This did not come out the way I intended but these things happen.
Enjoy.
"No way." Eretria didn't care if she was grinning like an idiot, this was just too much. "Can you ask that again? I don't quite think I heard you the first time."
Amberle cheeks were already tinged a light pink. The princess was obviously not someone used to asking for help with anything. There was definitely some embarrassment there and maybe a little anger from Eretria's prodding. The rover couldn't help it, this was hilarious!
"I said..." Amberle was biting back her own pride. Eretria could tell, and she was loving it. She always imagined taking nobility down a notch would be amusing, but this was better than anything she could have dreamed.
"Sorry, couldn't hear you." Eretria turned her head aside and cupped her ear. "Maybe if you spoke up a little?"
Off to the side, Wil was sitting at their campfire cooking something he'd come up with. Eretria could practically feel his eye roll and shake of the head. He'd never admit it but he had to know this was funny.
"Can you teach me how to throw knives like you do." Amberle grumbled in a single breath. "There I said it."
"Say plea..."
"Oh come on Eretria." Wil interjected for the first time, still not looking at the pair. "Just give her some lessons, we know you like to show off."
That... may be partially true, but Eretria wasn't about to admit it. "I don't know..." The rover was going to milk all the amusement she could out of this. The elf princess asking a rover for help? This was just too rich.
Amberle's grimace was certainly about to be followed up by a snappy retort along the lines of 'fine, sorry I asked' but Eretria surprised her with her next words. "Okay, I think I can show you a few things." The princess was caught off guard, that much was obvious by the look on her face.
Without another word, Eretria walked over to a nearby tree and tore off a chunk of bark to expose the wood within. Not the most ideal thing to use for a target but it was what they had on hand. Besides, first lesson would be to hit the target, they could get to making the knives stick later.
"Won't knives not stick very well in solid wood?" Wil just had to ask, much to Eretria's annoyance.
"Nope, but if you've got something fleshier I'd love to see it." Eretria shot back. But she couldn't resist the follow-up that came to her mind when her eyes moved up and down Wil's body. "Unless you'd like to volunteer?"
"Uhh... no thanks." Eretria could practically feel Wil's gulp as he turned back to their food as fast as he could.
Not Eretria's fault making Wil squirm was so fun. She had made her gaze a little predatory, but in truth she was just using the chance to give him a once over. Especially since she knew what was under those clothes. Something else that wasn't Eretria's fault was that the half-elf was actually attractive. What female wouldn't look?
Amberle of course. At least the princess would do it when she thought no one would notice. What was the point of hiding it when you were interested? Then again if Eretria had learned anything about Amberle in the short time they've known each other, it was that the princess was deeply embarrassed about anything resembling romance.
This meant one of two things. Either Amberle never had a boyfriend before, and hadn't a clue how to behave around men her own age, or she'd had only a single 'love of her life' and something happened with him. Her mind was so attuned to how to act around that guy that she didn't know what to do with another. It was pretty sad either way.
Due to her pride, Amberle wouldn't admit when she didn't know how to do something. This was the exact reason why she had so much trouble asking Eretria for help.
Amberle wanted Wil, badly. Eretria could see that even without her experience around people. But the princess wouldn't approach him until she could figure out how to do it, and who knows how long that would take. Regardless it was almost an interesting show playing out.
It would be, if it wasn't the mother of all conflict of interests.
"Like this." Eretria refocused her mind on the task at hand. With a quick flick of her wrist, the rover sent the blade flying to lodge perfectly in the dead center of the wood spot she set up. "Now you try."
"Uh okay." Amberle fumbled a little with the knife Eretria handed her, her cheeks a fiery red.
Eretria didn't try to hide her smirk. Annoying and embarrassing the princess was fun sure, but it had the added upside that Amberle was surprisingly cute when flustered. Everyone could think what they will of Eretria, but that was the real reason she verbally sparred with the princess constantly.
Amberle's attempt at throwing was just that, an attempt. The elven girl not only missed the target, she didn't even hit the tree.
Eretria watched her dagger sail past the tree with a raised eyebrow. Amberle was skilled with a sword, but evidently she sucked at throwing. In her defense, throwing knives was not really the easiest thing to master. Still though, Eretria thought she'd at least hit something solid.
"Watch how I do it." With a roll of her eyes, Eretria threw another at the tree. This time she did it slower so Amberle could watch how she held the weapon before it left her hand.
Some credit had to be given to Amberle, she really was watching intently. Eretria saw the princess replicate a rough imitation of her hold, but it was still flawed. This was proven with Amberle's next throw, but at least she struck the tree this time. The knife bounced off with a heavy thud but she was still far away from the target.
