finding a merchant caravan heading for Trevess. Ready with the extra protection the Werre would provide, the caravan was moving by mid-morning.

  By mid-afternoon, the weather had turned miserable with misting rain. Cerise sat her horse, eyeing the thick forest they were about to enter with a nervous eye.

  The trees were huge, old evergreens like conifers, and the light rain made a soft hissing sound through their needled limbs. It was dark and forbidding within the interior of the forest.

  “What is this place?” she whispered, more to herself than anyone in particular.

  Lexin heard however as he rode by her side and answered, “It is the Forever Woods.” He glanced over at her and noticed her pale face. “Do not be afraid, Cerise. I will stay by your side.”

  Cerise asked her gelding to move forward, and as they entered, the woods seemed to close around them. She felt panic streak down her spine, making her horse nervous underneath her.

  Lexin grabbed her reins. “All is well, Cerise. There is naught to fear,” he said, the lie bitter on his tongue. There were certainly things to fear in those woods. That was why he rode with a group. Here there was safety in larger numbers.

  “I don’t believe that for a second, Lexin,” Cerise returned crossly, and moved Mitch closer to Marlhowh, feeling a bit more secure. Even the ill-tempered stallion was subdued in the woods.

  “I should not have tried to mislead you, ehmar,” he apologized. He tried a different tactic to distract her. “Tell me of your homeland. How far is it from Oralia?”

  A snort of laughter escaped Cerise, causing him to look affronted. “You really don’t know anything about me, do you?” she asked.

  Lexin’s expression turned warm. “I know you like me to kiss you here,” he said, his voice loaded with male smugness, as he reached over to trail a finger down her neck. “But I know nothing of your past as I have said before. Tell me.”

  “You really want to know?” she asked.

  “I have just said so, yes.” He rode, his back straight, moving as one with his horse, looking proud and arrogant.

  “You’re not going to believe me,” she warned, asking Mitch to pick up his speed as the caravan in front walked faster. Apparently the woods made others nervous as well.

  “Let me decide, woman. Just tell your tale.”

  “Okay,” she said. “I’m from a place called Virginia, more specifically, Charlottesville. My parents were born there as well, but my grandparents came from Scotland.”

  “I have not heard of this Virginia or Scotland. How far is that from Oralia?”

  “A long, long way,” Cerise answered.

  “When Cearan and I met you on the plains when Lord Drace returned, we were a little over two days away,” Lexin remembered.

  “Yes, and we had been moving a day and a half when you saw us. But we came through, Lexin, from somewhere else. I don’t know if it’s a different planet…or if this place is in a different dimension or plane or what. For all intents and purposes, you can’t get there from here. At least not without a lot of help.”

  Lexin looked at her with an incredulous stare.

  She could see the wheels turning in his head. “I told you that you wouldn’t believe me,” Cerise said, shrugging her slim shoulders. She left him to stew on it for awhile.

  Cerise remembered how she felt hearing Drace’s story when he had told her of this place. He had been acting very strangely after a near fatal accident with his horse, Pride. Cerise had made him disclose what was wrong and the whole incredible story of him being taken to Kismera had come out.

  Drace had been brought to Kismera by the magic of the great ice dragon Nimbus, in order to fulfill his part of an ancient legend. So many details of his story had been hard to believe, but Cerise had believed him, no matter how bizarre his story sounded. The new scars he carried helped to prove it, but his total heartbreak over the loss of Ki had been the deciding detail.

  Until Lexin was ready to listen with an open mind, he would not believe her. He already knew of the god Arahtok’s involvement in allowing them to return, but no one other than herself, Drace, and Ki knew where they were from. Cerise doubted that Cearan knew the entire story.

  As the group rode on over the next thirty minutes or so, Cerise would cast glances at Lexin as he rode beside her, his back straight, his eyes alert to the surrounding woods. He wore a thoughtful expression the whole time, his eyebrows drawn slightly together.

  The fine misting rain did not seem to faze him as she watched a thin stream of water trickle down his cheek and neck into the collar of his mail. Cerise knew by evening he would have rust stains along his neck.

  Cearan and Merrick rode just ahead of them in quiet conversation. Cerise watched them from underneath the shelter of her slouch brim hat. She brought it with her from her Virginia home. She wished she had a raincoat, but neither Drace nor she had brought anything that would not be accepted by their new people.

  Cerise began to feel the moisture on her the skin however, and looked forward to her tent that evening. She silently cursed her three companions for looking as if it was just another sunny day and they weren’t being slowly steam cooked in their armor.

  “Cerise,” Lexin’s voice broke into her fuming, startling her. “Describe to me this Virginia.”

  “What?” Cerise responded dumbly, looking wide-eyed at him.

  “I wish to know what it looks like. Describe it please,” he returned, still looking ahead.

  Cerise spent the next hour telling him about the Virginia countryside. She told him of her family’s horse farm, painting him a mental picture of the barns and houses, the white board fences, the horses that were trained there. She tried to depict the city of Charlottesville to him, but found it harder to explain so he could relate to it.

