Chapter Five
It became apparent by the second day of travel that Karina was not entirely sure what to make of Carmichael. He was talkative, cheerful and heart-meltingly sweet to her when he wasn’t being arrogant. The part that frustrated her most about him was he was hard to travel with. Had he not been with her, she’d have been able to make the journey in the three days she’d thought it’d take, but by the time they were setting up camp on the second night, they hadn’t even made it half way.
“So, how did a fair lady find her heart yearning for the life of a knight?” Carmichael asked as he lounged beside their small campfire. Dried meat, animal fat and salt boiled in water over the flickering flames for their dinner.
Stirring at the meat with a stick, Karina smiled faintly and shrugged her shoulders. “I was brought to Grizlenzadi as a small girl. Where I was born exists no longer. Many warriors fought valiantly for the land, even the ladies. My mother was one such warrior, until she was with child. We lived in the outskirts of my homeland until I was three years of age and able to walk on my own. When we got to Grizlenzadi, we lived with the captain of the guard of Hamonny and I remained there until I was old enough to journey throughout the land on my own,” she explained as she sat back down beside him.
“So it was instinctual for you to become a warrior. The captain of the guard trained you, then?” Carmichael asked.
“Not quite,” Karina said. “He took me beneath his arm and raised me alongside my mother. I often found myself watching the knight’s train. I had learned all their moves with a stick by the time I came to womanhood. He saw my skills, trained me to fight with a sword and shortly thereafter knighted me,” she explained. Her tale was nothing spectacular.
For a moment, silence stretched between them, until Karina sighed and removed the stick she stirred with from the pot. “This is done.”
Carmichael nodded as he got their metal bowls from the saddle bags for Karina to scoop some of the bland stew into. His stomach growled plaintively at the smell of cooked meat, leaving Karina to smile faintly.
“Hungry?” she asked, handing him one of the bowls. “Anyway. I’ve always been built bigger than most girls. I have more muscle, a stronger, sturdier frame. I’m built more like the men here than the woman. So once I left to be on my own, it was easy to become a jouster.”
Carmichael looked thoughtful as he ate a hunk of meat with ravenous bites.
“My turn for a question,” she said, as she retrieved a clay jug of mead from Tarron’s saddle before settling beside Carmichael.
“I will answer with honesty, Lady Karina,” Carmichael said around mouthfuls of stew.
Karina stared at him for a moment. “Why haven’t you mated with a human to break this curse of yours?” she asked. Carmichael stilled, she wondered if she’d offended him and hid her unease behind a long, deep swig of mead.
“That... is quite the question,” Carmichael said finally. His golden eyes stared at the flames of the fire as they danced and crackled. “I had considered it. For a time, I had courted human women with the hopes of mating. But to no avail, I’m afraid.”
“Why then were you hinting at mating me? If it hadn’t worked in the past, why expect a different result?” Karina asked.
Carmichael looked up towards the starry sky, a sad smile on his lips. “My Lady Knight, I don’t know how to answer that question,” he admitted as he took the clay jug and drank deeply from it. “Perhaps, it was due to the burn deep in my chest when I steal a glance at you.”
Karina looked towards him, perplexed with his answer. Had she thought he was lying, she’d have laughed and demanded an actual answer. Instead the sincerity in his tone made it difficult to shrug off. “You don’t know me, Carmichael. How can you possibly have such feelings?”
He leaned in close to her with a soft smile on his face. “My dear,” he whispered as he pressed a weathered hand to her soft cheek. He was more than delighted when she didn’t pull away. “How could I not?”
A light blush took hold in Karina’s cheeks and before she’d consciously decided, she found herself pressing against the hand that so gently caressed her cheek.
“You are quite lovely, my dear Lady. You have a strength unfounded in your race. I find you as formidable as any dragon of my time and believe me, my praise comes not lightly.
Carmichael’s lips were against her own before Karina had time to reply. They were so soft against hers and moved as though they had been molded to fit her own. She pressed closer, until her hands rested lightly against his broad chest. But then as quickly as the moment came, she drew away with haste, a gasp on her lips.
“I-I…” she stammered, a blush darker than a rose on her cheeks. Without second thought, she scrambled into their tent. All the while, Carmichael’s soft chuckles filled the warm night air.
He’d had a feeling of mutual attraction existed and now that it’d been confirmed with a kiss, his heart soared lighter than air.