Arabis pursed her lips and moved her head from side to side as if weighing my question. “We try to avoid fights. Well, Kryn doesn’t, but we already established that he’s an asshole, so… But you don’t have to worry about that. Forget I even brought it up.”
“I can’t stay here. Please, help me get back home.” She was the nicest one, so I had to try.
“I wish I could, Dani, but this is bigger than all of us.”
Bigger than all of us. The future of my people rests in the balance.
Was it true? Something major at play? Whatever the case, I couldn’t bring myself to care. Their concerns were not mine. All I cared about was my simple life, my family, and the children who depended on me. It had been stupid to ask Arabis for help. None of them cared about my small existence. I was little more than an ant they could step on while gallivanting around during their quest.
I was on my own here, and on my own, I would keep trying to find a way to escape.
Arabis stood and walked back to the bundle she’d left on the chair. “We have to get on our way before it gets too late. Here are some clothes you can change into. They’ll be more comfortable for riding, and will help you… not stand out. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
She left, closing the tent flap behind her. My clothes were dirty and sweaty, and my flats weren’t the most practical by any means, so even though it irked me to go along with anything my captors said, I unpacked the bundle and inspected what Arabis had brought.
A pair of knee-high boots rested on top of a folded tunic and a pair of leggings. The boots’ leather was supple and adorned with flower carvings on the folded cuff at the top. There were no undergarments, and I didn’t like the idea of keeping the dirty ones, but I didn’t have a choice.
Walking back to the corner, I quickly took off my flats, jeans, and T-shirt and slipped into the Fae garments. The leggings were soft and stretched nicely, hugging every curve. They were brown and complemented perfectly by the tan tunic, which fit loosely around me and came to mid-thigh. An embroidered pattern of vines went around the collar, skilled needlework that could not be found in my realm.
Soon, Arabis returned and smiled contentedly when she saw I’d changed. She took my dirty clothes and bundled them under her arm. “We’ll save this, so they’ll be waiting for you on your return. Now, follow me.”
She exited the tent, leaving the bundle behind. I went after her and found everyone waiting outside already on top of their horses, the prince sitting a distance away on a massive black stallion, his back stiff, his eyes staring straight ahead. Jeondar welcomed me with a smile. Silver and Cylea simply waved, and Kryn ignored me, picking dirt from his fingernails.
The two smaller tents had been taken down and appeared to be packed atop two of the horses, along with other supplies.
Arabis gestured toward a small, spotted horse that looked like a giant Dalmatian. “This is Dandelion. She’s a sweetheart and will do right by you. Do you know how to ride?”
I shook my head and glanced around, considering running for my life. Once they took me far from Pharowyn, it would be a lot harder to find my way back home. But what chance did I stand racing against five Fae on horseback? Zero to none.
“It’s not hard at all. You’ll get used to it in no time. You’ll see. Just put your right foot here.” She pointed at the stirrup. “Then swing your other leg up. You can hold on to the horn, here.” She pointed at a protruding handle on the saddle.
I did as she instructed, and without making a fool of myself, managed to get on top of Dandelion. It seemed I should have been scared on top of such a large animal. I was a city girl, used to car rides, and most daringly… bicycles, but as I surveyed the camp from my vantage point, I felt nothing.
Mounted on a horse, it might appear as if my chances of escape had increased, but quite the contrary. The likelihood of falling ass-first into a thorny bush if I attempted to do anything other than slowly trot was distinct—not that Arabis ever let go of the reins. In fact, she held on to them even as she mounted her own horse, a tan creature with a black mane that was a bit smaller than mine.
Once we were all mounted, the prince urged his horse forward, and in no time, we were out of the clearing, riding over an expensive plain carpeted with luscious grass and colorful wildflowers. Above us, a deep blue sky stretched far, uninterrupted by clouds, its fringes obstructed by massive mountains that appeared blue-gray in the distance.
After a couple of hours on top of Dandelion, bouncing on the hard saddle, my backside began to hurt. I twisted this way and that, trying to get comfortable, but it was impossible.
“It gets easier,” Arabis said with a smile, noticing me squirm.
“If you say so.”
Despite my rude response, her smile didn’t disappear. If her niceness was an act, she put on a good one. I didn’t like to be rude. If this was genuinely her personality, she seemed like the kind of person I would get along with, but a friendship with her or any of these people offered no appeal. All I could think of was home, my mother’s warm hugs, my conversations with Toni as we talked for hours about work, men, and what an overprotective pain in the ass Mom could be sometimes. Then there was my little sister, off in college, who often needed my help. Would she be all right? Would she call me for help and fare badly without me?
When the sun was straight overhead, we stopped under a copse of large trees, the mountains in the distance looking just as far away, despite the few hours on horseback.
Stiffly, I got off my horse, my ass feeling as if it’d gotten a good spanking. I rotated my hips, wincing, and realizing I was a fish out of water in this place. It felt good to stretch, but it felt even better when I released a wave of healing magic right down my spine and the pain receded.
“We’ll eat something, let the horses rest, and be on our way again,” Arabis informed me.
“I need to…” I glanced toward an area flanked by several tall boulders, “you know.”
“Of course, I’ll go with you.”
“Go with me?”
“To make sure you don’t try to escape again.” She smiled. “Jeondar told me what you did yesterday. Very clever.”