Stolen Princess

13. The Truth

"I can't see anything!"

I sit bolt upright in the darkness, holding my breath, trying to remember where I am... why I'm here...

"It's alright," Talon whispers, and I feel him reach out to take my hand. I cling to those fingers, reorienting as the sounds of the Shadow Forest at night reach me. The fire crackles, and Thio and each of his men are still sitting up.

"We can't go over in this darkness!" Another voice shouts out. Darkness? I glance up once at the nearly full moon and then over at Talon's features. He's sitting just next to me, the white light of nighttime drawing my gaze to the point of his left ear. It's strange and comforting at once, to look at someone who looks like me. I've spent my whole life without Orcs... and now I have one holding my hand. Wait... holding my hand -

"You're awake!" I exclaim, much too loudly. All eyes at the fire turn to me in varying glares, only Talon is smirking as he shakes his head at my stupidity. Maybe he's used to it by now.

"How are you awake already?" I whisper hoarsely, glancing to confirm that both Leif and Sosha still sleep.

"I have more than a few protective spells on me, deerling," he whispers back, squeezing my fingers, "How did you get us over the ravine?"

I shiver at that endearment, wondering for the hundredth time just what it means... and why it makes my stomach flip every time he uses it.

"Endina," i say, dodging the question ever so slightly, "She apparated a land bridge, once she knew it was me."

"She's friends with a witch," Talon murmurs, and his easy smile makes me smile too.

"The blood vow is not very particular about its consequences, then?" I ask, worry for all three of them still eating at me, "And what about Naatan? Alder? Will they have felt it too?"

"Aye," Talon admits, regret coming across his forehead, and I reach up to smooth it away.

We both freeze at the gesture, and I find myself caught again in those bright yellow eyes, only they're more amber in the darkness.

"You look like me, you know," I say it softly, reaching one fingertip to trace his ear since I've already made the mistake of touching him anyway. He smirks at me but doesn't pull away.

"We're not related if that's what you're asking," he says with a grin, and I blush, dropping my hand away.

"I should go... see Endina," I say slowly, hoping my wits will return if I get some space, "I didn't want you to wake up and think I was... well, you'll look after them now, right?"

"You were guarding us, eh?" he asks, his eyebrows going into that dark v shape again. I nod sheepishly but he doesn't say anything.

I hurry into the hut, and duck inside, nearly slamming the door behind me before I lean up against it like there's a small army just on the other side.

"That wouldn't be the Drayce prince, now would it lamb?" Endina asks from where she's working at the cauldron hanging over the fire in the center of the room. I love how it smells in here. Like sage and lavender and burnt sugar. If this is what witches smell like, they can't be all evil like the bishop says.

"Never mind him," I squeak out so badly that even I'm unconvinced, "I need your help for this tournament," I remind her, finding my old chair and sinking into it tiredly.

"Just like your mother, always trying to throw me off the scent - but Old Endina knows when there's a spark in the air..."

"There's no - wait, you knew my mother?" I ask, breathless all of the sudden as I take her in a different light now. Endina nods absently, waving a hand through the air as if to dismiss the comment altogether.