Wrongly in Love

9- An Unexpected Encounter

Gusion finally got Guinevere to wake up after a few hours doing absolutely nothing. They were walking at a glacial pace, traipsing around and exploring the woods.

"It's so calm here," Guinevere noted, listening to the gentle chirping of the birds. "I mean, I thought it would be dangerous stuff, wolves, beasts, and all!"

"Nah," Gusion said. "The land that surrounds the Enchanted Forest is peaceful. Leonins and Elves who inhabit the Forest are known to be outgoing, friendly creatures, you know the- wait, you haven't been here before?" He interrupted himself.

"Never in my whole life until now." Guinevere replied. "Shitty rules of a palace. Now, Gusion?"

"Hmm...?" He said tentatively.

Guinevere fidgeted. "Are we going the right way?"

"Of course. I had known Harith since we were kids. We used to play with toy swords and guns. Now I just sit here waiting for my time to go to the Battlefield Part Of The Land Of Dawn."

Guinevere stopped. "'Battlefield Part?' What and where in the world is that thing?" She had been reading ancient scrolls and studying navigational maps, and she had never heard such a thing.

Gusion groaned. "You really are clueless." He pulled her arm to keep her walking. "The Land Of Dawn has several battlefields. The Western Expanse, the Celestial Palace... that's where we show our skills and fight. It's a sacred area of the Land Of Dawn- the only place where heroes resurrect."

Guinevere's eyes widened. "Heroes resurrect? That- thats fascinating! I thought no magic can raise the dead!"

She was thinking of her mother, and tears rolled down her cheeks. She impatiently brushed them away, not wanting for Gusion to think she was weak.

"One day, you'll go down there too, Gwen." Gusion said kindly. "But you don't go there and prance around the Battlefield. You wait for your time to be a hero of Dawn."

Guinevere grinned. "Hope it'll be soon!"

Gusion smiled. "Sorry to distract you with random Dawn stuff, but now, our main goal is to get to Harith, and probably Nana, since she's a close friend of-"

A rustling from the trees stopped him quite abruptly.

Guinevere looked baffled. "What happened? Is something wrong?"

Gusion frowned. "I reckon there's someone out there behind those trees." He pointed beyond the trees, where he had just heard a weird rustling of leaves. He even could have sworn he saw a leg disappear from view.

He held Guinevere's hand. "That's why I'm making you train, Guinevere." Guinevere never saw him this scared and frightened. "It's important- you can't expect our journey to be filled with peached and roses dancing around with little pretty fairies."

He said all these quite fast, and the tone got Guinevere trembling from head to toe.

"Show yourself!" Gusion commanded. He looked like a commander... commanding his soldiers. "Show your face, or I shall run you with my daggers!"

A figure fell from the bushes and raised her hands in surrender.

She was young, slender, and beautiful. She had long, pink, braided hair, with a blue coat, black leggings, and leather boots which made her look like a pirate. She wore an eyepatch and an expression of bewilderment at the sight of Gusion and Guinevere.

Gusion froze, looking pale. "Lesley."

Lesley stood up, cheeks burning pink. "Gusion, I'm sorry... I shouldn't have left you like that... I never expected youu to turn up... if you still need me... if you still want me...