"I trust you do not plan on trying that with me," she said as she passed by him heading around the side of the wagon toward the seat at the front.
"I suppose not, but you cannot tell me it did not look like fun," he joked, taking her hand to help her up to the seat. She just smiled and looked to the captain. "I can handle the wagon, Captain, no need to tie up one of your men for this."
James looked mildly surprised, but inclined his head without comment and headed for his horse. He signaled a corporal at the front of the procession to move out, and then looked back at Tomas and saluted. Tomas Keller did not look happy at having to stay behind, but the First Lieutenant knew that someone with sufficient rank needed to remain in charge of the garrison and he was next in line. The compound was close to the center of town, and they received some interested looks from those people up with the sun starting their work day, but none seemed to be more curious than Meric was comfortable with. Even though the sky had already started to lighten before they left, they made it to the North Gate before the sun had even cleared the buildings between them and the lake. The Captain and some of the guards waved to the men manning the town's north gate as they rode through following the well packed dirt path at a slow, but steady pace. Meric once again took in a lungful of the crisp morning air, letting it hiss through his teeth as he eased out of line and took a quick survey of their group. There were four soldiers at the front followed by Malina, who was already moving to pass them and range ahead to do what she did best. Next came James and Silas discussing the route ahead, Meric assumed, since Silas was pointing to something on a map he had turned toward the officer. The wagon was rumbling after the two men, creaking and bumping along the hard packed ground. Then came Brody who had been riding next to Meric and was eyeing the wagon critically to judge its soundness before nodding his approval. The last six soldiers brought up the rear, one of which was Second Lieutenant Charles Pierson. Meric knew him to be a good man that was serious about his duty and felt a little better for his presence. He had met a few of the others in passing (many of the soldiers stationed in Yost frequented Brody's inn) and knew that James would have chosen all of the men with care, but was still glad to have the always steady Pierson along in case there was trouble. He took one last look back toward Yost and then sped up to ease back into line next to Brody, who was turning back from saying something that had made the two men behind him laugh. While they kept smiling, he noticed that they still were paying close attention to their surroundings.
The morning had passed into mid-day without much excitement, Meric sometimes chatting with Brody and the two men directly behind them. The man following Brody was First Sergeant Steven Woodard, who was exactly what you would expect in a sergeant; average height and stocky with scars standing out against his tan skin and a competence that was undeniable. Beside "Wood" (as all the soldiers called the sergeant) was Specialist Second Class Mark Westerly; he had red hair, a long nose, and was on the skinny side, but carried his weapons with confidence. All of the soldiers were equipped in a similar fashion; chain mail under their dark blue with silver trim uniform tabard, short sword and heater shield. In addition, four of the escort were archers carrying re-curve bows.
Wood and Westerly had some entertaining stories and seemed to be trying to one up each other to the point that the stories had long ago moved in to the unbelievable, but were all in good-natured fun.
Meric had been listening with half an ear while continuously scanning their surroundings, more out of habit than any real worry. He noticed that all of the soldiers had been keeping an eye out, and was confident they would spot any trouble.
For the last little while, he had seen that Sara was sitting at the back of the cart, legs tucked under, watching his and Brody's horses with apparent fascination. She was absently fingering the hem of her light blue dress and humming a tune that was all but drowned out by the sounds of the wagon and the horses. Both girls had seemed somewhat subdued throughout the morning, and he was not sure if that was just their natural personalities or the result of what they had been through in the past few days. He moved Ferron up close enough to the back of the wagon so that she could reach him.
"His name is Ferron," Meric informed her. Smiling, she tentatively reached out and pet him on the nose, jerking her hand back and laughing when the stallion snorted. Meric grinned and reached back to pull an apple out of his left hand saddle bag. He cut it in half and tossed one of the halves to her. She fed the treat to the horse with a happy look on her face and reached to pet him again as she watched him chew. He had held back the other half of the apple in case Teresa wanted a turn, but after a look to see what her sister was doing she went back to talking with Alyssa. Apparently Morgan was feeling left out, because he moved forward, snuffling close to Sara. Meric tossed her the other half of the apple so she could feed him as well. After receiving his share the big bay dropped back to his original position.
