The Unexpected Heir: A Tale of Alus (38 page)

She felt safer with him nearby, but the girl told him that she needed to wash. Her new clothing had become dirty as they walked west. While they had found a few farms along the path, almost no carts or other travelers had been seen since they had crossed over where Toman guessed was the border.

There was no sign or border guards here. Kloste and Tseult's border was a line on a map, but the people tended to stay away from such places where wars would likely be fought. In the past, this was where kings fought over grassy knolls and the rare border towns. More recent history had settled the northern nations into alliances which had lasted since the Cataclysm had sent tidal waves even as far as western Taltan, though the source had occurred thousands of miles away in the North Sea.

It had taken a catastrophe to put an end to the border wars which had likely waged for thousands of years. Rebuilding the northern cities had distracted the rulers to come and a status quo had been achieved, at least for a time. There were still minor squabbles she was sure, but the lady of Malaiy hadn't been taught the history of all the kingdoms. She just knew that of the closest ones, and likely even some of that was doctored in favor of her nation's participation or what had spread as fact from other sources.

Nearly two hundred years after the Cataclysm, northern Taltan remained in a relatively peaceful era where trade agreements kept most countries from attacking one another. It meant that they could move from Kloste to Tseult in reasonable safety. Xerese had been surprised how generally good and generous people had been, even after realizing that they were travelers from Malaiy.

Malaiy had relatively few enemies, even before the Cataclysm. Her country was smaller than many, but Tseult acted as a buffer to the south and east while the Talmoth Sea was to the west. The Glacian Ocean was to the north and with two seas their navy was a significant deterrent to other attacks.

Xerese looked around carefully before removing her skirt and blouse. Walking into the creek, she found the water only rose to halfway up her stomach near the center. It was cool on a warm day. The season was called spring, but Taltan didn't cool much during winter. Bathing in the small creeks and streams on sunny days was as refreshing as using one of the marble baths back home, except for when the bottom was covered in too much muck.

This creek was mostly sand and stone. She could look down and see her feet sink into the sand; but after a quick dunking to try and rinse off the road dirt, Xerese took the skirt and started to scrub. Without soap, the girl doubted that any stains could be removed; but most of what was on her clothes was just dust and maybe a little mud. Sweat could stain the clothes, she thought making a disgusted face.

A lady of Malaiy wasn't supposed to appear as anything other than perfection. They weren't supposed to sweat or walk for miles on dirt roads either. Her arms were tan and much of her legs. Those first days before finding Edric had darkened her like a peasant girl. Even the parts of her usually covered by clothes had some color thanks to her having to bathe under the sun in the water of streams that she could use.

Almost every day Toman had managed to find a place near water, though he had made sure to avoid camping too close. He had told her that streams fed the land, but also were places that wild animals would come to drink. She had a feeling that the guard wasn't just worried about animals. She wasn't so ignorant of the world to believe that there weren't lawless men to avoid out here as well.

The girl laid her skirt and blouse on sun warmed grass to try and dry them before she had to put them back in the bag. The blue dress had been worn the previous day and needed to be washed as best she could, so the girl returned to the water enjoying the refreshing feel.

She had never cleaned clothes before, Xerese thought as she worked. The work wasn't distasteful to her, which surprised the lady. She had watched the servants take her clothes away to be laundered and never given it much thought, but now it was up to her to keep her appearance. There were no servants or ladies in waiting here.

A noise from the trees behind her made the birds go silent. Their alarm was hers and the girl held up her blue dress before her as her only protection.

Spying Toman covering his eyes with one hand and touching a tree to avoid running into it with the other, the man called out, "I have the food ready, my lady. If you are done, you can eat now."

Still holding the dress in front of her, Xerese started to walk out of the water towards the near shore. She didn't fear whether he was going to look at her. It would be a bit embarrassing perhaps, but the lady had to depend on him to protect her. After all this time traveling together, she had a feeling that he didn't even truly care to look anyway.

On the other hand, looking at the guard in his road dirt covered clothing, Xerese made a face at the man's continuing decline in appearance. "I am almost done cleaning my clothes. You know, Toman, you should probably take the time to bathe yourself."

"Perhaps after dinner, my lady," he answered still standing where she had first spied him. His hand remained a barrier between them, but beneath it she noted the beard that had grown out during their travel. His hair was getting longer too and already getting in his eyes.

Sighing, Xerese put the dress down fairly confident that the man wouldn't dare to look. She pulled out a second skirt and started to slide it on while the girl wrinkled her nose at the idea of the dirty looking man.

"If not for yourself, then do it for me and wash out those clothes. They won't last forever, even if they are more durable than silk and satin dresses. You also smell. Walking beside you, I can smell you next to me and your odor is growing more earthy every day," she finished thinking the term overly kind for the stench beginning to waft from the guard and his clothes.

"I am sorry, my lady," the guard said without moving. His answer was typical of the guard which made her consider his words.

A white button up blouse was thick enough to cover her even as the water on her skin stuck to it. Like the blue dress, it was tight in the bosom. The girl that had given up the clothing must have been nearly flat, she thought. Xerese had never considered her chest overly buxom. There were ladies at court that wouldn't have been able to close the blouse at all.

"Maybe you should stop calling me 'my lady' all the time, Toman."

"My lady?"

"We should find another village eventually. Calling me, my lady, will make people wonder. I don't think we want that kind of interest, do you?"

"Probably not, my... If not that, what should I call you?"

"Well, my name is Xerese, but that might be uncommon here in Tseult. My brothers used to call me Xerie when I was a child." Her face wrinkled at the thought and she added, "Ah, they still do when it slips out on their tongues. Maybe that would work."

