The Rogue Lady

Chapter Thirteen

     Oh guys, I got the most wonderful gift in the mail last Saturday; it was my hardback copy of The Rogue Lady. It is extremely heavy, then again it is also 717 pages thick. The cover I think came out great, though the color I used as background looked better on the computer than IRL. And it is riddled with mistakes but who cares!!

     If you find any mistakes, point them out to me =) Map in the external link. Have fun!

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     When Bram woke everyone up the next morning because he had had last watch, I caught a glimpse of his smile before he left the tent again. My mind, still groggy from sleep, wondered briefly why he smiled but quickly pushed it aside and started fighting to go back to sleep. I remembered vaguely sitting through two watches, and although I slept very well afterwards, I was still tired. The ruffles of fabric in the tent forced me to wake up, but I desperately fought every second of it. When all was silent again, it became easier to relax again, and, slowly, I drifted off again. I didn’t sleep long though, perhaps ten more minutes. It was too late for more, my mind was wide awake and already analyzing all the noise my ears captured coming from outside the tent.

     With a sigh, I pushed myself upright and started untangling my hair from the messy braid. I ran my hands through my hair, wishing I could wash it sometime soon, before braiding it again. Outside, I found my archers around the still low blazing fire, warming themselves against the chilly morning air. Neither Darrick nor Eric were anywhere to be seen. That was probably why I had been able to sleep a little longer; Darrick could be so loud in the morning. I felt the eyes of my archers on me, which I ignored, and, just like every morning since we left, I walked over to my mare. My hand looked awfully pale, even as it caressed the mare’s velvety light gray nose. A spark of magic was all I used to make sure she was okay. I was sure she shared some of my feelings about the restless traveling, although I didn’t know to what extent.

     “You know girl, I can’t wait for this all to be over. You can go back to your own stables; I’ll go back to my own bed. Back to the familiar people around us; I’m starting to feel the void in my heart,” I mumbled. She had never been my own horse, but after I had escaped I had left the second horse elsewhere, she had become mine; that was how I thought about her now. My mare, the girl I could count on for a quick getaway if needed.

     “Hey, Svana, are you okay?” Tom called, his voice filled with worry. I looked over at him and the others unsure of what to say. Eventually, I shrugged. It wasn’t like I would be able to breakdown right now. I couldn’t start crying and wishing for home; my father always said that, when someone looks up to you, you have to stay strong even if you are falling apart inside. If you show those who follow you your true feelings, it will reflect on them. So instead, I kept everything to myself.

     “Didn’t you sleep well?” Alex asked. A mischievous sparkle came to life in his eyes.

     “What are you on about?”

     “You looked really comfortable; I felt guilty for having to wake you up,” Bram added.

     My eyes went from one young man to the other before shooting the other two desperate glances; I had no idea what they were hinting at. “I’ll ask again; what are you talking about?”

     “Don’t worry you can tell us.”

     “Tell you what?” I asked, beginning to feel irritated with them. Why wouldn’t they just give me a straight answer? Why were they insinuating I was keeping something from them?

     “Well whatever is going on between Eric and you, of course. You looked really cozy, curled up together,” Alex smirked but I couldn’t care less.