They reached the edge of the pool and Liselle stripped out of her clothes while Anilyia stood there staring at the water. “Well, get undressed. I have soap. We’ll get under the waterfall and let it run through our hair,” Liselle encouraged. She dipped a toe in the water. “It’s nice, not too cold even though we’re in the mountains.” The princess didn’t budge, just staring at the water. Liselle sighed. “You do know how to take off your dress, don’t you?” she asked jokingly.
Princess Anilyia shook her head side-to-side, tears streaming down her cheeks. Liselle stared at her in shock. Surely, the princess could do something as simple as remove clothes . . . or not. Liselle moved back to her, ignoring the way Anilyia shrank from her touch.
“I’m not going to hurt you. Quit acting like I’m a monster,” Liselle told her as she unclasped the dress down the back. It was badly tattered, not being made for running through tunnels. She had the princess step out of it and the undergarments and then helped take the shoes off. Other than being dirty, the princess was exceptionally beautiful. “Well, come on, let’s get in the water.”
She led Anilyia into the pond. The princess wasn’t struggling to get away anymore, which was nice. “Have you ever bathed yourself?” Liselle asked. Anilyia shook her head no again. They were into the middle of the pool and the water was up to their waists. “Let me get this straight. You’ve never undressed yourself, you’ve never bathed yourself, you’ve never . . . have you ever done anything for yourself?” Liselle asked. Anilyia shook her head no, yet again.
Liselle was beginning to understand why Tathan sighed all the time. She led the princess to the waterfall. At first Anilyia shrank back from the water falling on her head. Liselle let the princess be for a minute while letting the water wash some of the dirt and sweat from her own hair. Then she stepped back and used the soap she had brought with to create lather. It took two washings to get the grime out, but felt so much better when she was done.
Anilyia stood under the waterfall while Liselle washed. The princess watched and began to run fingers through the platinum tresses that had become brown from dirt. Liselle created more lather and began to help the princess wash her hair. “Scrub the soap into your hair with your hands,” she explained, showing her how. The princess followed along and actually smiled as she gained confidence. “Do you really have people to do everything for you?” Liselle asked.
“Yes,” Anilyia answered, speaking for the first time in a while. “My handmaidens dress, bathe, and care for my every need. I do feed myself,” she said with a blush. Liselle smiled gently, happy that the princess was finally talking. “I’m not stupid or helpless,” the princess finished.
“I don’t think that, Your Highness,” Liselle replied. “I’ve always taken care of myself, even when I was a child. It’s unusual to meet someone who isn’t self-sufficient.”
“Are you giving me a bath so I’m clean when the dragon eats me?” Anilyia asked quietly.
Liselle stopped in shock. “Wha . . . no! Vevin isn’t going to eat you.” Liselle put her hands on the princess’s shoulders and looked her in the eyes. “He told me that dragons are allowed to eat princesses and even that you’re supposed to taste extremely good.” Alarm showed on the princess’s face and Liselle realized that probably wasn’t the best thing to say. “But he promised he wasn’t going to eat you and he’ll keep that promise.”
Anilyia looked entirely unconvinced. Liselle hugged her. “Let’s finish cleaning up and then we’ll see what we can do about fixing your dress. Are you certain you won’t wear the robe I have?” The princess shook her head vigorously and Liselle left it alone. She went to get their clothes, washed them, wrung them out and put them on rocks to dry. The dress wasn’t perfect, but it no longer smelled.
When they were done, Liselle took the towel out of her pack and gave it to the princess who merely stared at it. “You don’t know how to dry yourself either?” When the princess shook her head yet again, Liselle helped her dry off and then dried herself. She put on the grey and black robe made for her by the Rojuun. Anilyia glanced at it with distaste. Liselle saw the look and said, “Ahh, but I am comfortable and clean, whereas you have only the towel to cover yourself for now.”
The princess looked down as Liselle wrapped the towel around the important parts and tied it off. They left the damp clothes where they were and headed back to the camp.
