Legacy

18. Piece of Cake

"Raina?"

Lance quickly bit his lip upon realizing what he had said out loud. Reggie stopped complaining about Lance's refusal to tell him what was happening, and the soldiers around him glared at him suspiciously.

"Rain?" Lance laughed nervously. "The air pressure is low so a storm-"

The men grumbled at Lance's babbling, quickly returning to their former activities before he could continue.

Lance glanced nervously back at Raina in the bushes, giving her a sheepish smile. Raina just glared at him, exaggerating the gesture of putting her finger to her lips. Lance rolled his eyes, which didn't really seem to improve Raina's mood.

"Hey Reggie?"

"I hope you are prepared to tell me what is happening on your side of the pole?"

"Actually yes," Lance said and lowered his voice, "Raina's here."

"WHAT?"

Once again the soldiers glared at their captives.

Lance coughed awkwardly. "Yeah I know. I didn't think it was going to rain either." Lance winked at Raina as she facepalmed in the bushes.

The soldiers muttered obscenities under their breath, their glares as sharp as knives, before they once again returned to their work.

"Raina?" Reggie whispered harshly. "As in the princess?"

"No," growled Lance, "I was talking about the other lost heir to the Aragona kingdom. Yes, it's the princess!"

Reggie opened his mouth to say something, but quickly thought better of it.

"There's also a dragon," whispered Lance, and Reggie had to bite his tongue to stop himself from announcing his surprise to the soldiers again.

"I thought you said the princess was safe," Reggie growled, "as in far away from here!"

"Well I thought so too," Lance muttered, "but apparently not."

"Is she alone?"

"No."

"Impossible. Who is with her?"

Lance shrugged. "It's hard to tell. Whatever it is, it's hidden behind the bushes."

"Fascinating," said Reggie sarcastically. "Is she going to do something stupid?"

"Probably."

"Splendid," muttered Reggie. "Absolutely splendid."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

    "Wow you're right. They really are stupid," commented Ari as she watched the pair mumbling to each other from the bushes.

    "Tell me about it." Raina peered over the bushes right next to her. "It's a mystery as to why they aren't already dead."

    Raina and Ari exchanged glanced, chuckling to themselves.

"So what's the plan?"

    Any content that had been present on Raina's face fell away. "Plan?"

    Ari raised her eyebrow. "You know, a plan, so you know what you're going to do and how you're going to do it."

    "I know what a plan is!" Raina whispered harshly. "I just don't have one!"

    "You don't have one? You mean we walked all the way here, and you don't even have a plan?"

    Raina shrugged. "I just thought we would like tip-toe up there, slice the rope, and then tip-toe back down."

    Now it was Ari's turn to facepalm. "What about the soldiers that are everywhere? Did you think about them?"