𝙳𝚊𝚜 𝙷𝚎𝚛𝚣: 𝙱𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝙴𝚒𝚗𝚜

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟓

After the passing of a few hours, Kasimir hangs his head out the window. "Stop the coach!" he barks above the clop of the draft's oversized hooves on the dirt road and clang of their tack.

The General halts the coach and moves Cerny to the window. "What?"

"I cannot take one more hour inside this wagon! And I will not be satisfied by a mere respite. We are camping here for the night."

With a cocked head, the Commander comments laxly, "It does not matter to me when we arrive in Hieb."

The carriage pulls off the narrow road and comes to a rest at the treeline. Straying off to the side, Eber dismounts Cerny and stands with his arm leisurely across the saddle. Koza hops down off his horse and tracks to the coach door, opening it wide for the passengers' departure. As Kasimir begins to rise and come for the exit, Koza gives him a reminder of manly duty. "If you remember Sir, there is a lady present," the Gypsy turns her head and looks over the young soldier judgingly. "She should be first to exit."

Koza holds up his hand to be taken for assistance and Lorelei begins stepping from the coach taking it. Because of the folding drapery of her skirt, she does not see Kasimir hook her foot with his own. She falls from the door and is caught by Koza's embrace. For a moment, she looks up at the young man as he looks down at her, then he becomes self-aware of Eber's surveying gaze and sets her back more on her feet, drawing his hands from any touch on her.

As Kasimir departs to the last step of the coach, Lorelei looks back at him from the corner of her eye and slides her hand to Koza's hilt. She pushes the handle of the short sword back, forcing the other end to stick out tripping the Head of the Church. He becomes a heap of cream colored cloth face first on the ground. "How kind of you, your Holy Majesty, to bless our campgrounds with a kiss!" She holds her hands together in front of her and plays the role of Holy admirer with a smile, then she grabs two hands full of her skirt and steps over the man. Biagio comes quickly from the carriage and assists his leader to his feet. The woman walks, aimed for the Commander's side. As Kasimir takes Biagio's hand, his spiteful glare hooks onto the Gypsy and he begins to make for the woman. Lorelei stops and turns to face the aura of hatred she senses is coming up behind her.

"You ought to be punished for your insolence!" Kasimir stares into her eyes. "To mock me is to mock God! You should be tied to one of the wheels of that carriage and whipped!"

Lorelei smirks. "You are right, Kasimir." She turns to Eber. "And the fierce and merciless Commander Soldat will surely be the one to bind me to the wheel?" she grins at Eber who then turns his back and begins uncinching Cerny, trying his best to avoid the ordeal. Lorelei looks to the other soldiers and calls out. "Then, one of you brave warriors will attempt to punish me?!"

Koza says on the move, "I'm going to unhitch the horses." Ermanno and Thayer follow with murmurs of anxious offerings of assistance.

With calm amusement, Lorelei steps up close to Kasimir who does not seem as bothered by the nearness of a woman's body than the Head of the Church should be. "It seems, your Holy Highness, that if you wish me punished you must do it yourself." Lorelei's words have a knack at tantalizing a man's thoughts to focus on every subtle motion of her lips.

Kasimir draws himself back from her distractions and throws his frustration in another direction. "Remove my things from the coach!" he demands of the Commander's men. Thayer and Ermanno come to stand in proximity of Koza as they all simply stare at the Holy Majesty. "What are you gawking for?! I have told you what to do!"

Ermanno moves up to Kasimir while rubbing his chin. "There is just one problem."

"What?!"

With a grin firmly set, he continues, "You are not our Commander."

Kasimir looks back at Eber who in wake of a brief pausing second retorts, "Koza."

"Yes Sir?"

"Retrieve his refuse from the carriage." Kasimir grimaces. Koza, being the only one of the soldiers able to touch items of sanctity, makes for the corner of the coach to climb up. The General begins walking farther into what will be the campsite with the Gypsy whilst Ermanno and Thayer continue unhitching the horses where Koza left off.

After a fire has been lit to a pile of fallen branches and sticks, Kasimir sits on his bejeweled golden stool, picking through the choice of foods he has brought on the trip. "This is going to be a long journey." Eber remarks as he stands a distance from the fire, behind the Gypsy who is sitting on a downed tree. They are both looking at Kasimir and his fastidiousness.

Koza comes to stand by his leader and the woman. "Would you care to have a fresh fish to eat?" he asks Lorelei.

Lorelei nods her head with a smile as she stands holding her heavy red wrap around her. "That would be delicious."

Koza gestures the proper direction and she starts walking ahead of him. "I'll guard her closely, Sir," the Captain dutifully says to Eber, who doesn't pass him a single glance of caring. Receiving no reaction from his Commander, Koza shifts his gaze and walks after her.

Koza helps Lorelei down a rocky ledge. "So how is it that you know where the fish are?" She inquires.

He sets her to her feet. "I can smell them, even in the water." They arrive at a clear swift moving river.

"It must be the Upir in you," she chaffs.

As they sit apart from one another, she watches the Captain as he removes his boots and stands taking off his black short waist uniform coat and white shirt to fish by hand from the river. After wading into the shallow, he waits patiently. Time passes and finally a topic of discussion comes to the surface. Restraining the bulk of his fascination Koza asks simply, "So how long have you known the Commander?" With her seemingly persistent humor about everything, she chuckles softly. "What do you laugh at?"

"Ask what you truly want to know."

The current flows around his knees and the water ripples his reflection as he contemplates the tact he will give to that question she speaks of. "What are you?"

She sits on a large rock with her chin resting in the palm of her hand as her elbow sets down on crossed legs. "What do you think I am?"

Koza feels he can continue as her behavior is not that of aggression, but playfulness. "Something powerful."

"Ooo, why do you say that?"

"Because of the way the Commander is with you." She arks a brow. "To you he shows respect... I am not used to seeing that." She chuckles softly. "I cannot tell if he fears you, or... if it is another reason you are special to him?"

"Are we lovers you mean to ask?" He looks at her, a little resistant to show his true curiosity. "...No." She reflects, her eyes cast low. "Love is not a part of it... Not anymore."

Hearing the sound of memories in her voice, Koza watches her drift to another world. "Then he fears you?"

She looks up and smiles. "Do you think that man fears anything?"

"...No." Steadily, Koza returns to his fishing, receiving no true answers to his questions.