Hestaesia: Lost in Love

by K. L. Thorne

  Lori barely believed her eyes as they quickly approached a small stone wall, marking the borderline of someone's property.

  “Hold on, we're going to jump it!” Faye screamed, grabbing a tighter hold on Lori's jacket.

  Before Lori had the chance to be frightened, Gaia had leapt into the air and gracefully flew over the obstacle. She landed with a thud and her hooves slipped on the snow briefly before she righted herself and continued cantering forwards.

  Lori slid dangerously to one side and Faye, still professionally seated in her saddle, tugged her roughly back into place.

  “Stop right there!” a voice, smooth as silk, called out to them.

  Instantly, Gaia skidded to a halt and her hooves clattered clumsily beneath her. Somehow the mare managed to stay upright.

  She was breathing hard, her large body rocking back and forth with her frantic breaths. Steam billowed up from the mare's sweaty body into the cold air.

  Lori ripped her hood from her head and glanced around hastily.

  Gaia had come to a stop in the middle of what looked to be an orchard. There were no leaves and definitely no fruit, but the dark, snow covered trees that stuck out of the ground were laid out in neat rows.

  Before them stood a cloaked figure. A dainty gloved hand was extended towards them, glowing with latent majick.

  “Wh-who are you?” Faye raised her head and pulled her hood down with a hand that was shaking like a leaf.

  The mysterious figure looked up at them from under their cowl, revealing a beautiful faerie female. Her hair was as dark as night and her face was pale. Her bright violet eyes gazed at them curiously.

  “What are you doing here?” the mysterious faerie asked, her voice sounded distorted.

  “I asked first!” Faye argued. “What do you want with us?”

  “Faye?” Lori tapped her sister, gazing ahead in awe. “I, uh, I don't think she was talking to you.”

  The sisters watched in amazement as Gaia nickered softly, shaking her head and pawing at the snow. The faerie's purple eyes softened as she gazed intently at the horse. The dark-haired beauty nodded sympathetically before finally turning her attention back to them.

  “I can only apologise ladies. It appears your poor mare has led you on a bit of a merry goose chase.” She smiled.

  “No shit!” Lori spat, swiping sweat from her face. “Who are you? What is this all about?”

  “My name is Indi, I live here.” She gestured across towards the small stone cottage they had seen on their way through the woods. “I'm afraid I often forget how my song tends to carry, especially when it's a bit blustery out. Your friend here heard me and thought I was calling for her.”

  “...What?!” Faye screeched. “What are you talking about?”

  The faerie shook her head with an apologetic smile. “I'm sorry, that's not making much sense – is it? Why don't you dismount. I'll take Gaia to our stables and–”

  “H-how do you know my horse's name?” Faye spluttered.

  “She told me.” Violet eyes looked up at them, wide with innocence.

  “...You can talk to her?” Lori gaped.

  “Of course.” Indi smiled happily. “How else would I know her name?”

  There was a long, thoughtful pause.

  “Okay, good point,” Lori conceded. “What do you think, Faye?”

  Her sister cast her a nervous glance over her shoulder, but before they had a chance to decide, Gaia lowered her shoulder and carefully dropped down onto her knees. The faeries squealed in unison and leapt from the horse's back just as she flopped the rest of her body heavily into the snow.

  “Gaia!” Faye scolded.

  “Please don't be angry with her. It was an honest mistake. Really, if you're going to be mad with anyone, please, be mad with me and my careless singing,” Indi pleaded.

  “Well, seeing as my horse has decided we're staying...” Faye adjusted her tunic nervously. “What did you say your name was again?”

  “Indi. Pleasure to meet you both.” The female nodded politely.

  “I'm Lori and this is Faye,” Lori mumbled, her knees shaking. “B-but you should know we weren't out here alone! Our friends will be looking for us.”

  “Of course, please don't be frightened. I mean you no harm.” Indi smiled kindly and gestured for them to follow. “Honestly, I don't think I've ever met anyone who's had cause to be frightened of me before.” She laughed, a delightful tinkling sound.

