The Nun and King

Chapter 29

Beyond sorry it took so long, also sorry if this chapter is boring. I've been crazy busy with life and sickness. Enjoy!!!!

The following morning I wake up with a throbbing head making packing miserable and with only one good hand unthinkable. I vomit twice while tearing down my tent and again when I load the wagon with my larger belongings. An hour goes by, then another until I finally see Claire as I'm loading my personal items on my horse. In one hand she has a handful of spanish moss and feeds a nearby horse, patting it on its muscular neck. On its rear-end I note that the few items she owns are tucked neatly behind the saddle. She wears the same olive green dress from the night before, filling it out. Tugging on the last strap of my saddle bag, I slip it through the buckle before walking over to her to say hello.

"Good morning," I greet, running my fingers through her mare's tail. Claire's blue eyes snap to mine, not aware that I made my way over to her.

"Morning Thomas," she says, examining me. "Are you alright?"

I give a shrug and cross my arms over my chest. "Well enough. Probably had too much ale last night," I say. "So you've got your own horse now I see?" I ask lightly. "No need to ride with me anymore, although I'll admit I'll miss your company." It's a weak attempt at flirtation, but it feels strange leaving things between us strained.

Her cheeks flush and she attempts to hide a smile. "Just because I'll be on my own horse doesn't mean we can't ride together. I'd miss your company too much myself, if not."

Smirking, I dig in my pocket and pull out a strip of dried venison from our storage and hand it to her. She takes it and tears off a bite before thanking me. "I wasn't sure if we'd get breakfast or not," she says.

"We probably will only get a meal a day from here on out. Life on the road can be rough, especially when there's a few thousand of you. We have what's in the barrels and anything we can find on the way back and that's it," I say. It isn't uncommon to go to bed still hungry when traveling back.

"So we won't be stopping anywhere?" she asks curiously.

I give my head a shake. "No. Not until we split up so I can take you to Riverton." Someone calls my name in the distance and I turn my head, seeing Nik waving at me with Morgan at his side.

"About last night," Claire says abruptly and tucks a strand of hair behind an ear as I turn back to face her. I look at her expectantly, waiting to hear what she has to say. "It's not that I didn't want to join you. It's just that-" she begins, but is cut off again by Nik calling to me. I turn around and hold up a finger telling him to give me a moment before facing Claire for the second time.

"Can you hold that thought and we talk about it once we're riding? I don't mean to be rude but," I say and she gives a nod followed by a smile. "I'll find you, promise." I then jog over to Nik and Morgan who are arguing about Morgan's riding situation. Morgan thinks he is capable of riding by himself, while Nik insists that Morgan sits with him on his stallion. Finding middle ground, I help Morgan settle on the idea of his horse being tied to Nik's, allowing him to not have to worry about guiding it. Then for the next hour everyone finishes up loading and we're finally on the road. As we pass by the charred remains of our dead, many break out into a hymn telling them a final goodbye.

Knowing we cannot take the path through the swamp, I instruct Rory to lead the men the way we originally came through a vast pasture. He tries to apologize for the night before but I wave him off, not wanting to hear what he has to say. Instead, I ride back seeking out Claire until I find her near the tail end of the caravan. Her cheeks are flushed from the heat and she has the sleeves of her dress pushed up to her elbows. When she notices me riding her way she offers a small wave. Darla–who rides next to her–greets me as I cut in and join the two on the other side of Claire.