Rescues

An entertaining week for me. Got my knee in a brace to keep me from hurting it and allowing it to heal, half my staff on leave half way through the week, leaving me and one other to work the kitchen, fires making staff nervous (not me), rain to our much relief, finally watching Brave after three weekends of trying… Great movie. I recommend it.

However, this blog is not about my adventures at camp. This is about Martin. And his story is getting sticker with each post. Now it’s time for a rescue… and the telling of one. To the story!
**************
Rowan didn’t stop his canter until they were almost on the enemy camp. Martin was glad that it was overcast as he approached. It would cover his approach. Leaving Rowan in the woods, he snuck towards the enemy camp, planning his way in. This camp was surrounded by its usual protection magic. But he knew how it worked and he now had the power to break it. The problem was deciding where to break in.

The animal corral caught his eye.

It started raining as he walked up to the magical barrier. It was simple magic, a wall of magic that would stop anything from going in or out of the camp. However, it wasn’t just a solid wall. It was broken into segments so that one portion of the wall could go down while the rest stayed up. The places where those segments met was where the magical wall was at its weakest. Those places were generally a rock or stump where the magic met. These magical meets were part of the land. Part of his power.

For the animal corral, there were six different sections. He picked the smallest section, not even ten feet long, and focused on the two magical meets. Fixing the rocks in his mind, he forced the rocks to lift into the air. Once they were above his head, he raced into the camp, letting the rocks fall back to the ground. No one would ever know how he got in. The magical wall never broke.

Now I have to find Sona before they do something to her, he thought, running. He knew he didn’t have much time. He could feel anticipation in the camp. They had prey and they were about to close a trap.

He didn’t have much time at all.
*********
Sona shivered in the cold, sitting on a cot with nothing on but a towel wrapped around her. The guard who showed her into this tent said that he would return with something warm, but she should get her wet clothes off and dry herself off. Before she could insist that she would wait for the dry clothes, a private came by to take her clothes to wash them. She really had no choice but to change and wait.

“What’s taking so long,” she muttered, wishing they had just waited to take her clothes until after they had given her new ones.

The rain continued to pour down. It was going to be a harsh spring storm, she knew. Water had started seeping into the tent. She shivered again. This was turning out to be a great night.

A hand clasped around her mouth as an arm wrapped around her waist. Sona nearly screamed.

“Sona!”

She froze. She knew that voice! Spinning around, she found Martin kneeling behind her on the cot. He was dressed in a Ghost uniform though with a Venter overcoat that was covered in mud. He wasn’t looking at her, however, his gaze fixed on the tent flap.

“Martin!” she hissed, slapping his hand from her mouth then her waist. “What are you doing here?”

“Rescuing you,” he hissed back, still focused on the door. “You’ve been compromised. We’re leaving. Now.”

She laughed bitterly. “Leave?” she asked, scooting away from him. “Dressed like this?”

Martin blinked, finally turning his gaze away from the door to her. “Dressed like what?” he asked, confused. He suddenly went beet red and turned his head away again. “By the Seven Founders! Sona! Where are your clothes?”

“I had a battle with a mud puddle and lost,” she said sarcastically. “I’m waiting for new clothes.”

“I don’t think you’ll like what comes with new clothes,” he stuttered, refusing to look at her.

“What do you mean?” she asked, taking small satisfaction in how uncomfortable she made the prince.

“I told you. You’ve been compromised. They’re coming to kill you….” He flinched. “Scratch that. They won’t kill you just yet. They’re coming and we’ve got to go.”

Sona felt the blood drain from her face. Someone must have seen her using the mirror to talk to her contact. And the tent falling down on her was no accident. It was a ploy to get her outside of Samuel’s protection.

What did they do to Samuel?

“Sona,” Martin insisted, still not looking at her. “We’ve got to go.”

“I can’t go anywhere,” she snapped, fear gripping her. “I’m not dressed.”

“So I’ve noticed,” the prince said, his voice cracking. “Alright. Here’s the deal. You stay in this tent, I’ll make it so no one can get in, and I’ll go out and get you something to wear. Deal?”

“I think I can live with that,” she agreed.

“Don’t leave,” he ordered. Without turning to tell her goodbye, he slid off the cot and rolled under the canvas. Sona bit her lower lip. Things had gotten a lot worse. She couldn’t even bring herself to be mad at Martin. She was just glad that he had come to rescue her.

Shivering again, she tried to curl into a ball, hoping Martin was faster than their enemy.

