"They're not gonna catch us.
We're on a mission from God" (The Blues Brothers).
"Well, it seems as if things have changed now." His eyes followed the back of Aline as she trudged to the knights. There was something oddly prideful about her. Her shoulders were straightened and her chin was raised high. William finally glanced to Clarissa. She was wiping her eyes. He brought his hand to her shoulder. She released a breath, shaking her head from experiencing any other emotion.
"Let us go to my mother and father. Afterwards, we will seek your father." Something sparked in his eyes at the mention of his only parent. But he did not say anything. Instead, the two silently made their way to the tiny cottage, each step weighing more than the last.
They found Clarissa's mother and father holding one another in what looked like a deep embrace. Luke peered up. He smiled gently at his daughter, but his blue orbs were unnaturally red. "I suppose you shall follow her, my dear?" It wasn't even a question. It was an expectation. Clarissa whimpered, the first human sound she had made that day. She scampered to her father, throwing her face into his warm shoulder. He was quietly laughing, his weary hands brushing her strands of hair.
"My goodness. Has my little warrior grown soft? We can not have that, can we?" Clarissa tugged away from him and turned to her mother.
"What shall you do without us?"
Her mother's lips widened into a small grin. She straightened the wrinkled cloth she was wearing. "Do not fear, Clarissa. There was a time before you and your sister were born." She winked in Luke's direction. "We were quite the team then." The pair chuckled and even Clarissa managed a nod of head.
"Come on," Clarissa's mother began to take her daughter out of the room. "Let us prepare you. You have got a long ways to go."
Luke ran his fingers across his hair. He sighed. "It seems that my daughter has dragged you onto another journey, Will."
William tried for a smile. "Yes. I suppose you are right."
Luke lifted his hand and William took it.
The two men gazed at one another, one older and experienced, the other young and uncertain. "Take care of her, will you?" All she has is you."
William blinked. "She has her family. She has always had her family."
Luke looked particularly sad. He clicked his tongue. "No." There was something so certain about the way he said it. "Above all, you are the arrow to her bow. Do not forget it."
x
"I am sorry. I had not known finding your father would be such a difficult task." They were walking towards the horses and the knights, Will's head tucked downwards.
"I expected it." Was all he said. Clarissa frowned and reached her hand to take his. She felt the tension in his body then. Perhaps he did want to say goodbye to a man who had not cared for him his entire life.
The knights, at their arrival, nodded and offered short salutes. One of them glanced to Clarissa and asked, "Competing?"
"No, my brother and I are accompanying my sister, Aline."
He glanced from her to Will. "You share no resemblance." Clarissa shifted from foot to foot and before she could respond, Aline made her way to the group.
"It seems my sister has forgotten to explain to you. William comes from a different father." The knight still looked skeptical, but upon further review he whispered something to his mates and did not ask any more questions.
Clarissa grinned in relief and turned to thank Aline, but her sister was already atop a horse, away from her.
"Let us go." It was William who pulled her to a horse. She brushed her hand against the horse's mane and laughed when he made a noise of comfort.
"Which of us shall go first?" Clarissa eyed the villagers who would journey with her. Only seven women had volunteered and their family members followed suit in an attempt to stay with them.
William shrugged. "You ride first. I feel as if I will sleep at any moment."
Clarissa studied him, tilting her head to the side. "Are you alright?" Beside them, the others were on their horses, whispering to one another. She latched onto the horse and lifted herself upwards with a grunt. She felt William shift behind her.
"I am fine." She didn't believe him. She turned as much as she could while on the horse. He was staring back at Sidereal, at the villagers who stood watching them. They looked hopeful and a little emotional. A few children waved and giggled. Clarissa swallowed the hot ball in her throat. She placed her hand on William's chest. In an instant, he looked to face her, eyes wide and frozen.
"This is our home. We will come back." She assured him. He sucked in a breath and gave her a barely noticeable nod. Clarissa faced forward just as Will's arms circled her waist. She leaned back against him, listening to the rapid beat of his heart.
The trumpets sounded again, this time signalling departure. Clarissa peered around her, searching for Aline. She found her older sister along the front, riding behind a knight.
She wondered what she was thinking about. Was she sad? Hopeful? Did she think she had a chance against hundreds of other women? Was she happy that her sister was coming with her? Clarissa could never tell. She whirled to their village one last time, hoping to catch a glimpse of her family. When she found nothing of the sort, she led the horse with its reigns, beckoning it away from her only home.
xx
It took Will just a few minutes for him to fall asleep. She worried for him. He never slept easily. His body slumped against hers and his head leaned into the crook of her neck. She was careful with the horse, making sure he avoided any holes or stones on the ground. She didn't want William awakening too soon.
