Liselle slept instantly, not waking until the smells of another breakfast made by the knight filled her nostrils. Tathan groaned and stretched, sitting up to take the plate Sir Danth handed him. A sharp cry of pain from Anilyia startled them all. She was clutching her calf while writhing in pain. Liselle went to her right away. The princess was cramping from all the exertion. After taking a deep breath to compose her thoughts, Liselle flowed a small amount of healing energy into the offending muscle. Then she massaged the other calf with healing energy as well as the thighs.
“Here, drink some water. It’ll help,” Tathan said, handing his waterskin to the princess. She took a long drink before handing it back. They helped her stand up, taking it slowly to make sure she could walk without pain.
Anilyia smiled. “I’m fine. I’ve never walked so much, or done anything so much,” she said with a short laugh.
“Honestly, I’m exhausted too,” Liselle admitted. “The walking is bad enough, but going up and down mountains while being chased is a bit much.” They agreed fervently. “I wish Vevin was here. He would probably dance up the mountain,” she said with a longing sigh. Tathan gave her a hug without saying anything. They ate breakfast before continuing up the mountain. He refused to let Liselle cast another boosting spell.
They reached the top of the pass around midday a couple of hours after passing the tree line. The mountain, whose slope the Lost Road traveled over, continued to rise high above them on the right. On the south side, there was a large area with a partially broken, stone rail overlooking a cliff. It reminded Liselle of the ancient bridge they had crossed near Aaltdiin.
Anilyia dramatically collapsed to the ground in exhaustion and laughed. Tathan and Liselle quickly followed form. When Sir Danth did the same thing, they all burst into uncontrollable laughter. It seemed odd that they were having so much fun with everything that was happening.
They lay on the ground for a little while, looking at the sky. Occasionally, one of them would start laughing again and begin another round. Even Sir Danth was uncharacteristically merry.
“Tathan,” Liselle called out.
“Yes?”
“Why are we having so much fun?” she asked.
Tathan got to his feet and went over to the railing to look at the view. “Because we’re alive, because we’re not miles underground anymore, because we’re together, because we rescued a princess, because we’re being chased and it’s exciting, because . . . well, because adventuring is fun,” he said, turning around and sitting on the rail.
Liselle got up too and helped Anilyia who groaned at having to move. They went to the railing, joined by Sir Danth. The scenery was breathtaking, with mountains rising in every direction. Taller ones still had a little snow on top of their peaks. They were far north and snow didn’t always melt. The day was clear, with a gentle breeze keeping it from getting too hot. She turned to Tathan. “Our lives are in danger, we’re being chased by Rojuun, we have to figure out how to get the princess home, and there’s nothing even resembling civilization nearby,” she summarized. “It seems like we should be miserable, but instead, I feel alive.”
Anilyia stretched to loosen tight muscles. “I agree, it is kind of fun. I always wondered what it would be like to get out of the palace and see the world. This isn’t how I expected to go about it,” she said with a grin. Then she sighed deeply. “I’d rather be back at home though. The world is a lot dirtier than I thought it would be.” She looked at her dress, which had become grubby.
The sky was becoming much brighter. Liselle looked up to see another sun in the sky. Anilyia gasped and went to hide behind Tathan, who had drawn his sword. Sir Danth stepped in front of Liselle, sword at the ready.
The new sun came closer, flying toward them. That’s when Liselle realized that it was, in fact, flying. “Yebisu,” she said quietly. Anilyia gasped again, looking at her, then at the new sun. They all shielded their eyes as Yebisu came near.
“Well, are you going to give me room to land on the rail or do you expect me to hover out here?” Yebisu demanded in a testy voice. The companions all backed up enough to allow her to perch. Shortly after she settled on the rail, the light dimmed and they could see without shielding their eyes.
“Put that cursed blade away, Tathan of the Shadows! I will not have it absorbing my light.” Yebisu glared at him until he slowly slid it back into its sheath. “I am beautiful and brilliant to observe,” she declared, settling her fiery feathers. “I can make it so that you may look upon me, but my brilliance is impossible to dim while flying.”