“Sona?” someone called from outside the tent.

Sona shook. “Samuel?” she asked, fear easily heard in her voice.

“I heard about the tent,” he said. “Are you alright?”

“No,” she said truthfully, quivering. Where was Martin?

“I don’t blame you,” Samuel said in an understanding tone. “I’ve got you some new clothes. Could I come in?”

Sona bit her lip again. Martin had said no one would be able to get into the tent and told her not to leave. But… This was Samuel, someone who promised to protect her. Surely if she let him in, she’d have something to wear. Somehow finding the strength to stand, she walked to the tent flap, opening it slightly.

Hands grabbed her and yanked her out of the tent and threw her into the mud. She screamed.

“There’s no use in screaming.”

Sona froze then spun around. She paled to see that Venter soldiers ringed around her, the rain pouring down on their heads. General Weeks stood inside the ring, looking down at her with no emotion. Samuel wasn’t in sight.

“He isn’t here,” Weeks told her blandly. “My spies are quite good at imitating someone else’s voice.” The blood drained from her face. She had been tricked!

“I’m sorry that it had to go down like this, Lady Sona,” Weeks said, though his voice had no sorrow. “You’re now a prisoner of this camp, subject to anything my men want. Good night.” He turned and disappeared into the crowd. Sona looked around in fear, shrinking as the men started closing in on her.

“Don’t worry,” one man laughed, grabbing her shoulder and pinning her to the ground. She wanted to hit back, to run, but fear froze her. “We won’t let you die yet.” Sona closed her eyes, her tears mixing with the rain, waiting for the inevitable.

“NO!”

Suddenly the man was gone. Opening her eyes, she looked through the rain to see Martin standing above her, knives in both hands.

“And who are you?” one soldier asked, pulling a sword out from beneath his coat. Several other soldiers followed the same.

“I’m not to be mess with,” the prince growled. With quick flick of his hands, he sent his knives into the closest two men, felling both of them. Before anyone could react, Martin grabbed Sona’s arm and pulled her up. “Hold on,” he told her.

“Hold on?” she asked.

Soldiers started yelling to their right. Turning, Sona saw Rowan trample his way through the crowd to them. Martin didn’t waste a moment. He grabbed Rowan’s reigns as the horse rode past them, pulling both of them after. Sona screamed as Martin leapt onto Rowan’s saddle and pulled her up in front of him. Martin kicked Rowan into a faster run.

Yelping, Sona clung to the prince, her eyes closed tight. The mad canter the elven horse ran kept changing direction, she lost track of where they were. She could hear men cry out in alarm and pain, their voices blurred with rain and wind. She was too afraid to open her eyes to see what was happening.

“Come on, Rowan,” she heard Martin mutter, feeling the prince glance behind them. “Come on!”

“They’re going to catch us,” she sobbed, burying her face into his coat. “Aren’t they?”

“Not if I can’t help it,” Martin growled. “They don’t know who they’re dealing with.”

Sona looked up to the prince’s concentrated face. “What?” she started to ask when Rowan jumped. Crying in alarm, she quickly buried her face in his coat again.

“They’ve escaped!” a Venteran yelled, his voice dim. “They’ve got past the magic!”

Sona didn’t know how they got past the magic. She didn’t care. Just so long as they were out of the camp.

Rowan kept running, the prince urging him on. For a few minutes, there wasn’t the sound of pursuit and she started to relax.

Bang!

Sona jumped and sat up to look over Martin’s shoulder. Five men on horses were in hot pursuit, mud and rain splashing as they closed in. She paled.

“Martin!” she yelled. “They have arrows!”

He snorted and didn’t even bother to look back, his focus on where they were going. “They aren’t going to hit. Those are Aeternan arrows.”

Sona gave the prince a confused look. “What are you talking about?”

Zip!

She shrieked, ducking her head.

Thud!

Glancing over his shoulder again, she was shocked to see the arrow had veered off course and hit a tree. The archer looked shocked.

“Sona,” Martin said, “there is a smuggler pass up ahead, right?”

She finally noticed where they were going. The pass Martin had picked as a narrow gorge that only the bravest took. And that was in fair weather. “They’ll catch us up there,” she said. “It’ll take us too long to get to the top.”

Martin snorted again. “You’re forgetting. I control the land.”

The Renewal Spell. The reason why he was kidnapped. She had read just how powerful those born with the Renewal Spell were, but it was another to hear such confidence in those abilities.

