Dragon Frost (16 page)

“
Now is
not the time for your seduction!” I point out and his face drops
into a pout which sends a small sing of warm through my chest. It
is an odd sensation. He could have any woman he wants yet he’s
trying to make it work with me even though we have many millennia
before us. I turn from him and he walks beside me.

“
Why does
it matter?” he asks in reference to Vedic’s escape. I keep my eyes
on the hall before me.

“
I don’t
know.” Yet something still didn’t feel right about that man.
Reaching Gustof’s office is easy, the route molded in mind from
years of making the same journey. Pushing open the wooden door I’m
surprised by what is occurring before me yet not before I compose
myself and walk over. The Chief sits behind his desk. Piles of
paper is stacked around his wooden desk as the fire flickers gently
in the hearth, the Chief’s eyes mound over a paper in his grasp his
eyes straining to stay on the page. Hearing the sound of our
footsteps he looks up, he returns to his paper his eyes straying to
the seats before him.

“
You two
are required to escort Varden.” he says tiredly. I turn to Altair.
This is new to us. “He is to be accompanied to Midra. The duke of
Aland wishes to acknowledge the heir of the next royal
family.”

“
So he’s
been recognized?”

“
By us,
yes, by the ‘Royal Court’, no. There is to be a hearing held later
this month. By that time you are to deliver him there and protect
him by all means.” states the Chief. Then like that with the wise
words of the Chief we leave; Altair guides our horses along as we
move through the scorched city of Muland. Several people are seen
picking up bits of timber or things they can forage from the
wreckage they once called a home. Their eyes drift to me before
they turn to rest on Varden; once they’ve taken in all they have
they turn back to their initial work at hand.

The city
layout was small in the distance as the mountains across the ocean
where we would pass seems too far away that I want to pull up my
horse and turn around, hoping that maybe I would be able to return
to the Order curl up under my thick covers and close it all off.
Still, a job’s a job. If I were not given this I would be doing
just that, trying to recuperate the energy I have lost. It wasn’t
just physically I’m exerted but mentally and emotionally. These
past few days have been painful for me but I can’t help it. I feel
as though that this world is falling right under me and I can’t do
a damn thing to stop it.

Moving
through the empty yet silent forest appears to be a dreary task, I
feel somewhat unsettled about the idea of Altair and Varden in the
same place with me at the same time. The air is filled with this
unidentifiable thickness. It is thick enough for a knife to cut
through a block of cheese. That silence . . . this daunting feeling
seems as though I’ve committed some atrocious crime. I ride a
cashmere mare at the back of the group. Here is where I feel much
safer—keeping a firm eye, on those two.

I stroke
her mane and the side of her masculineneck as if fearing I’ll be
pulled from reality. No one has talked andI wonder why but at the
same time don’t want to know. Nerelda was the one to point
outVarden’slooks in comparison to John. I didn’t realise it until
she said it and I couldn’t find any words to add. They do look like
theycould be related—if not—reincarnated. I push the idea aside.
John, a man I cannever have because no one will accept us. We ran
in different circles, him and I. 

Why my
life has become more complicated where all three have brought down
my
defences? I guess to
a degree I should be happy Altair and Varden haven’t killed each
other. Still the thought of why is an unknown yet haunting
sensation. The thick snow covered tree line begins to fade as we
make our way across a once yellow meadow to a now white desolate
blanket. The wheat’s that had once swayed to the rhythmic beat of
the gushing winds are now frozen like pinnacles. “We’ll continue
on.” states Altair; it is the first thing that breaks our silence.
I’m the one, two stars, higher than him—it’s like a degree—not a
university one but a plastic tape used to define the class of an
individual on a combat level. I had to undergo intense ninjitsu and
jujitsu training, both of which are Japanese originated.

I nod. Not
wanting to speak.

