Sequel: The Game ›
Status: complete, but revisions are being made
The Pauper Princess
Chapter Seven
The next half of the day passed much like the first. The path had been unused for at least a century, but it was still fairly clear. There were only a few occasions where the guards dismounted and hacked away some shrubbery or a fallen tree so the wagons and carriage could pass. For the most part, we simply kept up a steady monotonous pace.
The guards found a suitable clearing to set up camp in just as the sun began to set. I checked on Mehta only to discover she had fallen asleep, so I quietly closed the door. After the guards set the wagons in a circle around the perimeter of the clearing, I helped lead the unsaddled horses to the River Chysus. The trail is almost completely within sight of the river from here to the Lequinian Wall. Once the horses had taken a generous drink from the river, they were tied to a lead rope near the wagons and given feedbags full of oat. The guards then began to set up camp, but I stayed with Alstehus for a moment. I ran my fingers through her mane and she snorted. Laughing lightly, I patted her thigh and wandered back to the river.
Looking back toward the camp, I could see that a fire was being built and four tents raised- one for Mehta and I and three for the guards. Finding a suitable boulder, I sat down and slipped off my riding boots. The water was cold, but it felt good running over my sore feet. A day of riding was not something my feet were used to yet.
I pulled my feet up under me and found a few smooth pebbles on the riverbank, which I began lazily tossing into the river. Suddenly, I heard something behind me. Thinking it was some wild animal, I stilled my breathing and listened for any more noises. When a crunching sound continued to approach, I crouched down, and reached for the knives I had concealed and strapped to my calves. Unsheathing them swiftly, I turned in a low defensive stance and waited. An instant later, though, I cursed myself for such a reaction.
“Since when does a female servant of Kyshia travel so heavily armed?” I knew that voice. By the last rays of the setting sun, I could make out the familiar face of Ekohl, the youngest guard, my childhood friend.
“Ekohl,” I sighed, defeated. Ekohl now stepped fully out of the forest, but he moved no closer. His arms were crossed over his chest and I could see the stern look in his eyes. I could see very well that he knew exactly who I was, who Mehta was, and my whole plan now seemed ridiculous.
“You really thought you could fool me? We’ve been friends for ages.”
“Please, Ekohl.” I knew that impersonating a superior was against the law, and, for Mehta, would mean death.
“It is my duty as a soldier to turn you in to the King,” he said in a low whisper. I lowered my face and tried to blink away the tears that were threatening to fall. Ekohl walked past me to the boulder I had been sitting mere minutes ago.
“I know.” I hated the way my voice trembled.
“But,” he began, looking up at me, “I’m not sure I can do that.” A hiccup of a gasp escaped me as I tried not to cry out in sheer elation.
“Thank you so much!” I couldn’t help but embrace him in my excitement, and I nearly knocked both of us over.
“You’re welcome,” Ekohl said with a chuckle. He returned the embrace, then pulled back and looked me in the eye. “But I still think you two are idiots,” he said with a smirk. I pushed his shoulder, and we both pretended I was strong enough to move him. He leaned away, and then righted himself as I pulled my arm back.
“I figured something was going on, but I couldn’t be sure that you switched until I saw these,” he explained, indicating one of my knives. “I remember how hard it was to get those for you.”I nodded and looked down at the knives. They were only half the length of a broadsword and a quarter of the weight. I had asked Ekohl to get them for me behind my father’s back. It took months to find the blades, and then even longer to find someone who still practiced this form of combat, but both the blacksmith and the swordsman were well paid for their silence and their skills.
“Well, I girl has to be able to defend herself.” I said with a smile, knowing this was exactly what I had told him years ago when he asked why I wanted them in the first place.
“True.” Just then, someone shouted his name and he looked over my shoulder toward the campfire. I too looked and noticed the rest of the guards were scanning the woods. “We should get back,” he said, pulling me up with him as he stood. “I told them I would find you. You really shouldn’t wander off without telling anyone.” I nodded and quickly returned my blades to their sheaths.
