The warrior princess

Chapter 15-The mission

I command the horse to stop, stepping down from the horseback. Sighing as I stretch my limbs. My feet are frozen, a tingling sensation feeling bubbles inside my veins. The acing in my bones, leaning for a bit my spine cracks for a bit, a moan escapes from me. 

"Are you tired?" He piercing eyes scanned my face, sitting in his saddle. Steering the reins with one hand letting his other hand hanging down. I hesitate for a couple of seconds. As I tear my face away for him, my cheeks become boiling red. Softly, I stroke my hand over my side of the chin. My hand drops, I turn to him.   "I think we should settle down and camp here. besides, we're not going to make it to our destination this day." My hands gesticulate, his large and sharp eyes keep staring at me. Swiftly he climbed down from the horse swinging the reins over the animals head. 

As we both walk beside each other. "Smart move, I agree on that." his tone was clear and sharp as he kept stepped away holding the horse's reins and the creature strolled lightly as the hoves clicked on the ground. He tied a knot and the horse stood there glaring at him. Richard lifted a hand stroking the muzzle of the horse. Dearly he leaned into the horse's ear and whispered something and left the horse after the brief sentence. 

"I didn't know you were fond of animals," I mention for him, his eyes goes up. Later doesn't reply, instead, he bends down, collecting twigs and lying scattered at the ground. Without thinking I follow after picking up twigs too, the damp and slippy ones I throw away. A strange fog lingers in the woods and it floats in the air.  Leaves and branches are around everywhere. The ground is soft under me, and it gives after as I keep strolling. The fire is lit after a while, I crouch down straddling my legs. Richard wipes his forehead with his jacket arm. The smoke fills the air finding its way into my nostrils. Wiping my fingers around my eyes as the smoke makes me tear up. 

The wood is silent tonight. As a wind passes through the wilderness, a couple of threes rattles. Colored leaves and dirty ones crouch under my shoes as I move my feet. The dancing flames take formidable shapes. Orange and yellow, wild and untamed. Richard takes his knives from his belt and keeps sharping them, as the metal clings and scratches against each other. The man's head is bent down and his shoulders are hunched, one of the few times I've seen him posing like a slug. 

The temperatures drop, I wrap the blanket around myself, I stole the blanket from Daya's house. Knowing it was a horrible thing to do, my conscience took a blow. After a while, he stops and places the weapons back in the belt. The moon bathes in clouds as it conceals parts of the moon. Burring the image and some starts glimmers in the sky. My companion just sits staring at the fire. Crossing his feet as he's back is leaned back, his arms rest on his thighs. 

"Richard?" I pronounce weakly. Staring at him, attempting to make him glance at me. I stop myself in midair before touches his hand softly. 

The archer ganders, I withdraw my hand. As his the most fragile glass piece in the world. "Yes?" the man spoke with a soft tone, leaning his head forward. My hands move as I stroke my arms, "it's nothing." I excuse myself, staring past him. How foolish of me.  

"Did your father take you on trips like this?" he leans forward with his upper body with his elbows planted on his thighs. He fishes up a bottle and takes a sharp sip tilting his head all the way back after he wipes the hand removing the liquid on his face. 

"Twice, but the one time I practically went down on my knees and kissed is shoes and begged him." He curled his lip into a snarl and nodded. His head tilted a bit to the side. As the scratched his neck. 

"What about you?" I shot out. As my hands drop leaving the blanket to hang around my body, still covering my skinny shoulders. "How many times have you been on missions like this?" I ask him my burning questions although I know the answer. 

"Numerous times, I've lost count." He speaks with a spark, Richard stares at me to gain my attention. 

"Do you know what you want to do on this mission?" His tone is grave and dark now. he sifts letting his other leg lay over his thigh. 

 "Information, contacts, secret anything that could lead us the perpetrator. " I give him a piece of my thoughts. The hair is messy and dangles in the face irritated is braid move my hair behind. Richard pauses. He continues after he observes I'm done. 

"I'm going to honest with you. It's not going to an easy task, but you'll do your best. And I'll do my best to help you. " He's confident. Leaning back, his arm rests against the three and his head is tilted back. I feel like his given me a promise. 

We maintain seated and talks about stories until we give up sitting. The blanket's texture is harsh Daya's wool blanket. Tucking myself in it, I couch down on my knees and my body meets the ground before the head does. Richard lays down just a couple of meters down without any complaints. Wrapping his jacket over him, he falls asleep resting on his back.  As he shuts his eyes. This time the dream seizes me with force.  I'm back at the palace and waiting with a bench. The flowers are delicious to smell. A tall figure stands further with the stature."Father. "I reach out with my hand. It's dark around us. Touching his arm as its radiating and sizzling hot.

"My Grace." His arms are wide open as I sprint toward him and throws myself inside his arms. Just as when I was a little girl, when he came home from trips like this I'm out on. A kiss on my cheeks, the warmth flows through me. He strokes my hair and back.

I cuddle with him, father strokes my chin kissing my back. To my horror, I withdraw my hands is stained with scarlet blood. My father's eyes are open wide, his mouth formed an o, as hands were clenched, his legs buckled under him. His breathing was unstable and quick. Mauel falls into my lap, the wound on his stomach leaks. I place my hand trying to stop the bleeding.  "Stay." my voice whispers into his ear, "You know I can't." My father once again reminds me. He blinks a few times before his eyes closed shut. 

"No!" I could hear myself screaming in distress,  multiple times shakeing his body. Planting two fingers at his neck. Uneven and decreasing, wrapping myself around him, rocking back and forth, my fingers movies his eyelids shut. A voice calls my name reply. Until my jerks forward and my breath is rapid, shoulders hunched andI'm shaking, not from the cold this time. Sobbing I spot Richard sits by my side. "You were screaming." The rush of tears is unstoppable. Gently he strokes my head. My neck tingles his smooth fingertips. 

"You dreamt about your father?" I nod confirming his question. My hands clench at his jacket. We sit like this forever, "I'm here." His velvet voice comforts me. The fire is still burning bright and warming. When I awake a second blanket is placed upon me, Richard has awoken, he must have placed it over me. 

"Slept well?" his head glances as his back is turned on me. The archer has the weight on his left foot posing. Perhaps he got up at dawn or did he stay awake after I fell asleep to guard the camp and me? There are tiny bags under his eyes, blinking he wipes his arm. The pair of sapphire eyes appears to be tired, but fierce. 

"Mhm,"I Mumble under my breath. As I flip the blanket away from my legs, I stood. As the fire still burns intensely, Richard fills his container with water and returns to camp, his posture is straight and his steps are marked. As he fingers unscrew the bottle and the water dowse the entire fire the fire sheiks and smoke poofs out ascending to the light blue sky. We loosen the horses and I get up the horseback and steers the horse with the reins. Richard is in front. Branches and leaves, as I have to bend down to avoid some branches resting from the threes. The next two weeks goes like this, camping and moving forward. 

A tavern. Two large parts, connected by a bridge in the middle. The stables are located in on the ground floor. The building consists of piles built of bricks and wooden planks. dozens of windows are placed around the building. A red curved door with an iron handle. Kindlings layers in plies outside the tavern. Smoke rises from the pip on the roof. At the top, there's a window, probably the attic window. 

His has already walked inside before I can ask him if we should. Leaving me with no option I follow him.