Blue

Uninvited Companion

Tallulah had been walking for three days now, stopping only at night to sleep, hoisting herself into trees to stay away from wolves and other potential predators.

It was midday on the fourth day of her walk when horse hooves interrupted the silence. She chanced a look back. It was a lone rider. She panicked. Would they know she was a woman? Would they turn her in?

She needn't have worried for soon the rider called to her, "Good sir! Do you have a water skin that I could borrow by chance, mine are all empty and we haven't passed water for a while now," her initial reaction was to automatically look around for another person, forgetting that it was her he was calling to.

She had grabbed three waterskins herself and could spare one.

"Yes, I do," Once he had reached her position she noticed right away how handsome of a man he was, fighting the urge to turn away as was her natural instinct to do around men. She had to remember she was trying to pass a man now, so such behavior would be weird.

"Thank you ever so much. Say, what is your name, and where are you headed?" The question wasn't expected, and she stumbled for an answer at first.

"I...uh...I am headed to the city of Aria, and my name is Talon." she finally was able to spit out, adopting her brother's name on the spot.

"How wonderful, so am I, we could travel together. My name is Atlas, by the way," he said. Fitting name, powerful, and it seemed right for him.

"Why don't you have a horse? The journey will take a month without one," How could she tell a complete stranger that she smelled of beasts that could eat them, and it frightened all horses she'd ever met.

She settled with, "Horses do not like me very much," as if on cue, Atlas's horse nudged her.

"Ronan certainly does, but he belonged to the king at one point, so nothing fazes him," she looked at the horse in question, noticing for the first time the scars on his body. They were similar, but his scars were won with honor.

"I suppose then we'll have to travel on foot then," he dismounted from Ronan.

"You don't have to. It wouldn't be fair for you, your journey would be made longer, and there are people probably waiting for you," she pushed.

"Nonsense, I had left my last destination earlier than planned, so I'll be right on time if we travel together, not to mention it's safer to do that," he replied. There was no point in arguing.

They walked in silence for a while, and she tried to ignore his presence, but it was difficult. She was taller than a lot of men, but Atlas towered over her easily. During this silence, she took the opportunity to assess him. His hair was a dark coppery color, and his face was perfectly symmetrical. He had light stubble lining his face. His hands were gloved and all, but his face was covered in black clothing, which fit him nicely. It made her embarrassed at her own clothing.

She would fancy him if she wasn't trying to pass as a man.

"Tell me, what mare you choose to go to Aria? Why not any other city?" Atlas asked her.

"I'm going to join the army,"

"Volunteering? That's unusual. Don't you have older brothers? Or a father?" She almost laughed at his inquiry.

"Oh, I have both, but neither care for my existence...I was a bastard child, and while my heritage was clear in my city, my father would never claim me," she could tell him that much of the truth. Her father would never claim her because it meant he had been unfaithful to his mate, something she would never have because of it.

"What city? If you don't mind me asking,"

"I do mind. I left for a reason, I wish to not bring that reason back to me," she retorted.

"I'm sorry I asked," he said.

"Where are you from?" She asked him pointedly.

"I was born in the northern city of Skol, but moved to Aria as a young lad," she had never heard of that city before, but then again she hadn't learned much aside from the basics of reading and writing.

They walked once more in silence. Come dark, they made camp. Her legs were so unbelievably sore, and blisters covered the bottom of her feet. This month was going to be actual hell.

"Do you have any experience in fighting?" The question was so out of the blue she didn't realize he was talking to her for a second.

"Uh...a little," she would often, when they were younger, spar with Talon, the real Talon. He was going to make a promising knight one day.

"We both need practice, and you moreso if you're going into the army," he handed her a blade from his saddlebags. She was going to look like such a fool. It had been years since she'd touched a blade.

They took their positions, he made the first move, and she made a clumsy parry and he was off from there. All she could do was block. He rapped her legs a few times, indicating that she'd be taken out of the fight had been real. Her arms were quick to tire, and Atlas could tell.

"Not bad, but you obviously have a ways to go to become decent," she didn't know if that was an insult or a compliment. Either way, she didn't say anything. She handed the blade back to Atlas before climbing the nearest tree, tying herself to the lowest branch so as to not fall off while sleeping.

He stayed on the ground.