The elven horse didn’t even slow down as it started up the gorge. Sona yelped and hid her face again. It wasn’t right for a horse to go up such an incline at a reckless speed. And in the rain! If they got out of this in one piece, she was going to give the prince a piece of her mind. This was the most terrifying rescue she’s ever been through!

Martin twisted on the saddle to look down at their pursuers.

“They’re catching up?” she asked, her voice quivering.

“Not for much longer,” he growled.

Bang!

Sona sat up, once again looking over Martin’s shoulder. She gasped, shocked by the view. The gorge was crumbling behind them, blocking their pursuers and ensuring their escape. She couldn’t help staring at the rubble that moved down the gorge. It was solid rock on both sides. There wasn’t a way for that much loose rock to suddenly appear! She then stared at the prince. Martin was focused on the top of the gorge. He didn’t even seem to notice her shock at him.

With a lurch, they topped the cliff. Martin didn’t even pause to check the damage, kicking Rowan into a canter. Sona glanced back to the top of the cliff, sure she could hear the soldiers yelling confused orders and shouts of frustration.

But… She was out of the camp. With a sigh like sob, she rested her head against Martin’s chest, feeling exhausted. Everything just happened so fast. Soon the steady gait of the horsed lulled her into a numb sleep that even the rain couldn’t wake her from.
**************
The world slowed down. Blinking, Sona woke up from her exhausted sleep, trying to figure out where she was. It was raining and dark. She was cold, wet, and sitting on something very uncomfortable. And someone was with her.

It came back in a flash.

“Martin?” she asked, wiping the water from her face. “Is everything alright?”

The prince didn’t answer immediately. He was standing up in the stirrups, squinting to see through the rain.

“It’s too dark to go on,” he said, sitting back down. “I’m afraid Rowan will break a leg in a hole if we keep going.”

“Can’t you just…” she offered, waving her hand vaguely. “Fill the holes in?”

He snorted. “Perhaps, yes. But we’re all exhausted. I might make a mistake. And Rowan has given much more than I should have asked. We need some rest.”

“Where?” she asked, taking in their surroundings. They were still surrounded by forests, following a thin horse trail. “What’s around here?”

Martin took a deep breath, closing his eyes. She waited patiently. No doubt he was searching with his powers. Finally, he sighed.

“There’s an abandoned barn nearby,” he said, opening his eyes and signaling his horse off the trail. “It’s not much, but we’ll be dry for the night.”

“Better than a cave,” she agreed, shivering. It was far too cold for her liking. She hoped the barn had something to start a fire with.

A few minutes from the horse trail, the barn suddenly loomed in their view. Sona stared up at it.

“Maybe a cave isn’t so bad,” she whispered. It was grey with age and creaking in the wind. Barn doors swung and battered with each gust. It was ominous looking.

“It’ll stand the night,” Martin assured her, dismounting. He cautiously approached the main barn door and held it open. Rowan didn’t need any prompting and bolted into the safety of the barn. Sona slid off his back, grateful for the chance to actually stand.

Then she remembered what she was wearing.

Strangling a gasp, she quickly scanned the barn and spotted a stall nearby. She rushed into it, feeling her face burn with embarrassment. Wearing just a towel in an abandoned barn with the crown prince? Could this rescue get any worse?

“I think this storm will let up by morning,” Martin was saying, closing the barn door and baring it with a shaft of wood. He searched in the dark for a moment before finding an old lantern. “Good,” he muttered, “there’s still something worth burning.” He lit it with no visible help. He turned around when he didn’t get an answer. “Sona?” he asked, lifting his lantern to see. “Is everything alright?”

“I don’t suppose,” she hissed, making sure her head was the only thing showing over the stall wall, “that you managed to get me some clothes…”

The guilty silence was answer enough for her.

“Great,” she snapped, spinning around and sliding down to the floor against the stall. “I’m nearly naked with nothing to wear to go back into our camp.” She thudded her head against her knees, feeling tears of frustration. “My parents are going to kill me.”

“After they kill me,” Martin said, no doubt flinching. “I’ll look around…”

“Look around?” she laughed bitterly. “This place as been abandoned for who knows how many years. What in the world could you find?”

“Then what do you suggest?” he asked, his tone annoyed. “You’re going to freeze if you stay in that stall all night. I’ll get the blanket off of Rowan and you can use that to keep warm.”

“Oh?” she asked, rolling her eyes, “And what about you? You’re just as soaked and cold as I am. You’ll freeze.”

