Lumina

19 ~ Lord Smithson

Elizabeth

The moment they landed at their destination, Elizabeth stumbled over and retched onto the cobblestone pathway.

"Oh, dear," Michelin passed her a handkerchief and canteen of water, "are you alright, doll?"

Nodding, Elizabeth swished water in her mouth and spit before taking more to actually drink. "Rifting," she explained as dizziness continued rocking her body.

"Does it always make you ill?"

Elizabeth began to shake her head, but when that made her nausea worse she decided for words instead, "Just dizzy, usually. I'm not used to so much consecutively."

"Ginger root will be your new best friend- carry it with you from now on." Lona's instructing voice brooked no argument.

Elizabeth chuckled in agreement, and when the world was once again stable she stood and handed the canteen back to Michelin with soft words of gratitude.

"Well," Michelin looked over Elizabeth and brushed her bangs from her eyes, "I give you my thanks for aiming for the road and not my dress."

Elizabeth's mind briefly fell back to the night of the ball. No way she was about to ruin two borrowed gowns.

Nor would Elizabeth let anyone else die for her inattentiveness again. She should have seen the dagger coming but instead her escort, Mikael, flew himself in front of her at the last moment. Neither of them had sensed the wards trigger when they found that hidden room of strange experiments and containers in Biswich castle. She hadn't had time to read anything, had only seen the strange glowing liquid when that guard captain arrived.

She shuddered at the memory of those orange snake-like eyes, the impossible speed of that man's movements. Once again, Elizabeth had been absolutely useless as her escort was slain and her own brother was stabbed in front of her eyes.

Rolling her shoulders, the young apprentice turned her attention to her surroundings, noting that they were on a worn path quite in the middle of nowhere. Where the cobblestone road turned to earth and grass again it seemed dozens of trees, bushes, and flowers had taken over every inch of dirt. Leaves spilled over one another, completely blocking any sight of the world outside of this pathway.

Lona expressed exactly what Elizabeth was thinking, "Where the hell. . ?"

Michelin looked quite bemused herself as she turned in place, "This was as close as the wards would allow."

"Smithson's?"

Michelin closed her eyes for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, I recognize this as his work, but it covers an extraordinary distance. I didn't know the old man still had it in him."

"Unless he's gotten some additional help," Lona scowled.

"I'm sure we are soon to find out," the lady said and gestured to a carriage being pulled by a middle-aged man in bright green and blue attire. "It bears the Smithson crest."

Elizabeth chuckled, sure that Michelin's pun was purposeful; the Smithson's crest was literally a figure of a bear.

The driver pulled the carriage beside the three girls and tipped his hat to reveal black hair weighed down with sweat, "Good afternoon, ladies." To Michelin he inclined his head and asked, "Might you be Lady Lovitt?"

"You would be correct, sir."

"I've been sent by Lord Smithson to retrieve you and your companions," the man said and hopped out of his seat to open the carriage door to help the ladies in.