Chapter Twenty-eight
Early before the sun had properly peaked, Calemir stood tall at her door, ready to journey to Uruloki. Good thing she was too. Nara hadn’t slept well, she had barely gotten a wink of sleep after the queen came to visit her. When she had separated from the prince and gone into her room, she only sat for half an hour before the queen knocked at her door. The queen had stepped in, her beauty glorious under the moonlight which spilled into the room. Cordially, Val had asked her how she found everything and if she needed any help she was free to call one of the servants. However, it was the queen’s whispered warning tone to not hurt his son that stuck in her head even when the queen threw in softly that she prepared gifts for her. Nara mulled over how a person like her could hurt him? She was human, and he was…impenetrable. And she had no intentions of doing so unless he does something which would provoke her to do it.
Also, it was one thing to sleep in a strange place in the afternoon and another thing to sleep at night. Nighttime is always the best time to eliminate your foe, something she was familiar with intimately. Letting her guard down would be insane and stupid. Restless, Nara had called a maid in the middle of the night and requested if she could get trousers for riding. She wanted to be prepared for the long trip to Uruloki. When the servant hurried out with her orders, she had slept with one eye open until she came back with the clothes.
“Ready?” the prince asked her, posing at her door.
“I am” Nara replied. Calemir spun and began to march, expecting her to follow. His long legs ate up the distance of the hallways quickly. The air of urgency surrounded him. Nara regarded the determination set on his face. She kept up his pace easily. The butt of her dagger dug on the side of her waist, giving her a sense of security and comfort. It was her only weapon, and she concealed beneath the long tunic she was wearing.
Leena and Finn and two other elves Nara didn’t know waited for them as they emerged from the palace. There was also a carriage, and a saddled horse with no rider with a trunk was fastened on the roof of the carriage. Calemir came to a halt near the horse.
“Your riding in the carriage,” Calemir said as he mounted the beast. She wasn’t sure if she was irritated that he ordered her or irked at herself for complying to his word when she hoped in. Nara huddled in the corner of the carriage, the hood she had on protecting her from the chilly morning breeze. Nara listened to the elves talk for a minute as she stared at the sleeping city still shrouded in darkness. Her body jerked with the sudden lurch of the carriage. She adjusted herself on the seat as their party started another journey.
***
They have ridden for three nights, tearing the land without slowing pace. Calemir wanted to make it to Uruloki as soon as possible, shortening a six-day journey to a four day one. Stopping here in the middle of the road was stealing their time. But looking at the rest, he decided to give them a little time to stretch their limbs and get rid some of the tiredness in their bones. He stared up north where the sun shined and basked in its warmth. One more night and he’d home. He breathed in the natural air, he could almost smell the faint smokiness of the town. His heart did a little thrill, a tingle of excitement pumping in small pints in his veins.
“I want to ride a horse,” a familiar voice said behind him. Cocking his head, Calemir glanced at the human as she strolled toward him. The long grass swayed with a breeze around her knees.
“Pardon?”, Calemir replied.
“I want to ride a horse,” Nara repeated.
“The carriage was readied for you to ride it.” Calemir said, folding his hands across his chest.
“I know, but I’m tired sitting in the carriage.”
Great. A whiny human. His jaw twitched. “There’s no horse for you to ride,” Calemir said.
“That’s why I suggest we switch places” Nara stated. She was bored, tired of traveling in the closed walls of the carriage for three long days. The only time she stepped out was when she had to relief herself and then she was back inside. She ate and slept in that damn walking box! It made her start to feel restless, like a caged animal.
Calemir looked at the gold gilded carriage then back at her. “No.”
“I want to ride a horse, we could give each other turns?” Nara insisted, ignoring his refusal.
“That is your means of transport and not mine.” He replied, starting to get pissed at her stubbornness.
“Please” She insisted, feeling frustrated.
Calemir’s hands dropped, no longer looking relaxed. “You should’ve said before we started the journey and a horse could have been given to you.”
A vein on her temple jumped. The other three elves who were engrossed with their own things paused their businesses and looked at them. Tension nestled in the air. Nara swallowed and gathered her thoughts. See from their eyes. A voice from the back of her head reminded her. “I…I don’t want to appear ungrateful. The carriage is comfortable, it has provided me enough rest, but I wish to ride” she tried to explain. “I can’t ride another day inside that thing, or I’m going’ to turn mad.”
“Please it’s too stifling” Nara added, her voice a plea.
Calemir remained unmoved by her words. Instead, he looked over at one of the elves that had joined their once team of four who had ridden from Vessener and spoke to the elf in his tongue. The elf sharply dismounted off his horse and made his way into the carriage.
“He’s yours” Calemir clipped and stalked to his own horse. Taking his cue, Leena, Finn and the other elf saddled up.
Awkwardly, Nara made her way to the horse. She kept her head down, avoiding the accusing stares she got from the nameless coachman and the elf peeking at her through the carriage window. Leena gave her hard stare from the corner of her eyes as she swung on the horse. Nara kept her eyes forward, body stiff. Nevertheless, with the first burst of her horse, she cared less of whatever the elves thought of her. The muscle of her thighs tightened readily, feeling the strength and power of the steed. A thrilling rush shot down her spine as the wind whipping her face had her heart thumping with excitement. Her mouth split into a smile, and it stayed there even when the prince looked at her briefly over his shoulder.
***