The boys had the camp completely set with sleeping bags laid out and dinner cooking over a nice fire. Tathan stared at the princess in her towel when they walked up. For once, the princess hid behind Liselle who raised an eyebrow at her cousin. “We would be thankful if you took a bath now, Cousin,” she said, shooing him off.
Tathan had the good sense to blush. “Sir Danth went to explore the path ahead and said he would be back by morning.” He grabbed his pack and headed to the pool. The princess stared at him until he was gone around the bend. She began to follow him so she could watch, but Liselle dragged her to the fire and dinner. It was ready and they ate their share.
A short while later, Tathan came back wearing his own Rojuun robe, sword-belt wrapped around his waist. Liselle had put the princess to bed in the extra bedroll Tathan had thought to bring before they made the rescue. Regrettably, he didn’t think to bring an extra towel or wardrobe fit for a princess.
“Is she asleep?” he asked, pointing at the princess. Liselle nodded and handed him a plate of food. “Good. My hand will appreciate the break,” he said with a grin. Liselle laughed in response and gave him a hug.
She broke the hug and frowned at her cousin, holding him at arm’s length. “I’m worried about you, Cousin.”
He frowned in return. “Worried? About me? Why?”
“Because you’re attracted to a very beautiful princess who is also attracted to you,” Liselle answered. “I see the way you look at her and the way she looks at you in return and it worries me, especially with how far we have to journey.”
Tathan began to protest and then fell silent. He looked at the sleeping form. “She’s so beautiful,” he said longingly, alarming Liselle even more. “I know I’ll never be allowed to have her, but that’s part of what makes her so desirable,” he said, turning back to Liselle with a crooked grin. “I’m a thief. I take things I’m not allowed to have.”
“Oh, that’s nice, Cousin. So I have to protect her from my lover and now you?” she asked in irritation with hands on hips. “The princess doesn’t even trust Sir Danth and doesn’t like me either.” Liselle began pacing. “I can’t say as I blame her considering how I treated her. I’ve got to figure out a way to control the flames when I get frustrated.” She stopped and narrowed her eyes at Tathan. “You don’t get to have a relationship with the princess and she’s not a piece of jewelry for you to steal.”
He held up his hands. “I know. That’s not how I really feel. I don’t want to steal her. She is beautiful though.” Tathan looked at the sleeping form. “It’s nice to be needed. It’s even nicer to have a hand to hold.”
Liselle stared at him. He didn’t notice. “Tathan,” she said warningly. When he looked at her, she pointed a finger in his face. “No.”
Tathan stared at the finger for a moment then sighed and nodded. “I know.” He gave her a big hug. After he ate his dinner, they both went to sleep.
***
Princess Anilyia lay awake in thought for a short while after they finished talking about her. Her marriage was needed so her kingdom could be at peace and fight off the advances of the Iynath Empire. Yet she desperately wanted the thief to steal her so she could continue holding his hand.
Chapter 26
The wonderful aroma of cooking food woke Liselle. The sun was well above the horizon. “I let everyone sleep awhile. You needed the rest,” Sir Danth said from next to the firepit. Liselle looked around and saw the princess and Tathan just getting up as well. Vevin was nowhere to be seen.
Anilyia held the sleeping bag tight against her chest and looked to Liselle for assista
nce. Before she could react, Sir Danth pointed to some nearby rocks. “I brought all your clothes here. They are dry.”
Liselle retrieved the clothing and glared at the men until they turned their backs. She helped the princess into her dress. A needle and thread in her bag would take care of the worst rips when she had the chance. They sat down to breakfast.
“Sir Danth, has there been any sight of Vevin?” Liselle asked.
“No, Milady. He has not returned, nor have I seen wings in the sky.”
“Oh . . .” Liselle’s face fell.
“Dragons consider time differently than we do, Milady. I am certain he will be just fine,” the knight reassured her with a smile.