“Is this the one that goes ‘poof’?” Sir Danth asked Liselle. He made no attempt to be subtle.
Liselle giggled, ignoring the fiery glare given to Sir Danth. “Tathan, Sir Danth, Your Highness, I would like to introduce you all to the Yellow Bird of Sunshine, also known as Yebisu.” Liselle gestured toward each as she said their names.
Tathan and Sir Danth both bowed. Yebisu ignored them and focused on Anilyia who peeked from behind Tathan’s back. “Ahh! Your Royal Highness, Princess Anilyia Felicia Romenia Illiath Turllisa Wannita Ullbra! It really is you!” Yebisu hopped from foot to foot.
She turned to Liselle. “I did not think you would do the right thing, Liselle of the Flowers. It is good that you did so.” Liselle resisted the urge to snap the bird’s neck. “Take her to the palace immediately!” Yebisu demanded.
“And how are we supposed to do that?” Tathan asked, his hand remaining on the hilt of his sword.
“Well, I certainly don’t know!” she said, ruffling her feathers. “Just do it.” Yebisu acted as if it was the easiest thing in the world.
“Right. We should be there in two or three months,” Tathan told her.
“WHAT?!” Yebisu shrieked. “Take her to the palace immediately!”
Liselle stepped forward. “We don’t have a way to do so. None of us have the ability to teleport and we’re far away from Mayncal.” She pointed her finger in Yebisu’s face. “You will not speak to my cousin that way. Is that clear, Miss Sunshine?”
Yebisu backed away from the fire in Liselle’s eyes, which would have been fine if she hadn’t been standing on a rail. With a squawk, the Yellow Bird of Sunshine disappeared over the edge of the cliff.
A moment later, she flapped back into the air, shining brightly once more. “I do not like you, Liselle of the Flowers. You are rude and disobedient!” Yebisu rose a bit further, radiating even more light. “Take Princess Anilyia to the palace immediately!” With that, she shot into the air in a blaze of light.
There was silence for a moment as they digested Yebisu’s words. Tathan turned and shrugged. “Unless one of you knows how to get the princess home instantly, I say we stick with our current plan.”
“That was really Yebisu,” Anilyia said in awe.
“Yes, she’s the one who asked me to rescue you,” Liselle informed her. “Yebisu said that the fate of the world was in my hands and it would burst into pieces if I didn’t save you.” Liselle snapped her fingers. “I should have asked Ryallon about that.”
Anilyia frowned. “So . . . you were the one who rescued me, not Tathan or Sir Danth?”
“We all agreed to rescue you, and none of us could have succeeded without the others,” Liselle informed her. “I don’t know why Yebisu wanted you rescued, but I never promised that I would, just that I would try.”
“Oh,” Anilyia replied quietly. She walked to the rail and stared at the scenery while digesting the new information. A moment later she spoke. “Yebisu is the Archangel of Mayncal. She speaks for the gods who look over our kingdom.”
“So, saving you had nothing to do with saving the world, just saving your kingdom,” Tathan said with a knowing nod. “I thought as much.” Anilyia nodded silently.
Liselle placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Regardless of whether we save the world, a kingdom, or just a kidnapped princess, I’m glad we rescued you, Anilyia.”
Anilyia looked at her in surprise. “You use
d my name . . .”
“Is that bad?” Liselle asked.
“Nobody is allowed to use my name except my father and mother. Everyone else must address me by title,” she said, looking around as though afraid someone might hear.
“Sorry, Your Highness,” Liselle said with a sigh. “I guess I’m just not used to dealing with royalty. I’ll keep it in mind.”
Anilyia nodded. Then she reached out and touched Liselle’s hand. “I’m glad you rescued me too. Thank you,” she finished with a smile.
“You’re welcome.” Liselle returned the smile.
They ate their midday meal then continued on their journey. The trail down was at a similar gradient to the one leading up. It worked different muscles in the legs, wearing them out just as much as traveling up the pass had. They camped at nightfall in a small clearing with a stream. Liselle went to sleep worried about the fate of her dragon lover.
