This week, I chose this prompt because it's spooky and I love hooded figures with staffs. It's a shame he didn't take a bigger part in the story. However, the Guardians will appear later in the story
The beasts of
burden are enormous and I avoid then as much as I can. They frighten me and I
do not want to show anyone, least of all Tian, how afraid I am. The horse I am
to ride is small compared to the great beasts my father and Tian will ride.
Tian is fearless and clearly an excellent rider. I am neither. Ah well.
“Do you
require assistance, My Prince?”
I lean back
into Tian’s embrace. We are very close to the side of the horse, hidden from
view among the caravan’s stamping beasts, but still I shouldn’t reveal my
feelings in this way. I reluctantly pull away glancing over my shoulder with a
smile to temper my action. I see in his eyes that Tian understands.
“I can manage,
thank you.” My mounting is inelegant but effective and I reign in my horse
fairly competently. Tian leaps into his saddle with a grace I could never
achieve.
It seems like
only moments before my father’s call rends the air and we move off. My voice
will never be as deep or as loud as my father’s. How can I hope to lead and
army when I sound like an adolescent?
Stop being so negative about yourself. You’ll
do just fine. You spoke to the Council didn’t you? You achieved what Father
could not.
I can almost
hear Tian’s voice chiding me. The words echo in my head. The self doubt is not
entirely dispelled, but I feel better; stronger as I spur my horse to ride
beside Tian, a little behind my father. Jandra steps back from where she has
been speaking to him. Am I a bad brother that I am so relieved she will not be accompanying
us? She is not pleased.
Jandra smacks
the flank of my horse as it passes, making it dance. I desperately reign in it
and gain control quickly. Nevertheless my cheeks burn and her smile is cold.
Once we were close. I don’t know what happened to make her despise me so.
This is no
time for such musings so I bring my mind back to the moment and concentrate on
keeping up and riding straight.
We ride
through the day, then make camp. My bottom is sore and my bones ache. Worse, I
am not able to seek refuge in Tian’s arms although I put my foot down and
insisted he sleep in the royal tent. I may not be able to embrace him, but we
are able to entwine our fingers in the darkness.
Day after day
repeats in the same way. There are grumbles on all sides and I fear the Council
members who have insisted on accompanying us will be even more set against Tian’s
people before we arrive.
Finally, we
arrive at a cool tunnel of trees, shading the road from the relentless sun. We travel
through for half a day until we see daylight ahead. Outlined in the entrance is
figure dressed in a hooded robe, holding a staff. Tian urges his mount forward
and dismounts to speak to the figure. After a short conversation the man
inclines his head and steps aside allowing us to pass.
It is immediately
obvious that we are in a different land. The forest spreads around us on both
sides, like giant wings embracing rolling green plains through which a wide,
clear river meanders. We follow the river beneath a gentler sun. Sometime
during the afternoon clouds gather and rain falls, gentle at first but harder
as we travel further, pelting us with slivers of ice.
“If we push
on,” Tian says, “we might reach home a little after dark. However, I would
advise to strike camp in the lee of the hill and move on in the morning. The
rain will not let up tonight, but I believe the morning will be clear.”
“How can you
know this,” Chander, a dour Council member spits. “Striking camp in this
weather would be madness. Everything will be soaked through.”
“It will be
warm inside the tents. The bedding will be dry.”
My father is
clearly of two minds but acceded to Tian as the expert on the territory.
Tian is right.
It is much warmer inside the tents, and the bedding is mostly dry. I strip off
my wet clothes and dive under the skins and blankets. They are damp. Everything
is damp. But at least I was warm – eventually.
Tian seems
less affected by the weather and creeps beneath the skins to warm me with his
body.
“We should not
do this.”
“We are in my
kingdom now. You will see a change. No one will persecute us here. Relax. I am
simply warming you. We will fall asleep in each other’s arms and wake to start
the day together. Tomorrow you will meet my father and he will bless our union.”
This startles
me a little. “What do you mean? I-I’m not ready to join as life partners. Not
yet. I need to know you first.”
“Ssh, do not
be afraid. We have no such ritual. We are bonded and that is all the joining we
need. My father will simply give his blessing and then no one will challenge
us.”
“O-Okay.” I am
still nervous. I am still new to the whole bonding thing. It seems so formal;
so…permanent. It frightens me. I chuckle to myself. Everything frightens me.
“Don’t be afraid,”
Tian whispers into my neck. “Everything will be alright.”
“Are you
reading my mind again?”
“No, but I am
coming to know you well, and I smell fear.”
“You can smell
my fear?”
“That and…other
things.”
I turn in his
arms and gaze into his eyes. It is dark in the tent, lit only by a small
brazier. His eyes glitter, their colour obscured. I must gaze into them more
often because when I do my fear melts away.
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