ARC #2: GLORIOUS NEW AGE - VIII

This must have been the leeward side of the island, because the trees here were green and alive. Or perhaps the dark magic spilling out of the island simply hadn’t seeped into the land on this side.

Whichever the case, Yoreno and Dantera found shelter several coves up the beach away from where their visitors were. Their ship was visible through the trees anchored not far from shore. The water here must have been much deeper on this side of the island.

Yoreno sat against a fallen log, the beach behind him. Dantera was on her hip and propping her head up with her hand as her elbow sunk in the soft soil. She made a noise of discomfort. “I don’t like wearing armor all day.”

“Should we take it off before we board the ship? If we fall into the water, that will be our end.”

She shrugged. “You can die from a shaft or from drowning equally, but I prefer to keep my runes on me in case there’s a mage on the ship.”

Yoreno nodded. As her protégé, she usually “instructed him,” by explaining in detail why or why she did not do certain things, then ending her lecture with a suggestion about what she thought Yoreno should do.

She did not do this now.

Perhaps Dantera thought him ready to be knighted already and that his tutelage was at its end? Now, that couldn’t be it. Perhaps she was simply tired. They had been running about and adventuring in plate. Even partial plate was taxing on one’s stamina. “Are you tired,” he finally asked.

She looked at him with her big eyes and thick well-manicured brows. Breathing in deeply she said, “A little.”

Then she looked up into the forest canopy overhead.

“Still light out,” Yoreno said as he followed her gaze.

“We will wait until they fall asleep,” she said. “And then…”

“We surprise them.”

“Yes.”

“Do you expect us to have a great advantage over them?”

“I certainly hope so, but I will take whatever I can get.”

“You would have made a good assassin.”

She smiled. “Oh, I know. Did you know I have a distant cousin who stays at Aevalin castle from time to time? Her name is Adelade.”

“I didn’t,” Yoreno said. “She’s not on the Amalfi side?”

She shook her head. “No. You can tell from the name, can you?”

“You forget my own ancestors are from Amalfi,” he said. “I might not be culturally Amalfi, but my family still retains some vestiges.”

“Of course.”

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“How close are you to the royalty?”

Her eyebrows rose quite high. “Here in Aevalin? Umm… I may be five-hundredth in line.”

They both chuckled.

“Anyway,” she said. “I asked you about my cousin because we’re of an age. But she is a brat.”

“A brat?”

“Oh yes. She can’t keep her mouth shut.”

A visible air of annoyance crossed her face. Yoreno was surprised she had such strong feelings about this cousin of hers.

“Did you find yourself in some trouble, Dantera?”

“Well,” she said diplomatically. “When I was younger I liked to play pranks. She tattled about the frog I put on Lady Verina’s desk.

“Isn’t she the godmother of the princess?”

She smiled mischievously and shrugged. Then suddenly her countenance shifted to one that was slightly indignant and surprised.

“What kind of trouble did you get in?” Yoreno continued.

“Oh,” Dantera said. “My mother whipped me and wouldn’t let me leave the house for a month.”

“Harsh.”

“How do you know she is the godmother of the princess anyway?”

“My father,” he said. “He has many connections all over Aevalin.”

“He’s very gregarious, isn’t he?”

“He is,” Yoreno said. “People like him.”

“I like him.”

“Not only that, he has a high place in Haven society, so he’s well received here.”

She nodded. “High birth will always give one more sway in Aevalin. And you too.”

“It doesn’t feel that way.”

“By patient, my—you aren’t even a knight yet.” She smiled. “Be patient.”

Yoreno nodded.

“Anyway,” Dantera said. “I was going to tell you about how I got my revenge on my cousin. In regards to your joke about how I could have been a good assassin.”

“Please tell it,” he said. “I want to hear.”

She nodded. “Well, I was twelve. It was rather stupid. But I went to her chambers, but of course I was turned away. Her mother is a snob and very… shall we say detailed about perfect schedules and things. So the only way to get back at her was to climb out the window across the ledge and into her room that way.”

Yoreno was about to speak.

“It was high. Suffice it to say, I would have cracked every bone in my body and we would not be having this discussion now.”

“Gods.”

“Yes,” she said. “Well, I got into her room and put a jar of spiders in her bed. I kept the lid barely attacked, so when she found it, and knocked it about, the spiders would come scrambling out.”

Yoreno’s eyes widened. “That was… somewhat cruel.”

Dantera chuckled. “Yes, well I was twelve. In my defense.”

“Of course.”

“What happened after?”

“Pft!” she scoffed. “She knew it was me, but without coming in from the front door and not believing I would climb the ledge to get to her, she was from that point on terrified of me. She believed I had fell magic!”

“Did she cause you trouble after that?”

“Never. To this day she looks at me with a shiver, I think.”

Yoreno sniffed in amusement.

“Thank you for the story,” he said. “I know something about you that I think very few people probably know.”

She smiled. “This is correct. You better keep my secret,” she said, pointing a finger at him playfully.

“With the gods as my witness”—he motioned about the forest—“and all these trees and dead logs, I swear I will keep your secret.”

She laughed then, but caught herself and put a finger over her mouth for quiet. Yoreno smiled, nodding. He glanced over the log. The ship was still there through the trees, small enough that he could cover it with the tip of his finger in his vision.

“We should get some sleep,” Dantera said.

“I’ll take first watch.”

“It’s all right, I can do it.”

“No—you go ahead.”

“Are you certain?”

“As my blade is sharp.”

“Thank you,” she said, and smiled. She rolled to her back and put her head on her leather bag.

Yoreno watched her as her chest rose and fell. He never noticed before how her armor complimented her feminine form. With its high quality plate full of magic runes and markings, it must have cost a fortune, even before it was taken to the mages for enchantment.

As he watched her, he realized how strikingly beautiful she was, with her wavy blonde hair and thick eyebrows. His eyes roamed to her lips.

“Are you going to bore a hole in my head, Yoreno?” she asked without opening her eyes.

“Nope,” he said and moved his body so he was facing the other direction.

Dantera opened one eye to find Yoreno with his back partially turned toward her. She couldn’t help buy smirk, trying hard not to audibly sniff with amusement. When the moment passed she closed her eye and slept.