"He's not very people friendly, unless the person is in the process of feeding him," Meric told Sara. "Would you like to ride for a bit, until we stop for lunch?" he asked her, feeling a kinship due to her fascination with horses.
"Really?" Her eyes got real big.
"I do not see why not. Just make sure Lady Alyssa is okay with it."
"Alyssa! Meric is going to let me ride Ferron with him. May I, please?" she pleaded.
Alyssa looked at Meric, who had moved the horse around to the side of the wagon and had his arms stretched toward Sara. She bit her lip and nodded somewhat hesitantly.
"Yes, but be..."
Sara jumped with a squeal.
"...careful." Alyssa finished closing her eyes and sighing as he caught the girl. Meric sat Sara in front of him and handed her the reins, instructing her to be easy with them as Ferron would respond to the lightest of pressure. She had a huge smile on her face as she urged the horse into a canter.
They rode in wide circles around the group until James called a halt for lunch a short while later. The countryside they were currently traveling through was mostly open field with waist high grass interspersed with stands of trees and coppice numbering from a few, to large wooded areas seen for miles as the land sloped gently away for some distance to the south. Alyssa pulled the wagon just off the road to the section of trees that shaded a long stretch the captain had chosen for them to take lunch. The day was clear and bright, but Meric did not think it would get too warm. It was that time of year when the weather seemed to have a hard time deciding if it was summer or fall. Today it must be leaning towards fall, with a cool breeze rustling through the leaves keeping the party comfortable. Meric rode up to the side of the wagon and helped Sara climb back in more sedately this time under Alyssa's watchful eye. She had spun around on the seat to put her feet in the bed of the cart and began pulling together items for their lunch. She smiled at Meric and asked if he wanted to join them.
"Thank you, but I must decline. I am going to take this time to check our back trail," he said looking around for James.
When he turned back to Alyssa he noticed her slightly worried expression. "Just to be on the safe side; nothing to get excited about."
Her expression eased a little. "Well, be careful just the same."
"Yes, my Lady." He bowed his head. Her pursed lips and narrowed eyes had him grinning as he rode over to where James was sitting on a pack with his legs outstretched. He was talking to Silas, Brody, Corporal Harper, and Wood, while the rest of the men had spread out in the shade sitting on packs or leaning back against trees. Meric quickly informed him of his plans and headed back along the way they had come. He rode until he lost sight of the escort and then dismounted and spent some time thoroughly checking for any signs they were being followed. As expected, he did not find any. He felt that if the Alyssa and the girls were still in danger it would be coming from in front of them probably in the form of an ambush. Luckily they had Malina. Meric fully believed that she would discover any trap the enemy could set well before they stumbled into
it.
After making his way back to Ferron and swinging up into the saddle, he headed back west on the path to catch up with the rest. As he was passing the rear of the procession on the left, Pierson looked over and raised an eyebrow in question.
"All clear," Meric informed him, receiving a curt nod in return.
He rode to the head of the group and stopped to wait on the wagon to pass, looking out across the still green grass he could just make out a small stream in the distance curving to the south. He just sat and enjoyed the peaceful view until he heard the jingle of the wagon team's harness. Turning back to the path he caught sight of Alyssa gesturing for him to ride closer.
"Why not join me up here? You can eat something and we can talk." She indicated the spot next to her. "We would like to know a little bit more about our rescuers."
"Uh... sure. Although there is not much to tell," he hedged.
"I will be the judge of that. You and your friends seem like a very interesting bunch," she said with amusement.