We push
our horses, they slowly trot through the field where, my long black
hair dances around my back, whipping over my shoulders every now
and again. In times like this I am proud to where my helmet. The
way it covers my features while protecting my head and my sanity.
Finally, managing to make our way through the calming meadow where
scarecrows are positioned throughout, to ward off the birds that
will enjoy feasting on the grain and insects. We pass a small
cottage where a woman cradles a woven basket at her hip, a white
bandanna covers the top of her brunette hair, her eyes rest on me
as she stops and watches me pass even after we have passed the
cottage I still feel eyes on me.

We manage
to make our way to a small town, with red and dirty yellow tiled
roves. The sight of it is calming against the opaque walls. We ride
our horses ever a small bridge where men and women gaze at
us—no—me! I’m startled by the amount of eyes on me. They are fixed
on me, their expression, unreadable yet unnerving. I don’t believe
the others have noticed or are trying to ignore it but still—this
sensation—is far worse than before. If there is anything I don’t
like; it would be crowds. The way people’s or a person’s attention
is stuck to you, every fibre of my being is telling me to run but
the other part of me tells me to investigate.

“
Why am I
not surprised?” I mutter under my breath and notice their gazes
never seem to waver; we pass the town square and head towards the
Inn positioned at the base of a dormant volcano. Well I hope it is
dormant otherwise we’ll be required to run the other way when it is
active.

It’s
because of the rich soil that they still live here.

I demount
my horse and guide it into the stables while Altair and Varden
enter the Inn. I didn’t mind that they left me be, the thought of
them being around me is still making me uneasy. I wonder what this
sensation is but try and not press the matter too much. I must have
been deep in thought because I didn’t hear the approaching
footsteps of a woman. “She’s beautiful.” I hear a soft voice ring.
I turn my attention to its source to find a woman, in her
mid-teens. Clearly at the age of maturity in this world which I
find so bizarre but then again I was expected to marry Altair, from
the day I was born.

“
We’ll
thank you.” I say and she laughs.

“
I meant
the horse.” She moves over to where my mere stand feeding on a
stack of hay that is humbly left from the Inn keepers for their
guests riders. “Is she yours?” she asks me turning her brown eyes
upon me. I shake my head and her smile drops; still there is a
small tug of her lips as she strokes my temporary white
beauty.

“
Do you
like horses?” I ask.

“
Yes,
very much so, but my father doesn’t approve of the beasts.” She
glances at me with painful eyes and I wonder if her father is a
strict man or not. She definitely fits the category of the
“sheltered and protected”.

“
Why
don’t you have any room for a stable on your land?”

“
We do
have a stable but it’s not for us.” she pronounces sullenly. “My
father uses it for the guests alone.” My eyes grow wide at her
words.

“
You’re
the Innkeeper’s daughter?” I ask a little bewildered that the old
Innkeeper, we spoke to, has a daughter. She laughs. Then again some
have children, some don’t. It’s really all about personal choice I
guess.

“
Is that
a surprise?” I shake my head. She holds out her hand. “I’m Lucinda,
you are?”

“
Kalverya.”

“
What an
unusual name.” she states with intrigue and I shrug.

“
My
parents didn’t exactly like common names.” I say knowing that, that
was only, half the truth, the other half would be that the names on
Nephelia are either names from the bible or otherworldly names that
people don’t often think of. There are some old human names used
like Altair but they aren’t too common though.

“
My
father doesn’t but my mother did apparently she named me after a
female Knight.” she admits and I nod in understanding I was
wondering why her name sounded familiar, Lucinda Summers—a famous
and well respected Light Knight. The Light Knights that were
created to swindle and move crowds of people with words and their
service, they are the real—true knights. There is Silver which is
the division which I’m aquatinted too than there’s the Shadow
Knights.

They are
not the Rangers but work side by side the Rangers on surveillance
and transportation missions. We however, the Silver Knights are
people who work with the Mystical and Supernatural or otherworldly.
The Shadow Knights and Light Knights only work for the planet’s
Order and upon the lands they know but there are times when the
Shadow and Light Knights would cross to our world to share vital
information but nothing more.

