by J. D. Wright
“My time with Cicilly will come,” Silas replied, grabbing her hair and pulling her tight against him. “But I’ve found another flower, a dark rose, to bide my time.”
Tossing her mask to the side, Silas led Vallica over to the stone railing, completely hidden from the light. There on the terrace, he took her, with the darkness surrounding them.
Chapter Four
Rianne saw the water, sparkling from a distance. Finally! She lectured herself for not bothering to consider that she would need to bring something to drink along with her. Food, money, and clothing, she had remembered. Water, on the other hand…
She had been able to satisfy her thirst for the past two weeks by drinking from streams when she crossed them, which had been plentiful until recently. She hadn’t come across a single trace of drinkable water for two days until she reached Silver Glen, which was an area with multiple deep ravines and heavy forests. Had she planned correctly, she would have brought a flask or bottle with her on her journey, to refill. However, it was too late now. And she estimated that it would take another two to three days before she would reach the nearest town in order to purchase one.
As she got closer to the water, she heard the faintest sound of splashing. Then, after a moment, she heard it again, louder this time. Suddenly, she was hit with the realization that she may not be alone. She slowed her steps and tried to keep quiet.
There was a tall bank to the right of the trail that rose up higher than the stream. So she slowly made her way over to it, hoping it would help her to hide. But when she reached the bank, she realized that she could probably look over the side without being seen. Her curiosity got the better of her. She sat her bag down on the ground and dropped to her knees. Normally, she would never crawl around on the ground, especially if she were wearing one of her fine gowns. But that hardly mattered to her now as she eased herself up to the edge and peeked over the side.
There was a boy, standing in the pool of water which reached just to his waist. It took her a moment to realize that the boy was naked. Her eyes widened and her hand flew to her mouth to stifle the small squeal that escaped. After she got past the initial shock of seeing a nude stranger, wading in the water, she realized he was probably close to the same age that she was, maybe a bit older. His chin length hair was damp and tucked behind his ear. And his upper body was wet. The tiny beads of water glistened in the sunlight.
Rianne could feel herself becoming flushed. She had never seen a naked boy before, who wasn’t a small child. She knew that her brothers played nude in the stream by the castle when they were younger, but she had only been a baby then.
The water was cloudy enough to hide his lower half, but she did see enough of him to know that watching was not appropriate for a lady. Yet, she couldn’t make her eyes look away.
The boy dipped below the waterline and came back up again, running his hands over his head to wring out his hair. The way the water streamed down his body made Rianne sigh, loudly. The sound caught the boy’s attention.
Rianne ducked down, quickly. Then she eased back from the edge. Once she was sure she could stand without being seen, she got up and started to walk back to the trail. However, she only took a few steps before the boy was suddenly standing in front of her with a piece of thin, dry cloth wrapped around him from the waist down to his knees. He seemed annoyed.
How did he get here so quickly? she thought. Wait, look at his face. Don’t look down. Don’t look down. Oh no, I looked down.
“Spying is rude,” he said.
Rianne blinked when she heard his voice. She forced her eyes, from his chest, back up to his face. This is not how a princess is supposed to behave. Pull your wits together! She crossed her arms and leaned back on her heels, attempting to look casual and unaffected by his state of undress.
“I’m not the one who was brazenly bathing in public,” she said. Then she froze when he squinted at her. Idiot! He doesn’t live in a castle. He probably doesn’t have a tub to use. The stream is probably a common way to bathe for… other people. If she made another mistake like that, she would definitely give herself away. She tried to imagine how a commoner would react in this situation.
“I mean to say,” she continued, “that you forgot to hang a piece of cloth on a branch, to warn passing travelers.”
He stopped squinting and blinked, but Rianne couldn’t tell if he was still suspicious of her, or not.
“Hang a cloth?” he asked.
“Perhaps, you aren’t familiar with the practice. However, not everyone who passes through wants to see your…” Absolutely perfectly lean and gorgeous… “Umm… body.” Just the way the water was dripping from him right now made it hard to focus on what she was trying to say. She had to get away from him before she misspoke again.
“Perhaps…” he said, mimicking her, “you should consider hanging a cloth, yourself.”
This time, it was Rianne who squinted, confused at his suggestion. He gestured to her lower body. When she looked down, she saw that there were streaks of mud on her clothing from crawling along the ground. Ewww…
She couldn’t stop herself from reaching down and trying to knock the mud off. When she glanced up, the boy was gone. He had miraculously disappeared without making a sound. But she didn’t have time to worry about that now. She was still so very thirsty and wanted a drink. Remembering where the boy had just been wading, she decided to move upstream before dipping her hand into the stream and bringing the cool water to her lips.
Her sore stomach told her she drank too much water, but she ignored it. If she were going to die during her escape from Labara, it wasn’t going to be from thirst. After doing her best to wash the dirt off her clothes, she stripped down and tucked the wet clothes into her sack. Then, she pulled out the last of the dry clothes she had and changed into a long ivory tunic and brown overdress. She might be a bit warm now, in two layers of clothing. But when nightfall came, she would certainly appreciate the extra warmth. The days had been mild since it was now early springtime in Southeast Everealm, but the nights were still as cold as winter and would continue to be for another few weeks.
