The Ivory Knight

Chapter 20

They were back to the same daily routine, only this time, they had horses and had to lug along Rowan, the brooding mercenary who often said nothing and rode in the front, glowering back at Adeleina and Damien occasionally.

Adeleina was surprised, but a bit wretched, to find that she was almost glad Rowan and his group had found them. They now had horses and food (which Adeleina finally deemed fit to eat after her stomach won over).

On the first day, they did nothing but ride, eat, sleep, and occasionally talk. The second day went by in much the same way, except that Damien managed to spear a small boar. However, when Adeleina had tried to roast the poor thing, she had failed terribly and charred the entire outside. She thought of Darcy and wished that she were here with Adeleina.

The third day was when the forest began to thin and traces of proper civilization began to show themselves. A distant spiral of smoke here and there. A freshly-chopped tree stump. The remains of a campfire. Adeleina began to think longingly of soft feather beds, silk robes, warm baths, and all other kinds of niceties that she'd been lacking ever since she'd entered this forest. She was, thankfully, no longer wearing the horribly worn excuse for a dress, but was instead clad in a scratchy tunic and proper breeches.

"I'm not wearing this," Adeleina had said at first, wrinkling her nose and holding the clothes away from her as if they were a flea-ridden kitten. "I can't wear the clothing of a dead person!"

"It's mine," Rowan shot back, scowling. "I'm not dead yet. But if you want to stay in that indecent sack thing, you're welcome to. Give me my shirt back."

"No." Adeleina clutched the shirt closer and backed away. "I'll wear it."

On the fourth day, they finally reached the border of Dale.

"Are you excited to be home?" Adeleina once asked him, staring down the deserted road. Damien did not reply.

The weather in Dale was much nicer than it had been in Corandell. It was cool, but not yet freezing here, while in Corandell, the moat was most likely frosted over. Adeleina's throat closed up in a tight way as she thought of her own kingdom, hundreds of miles away. She would have given anything to be there, huddled in furs in front of a fire that was too hot, instead of here. 

The image of steel in her father's neck rose in her mind, and Adeleina angrily pushed it back down. The past days, she did her best to act as if she weren't hurt and beyond angry that this Rowan they were travelling with could have been one of the people plotting against her father. Adeleina had only one goal in mind, and that was to kill Alecsander. If Rowan happened to get in the way, well...Adeleina would just have to learn his weaknesses.

That was why, as the three plodded their weary horses up a large hill, Adeleina kicked her horse so that she rode alongside Rowan.

"Where were you before you found us?" she asked him suddenly, breaking the silence. He gave her a scathing look that said You're an idiot and you're lucky I'm putting up with you.

"Corandell."

Adeleina felt the fury already bubbling up within. How dare he speak the name of her kingdom with that foul mouth of his?

But she did not voice her thoughts, and pushed away the rising anger that threatened to spill over.

"I meant before that."

Silence.

"Well?"

"Why don't you back there and ask pretty boy? I'm sure you'll have fun talking to him,"

"I--" But she did not get to finish her protest, because Rowan kicked his horse and moved up several paces ahead of her.

Adeleina hissed through her teeth, disappointed and furious.