I follow
Lucinda into her home, the large mansion, setting of an Inn. She
guides me in through the back terrace where people relax I think
the way she put it was, “drift away” still I couldn’t help but
smile at that remark. This place is beautiful. Lined in pearly
white stones for both the walls and outside titles, a small well is
centered in the middle of a four by four courtyard where off to the
side the stables lay.

Black
brown vines complement the red snow covered tiles of the roves as
they creep up the side of the rough walls. From what I can see it
was purposely designed that way. The architect might I say is
something of an “artist” I stop in the breezeway where I see Varden
and Altair exit what I believe to be reception room. “I’ll leave
you to it, it was nice talking to you Kalverya.” she utters and I
smile as she waves turning her heel and heading towards another
part of the Inn or should I say of her home.

“
Made a
new friend have we?” queers Altair and I raise a brow and cross my
arms defensively.

“
What…?”
I question, “…Do. You. Mean. By. That?” I grind my teeth uttering
each word with resent but I clearly knew what he meant, his words
translating to: “I didn’t know you swung both ways” the thought of
it doesn’t bother me but I’ve found I’m attracted to guys, I
experimented when I was young and found I liked guys more and
prefer a relationship with them but that doesn’t mean I’m going to
be a bitch to a nice girl, some men, honestly.

“
Easy now
big girl, I’m sure Altair’s just teasing,” cuts in Varden as he
steps before me with weary hands as I scowl at Altair who does the
same, it’s not uncommon on our world where both homosexual,
heterosexual and asexuals live. The thought that he would even
think that pisses me off even more but I clench my teeth and Varden
regards me sceptically I can feel his weariness running off him in
waves. I move over to Altair, my movements quick and seductive as I
step close into his personal space, our lips only centimeters away.
He looks almost lost and I fight back a smile.

“
Now why
would you feel bad? You’ll always be my favorite.” I whisper as he
gulps, slipping my hand in his I smile at my achievement and move
from him, “Now if you don’t mind. I’ll like to freshen up boys.” I
say and move away from them as I notice Varden stands not looking
at either of us, his feet planted shoulder width apart. His face
contorted into an unreadable expression which I notice he’s trying
to keep as I glide past them and stop at the end of the
breezeway.

“
With
what keys?” Altair teases and I smile. Holding up my hand, a large
iron key on an iron hoop and a wooden tab just like the rest of the
Inns, I’ve been to so far, dangles from my slender fingers. I hear
him grunt in annoyance.

“
With
these of course,” I say and wink at them, turning my back I walk
towards our rooms. I hear Altair sigh loudly before
saying.

“
I hate
it when she does that.” His words witty which; only makes me smile
more. The sight of their faces would have been hilarious if I
stayed to see but I knew I had better things to do. Since I will no
doubt be sharing a compartment with the boys; rooms which are built
together around a small ‘Common Room’.

This is
practically what we have; a compartment, with three rooms, a
spacious Common Room by the fire. I know if Varden has to use the
bathroom it will be outside. I honestly feel sorry for him; it’s
snowing right about now or is going to since my nose practically
feels frozen within but I don’t let it bother me as I take in our
room. Hearing approaching footsteps, I turn to see Altair and
Varden behind me as they take in the room. “Is this it?” asks
Varden and I scowl at him. Altair pulls the keys from my hand and
brushes past me.

“
Hey!” He
waves it in the air. I see his lips pull into a grin.

“
It
doesn’t feel nice now; does it?” he says and I mutter some curses
under my breath. I enter the room and step aside allowing Varden to
rush over to the fire where it burns in the hearth. I close the
door and don’t feel any change in the temperature; it’s not too
cold and not too hot. It’s not just right either for me but then
again I’m not home. I’m sure Altair feels the same. Altair places
his knee while he stretches out on the couch practically taking up
all the space. I glower at him. “I’m sorry, did you want to sit
down?” he teases. Yes, I did but don’t say nor think as I turn my
heel and pick out a random flanking room.