The Noble Sellsword (Under Rewrite)

VIII - Journey to Creage

Author's POV

Three of them set out before the break of dawn. Cee wouldn't want eyes on them when they leave, especially if they were with Lysandra. She wouldn't know how many guards or sellswords were paid to look for the lady, and she hadn't planned to find out anytime soon.

She led them outside the inn, Cheska on one horse and Lysa on the other. Cee didn't say goodbye to Celesto. She was wary of every move she would take, and having someone see her before she left could be a risk.

They used the forest path instead of the main road. One, to avoid any other travelers, and second, for Cheska to have access to water. She never meant to slow them down, but Cheska felt guilty that their journey had to be near a body of water.

When they were far enough from the city walls, Cee mounted the horse Cheska was riding, their bodies flushed as the sellsword took the reins from the mermaid, and Lysa couldn't help but feel a nagging pain in her chest as she saw how Cee's arms were wrapped around the mermaid princess. And she couldn't keep her eyes from the two.

Cee could feel the lady's eyes on the back of her head. There was something in the way she would look at them, but she could not point out what it was. A voice in her head kept telling her to turn, a pull towards the other brunette, but her heart felt contented as the mermaid settled against her arms. She had never felt so conflicted in her life.

They were traveling at a relatively slow pace, Cee wouldn't want to wear their horses out on the first weeks of their journey, and she knew they might not find any town that could offer them fresh horses. Every step and move had to be thought through. And at that pace, it could take them up to a month to reach Creage.

And then what? The sellsword thought. She planned and thought of everything that could happen on their journey, but never really thought of what she would do when their journey ended.

Cheska could feel the tension on the sellsword's arm and body so she laid a hand over her thigh and gave a light squeeze, making the woman look down at her. She offered her a small smile, she knew her well enough that thoughts were running wildly through her mind, and it earned her an adoring smile, and Lysa did not miss how the two look at each other, making her heart ache for the woman she barely knew.

She felt jealous and confused about her own feelings, something Lysa had never felt before. She thought jealousy was a petty emotion. Unreasonable for a lady like her to feel, yet, every time she would catch the sellsword and the mermaid taking turns stealing glances with each other, she couldn't help but clench her jaw and wish it was her Cee was looking at.

Silence enveloped them, only the hooves of the horses and chirps of the birds were heard. No one dared speak of the tension between the three.

Cee watched as fingers of light began to fade from the trees.

"Let's make camp tonight," she announced as she pulled the rein of her horse, Lysa following suit. Cee turned and watched the lady stare at her hands in deep thought.

"Wait here, princess," she whispered against the mermaid's hair before dismounting and helping the lady from her horse. They both gasped when their skin touched, an electrifying sensation where they made contact. Their eyes met and Cee saw a flash of emotion from the lady that went all too quickly.

The mermaid saw and heard it and wasn't surprised at all.

They were fated, after all, she thought to herself, nails digging into the leather rein as she thought how silly it would be to think that Cee could be... with her when the one fated for her was there, looking at the sellsword like she was an interesting puzzle to solve that held a treasure.