“Sir Knight,” Anilyia began. Everyone turned to her. She paused for a moment before asking, “How do you make expressions with your helmet on?” Sir Danth responded by raising an eyebrow. When no other answer was forthcoming, they all burst into laughter. It released much of the tension from the last few days.
They had just finished their breakfast when the attack came. Liselle felt her bones melt as she collapsed to the ground. The princess and Tathan also hit the ground, both screaming in agony.
Liselle searched her mind for some way to overcome the spell. Her bones were in extreme pain. She didn’t know if they had actually melted or not, but they no longer felt solid. The screams of her cousin and the princess were distracting. Liselle wasn’t screaming. She had been hurt before and could handle it for some reason. Perhaps it was the knowledge she could heal herself that made the anguish tolerable.
Rojuun warriors appeared over her, their long knives at the ready. Between the screams and her own pain, she couldn’t concentrate enough to cast any kind of spell or even think what would be best.
Red rain fell from above. It took a moment to realize that blood droplets were falling on her. A Rojuun head flew through the air, headed for new adventures without its body. More red raindrops flew. It was pretty in an abstract way. Sir Danth’s sword swung in a silver arc, the blood spraying from its edge.
The rain stopped and Sir Danth disappeared. Liselle managed to tune out the screams enough to concentrate. She began healing her bones and was able to determine that there was nothing physically wrong with them. It was magic causing them to feel that way. There was no telling how much time was passing, although it felt like an eternity. She was working on understanding how to overcome the spell when the sensation abruptly disappeared.
Air filled her lungs, causing her to realize that she hadn’t been breathing fully. Tathan and Anilyia stopped screaming and gasped for air as well. Liselle struggled to get to her feet, but Tathan was faster, his sword out and thirsting to join in the bloodshed.
They looked around. Thirty dead Rojuun littered the ground, half neatly decapitated. Sir Danth was nowhere to be seen, but the sounds of battle rang from above the eastern side of their small canyon. Tathan ran in that direction, but stopped after a few steps. He looked at Liselle and the princess, then back at the bank. It took an instant for him to move back to the ladies, standing between them and the canyon wall while looking for any movement or sign of danger.
“Thank you, Cousin,” Liselle said briefly. She concentrated on a particular spell Vevin had shown her in their travels. She cast it on herself first as he had taught her. The spell would protect her for a little while from any further hostile spells like the one that had melted their bones. She couldn’t maintain it for too long though. She then cast the same spell on Tathan, saving the princess for last.
Vevin had told her that it was important to always protect herself first so she could continue to function. The next most important was to protect whoever might be able to defend her. Last was anyone who was innocent and might be harmed.
Tathan looked back and nodded in appreciation, recognizing that she had cast the spell. Anilyia was finally able to stand and ran sobbing into Liselle’s arms. They were all covered in Rojuun blood, spread by the knight’s sword.
The knight suddenly reappeared in front of them, his sword gleaming in the morning sun. There wasn’t a speck of blood anywhere on it or his armor, a feature Tathan happened to be very jealous of. “They are all dead,” he assured them. “Some were at the top of the canyon casting spells while others snuck up the river and lay in wait until we were incapacitated. They did not realize their spell would have no effect on me.”
“I’m thankful for that. I’ve grown soft and didn’t realize when real danger was near,” Tathan stated, obviously mad at himself.
“Not at all. They were using spells to hide their presence. I didn’t notice them either.” Sir Danth turned to Liselle. “I killed all fifty, Milady. I know it was your wish to minimize loss, but with you and Master Tathan incapacitated, I considered the risk to be great. All were warriors or users of magic.”
“I know. It was necessary to kill them in order to save us and I thank you for that,” she told him. What she didn’t tell him is that she hated seeing dead bodies littering the ground and wanted to leave as fast as possible. The canyon was deathly still, as though nature was paying its respect with a moment of silence.
“I don’t think it’s safe to stay here anymore,” Tathan said. “Let’s clean up downstream and leave. I think it’s going to be hot today and we’ll dry out fast enough.”