Looking up through the trees, Rianne noticed the sun was no longer overhead. Another day was almost over. If she kept traveling at this rate, it would take another week to reach Sire. By that time, she would likely be low on money if she still had any at all. She would have to sell two of the necklaces she brought with her in order to barter passage from Sire to Carroway, a port in North Everealm. Once she was there, Rianne was certain no one would recognize her. She would adopt a new name and create a false background, as an orphan, perhaps.
Giving up her jewels and lavish clothing was a small price to pay in order to save herself from what awaited her if she had stayed in Labara. She kept her mind busy, focusing on the journey ahead of her, to prevent herself from thinking about what her parents must have felt once they realized she had gone. The hurt she was causing them weighed heavily on her, so strongly that she thought about turning around. Twice. But even if she did return, her future wouldn’t change. That much, she was certain of. Her father would be angry with her and likely force her to marry Carneath anyway, as punishment.
Her mother was undoubtedly upset and Rianne did feel bad for putting her through this ordeal. But it was leaving her brothers that made her feel the most guilt. Tristan and Xavier had been nothing but kind and loving to Rianne. The thought of never seeing the two of them again is what hurt more than anything else. She was hopeful that one day, once Tristan was king, she could return to Labara. But that day might be decades away if King Nolan remained in good health. So for now, she had to be prepared for the likelihood that she may never live to return home to Labara.
As the sun set, Rianne stepped off of the trail and made camp for the night. She pulled a piece of dried meat and a pickled turnip from her sack. She hated pickled turnips, but it was one of the few foods that held up well for traveling. Until she reached Sire and could restock her sack, the pickl
ed turnips would just have to do.
Once she finished eating, she wiped her hands on her dress. If her mother had ever seen her wiping her hands on her clothing, she would likely have had a fit. Being out, in the realm, did provide certain freedoms that living under castle rule did not. Rianne couldn’t help but chuckle to herself at the thought. If her mother could see her now, dressing like a commoner, spying on a naked boy, eating pickled turnips and wiping her hands on her dress… Queen Isabelle would probably faint.
Rianne curled up and pulled her small blanket over her body. She laid her head down on her sack and listened to the sounds of the forest around her as she drifted off to sleep.
~*~
Rianne woke to the sound of birds chirping in the trees. She stretched and yawned, enjoying the crisp and clean morning air. The warm sun was already beaming down on her when she tucked her blanket back into her sack and pulled it over her shoulder before setting off down the trail.
Later that morning, she came to a stream and stopped to sip. Then she continued south, toward Sire. Her trip hadn’t been an easy one, so far. After taking the wrong trail out of Labara, Rianne had stopped a traveler to ask for directions to Silver Glen, only to realize she was heading to Junacave, instead. Backtracking to change trails had added two days to her journey. If she had brought a horse to ride, she would have been in Sire days ago. But Rianne didn’t want to bring a horse all the way to Sire, only to abandon it once she found a ship to sail on. It didn’t seem fair to the poor animal. So she had set out on foot, instead.
By the late afternoon, she was growing tired of climbing over rocks and rough terrain so she stopped to rest. She wasn’t sure how far she had gone today, but she knew it wasn’t very far. The ground was rough and she had lost sight of the trail a while ago. Fortunately, the glen was only so large and if she continued in the same direction, she was sure that she would find the other side. She had enough food to last her for a few more days, if necessary. She pulled out a piece of a map she procured from the castle library. It was useless now since she wasn’t sure exactly where in Silver Glen that she was, but looking at the map did boost her confidence a bit.
She stopped at the next stream and drank. Then, she set up camp and ate. Her hair was filthy and tangled. She desperately needed a wash. So she dipped her head into the stream and used the small bar of soap she brought in her sack to scrub the dirt and grease from her hair. With no brush, she ran her fingers through it, wove it into a braid, and then laid her head down for the night.
In the early morning, Rianne woke and packed up her blanket. She had just pulled her sack over her shoulder when she heard it. A low growl, coming from behind her.
Rianne froze.
She tried to remain calm, hoping it was just her imagination, but then she heard it again. Another growl, louder and longer this time. There were only a few animals in the realm who growled like this and she had actually met one, once before, in the orchard when she was younger.
Slowly, Rianne turned around to see the wolf, standing on top of a rock just a few feet away from her. It was gray with patches of white in its fur. Beautiful but terrifying. Rianne took a step backward, then another. Before she could take a third step, she heard something moving behind her. She turned her head to the side and glanced back to see another wolf, slightly smaller than the first, moving toward her back.
She screamed.
Her heart was going wild long before the third wolf stepped into view. The wolves were surrounding her, leaving no way to escape. Slowly, the wolves started moving closer with their heads low, baring their teeth.
She began to panic. Even if she were to pull one of her knives out, would she really use it? Harming another person was one thing, but to kill a majestic animal such as this was something she wasn’t sure she could bring herself to do. And even if she could, defending herself against three of them would be nearly impossible. Rianne desperately looked for a way to escape.
