Dragon Princess

Chapter 5: Thieves

It was dusk and we must be leagues away from the village. After the woman had been killed we didn't stick around to see what happened next. It wasn't a long while though when we had stopped and turned to look in the distance where smoke rose from where the village was probably burning to the ground. I may have never been crowned a knight, but I was a warrior and a sorcerous, I could have saved that woman. But Shade was right, this wasn't my fight, the best thing we could do now would be to stay out of the villages and just get back to my father's kingdom.

Neither of us said anything for a long time and this left me to my own thoughts. I hadn't really thought about Gregory or my brother since they had died, but honestly I hadn't really needed to. The sad thing about how I grew up was that I never really got a chance to grieve. Death was just something that happened a lot in my life and weather it was my pet cat or soldiers on the battle field I never had a chance to feel emotional pain.

When I thought about my brother and friend I thought about how they lived not how they died. I smiled to myself as I thought about them and how in my memory they will always be alive.

"If you keep grinning like that, love, your face will crack."

My smile dropped when I looked at him. "No, don't stop smiling, love, you look good with a smile on your face."

I laughed, "What a charmer you are."

We stopped at the mouth of a cave. Shade dipped low and scooped my hand up and placed it to his lips, "Well I have been told that I am quite the ladies man."

I felt blush creep up on my face as I pulled my hand away and said, "It's getting dark, we should set up camp in here lover boy."

He chuckled, "Alright sweets, maybe I can enchant you with my charm later."

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About an hour or so later we had a small fire going at the mouth of the cave with dinner roasting over it. My stomach was growling and it felt like my stomach was eating itself. My mouth watered at the two skinned squirrels that Shade was turning over the fire. Some of the grease from the squirrels dripped and sizzled as it dropped into the flames.

I turned away from the fire because it was painful watching the food roast. I stood up and walked a little deeper into the cave having the little ball of light I made follow me. I wanted to conserve my magic, but I didn't want to neglect my abilities either so I sat cross-legged on the ground and concentrated on the spark of magic that came so easily inside of me.

I smiled as I felt the power inside wanting to be released. I held my hand out in front of me and muttered, "Wrathaes." A little ball of fire swirled in the palm of my hand. I held out my other hand and whispered, "Aquatia." A small ball of water formed above my palm. I levitated the ball of water and made the fire grow and climb to be the same height as the water. I made the water ball a little bit bigger and made it so it was hollow.

I concentrated more and made a gap in the water and moved the fire as if it was made of water itself so it swirled into the hollow ball of water without extinguishing. In my concentration I heard someone coming up behind me and out of instinct I turned and threw the ball of water and fire at them. The person, who I realized was Shade, dodged the ball and it exploded behind him.

"Shit Aralia, watch where you're throwing those things."

I was trying to hold in my laughter, "Oops..."

He sighed, "Anyway before you tried to kill me, I was coming here to inform you that our gourmet meal is ready."

I stood up and practically ran to the front of the cave when I heard those words. I found the two roasted squirrels that were slightly burned resting on a pile of fresh green leaves. Steam from the heat of them still rolled off, but I didn't care about the heat.