“What about the bodies?” Liselle asked.
“I believe more Rojuun will follow and care for the dead in their way,” Sir Danth said. “What is their way?”
Tathan shrugged. “I don’t know. They don’t talk to humans about that from what I can tell.”
Anilyia, seeing Tathan sheathe his sword, let go of Liselle and rushed over to grab his hand. She held onto it tightly and buried her face in his shoulder. Tathan looked guiltily at Liselle.
They went downstream a ways to clean up while Sir Danth stood guard. Tathan and Liselle changed out of their robes and back into their traveling clothes. They got the bloodstains out as best they could.
The entire time Tathan bathed and changed, Anilyia sat in the stream staring at him. Liselle knew women found her cousin attractive, but the princess stared without pretending to be interested in anything else. If Tathan noticed, he didn’t give any indication. A few minutes later, they were ready to go. Anilyia remained in the dress, which Liselle helped her clean as much as possible.
They reached the end of the canyon where the stream met the river and then turned onto the Lost Road, intent on putting as much distance between them and Rojuun territory as possible. They didn’t know how long it would take to reach the Willden where they would be safe.
Vevin still hadn’t appeared and Liselle had no idea how long his flight would take. She worried that the Rojuun had gotten him or even worse, whatever had injured him before they met. He still hadn’t told her what it was that had left the scar across his face.
All through the day’s travel, Anilyia held onto Tathan’s hand. When night fell, they didn’t stop except for a short time to eat and rest their legs. When it was time to go again, Liselle gave them all a strong boost of stamina that would last for hours. She ate three times the normal amount of food and knew that when it did come time to rest, it would be a deep sleep. Tathan and Sir Danth assured her that they would be able to handle any danger.
Liselle had touched as many flowers as possible, waving at the ones she couldn’t get to. They were all thrilled to see her. Even though she was in mortal danger, Liselle was in high spirits. Being underground had cut her off from flowers and sun. She needed both to survive. Realization was beginning to set in that she had been close to suffocating underground. Had she stayed down there, it would have literally killed her before long.
Princess Anilyia was doing better too. Liselle felt sympathy for everything she had been through. Being a prisoner of the Rojuun must have been difficult. Now she was with dangerous strangers running for her life. At least she was finally speaking and didn’t cower when Liselle came near. Perhaps not feeding her to Vevin after bathing had he
lped. Liselle grinned to herself.
Just before dawn, they stopped in a clearing where the river widened. The spell that helped their stamina had worn off, leaving all but Sir Danth exhausted. He stood watch so they could sleep.
A few hours later, he woke them up with the smell of cooking food. Liselle could barely concentrate. The magic she had used was taking its toll on her and she needed a couple days of sleep, which they couldn’t afford. Tathan helped her up, walked her over to the river to splash water on her face. It helped a bit, but she really wanted to lie back down. Sir Danth gave her a double helping of food, which she greedily nommed.
When they got up to go, Liselle began to ready another boosting spell. Tathan quickly took her hands to stop her. “You’re tired. Save it for an emergency. For now, we’re just going to travel at a normal pace.” She smiled thankfully and nodded. Upon seeing Anilyia’s worried look, she smiled at her too, receiving one in return. Vevin still wasn’t back. Liselle grew more worried with each passing hour. There was no telling what had happened to him.
A little while later, the road moved away from the river, traveling upward. Mountains were thick in front of them and they could see that the river had cut a deep canyon, too narrow for the road to exist beside it. The incline of the road took its toll on the companions and by evening, they were moving slowly. Thin mountain air didn’t help and Anilyia was struggling even more than the two cousins who had both been raised in a mountain valley. They found a level clearing next to the road where they collapsed.
Once again, Sir Danth prepared food for them. The immortal knight did not tire or need rest. He had been quiet and supportive, always there to lend a hand. They were thankful for his friendship.
Anilyia Page 27