Elara quickly mounted her horse and drew her hood.
She had felt the knights watching her as she walked out from the inn.
The thought of them hearing her commanders harsh words was almost too much to bear.
"Move!"
Philip Weston shouted and everyone began to move.
Now that she was sure the knights were aware of her relations with Gabel, she was entirely unsure of how to behave.
Though It was not uncommon for knights to be intimate with female mages or members of war, it was not a favorable light for the woman to be seen in.
Reputation was everything.
She would be considered a whore to most. Even if such relations were only rumored to have happened.
Elara also knew that if he so wished, Philip Weston could release her from his order. This was a constant worry. It was not the easiest process, getting placed with an order, and this was already the second one she had been a member of.
Like the day prior Ursuline commanded they stop around noon, for the horses sake.
Elara dismounted and began to lead her steed away from the group of men.
As she passed by, several of the knights from her order, flashed her knowing glare.
It was absolutely clear that they knew.
Shame crept over her.
Hanging her head, she continued to pull her horse further away.
"What are you doing Elara. What are you doing."
She mumbled to herself quietly, trying to push away the negative thoughts that bounced around inside her head.
While letting out a sigh, she rubbed her forehead against her steed neck.
Suddenly a voice rang out from behind her.
"Elara...."
She moved her head from her horses neck and saw Gabel striding towards her.
Elara glanced around, worried that the knights would take interest and be watching.
To her surprise, they were not.
"Did something happen? After I left the inn this morning?"
Elara wearily glanced up at him.
"Yes actually. My commander told me that he knows you and I have ...I think he heard us last night. He called me your...whore."
Gabel rubbed his jaw with his hand for a moment then moved his head over towards her Commander, who was mounted atop his steed looking at a map.
"He only called you that because he desires you. Don't fret, I will handle this."
Elara reached out and grabbed his arm as he turned to leave.
"No! You mustn't! It will only make things worse!"
Gabel shook her hand off slightly, "If he called you a whore then I must confront him."
Latching onto his cloak this time she yanked him back, "No Gabel please! I will be thrown from his order... please don't!"
His hand gripped hers, loosening it from his cloak.
For a moment he just stood silently, looking into her eyes. "Fine. I will not make a bigger issue of it at this moment but when the time comes, I will be confronting him."
Without another word, he turned and walked away.