  Lori and Faye stumbled gracelessly behind the faerie, keeping a safe distance away from her. Faye grasped her sister's hand and squeezed it tightly.

  “Indi? Are you out here?” another voice called through the snow. A man's voice. Lori's stomach churned.

  “Uh, yes!” Indi replied with a sheepish laugh and glanced back over her shoulder.

  “What in fuck's name is taking you so long?” A dark figure rounded the corner, faltering as he saw the two princesses.

  “Oriel, I uh, made some new friends.” Indi grinned.

  The male pulled his snood down, revealing an extraordinarily handsome face. Lori gazed at the dark fur snood curiously and ran her fingers over her own. It was identical.

  “Wowzah...” Faye muttered beside her, clearly just as surprised by the stranger's good looks.

  “Wh– Indi! They're faerie!” he growled, dragging the small female behind him protectively. “Who are you and what are you doing here?”

  “Pft, so am I, Oriel. Stop over-reacting,” the girl argued and crossed her arms beneath an ample bosom.

  “Oriel... Wait! I know you,” Lori gasped. “Well, I don't know you, I mean I know who you are.”

  “Yeah? Well you should have known better, then,” he replied sternly, glancing over his shoulder. “Indi, get in the house. Now!”

  Lori held her palms up. “Wait, please, we're out here with Lephas and Raxx. We got separated, but I swear it. They'll be here soon.”

  “You really expect me to believe that?” Oriel's vivid green eyes widened. “Wait, y-you're the princess! Lazuli's daughter!”

  “We both are actually, but y'know,” Faye piped up.

  “Get on the floor. Now!” Oriel grasped his sword and released it from its sheath.

  The faeries leapt forwards onto their bellies, uncaring of the cold snow.

  “Oriel, is this really necessary–” Indi argued.

  “Stay down,” he shouted and turned his attention to the faerie beside him. “Indi, for once just fucking listen to me. Go and get some rope, quickly.”

  Indi shot Lori an apologetic look before obediently running off to a nearby wooden shed.

  “Please, it's not needed. I swear–” Lori cried, her mouth filled with snow.

  “What have you done with my men?” The prince glowered down at them.

  “Oriel, please, we were just with them. The horse bolted and we got split up.”

  “That remains to be seen.” He glanced over his shoulder once more. “Indi?”

  “There's no rope in here,” her muffled voice answered, dragging a frustrated growl from the man as he stood over them.

  “Oriel?” Faye whispered as she looked across at Lori, her eyes wide with fear. “As in, Prince Oriel?”

  Not daring to speak again, Lori just quickly nodded.

  What was the prince doing here, at some tiny farmhouse in the middle of nowhere? Lori shivered in the snow and squeezed her eyes shut.

  She hoped Lephas and Raxx made it back to them swiftly. Lori kept her face downturned and stared into the snow.

  “What in hell's name is going on out here?” a third voice shouted through the blizzard. Another female, but this one sounded older. Her voice was coarse with age.

  “Magna, take Indi into the house and stay there.” Oriel barked with his sword still pointed at the princesses.

  “Who are these girls? What are you–”

  “Fucking hell...” the prince hissed under his breath. “Will you just do as I say?”

  “Watch your mouth, young man
!” the older woman, Magna, scolded. “This is my farm and my rules. Now who are these girls?”

  “They said their names were Lori and Faye,” Indi piped up, running over to join them.

  “Goldwyrm. These two are Lazuli's daughters,” Oriel spat.

  “Goodness – really?” Magna gasped.

  “Yes, now will you just fucking get in the house?” The prince let out an exasperated sigh.

  “How? Why are they here?” the woman continued, ignoring Oriel's request. “I thought you said there had been an ambush? Wasn't Lephas with one of them?”

  “He was supposed to be and we had no idea there were two of them.” The man paused. “I don't like this one bit. Get me some rope, I need to secure them. Quickly.”

  “A-alright. I think I have some in the barn,” the old woman agreed, shakily. Her footsteps crunched away through the snow.

  Neither of the princesses said a word. Lori glanced across at her sister. Faye's sparkle had all but dimmed with fear and she shook violently.