Suddenly, a flash of light zoomed past her and hit the first wolf, knocking it backward off of the rock. Rianne turned her head just in time to see a second light hit the second wolf. By the time she realized the light was really a bolt of lightning, the third wolf had been hit. Its body soared through the air and landed with a thud, right at her feet.
Stunned, she watched the wolf spring up and take off running through the forest.
“Are you alright?”
Rianne spun around, dazed at what had just happened. “What?” she managed to say.
“I asked if you’re alright,” he said, snapping his fingers and waving a hand at her.
Rianne blinked and looked up. The boy from the stream was standing in front of her. He was wearing clothes, this time. Brown trousers and a white tunic under a set of blue robes. His hair was dry now, a dark blonde color.
“Why did you do that?” she asked, stepping backward.
“Why did I do, what? Save you from a pack of hungry wolves? Would you rather I have let them attack you?”
“You could have hurt them.”
“That was the idea, actually.”
“Wait. You’re a… wizard?” Suddenly, Rianne realized just what she had witnessed. “You were using magic.”
“I get the feeling you’ve never seen someone use magic before…”
“I h—” Rianne stopped herself before she could reveal that she had lived under the same roof as a wizard for her entire life. And she had witnessed Eon’s magic more times than she could remember. But the only wizards she had ever met were old, like Eon. “No, I haven’t,” she lied.
“I’m sorry if I scared you,” he said. “But unless you want to receive another visit from your furry friends, I would suggest that your mother learn better methods of masking the scents in your bag. That’s probably what led them to you.”
“My mother?”
“Or father?”
Rianne looked down and pretended to readjust the strap of her sack, avoiding his question. She could still feel his eyes on her, studying her.
“You’re traveling alone, aren’t you? Through the glen? Have you lost your mind?”
Rianne snapped her head back up.
“I don’t see your mother or father, either,” Rianne replied, coolly. “But since it isn’t any of your business, I will be on my way.” She brushed past him and started climbing up the steep embankment in front of her. She could feel his disapproving glare on her.
“A simple ‘thank you for saving me’ would have sufficed,” he called out, before turning and walking in the opposite direction.
When Rianne reached the top of the embankment, she looked around. Nothing looked familiar. Every rock and boulder looked the same as the next one. Every tree did, as well. There was no trail in sight. The stream went in two directions and she couldn’t be sure which direction she was supposed to go in. She sighed and turned around.
“Wait!” She shouted and started back down the embankment. “Do you know where the trail is? I seem to have lost it.”
“Which trail?” he asked, turning back.
“To Sire.”
“I’m pretty sure you left the trail to Sire over a day ago.”
“What do you mean?” Rianne started to worry. Her journey had been delayed because she lost her way once, already. Another accidental detour would seriously jeopardize her plans.
“I mean that if you are going to Sire, you’ve been going in the wrong direction since we met at the stream. You’ve been going west instead of east.”
“No! Ugh!” Frustrated, Rianne pulled her sack off and slammed it to the ground. Then, she started pacing back and forth, trying to decide what to do next. No, no, no! Rianne was irritated with herself for falling so far off course. Now, she wasn’t sure if she had enough food to last until she reached Sire. If she reached Sire, at all. Another meeting with the wolves and she would surely be a goner.
“I get the sense that you were not aware,” he said.
Rianne paused and glared at him for a moment. She w
asn’t sure if he was trying to be funny or not. Either way, she wasn’t amused. “No, I was not aware. Nor, am I pleased.”
“I can see that.”
“Well, you don’t have to be a wizard to see it.”
“Ha! That’s clever...”
Rianne stopped pacing and looked at the boy. He was smiling at her. It took her a moment to realize what he found so amusing. He was a wizard. She couldn’t help but chuckle, herself.
“Ugh. I am sorry,” she said, shaking her head. “I usually am not quite this rude.”
Then again, she had been doing a lot of things lately that were unlike her usual self.
“I am Rianne,” she said. Immediately, she wished she had made up a fake name for herself. But it was too late to do so now, without making it seem conspicuous.
“Zander,” he replied, nodding.
“If you would be so kind as to direct me to the path to Sire, Zander, I would be very grateful.”
He thought about it for a moment, then shook his head.
“No.”
“Pardon me?”
“I said, “Noooooo.”” He purposefully drew out the word to prove his point. Rianne could feel her cheeks becoming red.
“I heard what you said. What I want to know, is why?”
“Because,” he said, reaching into a pouch that hung from his belt, “I cannot leave a lady to fend for herself. And I don’t want to be held responsible for you becoming supper for the wolves.”
Rianne immediately became defensive, crossing her arms and clenching her jaw. “I do not want or need a hero to save me. I don’t know you any better than those wolves. You could be even more dangerous. At least, I know what they want with me.”
“Perhaps,” he said, shrugging. “If you want to go, I won’t stop you. But I won’t help you to do it, either. Get lost on your own accord.”