The Prince's Thief

The Perils of the Perilous Path

Morning came far too quickly, if you ask me. Moreover, it was pouring rain. By the time we were on our feet and making our way along, we were well soaked. Damian, Morthuse, and Perillen were the wettest, for they had no armour for the rain to drip off of. I had known Damian was tall, but had not realized quite how tall until I saw him stand near Arthur, both about the same height. Damian's dark hair stood out next to the blonde hair of Arthur, and there was a haunting familiarity of the image.

" Where did you learn to use a sword?" Arthur asked him suddenly. Damian's muscles flexed, and he shrugged.

" The father of my friend is a knight. He taught us both," Damian replied.

" I suppose that came in handy. Faye, Elyhas." Arthur motioned to us, and when we came, gesture dot something ahead.

" That fortress is where we are heading. What we seek lies within its walls. We should reach it by sundown," Arthur added. We stood just above the valley where the stone fortress lay, nearly concealed by trees.

" Is it abandoned?" William asked.

" That depends entirely upon your definition of abandoned, William," Arthur replied with a grin.

" Be careful now. The only route to that fortress is along the Perilous Path. Many a good man have perished here, and I have no intention of allowing one of you do to so. Understood?" Arthur asked.

" So...to clarify, Sire, you wish us to be weary of the perils of the perilous path so that we do not perish in its many perils?" I asked, an eyebrow raised.

" Yes, thats exactly what I wish, only I'd prefer it sound less ridiculous so that I don't seem like a bumbling idiot," Arthur replied, and I exchanged a grin with Damian.

We were about halfway into the valley, following along the perilous path, when it occurred to me that this might just be the least perilous path I had ever encountered. Not that I have encountered a great number of perilous paths, of course. We arrived at a plain, the fortress still in view, when I was forced to change my mind. Well, alter it. But only a little.

Arthur, Elyhas, and William all began to walk towards the edge of the plain. Damian and Morthuse were gathering something from the wood, and Perillen stood next to me. The three men grew nearer to the edge, Arthur the closest and farthest in front. Suddenly, I acknowledged that none of them appeared to be slowing down, in fact they were speeding up as they neared the edge.

"Arthur! Elyhas! William! Stop!" I shouted, running after them. I passed Elyhas and William, grabbing hold of Arthurs chainmail just seconds before would have fallen to his death.

"What in the name of all that is good do you think you're doing? Are you trying to get yourself killed?" I snapped at him, once he had steadied. He had a confused look on his face, and Elyhas and William only just stopped, confused by my shouts.

"Following that woman, she said she'd take us to what we came to find! Are you deaf, Faye? What are you doing?"

"Arthur, there is no woman! Look, carefully! What do you see?" I shouted. Arthur looked away from me, and to the edge of the cliff, realization setting in.

"There...there was a woman....and forest..." Arthur protested, Elyhas and William nodding.

"A brunette, with a violet dress. She was...lovely," William nodded. Elyhas agreed, and Arthur was nodding.

"I think, Sire, the cause of those men's untimely death, was perhaps a siren, or magic of sorts. There was no woman that I saw, and certainly no forest. Perillen did not appear to see it either," I pointed out.