No one spoke as they rode on. The knights occasionally looked back at their passengers but never uttered a word. Aline was ahead of them all. Clarissa had tried to catch up to her, but her sister was determined to be left alone. Only some rays from the sun struck their bodies, yet the winds of a coming winter sent shivers to her skin.
She hoped her mother and father were cooking the animals she had caught. There would be enough food to last the two of them for at least a week. After that, she didn't know. She stared at the road they were taking. This would be the first winter she would be spending away from Sidereal. She was going to Alicante. She sighed, placed Will's arms around her waist again and kept her hands there, as if he was the only thing anchoring her to reality.
xxx
Night fell. William awoke, his eyes tired and his lips a thin line. The group settled on the ground where the knights set a small fire and passed soft cloths to everyone that served as blankets. Clarissa rose up and hurried to Aline. It was the only time she could speak to her before the journey continued. Her sister was unbraiding her hair, pulling the strands into a low hold of a ponytail. "Aline?" She asked.
She glanced up, but her face remained neutral. "Clarissa. How are you?"
Clarissa sat beside her. "Fine. A bit tired. Are you nervous?"
Aline raised her eyebrows. "Why would I be nervous?"
The response made Clarissa's cheeks redden. "I do not know. I was just thinking..."
"Yes?"
"This competition seems ruthless. You must feel something towards it."
Aline shrugged, rubbing her hands together. "I suppose I feel anxious. I am not afraid, though. I know what I am putting myself through. You do not have to doubt me."
Clarissa scrambled closer to her. "I was not doubti-"
"It is no matter. The rest are sleeping. I shall follow suit."
Clarissa's eyes lowered. She watched Aline lie on the ground, a blanket atop her body. If they were younger, Aline would have invited her to sleep alongside her. They were not younger, so Clarissa sauntered to Will, who was warming his hands to the fire.
"Did you sleep well?"
William's face was illuminated with orange and red brilliance. She nudged his shoulder. "No." He answered her honestly.
She frowned. "Why? Was it the horse?"
He moved away from the fire and laid on the ground, ignoring the blanket next to him. "No. I was thinking about my father."
"Your father?" Clarissa whispered, shifting her body near his.
"It is nothing, after all. I just feel a bit lost without the village behind us."
Clarissa stared at him. He turned his body to face her. "You always say the right thing. I do not know how to make you feel any better."
William moved his hand to her face. Her eyelids hovered shut. He touched her freckles and tucked her hair behind her ear."Talk to me. I have already slept earlier. Keep me company for the night."
She smiled, "I can do that." She inched closer to him, bringing her head to his chest. His arm found its way around her. He smelled like something sweet, fruit or maybe wood. His body was warm and she touched his forehead against hers.
"Are you that cold?" He asked her, smirking slightly.
She grew flustered, her face pink. "No." It came out weak and quiet.
He laughed, his body shaking with hers. "I was only yanking your tail, Clarissa. I love it when you are close to me too."
He shut his awhile, they did not speak. "Can you believe it?" She asked him.
"Believe what?"
"Wehere we are going. Alicante."
"I believe it. I just do not believe what we will go through."
"What do you mean?"
He drew circles on her back with his index finger. "We are not royals. To them, we are peasants. Your sister may be a competitor, but we are just her family."
"You sound bitter about them."
"About who?"
"The royal family. The whole lot of them."
His eyes found hers. They were a deep, luminous blue. Icy glaciers framed with think eyelashes. "I suppose it is because we have depended on our own in Sidereal. We did not need to be governed."
She nodded. "I see what you are getting at."
He pursed his lips, observing her. "You look sleepy." There was amusement in his voice.
She yawned. "Good night, William."
"Good night, Clarissa."
xxxx
Clarissa opened her eyes to the feeling of fingers in her hair. She made a sound and pushed aside the hand on her head. William laughed. "Wake up. Come on. We must be off."
Reluctantly, she rose to her feet and took the canteen of water a knight offered. She threw the liquid on her face and wrapped her hair into a braid. "Does that please you, my lord?" She asked sarcastically, throwing a punch at Will's shoulder.
This time, Will rode the horse first, Clarissa holding onto him. With a light trot, the horse galloped on.
xxxxx
[a/n]: Here you go. By the way, for those that are asking, this IS a Clace story. You must understand Will and Clary's relationship to know what will happen in the future. Review!