“My coat…”

“Is covered with mud and soaked,” she interrupted. “You’ll get no warmth out of that.”

“I thought this conversation was about you,” Martin snapped back. “You’re the one who is nearly naked.” Sona was glad he couldn’t see her. She felt as if her head was burning. They were in a predicament.

“What supplies do we have?” she asked, desperate for an answer to their problem.

“Rowan’s saddle, blanket… I rushed out of camp when I realized that you were in danger. I didn’t get anything else.”

Sona’s blush deepened. He was that concerned for her? Stupid idiot prince! she thought, shaking that out of her head. She was supposed to be mad at him!

Him.

“You’re in Ghost uniform,” she said slowly.

“Huh?”

She stood back up, resting her chin on the stall wall. Martin had already started taking the saddle off his horse, the lantern flickering pitifully on the floor. He had taken off his muddy coat and was dressed in a light uniform of a shirt and pants.

“Your shirt,” she said. “Give me your shirt.”

Martin froze then dropped the saddle on another stall wall with a thud. He spun around, his face pale in the flickering light. “My shirt?” he repeated.

“I have more to cover,” she sneered. “Besides, it’s all we have.”

“You’ll still freeze,” he said quickly, looking nervous.

Sona gritted her teeth. She knew there was only one solution to that, even if she didn’t like it. “We’re going to have to share the blanket.”

“I can do without the blanket,” he argued. “I’ve been through worse nights.”

She glared at him. That excuse wasn’t going to work with her. “Recently?” He flinched. “I thought so,” she muttered. “Give me your shirt and we’ll just promise to only share the blanket. Touch me in the wrong place and I’ll knock you out.”

“I don’t doubt that,” he muttered. He still looked hesitant. “Are you sure you don’t want the blanket to yourself?”

“Your shirt,” she insisted.

He groaned, planting his face in a hand. “Can this rescue get any worse?” He began to unbutton his shirt.

She scoffed, sitting back down against the stall wall. “I don’t know why you’re so against this,” she sneered, refusing to look at him. She refused to gawk at a crown prince, especially with his shirt off. “Aren’t men generally proud of their hairy chests?”

Her only answer was his shirt flung over the wall. She snatched it and quickly put it on. She grimaced as she held the towel out at arms length. It was sopping and just as muddied as Martin’s coat. Standing up, she checked the shirt on her. It came to mid thigh and the long sleeves covered her hands. She rolled the sleeves up enough for her hands to show again. Still refusing to look at the prince, she braided her hair. She didn’t want it in the way if she did have to carry out her threat.

“Alright,” she muttered, finally turning around and leaving the stall. “We’ll go over the ground rules again. No unnecessary touching…” The rules died on her tongue and gasped in horror instead.

Martin was taking the blanket off Rowan, his back to her.

It was hideous. It wasn’t a back. It was scars, disfiguring and horrific. The scars extended over his shoulders and upper arms. It was as if someone had tried to rip the skin off his back. Inch by inch. With a comb. “What…” she breathed, too horrified to finish asking.

Martin flinched, not even looking back at her. He suddenly straightened, turned sharply to the side, and laid the blanket down beside the lantern.

“I’m not talking about it,” he snapped, flopping down on the blanket and staring up at the creaking ceiling. Not that laying on his back covered all his scars. Sona stared at him, too numb to remember the situation they were in. Her feet moved over to him without her thinking about it. She fell to her knees beside him, unsure what she could say.

“Martin?” she asked softly.

“I am not talking about it,” he insisted, turning his head sharply away. She was sure he wanted to turn his back to her, but… “We need our rest,” he grumbled. “So lay down and we’ll sleep.”

“Martin,” she whispered. There was so much she wanted to ask.

“We have your valley to save,” he pointed out, still not looking at her. “Sleep. Now.”

Sona shook her head. He was right. They were exhausted and they needed to return to their side soon. Sighing, she laid down beside him. Without another word, he threw the rest of the blanket over them and blew the lantern out, plunging them into darkness. The rain pounded against the old wood of the walls and the howling wind kept the awkward silence at bay. But she hardly noticed. Martin’s back was in the front of her mind. Who did that to him? Why? She longed to ask him, but this was something he kept secret from everyone. Come to think of it, she had never seen him without a long sleeved shirt, even during the hottest of summers. No one questioned it. It was just how he dressed.

How many other things have you been hiding from us all these years? she wondered.

“Martin?” she whispered. “What happened?” He didn’t say anything. “Please?”