  “They said they were with your friends, said they'd be coming for them,” Indi muttered quietly to Oriel.

  “It could be a trap. For all I know, Lephas and Raxx are dead in a ditch somewhere and these two were attempting to make a getaway,” the prince growled.

  “And if you're wrong?”

  “Then my men will be on their way here as we speak and they can explain the situation for themselves. Until then, the princesses remain bound.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  “What's that? Just up ahead.” Lephas shouted, his lungs burning as he gasped for breath.

  “A cottage. The one I spotted last night,” Raxx replied.

  “The tracks lead straight there.” The commander jogged on, ignoring the exhaustion in his muscles. His heart was in his mouth and his stomach churned.

  Please let them be alright.

  It had all happened so fast. One moment Raxx had been beside him, telling him he could sense majick nearby and the next the horse had been bolting off through the forest. He had barely managed to warn the girls before they had been galloping away.

  They had never stood a chance at keeping up, the mare had vanished in seconds through the dense blizzard and even Raxx had been unable to traverse through the wild weather quickly enough.

  Thankfully Gaia's tracks were easy to follow. Big, deep messy furrows marred the snow as the horse had thundered frantically away.

  What had spooked her? They had no idea, but Lephas had a sick sense of dread that the majick Raxx had sensed had something to do with it.

  The men fought on, dragging their exhausted bodies through the drifts as they approached the farm. A stone wall loomed ahead and the tracks lead straight to it.

  Raxx gave a short laugh. “They jumped it.”

  Both he and Lephas clambered over the wall and dropped down into a sheltered garden area. Stopping for a moment to catch their breath, the demons looked around warily.

  The farm was void of any activity. The wind howled through the trees around them. Raxx walked forward to study the horse's tracks.

  “They definitely came through here, but...” He started walking on. “They managed to pull up.”

  Lephas stalked to his friend's side, keeping an eye out for ambushers.

  “There were other people here. At least two, maybe three. It's hard to tell.” Raxx continued. “They went this way.”

  The demons tucked themselves into the hedgerow and kept their bodies low so as not to be spotted.

  “Surely any demons living here would have been too terrified to do them any harm?” Lephas muttered quietly.

  “Farm hands aren't known for being the brightest bunch, maybe they–”

  A sharp howl pierced through the air, stopping the demons in their tracks.

  “Fuck, they've got wolves?” Lephas grated. “What kind of farm is this?!”

  “Quickly, we need to–” Raxx began, but trailed off as his dark eyes focussed on something over Lephas's shoulder.

  The commander whipped around. Stood before them was a large and very familiar silver wolf.

  “Karn?” He gaped. The wolf pricked his ears at the sound of his name and Lephas pulled his snood down to reveal his face.

  The large wolf barrelled towards them with his thick, fluffy tail curled happily over his back. He knocked Lephas off his feet easily, tussling with him in the snow.

  “Hey lad!” The demon laughed, scratching and petting his wolf affectionately. “I'm so glad to see you. Where have you been?”

  “Incoming!” Raxx hissed, his visage fading back in readiness for a fight.

  Lephas pushed the wolf off roughly and sprang to his feet. His hand gripped around his sword.

  A large male skidded around the corner, sword already in hand. Lephas gritted his teeth.

  “Fuck me!” the male exclaimed and pulled his own snood down from his face.

  “Oriel?” Lephas shouted with surprise. The prince hurriedly sheathed his sword and jogged forward a few paces to meet them.

  The commander got to his feet just in time to be embraced roughly by the prince.

  “You're alive!” Oriel laughed, releasing him. “Where the fuck have you been?”

  “It's a long story.” Lephas grinned. Karn nudged his head underneath his palm and the demon stroked him.

  The prince’s eyes fell to Raxx over Lephas’s shoulder. “You took your time. What's taken so long?”

  “There were... Complications,” the shadow demon hedged.

  “Yeah, no shit. Would it have something to do with the faerie princesses I have tied up in the barn by any chance?” the prince scoffed.

  “Are they safe? Not injured?” Lephas asked, trying to keep his cool.