He sighed heavily and dismounted, walking Ferron back to the spot beside Brody. He knew the warhorse would stay in formation next to Morgan as long as there was no trouble. He looked at his friend who was riding along with a too innocent grin on his face, looking anywhere but back at Meric. He then jogged back up to the front of the wagon and climbed onto the seat, adjusting his weapons until he could sit comfortably.
CHAPTER SIX
Let's Talk
Alyssa could sense Meric's unease as he sat next to her, shifting his gear until he was comfortable. She did not know what had him on edge, but assumed it had something to do with the conversation he and Brody were having with the Captain before they left the garrison this morning. The conversation she had interrupted before James decided that he would be happier without her new friends coming along. She had no doubt that the soldiers were all capable men, but Meric and Brody just seemed to her that they could handle anything that came their way. She felt safer with them along and, until the children's safety was no longer in question, she would use every advantage that presented itself.
Teresa held a bundle of food out to Meric that he gladly accepted with a polite thank you. Alyssa waited patiently while he ate, content to take in the scenery in silence. Occasionally, she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. She wondered if he was trying to arrange his thoughts, or maybe even come up with some lies to feed her curiosity. She truly could not imagine what could cause his reluctance. Realizing she was actually staring when he started brushing the crumbs out of his goatee, she turned her attention back to the reins in her hands and hoped the flush creeping up her neck was not too visible. He was not difficult to look at, she admitted to herself. His light brown hair was kept short and his neatly trimmed facial hair helped frame a strong jaw and the hard angles to his cheekbones and temples. Tan skin highlighted a few small scars that were most likely almost invisible otherwise. His eyes shone with intelligence and compassion, but could quickly shift to steely determination when facing a dangerous situation, as she had witnessed the night before in the inn. Alyssa thought of herself as a pretty good judge of character, a useful trait when dealing with a bunch of nobles whose goals were self-serving more often than not. She liked Meric and Brody, and was looking forward to getting to know them better. She just hoped that she was not letting her nascent feelings of attraction to the man cloud her judgment. It was not something she thought likely due to the fact that she had dealt with plenty of attractive men during her time at court without it being an issue, but Alyssa was smart enough to give the thought some merit. His voice brought her back from these swirling notions.
"Thank you," he said to Teresa as he handed her back the cloth that had been wrapped around his meal when he had received it. Teresa took it with a smile and turned to put it with the others and then made herself and Sara a spot with the blankets to settle comfortably. Washing the meal down with some water, he shifted his focus back to Alyssa.
"They do not really behave like princesses are supposed to," he stated.
"Nice attempt at turning the discussion away from you. Just how many princesses have you been around to know what they are supposed to act like?" She arched an eyebrow at him.
"That really did not work as well as I planned," he quirked his lips.
"The Queen always tells me I am tenacious."
"I bet she does." He took a deep breath, as if preparing for something difficult.
Before he could say anything else she spoke. "Look, if you would rather not tell me anything, you do not have to. I would just like to know more about you." She kept her eyes straight ahead.
"No, it's okay. I mean, you trusted us when you had no reason to." He smiled at her and cleared his throat. "It's just that, what I have to say could potentially cause trouble for James and maybe even yourself."
She looked at him sharply when he said that. "There is no way Captain Bridgewater is letting criminals run around free; no matter how much he likes you."
"No, nothing like that. Well... not really. Alright. Where to start? Brody, Malina, Silas and I are not originally from Yost."
"That I already knew," Alyssa informed him. At his questioning look she elaborated. "You are from Rennick. You have a slight accent at times. It is mostly faded, but still comes through every now and then. Brody is just a bit worse and Silas is obvious. I have not heard enough from Malina to tell, but assumed due to your close acquaintance. I spent some time in Rennick. The capital city's library is talked about even in Glendon and I spent a few months exploring it."
"You are full of surprises," he mumbled, eyes still a little wide.
"You have no idea." She gave him a wink.