"Xerie, well I suppose I will have to try to remember then."

She picked up the wet clothes with a frown. Their camp was in the woods, but she worried about just leaving them here to dry. Likely only animals would find them, but Xerese gathered them anyway.

"I am dressed. You can stop acting like a child trying not to be scared by a shadow. I am hardly that scary," she finished with a chuckle.

Lowering his hand, the man's lips turned up slightly in a smile. "So you say," he agreed sarcastically.

She sighed again. Nearing Toman, her nose wrinkled. "You definitely need a bath. If your knife is sharp enough, maybe I can even cut that hair without making it worse. I would be afraid to try trimming that beard though."

Carrying her boots with the bag and clothes, Xerese noticed how her feet had strengthened against the litter beneath the trees. By the end of this trip, the lady feared that she would be more like a peasant than a lady of the royal house.

"My dagger is sharp, but like you, I wonder if you wouldn't wind up cutting my throat in the process," the man chuckled at her expense.

"Keep taunting me and it wouldn't be an accident," the girl complained wagging a finger at him as best she could holding so many items.

Toman was too dirty yet to let him help her, so they returned to the small camp where Xerese hung up her laundry with some pride at her work. The food was simple travel fare, but it was filling enough. It quieted a stomach beginning to grumble after another long day's travel.

After eating, her guard followed her order and went off to bathe and clean his clothes. The lady wondered if even the fresh water could help remove the scent of the man, but when he returned he certainly smelled better. More importantly, she couldn't really smell him at all. His clothing was still wet, so his shirt went over a tree branch to dry while he suffered wearing the pants.

He didn't let her try to cut his hair, however, and they went to sleep as they had most nights with her lying by his side with his arm drawn over her for warmth. The night air began to cool, but Xerese preferred the comfort of the powerful man's arm around her as well.

Sleep came and her dreams disturbed her a bit. Her comfort with the guardsman might lead her mind to the wrong thoughts, but awaking Xerese could still look at him without blushing.

As they walked yet another day, a few travelers passed them going the other way. They said little to the pair as they headed east. When a train of carts was seen coming their way late in the afternoon, Xerese mentioned the fact that they had only seen people going east.

Toman had noticed the same thing and called up to one of the men steering a wagon and asked why so many people were heading towards Kloste.

"Soldiers attacked the temple of Sordrian a few days ago. It has the town worked up. If you are headed that way, you might choose to avoid Delem instead. It might be safer," the man said before the wagon pulled away from the guard walking beside it.

"A temple was attacked?" Xerese questioned in confusion. The brothers had been speaking out against King Orlaan. Had they done the same thing in Delem against the king of Tseult? "Do we continue to town, Toman?"

While he considered the question, the man looked solemn. "I think it might still be alright. It would also be good to know if there is anything else to worry about in our way. Ships might be sailing to other ports as well. If we're lucky, maybe we can catch a ride and save ourselves some walking."

"I don't mind the walking," Xerese confessed and was surprised that it was true, "but a ship would certainly be faster."

He nodded. "Then we should at least look. If it is too dangerous, we will just leave."

The girl followed his instincts knowing that he knew more of the world than she. Unfortunately, her instincts were telling her to avoid this town of Delem. She could only hope that the guardsman's hunch was better than hers.

Chapter 21- Being a Normal Girl

Annalicia walked beside Captain Delfren and Sebastian as they checked over the Sea Dragon. They had discovered their goal, but only kept it safe after a hard fought battle.

After a month of sailing, sea battles and legendary discoveries, the compass used by Darterian had led them to a previously undiscovered island. At least it hadn't been discovered by anyone willing to put it on the map. The Dark One's warlocks had hidden the Grimnal with his remaining crew on a supposedly uninhabited island and left them there trapped by dark magic.

Though Gerid Aramathea was considered immortal and was even older than her grandfather, his men were not; yet they found him living in a thriving village. A tribe of merfolk had joined with them. Some had wed the men confined to the island and Gerid had married as well. There were children, grandchildren and more generations birthed since his first wife had passed away. They had married as well and, like their grandfather, they were trapped by the Dark One's magic.

The Sea Dragon had arrived with little time to ally with the Grimnal and his people before two more of the black ships had arrived. A third ship, a captured Kardorian warship which had followed them, helped create a battle on multiple fronts. Annalicia had stayed with the Sea Dragon and her people. Liam and some of the mage's other wizards joined her for a sea battle unlike any she had ever heard of before.

The enemy used blood magic sacrificing Kardorians to feed portals to send the ships to different points to get an advantage on the Sea Dragon. It would have worked without the magic at their disposal. Air and water magic kept the Malaiy frigate from being destroyed by the two black ships until the merfolk were able to surprise them. Tattooed with magical runes, the mermen attacked and caused one of the enemy ships to beach or risk sinking almost immediately.

On land, Sebastian and the Grimnal fought against the wizard hunters' and their warlock leader. They managed to use Gerid's power and immortality mixed with Sebastian's new magic sword, the Hollow Sword, to defeat the powerful warlock and his hunters. In an explosion their enemy disappeared, but the merfolk fighting the remaining crew of the beached ship told of him reappearing near them before the last ship and those on land used more portals to escape.

The fighting had taken its toll. Sebastian and his healer girlfriend, Yara, had spent the remainder of the day healing the worst of the wounded. Bodies of the Kardorian ambassador and Ashleen's mentor had been found among the dead. Their blood had fueled the warlocks' magic and they had been discarded like the burned out ashen remnants in a fireplace.