  “They're a little bit scratched up and bruised, but nothing serious.” Oriel pinned him with a steely gaze. “Why should we care?”

  He ran his hand over a horn awkwardly. “Well, uh, that's a long story too, but they're on our side. I swear it.”

  “On our side?” The prince eyed him, doubtfully.

  “Look, I'll tell you all about it in a moment – just trust me. Where are they?” the commander asked hurriedly.

  “This way.” Oriel walked on, heading towards a large barn a few meters away. He turned to look at Lephas over his shoulder. “Why am I getting a bad feeling about this 'long story' of yours?”

  “It's complicated,” the demon sighed, feeling sheepish.

  “To be fair, the faeries said the pair of you would be coming. Naturally I didn't believe them but–” Oriel heaved his weight into one of the large wooden barn doors. It creaked open loudly.

  There, huddled together in a pile of old, musty straw, sat the two princesses. Lori looked up at their intrusion, her eyes wide and fearful. She was bound with her arms stretched behind her back. A gag, made from a dirty piece of hessian, was pulled tightly into her mouth.

  The look of relief as she laid eyes on him made Lephas's chest ache. Tears welled in her eyes and she struggled to get to her knees.

  The commander hadn't even been aware that he was moving until he was at her side. She was desperately trying to talk to him, her words muffled and panicked.

  “Shh, here...” he soothed, gently untying the gag and allowing it to drop from her mouth. The commander turned his attention to Faye as the princess scrambled towards him.

  “Lephas...” Lori sighed.

  He gently pulled the sister's gag free.

  “I've never been so glad to see a pair of demons.” Faye laughed shakily.

  Lori shuffled closer on her knees and tucked her body tight to him. Lephas rubbed a hand down her back soothingly and turned his face to Oriel with his eyes downcast.

  “May I untie them?” he asked, his voice low and rough.

  “I guess. If you're vouching for them.” The prince crossed his arms. His face was marred with a confused frown.

  “I am.” Lephas admitted, turning his attention back to Lori. He hastily tugged his gloves off and began pi
cking at the bindings around her wrists.

  “The girls mean no harm, Oriel,” Raxx said. “I too can vouch for that. They are returning with us willingly to Banesteppe to meet with your brother.”

  “I'm so glad to see you,” Lori whispered and her bottom lip trembled.

  Lephas stroked the back of his fingers over her cheek. “Likewise. Just... Give me a moment to explain everything, okay?”

  The faerie sniffed and nodded sadly. Her bindings came loose and she sagged, bringing her arms to the front of her body to rub her sore wrists.

  Lephas quickly untied Faye. The girl didn't speak but looked up at him with wide, doe eyes. She too looked to be on the verge of tears.

  It pained him like a knife in the gut to leave Lori's side but Lephas stood. He carefully helped them both to their feet before turning to face Oriel once more. The prince didn't look happy.

  “Raxx – take the princesses into the farm house. Tell Magna I will be there in a minute,” Oriel barked, his eyes still fixed on Lephas.

  The commander raised his brows. “Magna? This is her farm? I had no idea we had travelled so far east.”

  Lori obediently followed the shadow demon from the barn and shot a sad expression at Lephas as she was led back out into the blizzard.

  Lephas and his prince stood in silence for long moments, waiting for the crunching footsteps to fade.

  “Care to explain what the fuck is going on, Lephas?” Oriel snapped.

  “There's no real easy way to–”

  “So expand on what makes it so difficult, because right now I have no idea what's happening.” The prince sighed irritably.

  “In a nutshell? We found the princess and captured her but were ambushed by the King’s Guard before we could get her back. Haros got himself captured.” Lephas rubbed his neck.

  “That much I'm up to speed on - one of the men made it back to inform us. That's why I sent Raxx out after you. We'll make a plan to get Haros back as a matter of urgency.” Oriel nodded.

  “During the ambush, Lori and I–”

  Oriel raised his brows quizzically, but remained silent.

  “Lori and I escaped, but we were both injured and ended up in the back and beyond of nowhere.” Lephas continued, nerves fizzing in his chest.