Blood Ward

Chapter 8

I rose early, and left the tentto try and find a stream to wash up in. Beast followed at my heels,bounding off playfully when I tossed a stick. The warmth of therising sun caressed my constantly tingling skin and the light breezetossed my hair this way and that. I sighed contentedly, happy to bein my own little world.

I heard the sound of tricklingwater and turned toward it. A splashing sound caught my attention asI neared, and I approached quietly and cautiously. The stream finallycoming into view, I saw Anders kneeling by the edge, splashing wateron his face.

I crept forward getting as closeas I could and said abruptly, "I told you to be more careful."

He yelped in fright and fellforward nearly into the stream. I started laughing hysterically,clutching my stomach. "Holy hell, little warrior! You scared thepiss out of me." Anders clutched his chest like he was having aheart attack, which made me laugh harder. "I'm glad you're enjoyingyourself."

"One if us has to," Iadmitted, dropping to my knees by the stream and washing my hands andface. "I think your scream woke the hibernating bears."

"Yes, but it was more like amanly bellow," he said defensively.

"No..." I shook my head. "Idefinitely heard a sort of shriek... It reminded me of the time Valsaw a rat scurry across the room."

"Shriek... Really?" He asked in disappointment, wrinkling his nose.

I nodded. "Sorry..."

"No, no... I can at least takeit like a man," he said giving me a smile.

"Thatta boy." I tapped hischeek as I passed to return to camp.

In the two weeks it took totravel to Banaila, Anders and I became close. Our sense of humor wasvery similar and Stefan did not like it one bit. On the day before weexpected to arrive, Anders finally asked me, "Little warrior... Youare holding out on me."

"Well, I know you finished thelast of the ale two days ago, so whatever I'm hiding, we're even,"I joked.

"I did no such thing. The lastof the ale is here..." He smirked pulling a flask from his robes.

"You sneaky bastard!" Ireached over and snatched the flask from him. "I can't believe youwere holding out!"

"What you don't know can't hurtyou," he said. "But what I meant was I believe I've figured youout."

"I've no secrets," I said.

"Aside from being the daughterof an Earl." He shrugged. "No, you don't."

I gaped. "How did you... Wait,never mind, I don't want to know."

He chuckled. "The plotthickens... Let me guess, you and the knight fell madly in love andhe whisked you away from home so you could be together forever..."

"Not even close." I sighed."Stefan and I escaped when Earl Thomas Compton turned his menagainst my house because I refused to submit to an arrangedmarriage."

"Were you the only survivors?"he asked.

"As far as we know... Wordhasn't reached nearby villages, so I'm assuming no one lived to tellthe tale," I said.

"I'm sorry, little warrior,"he apologized. "I was insensitive."

"You didn't know..." I saidexcusing him. I kicked War Chaser into a canter, suddenly needing tobe alone.

"What did you say to her?" Iheard Stefan's angry voice following me down the road.

I scanned the woods for asuitable place to camp, not so eager to continue on that day. Iturned into a clearing close to the stream that was running closerand closer to the road. All I could think as I dismounted wastomorrow I would see Val and everything would be okay. I felt the hotrush of tears threatening to break free and I squashed them down. Iwas notgoing to cry. After securing War Chaser, I went to sit by the stream,tucking my knees close to my chest.