or
what, but I was as hungry as ever.
“ I made something for you
this morning.”
I looked up at him curiously, my mouth
full of another meal he had kindly prepared for me. He reached just
outside the tent's entrance and pulled in a hand-made, wooden
crutch. Looking proud and pleased with his creation, he held it up
triumphantly, as if it was the famed sword Excalibur.
“ Are we going somewhere?”
I’m not sure what he was so impressed by, the ring that was still
glowing on my finger was far more impressive than that
painful-looking mess of sticks and rope.
“ There's a spring, not far
from here. I'm taking you to it today.”
I sat there staring at him, chewing my
food, trying to figure out what this was all about. I wasn’t really
looking forward to trying to go anywhere on that crutch.
“ It'll be good for you to
work your injured calf a bit,” he said as he leaned on the crutch,
sporting the calm, regal demeanor I was quickly growing used
to.
I guess it made sense. As fast as my
leg seemed to be healing - thanks to the mystery medicine - getting
the blood flowing through it would probably help. I nodded in
agreement and turned back to the plate of breakfast I was
enjoying.
“ Plus… you need a bath.
You're really starting to stink up my tent,” he quickly added,
smilingly playfully at me.
I froze, and my face went full crimson
with embarrassment as my mouth dropped open. I guess it must have
been just the reaction he was looking for, because he immediately
started laughing. I looked up at him, and I couldn't help but smile
and giggle at his cute, amused expression. He was right though,
with everything that had happened, a bath was long
overdue.
“ You sure know how to talk
to a princess, don't you?” was the pitiful retort I came back
with.
He just smirked at me. He and I both
knew, out here, I wasn't the Princess of Ashborne, I was just a
girl. A feeling I was quickly growing fond of in his
company.
“ I have to meet with
Belafor for a moment. You enjoy your breakfast. When I return,
we'll head to the spring,” he said, the smile never leaving his
face.
In the short time I've known him, he
seemed to be happy watching over me like he was. I had no idea what
I had done to deserve such kindness. My whole life, I always felt I
deserved the opposite. Aside from Gentry and Penelope, I wasn't
used to people being this way toward me, least of all the men in my
world. I felt somehow... special.
“ Emoren,” I stopped him
just as he was lifting the tent's doorway. He looked back over his
shoulder at me, his stormy-blue eyes peaking out from just beneath
his dirty-blonde hair. “Thank you.”
He just smiled and nodded
appreciatively before leaving to meet Belafor.
As I finished my breakfast, I sat
there, waiting patiently for Emoren to return. The tent seemed
bigger in the daylight. I glanced around the room, hoping to get
some insight into just who this man was I was becoming so taken
with.
Aside from the table I was seated at
and the cots we slept in, he didn't seem to own much. His dark
colored cloak draped from one of the wooden posts of the tent, his
crossbow and pouch laying near his bed, and a makeshift book rack
that contained quite a few old-looking, unmarked books.
By the looks of it, he spent much of
his time reading. I wanted to know more about this man that seemed
to intrigue me so. I was sure I could learn something about him if
I knew the different types of books he liked. Just as I stood up
and was about to try and hop my way across the room, I heard Emoren
reenter the tent.
“ Ah. You're ready to
go?”
I smiled and nodded.
“ Put this on.” He pulled
down and handed me his Shadowbark cloak. The black of the hood went
all the way down, gradually changing into a dark, forest green at
the bottom.
“ What's this
for?”
“ While Belafor and I are
the only ones who know you're here, and it's unlikely any of the
Shadowbark would recognize you, it's probably best to avoid
what, but I was as hungry as ever.
“ I made something for you
this morning.”
I looked up at him curiously, my mouth
full of another meal he had kindly prepared for me. He reached just
outside the tent's entrance and pulled in a hand-made, wooden
crutch. Looking proud and pleased with his creation, he held it up
triumphantly, as if it was the famed sword Excalibur.
“ Are we going somewhere?”
I’m not sure what he was so impressed by, the ring that was still
glowing on my finger was far more impressive than that
painful-looking mess of sticks and rope.
“ There's a spring, not far
from here. I'm taking you to it today.”
I sat there staring at him, chewing my
food, trying to figure out what this was all about. I wasn’t really
looking forward to trying to go anywhere on that crutch.
“ It'll be good for you to
work your injured calf a bit,” he said as he leaned on the crutch,
sporting the calm, regal demeanor I was quickly growing used
to.
I guess it made sense. As fast as my
leg seemed to be healing - thanks to the mystery medicine - getting
the blood flowing through it would probably help. I nodded in
agreement and turned back to the plate of breakfast I was
enjoying.
“ Plus… you need a bath.
You're really starting to stink up my tent,” he quickly added,
smilingly playfully at me.
I froze, and my face went full crimson
with embarrassment as my mouth dropped open. I guess it must have
been just the reaction he was looking for, because he immediately
started laughing. I looked up at him, and I couldn't help but smile
and giggle at his cute, amused expression. He was right though,
with everything that had happened, a bath was long
overdue.
“ You sure know how to talk
to a princess, don't you?” was the pitiful retort I came back
with.
He just smirked at me. He and I both
knew, out here, I wasn't the Princess of Ashborne, I was just a
girl. A feeling I was quickly growing fond of in his
company.
“ I have to meet with
Belafor for a moment. You enjoy your breakfast. When I return,
we'll head to the spring,” he said, the smile never leaving his
face.
In the short time I've known him, he
seemed to be happy watching over me like he was. I had no idea what
I had done to deserve such kindness. My whole life, I always felt I
deserved the opposite. Aside from Gentry and Penelope, I wasn't
used to people being this way toward me, least of all the men in my
world. I felt somehow... special.
“ Emoren,” I stopped him
just as he was lifting the tent's doorway. He looked back over his
shoulder at me, his stormy-blue eyes peaking out from just beneath
his dirty-blonde hair. “Thank you.”
He just smiled and nodded
appreciatively before leaving to meet Belafor.
As I finished my breakfast, I sat
there, waiting patiently for Emoren to return. The tent seemed
bigger in the daylight. I glanced around the room, hoping to get
some insight into just who this man was I was becoming so taken
with.
Aside from the table I was seated at
and the cots we slept in, he didn't seem to own much. His dark
colored cloak draped from one of the wooden posts of the tent, his
crossbow and pouch laying near his bed, and a makeshift book rack
that contained quite a few old-looking, unmarked books.
By the looks of it, he spent much of
his time reading. I wanted to know more about this man that seemed
to intrigue me so. I was sure I could learn something about him if
I knew the different types of books he liked. Just as I stood up
and was about to try and hop my way across the room, I heard Emoren
reenter the tent.
“ Ah. You're ready to
go?”
I smiled and nodded.
“ Put this on.” He pulled
down and handed me his Shadowbark cloak. The black of the hood went
all the way down, gradually changing into a dark, forest green at
the bottom.
“ What's this
for?”
“ While Belafor and I are
the only ones who know you're here, and it's unlikely any of the
Shadowbark would recognize you, it's probably best to avoid
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