Chapter 27
They had just filled their plates with breakfast when Vevin landed nearby. Anilyia immediately hid behind Tathan, grabbing his hand and making it impossible for him to eat. Just as Vevin transformed into human form, Liselle ran into him full speed, flinging her arms around his neck. He stumbled back a few steps, but remained standing as he laughed and wrapped his arms around her.
“Where have you been?” Liselle asked accusingly.
The question caught him by surprise. “I’ve been flying, like I said I would,” he replied.
“I expected you to be gone for a few hours, not a few days,” Liselle pouted, folding her arms.
“I’m sorry, dearest,” Vevin said. “A few days isn’t much time for me. Normally, I go flying for a couple of weeks, but I hurried back to get to you.”
“Well . . . if you hurried back, it’s alright,” Liselle said, throwing her arms around his neck again. They held each other while Tathan pried his arm away from the princess so he could eat. The princess also ate, but stayed hidden behind Tathan the entire time.
The feel of her against his back was nice. He liked it when she held his hand, he liked the smell of her hair when she put her head on his shoulder, he liked the way she looked at him and he liked the way her body curved. Tathan liked everything about the princess. Liselle had warned him not to do anything, but he couldn’t help being attracted to Anilyia.
At least she was finally getting along well with his cousin. Hopefully, she would come to like Vevin too, because no matter how much the irritating Yellow Bird of Sunshine wanted them to get her home immediately, it just wasn’t going to happen. It would take a couple of weeks to get to the northern part of the Willden and another few weeks to make it to Kethril. Two or three months to Mayncal was optimistic.
Liselle led Vevin back to the group. “Vevin’s back,” She said with a huge grin. Anilyia pushed tighter against Tathan.
“Welcome back, Vevin. It is truly good to see you again,” Sir Danth said with a welcome pat on the back that sent the dragon staggering.
“Thank you,” Vevin replied, narrowing his eyes at the dark knight.
Tathan grinned. “Welcome back. Did you see anything of the road ahead?”
“Oh yes! It’ll take about ten days to reach the Willden. The Lost Road continues for a long, long way. It’ll be a while before we get to Kethril,” Vevin said.
Tathan nodded. “That’s what I thought. Thank you, Vevin.”
“Did you by any chance see if Rojuun were following us on the road behind?” Sir Danth asked.
Vevin sat down next to Liselle while she ate her breakfast. He had his arm around her waist and their thighs touched. “There are about five hundred warriors staged in a canyon a short distance away from where we came out. I thought about killing them, but didn’t want to upset Liselle,” he admitted. She smiled at him. “Plus, they do have magic and I didn’t think it was a good idea to attack them alone.”
“Very wise,” Sir Danth agreed with a nod.
“I say we travel steadily until we’re deep in the forest. At some point, we’ll try to take a couple of days to rest, but not until we’re certain of safety,” Tathan suggested. They all agreed.
“Oh, I stopped in Puujan for a few minutes,” Vevin said. “The wings looked neat from the sky. It was so beautiful,” he told them. “I talked to Hulda. Word hasn’t gotten out about our rescue yet. I also got the princess some new clothes and stuff.” A pack appeared in his hands.
Liselle arched an eyebrow at him.
“You said she needed a new dress and her own towel and blanket and soap and stuff,” Vevin said. “I was trying to think of what you would want me to do.”
She relented instantly. “That was very thoughtful of you, dearest. Thank you.” She gave him a kiss on the cheek. Liselle put her plate down and carried the pack over to the princess. Anilyia shrank away when Liselle reached out a hand, but took it after a moment and allowed herself to be led a ways into the forest.
A few minutes later, they came back. Anilyia was dressed in sturdy travel clothes that had intricate needlework to make them beautiful. They were fit for a princess, but capable of handling the abuse of the road. She carried the pack over her shoulders like Tathan and Liselle did, even if she did seem a touch offended by the concept.
They cleaned up the camp and headed down the Lost Road to the Willden Forest.
