The cloaked figure laughed at Tyme's question causing her to flinch.
"Who am I? Well who do you think I am?" He glanced at the dragon, "She knows."
Tyme stood silently.
"No answer?"
She replied with more silence.
The stranger seemed almost disappointed, "Can you at least guess?'
"You can't expect me to know; after all you were the one who kidnapped me!" She implied her hands placed on her hips, using her father's political skills to avoid the question.
"Kidnap?" he scoffed, “Both of you crashed into a lake and I had to drag both of you out of the water. Does that count as kidnapping to you?"
"Well, I am royalty. Why shouldn't you kidnap me." Tyme kept up her royal stance before realizing her mistake and muttering " Opp's"
"Royalty? Alright, then, what are you? A princess or a baroness? He asked.
Tyme feeling trapped into telling the truth replied quietly. "Princess."
The stranger raised his eyebrow, not hearing her.
"Princess." She whispered again.
"Pardon?"
"Princess!" She shouted sick of it.
"You don't sound rather proud of it, My Lady," he bowed mockingly.
She frowned before putting her hands on her hips, " I am very proud to be in my family, but what about Oh great almighty fighter?" She asked smartly curtsying.
He smirked, “You don't need to know me," He paused before continuing, “You reek of alcohol and human excretement. When was the last time you bathed?"
"I bathe quite regularly, but i just didn't have time to this morning considering my village was under attack!" She snapped back sarcastically.
"A wonderful story, My Lady, but I have places to be. My name is Zaln Salrem if you needed to know and I do hope your village isn't completely destroyed when you get back," he bowed again, “Safe travelling," he turned to walk away.
Tyme's shoulders slumped, she was lost. Zaln, Tyme could recall that name....
It wasn't one of her father’s knights or loyal men... She thought back to the burning village...
Tyme's eyes narrowed. “Wait!" she said now smiling devilishly with her new information.
The figure simply continued to walk. Tyme ran forward, towards the unexpected stranger and jumped on his back. The surprised Zaln went tumbling to the ground, Tyme sitting on top of him.
He could on easily thrown Tyme off, but he was shocked so he watched Tyme draw out his sword and place it on his throat with a raised eye brow.
" Why were they after you?" She hissed, pressing the sword slightly harder into his throat drawing blood.
Tyme could see the man wouldn't give in, she pressed the sword harder, threatening him.
Zaln could see in her eyes she wouldn't really hurt him so he stayed motionless, suddenly the pressure was released and Tyme threw his sword away curling up in a ball and breaking into tears.
He stood and brushed dead leaves off his cloak and muttered a quick spell to heal his throat. He walked over to Tyme and prodded her with his boot, “Who was after me?" She could tell it took all his strength to keep his voice from breaking. Not because of the cut she inflicted, but something else, something much more sinister.
Tyme shook her head, " Men-" her voice cracked," They were after me... They tried to- k-k-" Tyme struggled to say the word. “Kill me and my father. They mentioned the name Zaln. My village was being destroyed..." She broke out into new sobs.
He crouched down next to her prone form. She felt an aura of urgency now, “Dress. How were they dressed?" He looked back at Nal who was puffing out circles of smoke from her nostrils lazily, “Why didn't you tell me this." Nal uttered a series of growls, sniffs, and snorts. The stranger seemed to comprehend these noises and turned back to the sobbing Tyme, "Your dragon won't tell me, how were they dressed. You must tell me this."
" I couldn't see very well but, They seemed all gray... Like they'd rubbed smoke on their clothes, They brought fire breathing dragons, father never had them, it was like an army." Tyme said sitting up straighter tears glistening in her eyes.
Tyme felt the stranger named Zaln leave her side, but she continued to sob. A few minutes later she heard a liquid splashing onto the ground. She turned slowly and saw the cloaked stranger with an elbow on a tree, his shoulders heaving.
She got up, cocking her head to the side, studying the features of his face she saw he wasn't much older than her, he was all alone. She felt sympathy for the young man and put a hand on his shoulder.
" hey, you all right?" she asked, she wasn't really one for comforting.
He wiped his mouth, “I-I'm sorry...it's a-all my...my fault. I shouldn't have travelled past your town. What do you need? Money?"
Tyme frowned, he was so vulnerable, hearing his voice, she feared he needed help more than her, she flung her arms around the surprised Zaln who gradually hugged her back.
Everyone needs a hug.
sorry for the short chapter... just a filler really,
so now we know who the mystyrious stranger is! What do you thing of him?
