Reborn

• Blindness •

***

Two days had passed since our departure from Vharys, meaning that three suns were still to raise before we could reach Selyris' port, where the royal vessel was docked awaiting for our arrival.

Ten guards had joined our journey, some of them belonging to the Royal Guard, the others to House Lederos' army. The former's wariness in my regard was obvious to the eyes, their stiffen postures and shushed whispers proof enough of their distrust. The latter, on the contrary, seemed unaffected by my presence, following in the steps of their Lord.

The carriage hauling the Queen was slowly oscillating in front of me, its wheels adhering to the uneven path on the ground. I was closing the formation, flanked by the silent shadow of Shalaya. She was as marvelous as she was wary, looking at me with narrowed slits every time my horse neared her space in order to avoid obstacles on the ground. It was quite clear that she didn't enjoy my presence and the thought was amusing; even animals seemed to dislike me now.

The sun was setting, casting long shadows on the trees that sided the muddy path we were taking. Soon the night would come, bringing with her a penetrating chill. We needed to find a shelter for the night, as the Queen and her maids were not used to sleep in such low temperatures.

Lord Lederos broke from the formation, leaving his position in the front, and commanded his horse to slow down until they were flanking the carriage. His gloved hand left the reins, knocking on the side of the vehicle.
A slit opened, revealing the face of one of the two maids accompanying the Queen. Her eyes widened when she caught sight of Lord Lederos' figure, her cheeks soon becoming tinted by a light shade of pink.

"Tell the Queen that in an hour we will be arriving at the town of Wheil, where a house has been prepared for us."

I watched as the girl blushed further and bowed her head, before closing the slit with trembling hands.

Witnessing women's strange reactions to the presence of men had always held interest in me. At the Guild, interactions between the sexes had always been considered normality, so it was strange for me to observe such responses as blushing and shying away. When puberty hit, we were free to explore our sexuality as we wished, laying with men and women of our preference. It was not unusual for relationships to flourish between members of the Guild, but that didn't arise interest in me. What I shared with my lovers was physical, a mere satisfaction for the pleasures of the flesh. Even for Rhys, who sometimes warmed my bed, I felt nothing more than a friendly deep affection. And there was no shame in that.

Lord Lederos spurred his horse forward, returning to his previous position at the front of the lineup.

By the time we almost reached the town, darkness had already descended upon the land. The moon was full tonight, allowing us a clear vision of the surroundings even without the light coming from the burning torches. A glimpse on my right caught my eyes, making me turn. I watched as the moonlight reflected on the dark coat of Shalaya, making her body look like dark liquid, her bulging muscles moving sinuously and powerfully.
Her stance, however, was not relaxed. She seemed distressed, eyeing the woods around us.

I pulled at the reins, halting my stallion.
My eyes studied the shadows between the trees, focusing on every little movement coming from the leaves blowing in the wind. My ears didn't catch any suspicious sound from within the woods, but that wasn't enough to assuage me. Shalaya was still tense and my stallion was beginning to agitatedly shake his head too. I stroked his neck, but even my touch didn't reassure him. Strange.

The carriage was still proceeding in front of me, nobody aware of my halt. I opened my mouth to warn my companions that something was amiss in the stillness of the night, but it was too late. A low hiss pierced through the air, followed by a scream and a loud thump.