Voyage of War

Chapter 11

Her time to leave was nearing. Lucinda had warned her that she would have to go back but she didn't count on it to be so soon. Camilla found that she quite enjoyed the confinement and isolation, she did not want to be around people anymore. Well except Didier, she missed him with every fibre of her being.

Camilla had mastered a high form of dark magic. It would be strange now that she is more powerful than Didier. Her abilities were always dwarfed by his power, however unintentional. Yet now she found that her strengths we're completely different from Didier's. Camilla thrived at her new found power even though she needed to lose herself to gain them.

                       *    *    *

They were deep within the forest and strange sounds surrounded them on all sides. They had been walking for three days and everyone was exhausted. Drakar was too tired to be able to conjure a decent fire, the flames were weak and offered little light and heat. Princess Sybil abandoned her usual rigid posture, walking with her shoulders hunched forward. Zack stopped twitching at every strange sound and now trudge forward ignoring everything. Ced seemed unaffected by Keiden's absence. Captain although not showing any phisical signs of exhaustion ,Resa noticed that he had become more silent. The twins had become to tired to sleep as Resa in between them ,rubbing their backs trying to get to close their eyes, but it was no use. They sat wide awake, eyes darting from side to side trying to locate the origins of the sounds.

Resa heard a shuffling from behind her but did not take her eyes off of the small flickering flame. Resa felt someone pulling her up by her shoulders and she let them too tired to protest. Once she was on her feet she turned and stared straigh into a pair of steel grey eyes.
"Go get some sleep," Captain ordered in a soft tone. Resa glanced down to the twins sitting beside the fire," I'll take care of them." Captain consoles her.
Resa takes a few steps away from the fire and settles with her back against a tree trunk. She watches as Captain sits down crosslegged in between the twins and wraps his cloak around them, forcing them to rest their heads against his chest. A deep ,yet soft voice mingles with the sounds of the night. Creating a peaceful melody.

                      -*-*-*-

Sleep little one
Let your thoughts become
a steady hum...

Let your dreams
Burst out o' it's seams
Let them soar on wings
Of wild things

Sleep little one
Don't fear
I will be here
And know the best is yet to come...

                       -*-*-*-

It was on their fifth day that they stumbled apon a random body of water. There was no stream leading into it nor was there an underground spring or fountain feeding it. The water was clear icy blue colour and you could not see the bottom. There was no water plants or reeds nor agle growing on the smoothie rocks protruding from the water. There seemed to be no life at all in or around the water, yet the ripples caused by the slight breeze made it seem as if the water itself was alive.

Princess Sybil stood mesmerized by it's pail beauty.
"It's called it the Lonely Lagoon." Ced whispers from behind her.
"Hmm..." She mumbles and steps closer to the water.
Everybody else was taking deep gulps of the cool water and Resa was even helping Cassy wash most of the grime from her hair and hands. Princess Sybil  made her way to the edge of the water and stared at the face on the surface of the water. It was not her reflection staring back at her, she saw Ced's green eyes looking back at her. Princess Sybil took a startled step backwards only to step up against a hard chest that pressed against her back.
"Don't be afraid the water only shows you what can end your loneliness. Nobody else can see it." Ced reassures her.
Princess Sybil steps away from Ced and turn to face him.
"And who is it you see?" Princess Sybil asks him.
Ced gulps nervously and his eyes dart around, finally resigning the idea of somebody coming to his rescue he diverts his eyes.
"I..."
"You better clean up good this is the last stop before we enter Casima. If you'd like to enter with some dignity that is." Captain interrupts.
Princess Sybil turns her head to look at Captain and hears a relieved sigh escape from Ced, be for he steps around her.

Princess Sybil washed her hair and had Resa braid it tightlyagainst her scalp while their dresses were drying on a nearby bush. The men had washed their clothes and themselves first and went to look for food whilst the women washed. Cassy sat playing with her feet in the water ,her straw coloured hair cascading down her back in semi-dried waves.
Resa had woven own dark hair into two tight braids that brushed her middle.

There was an air of serenity amongst the women. Although they had to keep their weapons close, they were calm and relaxed. The recently cleaned silver bladed of both Resa's knives and Princess Sybil's narrow bladed swords, gleaned in the afternoon Sun. This had to be the first time since Princess Sybil boarded the Clouthea that she was relaxed and felt light like she had no worry in the world.
She shut down all her wondering thoughts after her unanswered question to Ced. Hoping to delay the inevitable truth she had to confess to herself as well as the sorrow that would accompany it.

Princess Sybil was still deeply emersed in her relaxed state, while pulling her black dress over her head, when she became aware of a rustling of leaves nearby. She signalled to Resa who was helping Cassy tighten the strings of her dress and bent to pick up her swords. Resa understood immediately and too up station in front of Cassy gripping a knife in each hand.
Princess Sybil made a movement in the direction of the disturbance ,her swords held ready to defend and it stopped. There was a ringing silence and neither woman was ready to drop their guard.

Immediately to their right a stretch away from the original disturbance a twig snapped. Both woman whirled around to devend their position but nothing was visible and they were intent to hold their ground and fight only if nessecery.

Authors note:

You've met Alphira before, in Chapter 6, when she was talking to Balthazar through a mirror. Well, this next chapter will shed some light on her motives, but you will have to think about what is told and connect some dots. I ask that you also pay attention to Alphira's opinion of the people living in Casima.

Thank you for reading.