For a long moment, he didn’t answer. Finally he sighed. “I… I had just arrived at Aeterna,” he whispered. He sounded afraid to talk. “Fred offered me a miracle. A life. A chance to live. I knew when I stepped off board and on Aeternan ground that I was destined to spend the rest of my life devoted to this grand nation… I spent that first day at the Stand in utter joy…” He gulped.

“Then the second day came.”

He took a deep breath. Sona gazed at his face. There was just enough light for her to see his expression, haunted and scared. She shivered. That wasn’t an expression anyone saw on the prince’s face.

“Fred had some business to take care of and let me go off on my own that day,” he said. “I was so excited about being in Aeterna… I didn’t notice I was being followed.”

He stopped, turning his head away so she couldn’t see his face. “Who?” she asked. “Who was following you?”

“A thieving lord from Loman,” he said softly. “Before I left Loman, a mystic, a fortuneteller he called himself, announced to the entire dock that I was one day going to be a very important man. I wasn’t the only one to laugh at that. The one who didn’t laugh believed the crazy bat.” Suddenly Martin shook with anger. “That thieving lord believed him. I suspect now that the thief got the mystic to tell him how important I was going to be. I think they knew that I was the prince.

“So they followed me,” he spat. “Followed me all the way to Aeterna. And found me the second day…” The sudden hate in his voice turned into sorrow. “And they took me. Grabbed me from behind... drugged me… The next thing I knew, I was in an abandoned warehouse, my arms tied. The mystic and thief lord were arguing about what to do with me. I heard ransom, selling to the highest bidder… But I knew what they were saying. They going to take me back to Loman, back to the nightmare Fred had just saved me from.

“So I did the only thing I could,” he whispered. “I ran. But…” He took in a sob like breath. “But the thief caught me…” Martin moved his leg, as if pained. “He broke my leg to keep me from escaping.” He started shivering, his voice dropping to a bare whisper. “I started crying. The thief told me to stop and when I didn’t…” For a long moment, he didn’t say anything.

“He hit me. With a steel brush, used to straighten wool.”

Sona gasped, horrified.

Martin covered his eyes with a hand. “I begged him to stop…” he sobbed. “But he didn’t. He just kept hitting me. The mystic tried to stop him and he got hit. I knew he was going to kill me then, no matter how important I was. I was going to get a new life and he was going to take it away. I blacked out knowing he was going to kill me.”

Taking a shuttering breath, Martin let his hand drop off his face. “The next thing I knew, I was in a bed with soft sheets. But I knew something was wrong. I was too numb. I then noticed Fred sitting next to me. He looked worn, tired… scared. He tried to smile when he saw me, but I knew something was wrong. He told me I was still hurt and that they were taking me to Nacre to see a wound doctor.

“I spent five months recovering. They were amazed that I wasn’t mentally scarred. I could still laugh and smile. I didn’t fear strangers. But they didn’t see the real harm.” He paused, his tone suddenly taking an empty sound.

“I didn’t want people close,” he said. “Oh I would deal with people, but they’d never get close to me. I wouldn’t let them. I know others think I’m too secretive, but… I just don’t want people close. I don’t want sympathy, I don’t want pity, I don’t want to be hurt again. I… I just want to be left alone.”

The prince then sighed. “I guess that’s why I never thought I could be the prince. A prince loves attention. I hate it. Nobles enjoy flaunting their possessions. I work hard for what I have.... And I’ve been hurt… A prince never should have gone through that.” He finally stopped, his story done and he left to his own haunting thoughts.

Sona stared at him. A prince should never have to go through that? No one should ever go through that, she thought, tears coming to her eyes. Especially not you. Especially not this man, who cared so much for his people and would do anything for them. Who had done everything he could to prove his worth. A man who valued life so much. The reason why she loved him.

Crying, she buried her face in his shoulder, unable to keep her tears back. He shouldn’t have gone through that! She almost didn’t notice his arms wrap around her, holding her tight. She knew it wasn’t just a motion to comfort her, but to comfort him as well. Her tears carried her to sleep, knowing she wasn’t the only one suffering.
**********
Martin woke up feeling drained. Not really surprising, when he thought about it. It had been a rough day. Opening his eyes, he saw the barn had survived the night, sunlight was leaking through the loose boards of the barn’s walls. Rowan was already awake and was eating at a bit of vegetation growing in one of the stalls. His coat was still draped over a stall wall and the lantern he had used was still nearby.

He finally looked down on Sona’s head.