Now that Amberle had gotten a hang of how to do it, Eretria didn't need to make anymore demonstrations. The princess tried nonstop, except for when Eretria had to retrieve her daggers when Amberle ran out.
With her work temporarily done, Eretria abandoned Amberle's side to go eat. While she did so, Amberle continued her attempts to hit the target. But the elf was growing rapidly impatient with continual failure.
Eretria pinched the bridge of her nose letting out a quiet groan. Amberle just wasn't holding the tiny blades right. Eretria had a feeling she already knew where this was going, at this rate they were going to be here all day and get nowhere.
A wicked thought came to Eretria then. She knew exactly how to make this better and make out like the rover she was at the same time.
The opening Eretria needed came after Amberle missed another throw. While Amberle was distracted, she snuck up behind the princess. The elf tensed up the exact instant she noticed Eretria's arms snaking around her body.
"Like this." Eretria whispered in Amberle's ear as the rover's fingertips slowly made their way up Amberle's arm to her hand. Eretria used her own fingers to move Amberle's to hold the knife properly. Once that was done, Eretria kept her hold to maneuver Amberle through the motions of the throw.
Eretria was no fool, she noticed the way goosebumps formed on Amberle's arms from where her touch lingered a little too long. Not only that, Amberle seemed to have relaxed a little into Eretria's hold. Part of Eretria expected the princess to roughly shove her away when she again encroached on her personal space.
This time when Amberle released the dagger it flew forth and struck the tree. She still missed the target, but instead of being off by several feet, she missed by inches.
"Knew you could do it princess." Eretria didn't want to let go just yet. She manipulated Amberle's hands with hers to hold another knife.
Together they hurled the weapon, but shortly after Eretria was caught completely off guard. Amberle wasn't only not pushing her away, she was actually leaning back against her. Eretria hadn't expected Amberle to reciprocate anything, she more expected her to react with disgust or something similar.
Then again, they were interrupted at the baths in Pykon...
Deciding to take a bolder move, Eretria used her other arm to encircle Amberle's waist and pull Amberle closer. If the elf's face was blazing hot before, it was a full blown inferno now.
As much as Eretria wanted to push on, they had an audience. Not to mention Wil and Amberle's constant longing looks when the other wasn't looking. Oddly enough Wil looked at both girls with the same face. Wil wanted both, Amberle wanted Wil definitely, but if she wanted Eretria too...
Eretria had a devious idea to solve this issue. Her companions needed to open themselves up more, maybe then they'd be a bit more receptive. Perhaps then they could be more, all three of them. Nobody needed to make a choice that would hurt the other.
That wouldn't happen if these two noble idiots she cared so much for got themselves killed. If Eretria could prevent that in any way she'd jump on it.
Planting a quick kiss to Amberle's neck, Eretria let the princess go. "Wil, your turn, get over here."
"Uh... what?"
"You heard me, you're learning too." Eretria retrieved her falled knives from around the tree as she spoke. "If she can do it so can you."
"I don't really think that's really..."
"Last time you were traveling alone you almost got eaten by trolls. You'll thank me later." Eretria twirled one of the blades around in her hand.
"That was one ti..."
"Twice" Eretria corrected.
Wil opened his mouth but quickly closed it. None of them wanted to remember what happened at Utopia. Just how close they had come to death again, it would have been certain this time if Eretria hadn't changed her mind about remaining with her fellow humans.
All of this would have been so outlandish a month ago to Eretria. She was a rover, it was her job to rob people like these two blind then leave them in a ditch. Attachments weren't supposed to happen, not even rover clans were that tightly bound.
Yet here Eretria was, on a quest to save the world with an elven princess and a half-elf with poor survival instincts. For the first time in Eretria's life, she feels like these two's survival might be worth more than hers.
Would she die if it would save Wil or Amberle? That was the question that rattled around in Eretria's head. Even in the safety of her own mind, Eretria didn't know.
"No she does it like this." Amberle attempted to show Wil how to hold the knife but he was even worse than when Amberle started.
Eretria forced all her thoughts aside for now. She could figure out all that crap later, but right now she had a lost cause and a slightly less lost cause to teach how to not die so fast.
Hmm... Wil wasn't paying attention to Eretria, and Amberle had most of his attention. She might be able to pull off her sneak trick again but this time on Wil.
Eretria allowed a fiendish grin to grace her lips as she approached the unknowing duo.
This was supposed to be just a one-shot but I figured out at the end it had the potential for sequels. For now it stays a one-shot unless I figure out a way to continue it or somebody has an idea. Meanwhile I have another Shannara story already started.