I ignored them and kept walking.
The first scout came up on horseback. “Warprize?” he asked, looking horrified. I looked up to see Tant, the warrior that had been whipped for falling asleep on watch.
The other scout came up, scanning for danger. He glanced at his partner. “That’s the Warprize?”
Tant swung down from his horse, to stand beside me. “Warprize, what are you doing here? Where is your escort?”
I walked past him. “I am returning to the Warlord’s side.” I kept moving. They followed, Tant leading his horse, the other remaining in the saddle.
“Warprize, please mount, and we will take you to the Warlord.” Tant’s voice came over my shoulder. “ There’s really no need for you to walk.”
“She’s barefoot.” The other observed.
I kept moving, looking forward. “My Warlord has claimed me. I will take nothing except from his hands. ”
Tant came along side, and he gulped. “Warprize, the army will not rest for at least another two marks. It’ ll be some time before you reach him, and I can’t allow…” I glared at him and he did not complete the sentence. He stopped dead, and I heard curses muttered behind me. I just kept walking, determined to continue on. There was an argument going on behind me.
“You go tell the Warlord.”
“No, I’ll stay with her, you go tell the Warlord.”
The argument continued, then the same voice snarled. “Pluck hairs, then. Short hair goes.”
After a moment there was a snort of triumph and then the mounted scout was galloping off toward the army. Tant caught up with me, his voice pleading. “Warprize, please, take my boots and cloak. You’re cold, and your feet are bleeding.”
In point of fact, they burned like flames. “No.” I kept walking.
Muttering something, Tant raised his hands to the sky as he walked beside me. I wasn’t sure if it was a prayer or curse, but I distinctly heard “Why me?” I was tired, my feet hurt, and I wasn’t going to listen to his whining on top of it all. “Return to your duties.”
“With all due respect, Warprize, I will not.” Tant caught up again, his horse protesting at being jerked forward. “If you’ll not take my help, at the least, I’ll guard you.”
“You disobey the Warprize?” I looked at him.
“Yes, if that’s the choice.” He twisted the reins in his hands. “The way the Warlord’s been stomping around like a crazed ehat, snapping and snarling at any that come near, I’ll disobey you. Better a punishment at your hands then death at the Warlord’s.”
I nodded, faced forward and kept walking. But my heart was a bit lighter. Snapping and snarling, was he? Like an ehat, eh?
Of course, I still didn’t know what an ehat was.
It seemed like hours before there was a commotion ahead of us. A cloud of dust betrayed the horsemen coming hard and fast up the road. My self-appointed guard faded back as Keir came thundering into view, galloping his horse, his scarlet cloak flaring behind him. There were a few more men behind him. I stopped and stood where I was, waiting.
Keir reared his horse to a stop in front of me. The animal towered over me, and I could hear its harsh breathing. I kept my eyes down, on the road.
“What in the name of all the elements do you think you are doing?”‘ Keir thundered.
“Following my Warlord.” I kept my voice steady.
“You have sworn fealty to me, to hold these lands.” He moved his horse, circling me. I could feel the heat of his gaze on my neck, and shivered at the bite in his words.
“The queen may have so sworn, the warprize has not.” I lifted my eyes as his horse moved in front of me. His face was distorted with rage. I swallowed hard, but continued. “The warprize follows the warlord.”
The horse moved to circle me again. “I’ll have you taken back to the castle.”
“That just means that I will have to walk this all over again.”
Keir brought the horse around again to face me. “Not if you’re chained to your throne,” he snarled.
Joden coughed from the side of the road, where he sat on his horse. Marcus was beside him, mounted as well, wrapped in his familiar cloak. Keir whipped his head around. “What?”
Joden shrugged. “Well, it occurs to me that the army is marching away from us as we speak.”
Marcus piped up. “And when your high and mightiness is finished hollering, ya might notice that she is bleeding.”
Keir’s head whipped around, and his nostrils flared as he raked me with his glance. I tried not to fidget under his glare. He cursed. “Ride with Marcus. We will see to your feet, and return you to the castle.” He turned his horse away from me.
“No.”
“What!” Keir jerked his horse’s head around, and the animal snorted in protest.
I looked up. “My Warlord is sworn to care for me. I will take nothing except at his hands.”
Joden started laughing at that. “Oh, what a song this will make!”
Keir cursed again, dismounted and stalked over to me. I clasped my hands tight together as he moved into my space, coming as close as he could without touching me. I closed my eyes and trembled, craving his warmth and touch. He stood there for a moment, breathing. Breathing in the scent of the vanilla that I had rubbed into my hair and skin.
If this didn’t work there would be no need for chains. I was certain that if we parted again, a part of me would simply die. I opened my eyes and stared up into his, where his anger raged unabated. Hope died in my breast. This wasn’t going to work.
I swallowed hard, and went to my knees before him there on the road.
I didn’t make it. At the first hint of what I was about to do, he swept his cloak off and wrapped it about my shoulders. Then picking me up, he cradled me in his arms, and headed for his horse. “Joden,” he barked.
Joden dismounted, and handed his reins to Marcus. Keir handed me off to him, then turned to his own horse. Joden smiled at me, his round face almost split by his wide smile. “Oh, Lara, what a song I will make of this!” He kept his voice down, as Keir brought his horse in close. I bit my lip, afraid that Joden was speaking too soon.
Joden lifted me up to Keir, who cradled me in his arms. Jo-den’s voice rang out loudly. “I return your warprize, Warlord.”
Keir shot him an angry look, but said nothing. He turned his horse toward the army, and we set off. I noticed that Tant had made himself scarce. He was no where to be seen.
As we rode, I worked a hand free and lifted it to Keir’s cheek. I could feel his jaw clenching under my hand.
“The Council of Xy agreed that I would serve the kingdom better as warprize.”
The muscles of his jaw moved under my fingers, but he said nothing.
“I made Othur Warden of Xy. He will take good care of my people and the land.”
Keir stared straight ahead, controlling the horse as we rejoined the army. The cloak had fallen to my shoulders, and I heard the warriors react as they saw my hair whipping about in the wind.
I kept talking, murmuring my words softly. “This is what I want, Keir.”
He didn’t look at me. “Marcus! Find Gils and figure out where they stored the medicines. Have him come and tend her. And find her some clothes and shoes.”
“Aye, Warlord.” Marcus moved off, but Keir still didn’t look at me.
I tried again. “You have only to hear my heartbeat to know that each beat is for you.”
He did not respond. I swallowed hard. “For us.”
No response.
Nothing.
I closed my eyes and pulled back my hand, afraid that I had lost.
A finger under my chin forced my head up, and I opened my eyes to find him gazing down at me. Those blue eyes were suspiciously bright, with a trace of humor as he bent his head to whisper against my lips.
“Forever.”