She was still asleep, curled against his side. He gazed at her for a moment, remembering clearly the night before.

She’s seen my back, he thought, uncertain how to feel about that. He had always known that one day someone was going to see it. In truth, he had been dreading that day. But her reaction wasn’t what he had been expecting. Instead of trying to assure him it wasn’t as horrible as it looked, or trying to sooth him by telling him how brave he was to endure such torture, or even avoid him altogether, she just cried. Despite all the hateful things she said to him since his arrival, she knew him better than anyone else. Words meant nothing to him. Her tears did. It made loving her hurt more than before.

Can we be together?

Martin sighed, letting his head thump back. He never wanted people close, but Sona was persistent. She pushed at his barriers, cared about him, and just wanted to be with him. It was only a matter of time before he fell to her advances. And now… He was the prince. No doubt the queen was busy picking a wife for him.

Wait…The queen didn’t stop us from courting, he realized. She had actually placed a bet on when they would become a couple. He resolved to talk to her about that as soon as he could.

But that had to wait. Sona’s valley was in danger.

Regretfully, he shook her shoulder. “Sona,” he said. “Time to get up.”

She groaned, scrunching her face and rubbing it against his chest. That was distracting. “Why?” she grumbled.

Martin actually smiled. So, the pretty researcher wasn’t a morning person. He would have never thought that. “Oh, I don’t know,” he teased. “It might have something to do with us needing to get back to our side? Before the enemy finds us. Besides, I need to get up. I’m sore from sleeping in the same position all night.”

Grumbling, she finally sat up, rubbing her eyes. “It’s your own fault,” she muttered. Martin decided it wouldn’t be a good idea to argue that she was the one to suggest they share the blanket.

Taking a deep breath, Martin got up, painfully aware that Sona was watching him. He quickly checked on his coat, finding it dry.

“Alright,” he said, lifting the coat. “You wear my coat and I get my shirt back. We’ll go back to the army and have that battle.”

“Oh, yes,” she sneered, still under the blanket, “I can see how well that plan will go.”

Martin frowned. “What do you mean?”

She raised an eyebrow. Before answering, she stood up. By the Seven Founders! Martin quickly looked away, feeling the blood rush to his face. He didn’t get a good look at her the night before because he was too embarrassed about his back to notice anything else. Now he saw just how much leg his shirt failed to cover.

“Hum,” she hummed contently. Martin’s blush deepened. She was enjoying making him uncomfortable! “Well, your coat, though longer than this shirt, isn’t going to help cover me. I need something a bit longer.”

She was probably right about that. Looking anywhere but her, he glanced around the barn again, hoping something might strike inspiration. Rowan caught his eye.

“How about you just wrap the blanket around you?” he suggested. “Temporary skirt. I’ll just wear my coat.”

“But,” she hesitated to say, “wouldn’t that mean you’d have to leave Rowan’s saddle behind? It’s an expensive saddle. You shouldn’t leave it laying around.”

Martin laughed. “You think I care about that? It can be replaced. Our reputations aren’t as easily replaced. Besides, Rowan won’t mind us riding him bareback.”

Emotions peaked. Curious, Martin looked back at Sona. Her arms were folded and she was looking at him with a curious expression.

“What?” he asked, unable to tell which emotions she was feeling.

She lifted a corner of her mouth in a smile. “You are a strange prince.”

Martin chuckled, shaking the dirt from his coat. “Of course I am,” he declared, putting the coat on with a furl. “I’ve had a strange upbringing.”

She finally chuckled, shaking her head. “I guess I can’t argue with that.” She knelt down to get the blanket. Martin quickly hurried to get Rowan. He brushed the elven horse down as much as he could.

Once they were ready, he lifted Sona onto Rowan’s back and led them out of the barn. The rain from the night before steamed off the ground as the sun rose over the mountains. He mounted behind her and directed Rowan to the closest road. They rode in silence for a long time. It was only when they got to the road that Sona finally broke the silence.

“Thank you,” she whispered, not looking him in the eye. “Thank you for saving me.”

Martin could feel her embarrassment. He just smiled. There was nothing she had to be embarrassed about. “You’re welcome.” Before they could say anything else, Martin kicked Rowan into another canter. They had to get to their side quickly. General Weeks wasn’t going to stay idle for long. They’d be in a battle by tomorrow.
*************
Yes, battle next week! I'd stay and taunt you with details, but I'm visiting my brother's and there are some cute kids to play with. Until next week, enjoy the journey!