***
It took twelve days to reach the Willden. Hard rains slowed them down for half that time. Vevin took to the sky every occasionally to see if the Rojuun threatened. He was able to fly high enough that they didn’t spot him, though Liselle worried each time he flew. The Rojuun fell just a little bit further behind each day.
Tathan knew when they reached the Willden. At first, the trees were frightening, seeming to loom over the Lost Road. They darkened the sky with their leaves, while sounds of monsters came from just beyond sight. He didn’t understand why it was hostile though. When he and Liselle had first entered from their valley, it had been unthreatening and they were supposed to be friends with the forest now.
Anilyia tried to climb into Tathan’s skin the entire time, which would have been fine if the closeness of her body didn’t arouse him so much. Tathan liked the company of beautiful women and had never tried to restrain his desires in the past. She had taken to sleeping against him at night. Their sleeping rolls kept skin from touching, but he could still feel the shape and warmth of her.
Sometimes when everyone was asleep, he would gently caress her bare arm or reach a hand down to her waist. Anilyia’s skin was soft underneath his fingers and even when he wasn’t touching her, he imagined touching her. Tathan became grateful for every cold river or pond he could bathe in on their journey.
The growls and hoots of monsters came closer and closer, and the trees shrank in on them. Anilyia whimpered into his chest, too afraid to look.
Then Vevin bellowed a great dragon roar. No monster anywhere was brave enough to take on a dragon. The trees stood up straight, letting light in along the path, while various creatures in the brush scattered. A few minutes later, the only sounds were birds singing in the trees and insects flitting about their business.
***
Two more weeks passed. After that first day, the forest had become welcoming. As usual, Liselle greeted every flower she could. Sir Danth was especially quiet again, staring into the forest as though trying to find something. At night, he would scout ahead for long periods of time, coming back to make breakfast before the rest of them woke up. The behavior bothered Tathan because the knight had become quite enjoyable to be around before the rescue of the princess.
Vevin still scouted from the air every few days. He reported that the Rojuun had finally reached the edge of the forest. Three hundred entered while two hundred stayed behind. Those three hundred never reappeared and Vevin said he could hear their screams even from his lofty height.
The morning was foggy and every sound was muffled, making the forest seem otherworldly. They ate their breakfast and continued the journey. Tathan wanted to find s
omeplace where they could spend a few days to recover. He could tell that his companions were road weary. To be honest, he was too. Even Sir Danth had lost a bit of his step.
Oddly enough, Liselle was handling it best. There were always flowers for her to touch and every time she did, it put a little more spring in her step. Vevin was tired though. He hadn’t flown in four days. Dragons needed long periods of rest once in a while and the schedule of humans was hard on him.
Anilyia walked quietly next to Tathan, still holding his hand. Liselle joked that their hands had become permanently attached and they would never be able to separate.
“There’s a creaking sound ahead, Tathan,” Vevin said from behind. Tathan looked over his shoulder to see the couple’s hands attached just like his was to Anilyia’s. He shook his head and loosened his sword in its sheath.
“I’ll move ahead and take a look, Master Tathan,” Sir Danth said next to him, eager for something to do. Tathan nodded and the knight ran ahead.
A few minutes later, Tathan could hear the creaking and a structure began to form through the fog.
Sir Danth reappeared in from of them. “It’s amazing,” he said. “I believe it’s an inn built in the time of Morhain. I’ve never been this far north, so I don’t know anything about it, but it will make an excellent place to stay and rest for a few days. We need the rest, Master Tathan.” There was a pleading tone to his voice.
“Yes, definitely. Let’s check it out to make sure it’s safe and we’ll see if there’s anywhere good enough to rest,” Tathan replied, clapping a hand on the knight’s shoulder. He realized that the knight hadn’t smacked his shoulder since before rescuing the princess. At that point, Tathan decided that he would get the knight alone sometime very soon and find out what was wrong.
“Oh my! It’s a really neat building, Tathan,” Vevin said, doing an eager dance. ”Don’t worry, there’s no one here and it’s safe.” That was good enough for Tathan. Vevin’s supernatural sight came in handy at times.
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