  When she mentioned cars he turned his gaze to her. “These cars do not need horses to pull them?” he asked, doubt lacing his words.

  “No, they run on something called gasoline.”

  “Pah! You are telling tales now, woman.”

  “I swear I’m not,” she argued and spent the next hour trying to convince him of the modern conveniences of her world.

  It was getting late when the caravan began to slow in search of a spot to camp. Lexin moved closer to Cerise as the group bunched up. “Was this world where you learned to throw stones with such accuracy?”

  Cerise let a bubble of laughter escape her. “I played softball all through school. I was All State pitcher two years in a row. Guess I haven’t lost my touch.”

  “What is soft…?” He lost the rest of the word.

  “Softball. It’s a game, but I think I’ll save that for tomorrow,” she suggested, and then noticed the od
d look he gave her, or more precisely, her chest. She glanced down.

  Her white linen shirt was soaked and her white lacy bra was clearly visible. It wasn’t a garment Lexin was familiar with. The women of his world wore stays or nothing at all under their clothes. She saw him swallow hard.

  “I’ll change into dry clothes as soon as I can,” Cerise murmured, knowing others would see as well.

  “I believe that would be wise,” Lexin agreed. “But do not wander from camp. I will go with you if you must leave it.”

  “I really could use a tree right now,” she admitted. “Are we stopping here?” She looked around her. The trees seemed to close around her like the walls of a cave. She shuddered.

  Lexin spoke loudly enough in Werren that Cearan turned in his saddle to look back. He nodded to Lexin and turned forward once more. They halted their horses with the rest of the caravan a moment later.

  Lexin dismounted and handed his reins to Cearan, who moved the horses off the road and a few feet into the trees. Lexin extended a hand to Cerise once she was on the ground as well.

  “Come, my lady. I will stand watch while you attend yourself.”

  She nodded and handed Mitch off to a waiting Merrick. She then followed Lexin several feet into the woods. Having not relieved herself since they entered the woods, her main focus was on fixing that problem. She could have had an audience and not have cared. As it was, Lexin stood close by, his back turned.

  At her audible sigh of relief, she heard Lexin stifle a chuckle. “Don’t laugh, cat man. I thought I was going to pee myself,” she groused.

  As she adjusted her clothes, she realized he was now taking care of the same business.

  Once he finished as well, tying the laces on his breeches and arranging his mail shirt, he led her a bit further into the woods to a small stream that ran parallel to the road.

  He knelt down to wash his hands, his eyes darting to inspect the opposite bank. Cerise squatted down beside him.

  “Lexin, why is this called the Forever Woods? Does it seem like forever to get through them?”

  He turned his gaze to her and then back to watch across the stream. “In part, I suppose,” he answered her. “It is four days travel through them, but it can feel like much further before you exit them. But that is not what gives it its name,” he said, his eyes returning to her. “It is called the Forever Woods because if you get lost in them, it will most likely be for forever. Few are ever found again.”

  Cerise blanched at that and looked behind her. It was as if the trees were moving in on them and, if not for the voices of the others, it would seem they were lost already.

  The caravan they had ridden with consisted mostly of the dwarven merchants who had been at the inn the previous night. There had been a handful of their own warriors with them, armed with enormous axes or war hammers.

  Several of the merchants now emerged from the trees, leading the large ponies that had pulled their trade wagons. They led them to the water to drink and Cerise expelled the breath she had been holding.

  Lexin escorted her back to where the camp was being set up. She stopped on the way to admire deep purple orchid-like flowers growing up the side of one tree and reached out to pick one.

  Lexin grabbed her wrist in a hard grip and shook his head in warning. “Do not touch it, little one.”

  She looked up at him in puzzlement as he released her. “Why not? It’s beautiful.”

  “It is very poisonous. If you touch it, it will make you very sick. So ill you would beg for death,” he informed, gently but firmly.

  “What is it called?” Cerise asked, her voice shaking at the close call she’d just had.

  “It is a wraith flower. Use caution in these woods, Cerise. Touch nothing, if you can, no matter how lovely.” He looked at her strangely, thinking she would be that to him: so beautiful but perhaps that which had the power to destroy him when she turned against him.

  “What is it? What’s wrong?” Cerise gasped at his stricken look only to see him close up visibly in front of her.

  He ignored her question, taking her by the elbow to guide her the rest of the way to camp.

  Once her tent was up, she ducked inside and changed into a dark colored long sleeved shirt. She left her hat inside and found her lightweight cloak, as it was cool underneath the trees. Thankfully, the rain had stopped, at least for the moment. The canopy was so thick she couldn’t see the sky.

  There were no fires as everything was too damp to burn. The four ate a meal of cold meat and day old bread. Cearan as her guard this time, Cerise made another trip to relieve herself, wishing she had a flashlight. It was black as sin in the trees. Cearan led her back, moving as if it was daylight.

