A Whisper to the North

Chapter XXVII ✠ The Trouble With Blood

As Una trotted close behind Gareth, she felt Frey's pendant dance across her chest. Fearing it would be caught on a passing branch, Una tucked the necklace behind her blue wool peplos and her long linen garment. The chain hung and settled above where Una's heart was. She felt close to Frey this way as if he was still with her somehow.

"It's nearly high noon. Would you like to take a short rest?" Gareth asked.

"That sounds most delightful, your highness." One of Gareth's personal guards suggested.

"Would you mind, Una?" Gareth asked, peering back at her.

"By all means." Una agreed.

"Thank you, my lady!" The guard said toward Una.

Una asked Gareth at the beginning of the journey not to divulge that she was Snowdon's queen in Gwynedd. He asked that his two personal guards address her as a noblewoman. Gareth even threw in that Una had been through a tragedy and would not like to be pried about her private matters such as family, friends, and missions.

"I'll see you all shortly," Gareth said as he made his way into the woods.

As the men got off their horses, Una slid off hers, not realizing that a noblewoman would never do such a thing. She was to be aided in dismounting, especially being on such a beast as Gwen. The guards stared at her strangely, for they were coming over to help her.

"My apologies, lads, I'll be off now!" She said, darting into the thicket beside the trail.

Una flew away from the men as fast as she could. Gareth ordered them to watch after her, even while she relieved herself. Una found it embarrassing, and she didn't like not having any privacy. When Una found an open patch, she quickly squatted down and pulled up her dresses. As suspected, there was blood on her fingers. She knew her moon blood had come today. She learned to expect it soon since she bled each month with the new moon. It was only last night that it was barely a sliver in the sky.

"No wonder I have been so hapless with my tears!" Una whispered to herself as she peered around, looking for blood moss, which grew everywhere.

She must hurry. It was at their last stop a few hours before that Una relieved herself. She had trained her bladder to hold almost an entire day if she limited her water intake. She needed this advantage on the battlefield. Being a woman didn't help matters much either. She had to squat and couldn't stand like a man. She wouldn't need to go for the entire trip, but now that her red moon cycle has come, she would have to address this issue at nearly every stop.

As she spotted in the distance a large clump of absorbent blood moss, she spotted Gareth with his back to her, there relieving himself. Una quickly darted her eyes away and blushed. She would have to look elsewhere. After Gareth finished, he saw foliage rustling around and saw Una scrambling on her hands and knees. He didn't want to disturb her, so he quietly walked around and headed back on the trail.

"Why are you two not with lady Una?" Gareth demanded, walking back up to the men.

One of them stepped forward.

"Well, your highness, you see she ran so fast away from us. I nary lost me footing chasing after her before losing sight of the lady."

Gareth suddenly caught a brief scent in the soft breeze through the trees. It was blood, not from a decaying animal, but fresh like from a gaping wound. Through many battles, Gareth has learned to identify the distinct scent. Gareth looked around, scared that Una had vomited blood up, or worse, had injured herself. He did see her bent over in the thicket. Perhaps she was hurt!? He quickly then caught the sight of a red stain on Una's saddle. It took him a moment to realize what Una's condition was. He sighed and knew that this was the problem.