"We're almost there!" I heard Skyguy - as I had secretly termed the Swordsmaster when I learned his name was Anakin Skywalker - say in a sing-song voice. I had to resist the urge to hit him upside the head several times already, and my nerves were so grated already the urge came again.
"Hip hip hooray. Let's just get this moving in stage over with." My irritation shows in my voice.
"You know, you're going to have to get used to traveling if you want to become a Swordsmaster..."
I give in to the urge.
"Ow! What was that for?!"
"That was for annoying me to heck. What did you think?!"
"Language. I thought you were the daughter of a baron."
"Adopted daughter. Honestly, what did you think?"
"I'd tell you what I think, but you'll have to find it out yourself."
That snapped me out of my gloom. He knows something.
"Give me a hint," I say, studying the young man. I am not about to let some stuffed up 'special soldier' stand in the way of finding out - finally! - where I came from.
"Sorry, can't."
Slowly, I reach for a dagger, concealed in a thigh pocket in my loose pants. Slowly, I take it out. Slowly, I come to a crouch, standing on my saddle. Then, quick as lightning, I jumped from my saddle onto his, holding the recently sharpened dagger to his throat.
Oh, I forgot to mention. I have superhuman abilities.
"Tell me everything you know," I hissed into his ear.
Calmly, much more calmly than he should have been, he pushed away the dagger I was holding and answered, "Again, you'll have to find it out yourself."
I almost blow at this point. "I am trying to find out for myself. I'm asking you."
"Yes, well, you'll have to try another source."
"What other source?"
"I am not at liberty to tell."
"You're a freaking Swordsmaster!"
"Being a Swordsmaster isn't all it's cracked up to be."
"Well then, I wish I hadn't signed up!" Sarcasm is heavy in my voice. I really want to kill him now. I jump back to my horse.
"It's still pretty cool, though. We just can't share our secrets with outsiders."
I'll be no outsider, I think. Not after I steal every secret from his mind. I almost smile at this. There is no way, not in the world, that Skyguy knows my mental capabilities. Slowly, I stretch out mentally, not giving anything away physically.
His mind is a solid wall.
I can't understand it. I've seen shielding before - in most of my father's friends - but never like this. He's intentionally shielding his mind, in a way that could only mean he has the same powers. But that's impossible. I'm the only one.
Unless…
No. No way.
But then, he never showed any surprise at me…
No. Nu-uh. No possible way in the entire world.
"Hey, Snips. Look alive. People up ahead." Did he just call me Snips?
I straighten up and swing my legs over. Skyguy had told me that I should probably ride sidesaddle, to avoid protests that he was carrying me off on a scandal. But if he was, I'd be actually attacking him.
Riding sidesaddle on a saddle that wasn't meant for it is hard. You try it. But nevertheless, I pull it off, reining my horse in to a modest trot, Skyguy doing the same. The people murmur in fear as we ride by, cowed by the stern face Anakin put on. He's quite the actor, I must admit. But, then again, so am I. I plaster the same expression on my face. The people shrink back in half fear, half awe, as their 'special soldiers' ride by. I really wish I could tell them the truth-Hey guys, did you know the Swordsmaster is a total jerk?-but then Skyguy would kill me for real.
Finally, we get out of the town, and I swing my leg back over. Oh, that's better. I breathe out a sigh of relief.
"So, what's the plan? Work me like a slave until I break?" Sarcasm is heavy in my voice. Seems to be getting more common.
Skyguy looks back at me, surprised. "What? No."
"Then what is the plan?"
He smiles, and in that moment, he looks positively evil. "You'll see."