  Cearan moved to the horses, checking that the ties were secure. Cerise went to stand beside Lexin.

  He stood by her tent, adjusting his sword belt, tightening the strap instead of removing it.

  “Will you be sharing my tent tonight, Lexin?” she asked casually, not looking at him.

  “No, my lady, we must be on careful guard this night. I cannot protect you if I am distracted.” He gave her a meaningful look. “Sleep well, little one.”

  Cerise nodded and rose up on her toes to kiss his cheek. “Good night, cat man,” she said softly and went into her tent.

  It was the third night in the Forever Woods that all hell broke loose. Lexin, Cearan and Merrick looked worn out from lack of sleep. Even with taking shifts, no one could rest well, even Cerise.

  She was knelt by the stream, wishing she could bathe in it. She splashed water on her face to do what little she could to clean the dirt, feeling it in every pore.

  A startled scream came from a dwarven pony to her right and she jumped to her feet. Cerise looked over in time to see what looked like a mound of earth pulling at the little horse. It screamed again, kicking and scrambling to get away and then—it was gone.

  The pony’s handler had bolted at the first scream, and Cerise stood in shock as the forms of her companions went rushing by her.

  “To the tents, Cerise,” Lexin barked as he ran past. “Stay on the road.”

  That was all she needed to hear and she ran away from the creek as fast as she dared in the dim light. A low limb smacked her in the face, making her stagger.

  There was a lot of noise behind her and she dared a look over her shoulder. It was too dark to see what was going on so she kept running.

  Cerise’s breath exploded out of her when something stepped in her path and she barreled into it with a squishy thud. She went down hard on her back and looked up with dazed eyes.

  Holy Mary, Cerise thought at the sight of the creature over her. It was man-sized and shaped, but looked to be covered in oozing mud. One hand went to her chest as Cerise fought to regain her air, and her hand came away with damp earth on it. Her frightened gaze went to the shape that loomed over her, searching for a face. It didn’t have clear facial features, the place where eyes and a mouth would be were dark holes that seeped moisture. Cerise decided not to stick around to see more.

  When it took a step toward her, she scrambled backwards, trying to get her feet under her. Just as she regained them, a burly dwarf ran past her, armed with a huge war hammer, swinging it over his head and yelling a war cry.

  Cerise heard a wet splat and felt damp earth hit her in the back as she started to run. She ran until she couldn’t hear the yelling anymore and came to a sliding halt.

  She should have reached the road but it was nowhere in sight. She came to a horrible realization. She was lost in the Forever Woods.

  Chapter Eleven

  Her first instinct upon realizing she was lost was to climb the nearest tree in case another one of those—things—showed up. Fear of encountering a wraith flower in the dark kept her on the ground.

  She had come to a stop in a small clearing and knew the best choice when lost was to keep still. Trying to go back might mean winding up deeper in the forest. Cold
, hungry and tired, Cerise carefully cleared a small spot on the ground with her booted foot and sat down. She hugged her knees and settled in to wait. She rested her chin on her knees and tried not to jump out of her skin with every noise and sigh from the woods around her.

  She eased down on the forest floor and curled up as tightly as she could to keep warm, letting exhaustion finally claim her.

  Cerise woke a few hours later, at first confused at her whereabouts. She jumped to her feet and pulled her dagger and short sword. Early morning sunlight filtered weakly through the trees and she stepped carefully around in an attempt to find what had awoken her.

  Pine needles rustled and Cerise spun around, going into the defensive crouch Cearan taught her, baring her teeth to try to look more menacing. She wasn’t going down without a fight.

  “Easy, little warrior,” said a familiar voice. “Put your weapons away.”

  Cerise did as she was bid, and when Lexin stepped into her view she cried out and ran to him. She leapt into his arms, making him capture her hips to keep them both from falling.

  He took her mouth in a kiss when she buried her hands in his hair and pulled his head to hers. He released her mouth after a moment and let her lay her head on his shoulder, sobs of relief overwhelming her.

  “Oh God, Lexin,” she gasped through her tears. “Oh God.”

  He knelt with her to the forest floor and let her cry brokenly against him until finally she calmed.

  He put his hands to her face, tilting it back to see her. “You are unhurt?” He traced the scratches on her forehead left by her encounter with the limb.

  When she nodded mutely, he gathered her roughly to his chest once more. “By Tala, I thought you lost, Cerise,” he breathed and a shudder went through him.

  “What were those things?” she asked with a shiver of fear, her voice muffled against his shoulder. She burrowed tighter to him, ignoring the pinch of his mail shirt against her cheek.

  “I have heard them called Earthmen by some. Now, let us get back to the others.”

  Cerise let him help her to her feet and looked him over thoroughly. Other than looking rather disheveled, he appeared unhurt. “How are the others? Was anyone wounded?” she asked as she brushed pine needles and dirt from her clothes.