Elven Legacy

Chapter 27

Day 3

Zemisha

The stream water welcomed her naked skin like a luxurious embrace. She hadn't even thought twice about stripping and diving into the river, no matter that the two mercenaries sat nearby, possibly watching. To hell with them. Zemisha was simply so very grateful that they'd finally stopped to take a much-needed break from that dreadful carriage.

In the deepest part of the water, where the river cascaded gently down from its rocky bed and formed a pool, she could swim freely, her feet didn't touch the bottom. She repeatedly dove in to wet her face and hair completely, then swam lazy strokes against the current before letting herself get carried to the other side of the pool again. She smiled as the midday sun caressed her face, nearly forgetting, in those brief, blissful moments, that she wasn't alone.

They'd traveled deep into the central empire, near the town of Numi, which was about halfway between the Felleran border and the city of Azuria. There was a small patch of wooden lands which apparently Viper and Blood Eyes had known about, maybe from one of their maps and notes. Thus they'd left their creepy driver – whom Zemisha had yet to hear utter a word – and his horses in Numi, and the two mercenaries had taken Zemisha to the woods to stretch their legs.

Now, they were even letting her bathe. Oh, Viper and Blood Eyes had washed up too. They simply hadn't stayed in the water very long. Dip, soap, rinse, then back to the rocky riverbank and back in their clothing in record time. Maybe they worried other people might come and see them in all their glory, what with the panoply of battle scars and especially the dark magic marks, sinuously decorating their athletic bodies.

From her history lessons she knew that, in Chyulin, it was common to see such heavily-marked dark mages, they were all over the place. But Zemisha wasn't used to it, this was new to her.

She swam back to where her toes touched the riverbed, a few algae stems swaying and caressing her calves. The water's calm surface reached her shoulders, thick brown hair dancing in the current all around.

The spot they'd picked really was charming. Unlike in Fellera, the leaves here were still a lush pale green. Among others, Zemisha had identified some magnificent old sequoia trees. A thousand bird chirps enlivened the small forest, and the wind, soft and warm, left pleasing tingles, near-shivers, across her face and shoulders. The soreness gradually eased from her body, and she hated that soon they would go back to the carriage.

Right now, Viper reclined on a large smooth stone, just a few yards away from Zemisha. Viper seemed to be tending to some of her ear piercings, with cloth dipped in what was probably saline water. Blood Eyes sat a few paces away on another boulder-like stone, his eyes lidded, short white-blond hair glinting in the pure unclouded sunlight. His bag was flush beside him, and he held something Zemisha couldn't see in his hand. When he shifted slightly, himself looking at the item in his grasp, Zemisha tilted her head and caught a glint of green, like a gem, maybe an emerald or a jade stone.

Blood Eyes caught her staring and, his masculine features instantly hardening, he shoved whatever it was back into his bag. Zemisha shivered and looked away. Goddess' sake, he's so touchy!

"You know, partner," Viper said in Azurian, her raspy voice amused, like she was about to tell a good joke. "If you want to jerk off to Imxi's hair pin, you go right ahead. Just go and hide somewhere in the woods, yeah? Me and the princess here will catch up later."

Laughter nearly spilled out of Zemisha before she caught herself. All things considered, she hadn't been able to sleep properly in the carriage, and she was quite tired. Viper, kidnapper or not, sometimes made her laugh with all the ridiculous one-sided banter.