When we returned to camp, Ekohl and I went our separate ways: he to the other guards, and I to Mehta, who had finally awaken. After a simple meal of salted meats, bread and dried vegetables, Mehta and I went to bed and the guards took shifts keeping watch over the camp through the night.
The guards found a suitable clearing to set up camp in just as the sun began to set. I checked on Mehta only to discover she had fallen asleep, so I quietly closed the door. After the guards set the wagons in a circle around the perimeter of the clearing, I helped lead the unsaddled horses to the River Chysus. The trail is almost completely within sight of the river from here to the Lequinian Wall. Once the horses had taken a generous drink from the river, they were tied to a lead rope near the wagons and given feedbags full of oat. The guards then began to set up camp, but I stayed with Alstehus for a moment. I ran my fingers through her mane and she snorted. Laughing lightly, I patted her thigh and wandered back to the river.
Looking back toward the camp, I could see that a fire was being built and four tents raised- one for Mehta and I and three for the guards. Finding a suitable boulder, I sat down and slipped off my riding boots. The water was cold, but it felt good running over my sore feet. A day of riding was not something my feet were used to yet.
I pulled my feet up under me and found a few smooth pebbles on the riverbank, which I began lazily tossing into the river. Suddenly, I heard something behind me. Thinking it was some wild animal, I stilled my breathing and listened for any more noises. When a crunching sound continued to approach, I crouched down, and reached for the knives I had concealed and strapped to my calves. Unsheathing them swiftly, I turned in a low defensive stance and waited. An instant later, though, I cursed myself for such a reaction.
“Since when does a female servant of Kyshia travel so heavily armed?” I knew that voice. By the last rays of the setting sun, I could make out the familiar face of Ekohl, the youngest guard, my childhood friend.
“Ekohl,” I sighed, defeated. Ekohl now stepped fully out of the forest, but he moved no closer. His arms were crossed over his chest and I could see the stern look in his eyes. I could see very well that he knew exactly who I was, who Mehta was, and my whole plan now seemed ridiculous.
“You really thought you could fool me? We’ve been friends for ages.”
“Please, Ekohl.” I knew that impersonating a superior was against the law, and, for Mehta, would mean death.
“It is my duty as a soldier to turn you in to the King,” he said in a low whisper. I lowered my face and tried to blink away the tears that were threatening to fall. Ekohl walked past me to the boulder I had been sitting mere minutes ago.
“I know.” I hated the way my voice trembled.
“But,” he began, looking up at me, “I’m not sure I can do that.” A hiccup of a gasp escaped me as I tried not to cry out in sheer elation.
“Thank you so much!” I couldn’t help but embrace him in my excitement, and I nearly knocked both of us over.
“You’re welcome,” Ekohl said with a chuckle. He returned the embrace, then pulled back and looked me in the eye. “But I still think you two are idiots,” he said with a smirk. I pushed his shoulder, and we both pretended I was strong enough to move him. He leaned away, and then righted himself as I pulled my arm back.
“I figured something was going on, but I couldn’t be sure that you switched until I saw these,” he explained, indicating one of my knives. “I remember how hard it was to get those for you.”I nodded and looked down at the knives. They were only half the length of a broadsword and a quarter of the weight. I had asked Ekohl to get them for me behind my father’s back. It took months to find the blades, and then even longer to find someone who still practiced this form of combat, but both the blacksmith and the swordsman were well paid for their silence and their skills.
“Well, I girl has to be able to defend herself.” I said with a smile, knowing this was exactly what I had told him years ago when he asked why I wanted them in the first place.
“True.” Just then, someone shouted his name and he looked over my shoulder toward the campfire. I too looked and noticed the rest of the guards were scanning the woods. “We should get back,” he said, pulling me up with him as he stood. “I told them I would find you. You really shouldn’t wander off without telling anyone.” I nodded and quickly returned my blades to their sheaths.
When we returned to camp, Ekohl and I went our separate ways: he to the other guards, and I to Mehta, who had finally awaken. After a simple meal of salted meats, bread and dried vegetables, Mehta and I went to bed and the guards took shifts keeping watch over the camp through the night.