"Well, the short answer is this: we were falsely accused of treason and therefore, are considered wanted criminals by the Kingdom of Rennick. Initially we hid out in the countryside, constantly moving around to keep from getting caught. We slept in barns or under the stars and lived off of the land. It was not easy, and we sometimes had to rely on friends to get us through. After several months of this, we decided to cross the border into Glendon and eventually ended up in Yost. We have been there for about a year and a half," he finished with an apprehensive look on his face.
"It might not cause as much trouble as you think," she mused. "The reason I only spent a few months in Parna is because that was around the time the former king and the princess died, under... mysterious circumstances. There were a lot of dark rumors going around in the city, and apparently the Glendon ambassador at the time received some incriminating information on Xavier. He came and collected me just a few days after their deaths, and we left the city in a hurry. He would never tell me what it was he discovered, but it must have convinced King Roderick. The King would not let me return to Parna, and his dealings with Xavier from that point forward have been strained, to say the least." She strongly believed that there would be no issue with the Crown as long as she and James vouched for the group. After the assistance they have rendered, that was not going to be a problem with her.
"That would not surprise me. Xavier had started to lose his grip on reality a couple of years before that all went down." Meric had a deeply saddened look on his face.
"You knew them? King Titus and Princess Arianna?" she asked gently.
He nodded slowly, his thoughts far away. "I spoke with the King several times through my duties as an officer in the army. Arianna was, against all odds and custom, a close friend." He was quiet for a few moments, staring at his hands as he absentmindedly ran his right thumb across his left palm. A bittersweet memory, if she had to take a guess. He swiveled back in her direction and she saw a brief flash of pain in his eyes that was gone by the time he fully turned his focus back on her.
"I was still in the north, tracking down any remnants of enemy resistance and overseeing relief efforts when I received the news. Xavier had sent me a letter informing me of the tragic passing of his sister." The last part he said with a disgusted twist to his lips. "He all bu
t admitted that he was responsible. Oh, he never put anything in writing that could be used to tie him to her death, but I knew him well enough to read between the lines. He made sure to rub my face in the fact that I was not there to protect her, and gave plenty of gory details about what had been done to her. I could almost see the sick smile on the bastard's face." Meric's hands had tightened into white knuckled fists.
Alyssa heard a gasp coming from the back followed by Sara's high pitched voice. "You said a bad word!" Teresa jumped up and clamped a hand over Sara's mouth before pulling her back down to the blankets.
Alyssa reached over and covered Meric's clenched fists and immediately felt them loosen. "I am sorry. I never meant to bring such painful memories back. I hope that one day he can be made to pay for everything he has done. Something tells me he has a lot to answer for." She kept her eyes locked on his until she got a nod and his expression eased. She then turned her attention to the back. "And you and I, young lady, will be having a long talk later about listening in on other people's conversations," she said sternly to Sara.
Sara bit her lip and pouted a little, but still managed a contrite "Yes, Alyssa. Sorry, Meric."
As Alyssa was rotating back to the front, she caught Meric trying not to laugh as he looked to the head of the wagon. She nudged his elbow and rolled her eyes. They continued on in comfortable silence for a while, and she was glad his dark mood did not last past the intense conversation. Although she was planning to talk to Sara about her behavior, she was happy that the girl's outburst seemed to have restored his cheerful disposition. They continued on throughout the next few hours with light, mostly pointless conversation to pass the time. Alyssa was pleasantly surprised to find that he was easy to talk to, and did not appear to have any negative preconception toward her being nobility. The timed passed relatively quickly until eventually he climbed down and returned to his horse after mentioning that he wanted to talk to James about his plans for tonight's camp. She watched him go with a smile on her face, and then went back to enjoying the scenery. The land still sloped away to the south, if not quite as far, and she could just make out two farms dotting the landscape in the distance. It was a peaceful vista that, when combined with nature's symphony of insects and birds, almost helped her forget the terror of a few days ago.
A Soldier's Honor: The Scepter of Maris: Book One Page 4