3 Days Later
Kara rode alongside Lena, a combination of Zorel and Luthor guards behind and ahead of them. Kara had commented on the amicability of their guards to Lena as they were saddling up. Lena assured her that when her people visited, they often trained with her people and played games.
Every so often, Lena caught Kara throwing glances her way. Lena admired the knight in her lighter traveling armor. Kara seemed to wear it so proudly. The red Zorel cloak with the Zorel crest embroidered in blue and gold flashed as it draped over her back, moving with her horse's trot.
Lena knew, Kara was admiring her too. She wore tight, gray leather trousers, and a green shirt, a grey vest hugging her figure. The gray cloak with the dark green and silver Luthor crest hung over her shoulders. Her black hair curled over a shoulder. She had seen lesser male nobles of her lands admire her and had her share of women. She knew the way Kara would blush and quickly turn her head away when she caught her looking meant something. It made her feel good.
Lena bit her lip. Perhaps a little flirting wouldn't hurt?
"Will there be any parties while we are doing these negotiations of your cousins?" Lena asked her companion none-too-subtly. She knew Kara remembered that dance as well as she did.
Kara's face reddened.
"My cousin's wife has already begun preparations for a welcoming ball if I know her any." Kara replied. She smiled across at Lena.
"There will be plenty of dancing."
Lena looked away. She couldn't help the smile tugging at her mouth or the warmth filling her chest. She didn't expect Kara to take the bait.
The knight was full of surprises, it seemed.
Commoners approached as they made their way closer to a small fishing village. An assortment of fisherman, and sorcerers, some who enhanced the fish farms for a cut of the profits, lined the road.
The land was barren around them, but near sources of water, towns thrived. Even others created fish farms in order to maintain some form of income. Some form of food.
The Luthor lands thrived on mining and the resources of the mind for an income. When Lena knew that farming was hopeless, she pushed her people towards pursuits of intellect and finding ways to expand what food sources they did have. It created a boom in academics and magic study as well as the fish industry.
Lena gestured to a guard. He rode back to the cart of goods they brought with them, calling a few others to help. They began to pull boxes from the cart, tied with twine.
Fish was good and well, but it was the fruits and vegetables brought in by the Zorels that people often looked forward to as a commodity. Lena thought to distribute some of the more valued ones to people as she rode towards the Zorel lands.
People bowed and curtsied as boxes were handed to them. Some eyed Lena and her escort with disdain while others, mild interest. A great number, upon seeing the contents of the boxes would murmur excitedly to their neighbors. Most saw potatoes or grains for a great deal of their meals rather than the colorful assorted fruits and vegetables Lena and her escort were providing.
A child ran out and fell in the middle of their train of horses. Lena brought her horse to a halt before it could run over the little one and climbed down from her saddle.
"Are you okay?" Lena reached down to help the child, a small girl up. She looked up at her with wide eyes. Lena gestured to a guard.
The box was a bit too big for the child, but Lena opened it and selected a fruit, handing it to her.
"Where is your mother so we can give you this food, and return you to her?" Lena asked as she held the fruit, an apple, out to the girl.
She took it shyly as a woman called out, "Amaria!"
Lena and the child both turned to see a woman frantically searching. Lena turned to the girl and held out her hand. Amaria eyed her hand for a moment, apple in her mouth, then took hold of what fingers she could wrap her tiny hands around.
"Mother, is this your child?" Lena stepped from her ring of guards. She could feel Kara watching her. The woman searching frantically turned to her with wide eyes that looked terribly like the child holding Lena's hand's.
"My-, my lady, forgive me!" The woman curtsied.
Lena shook her head.
"It is quite alright."
Amaria let go of her hand to reach out to her mother. Her mother picked her up and wrapped her in her arms.
"I was so worried!" She could be heard saying to the girl. "You could have been lost forever."
Lena turned to her guard. He stepped forward with the box.
"Mother if you would accept this box for you and your child?" Lena offered.
The woman returned nervous attention to Lena. It was easy to see she was not accustomed to being addressed by a noble.
"I-, thank you my lady. For the food, and my Amaria." She lowered her daughter to the ground and took the box from the guard, tucking it under an arm.
"Amaria, if you could thank this lady, please, we must return home."
The tiny girl turned to Lena. She ran up to her and wrapped tiny arms around what leg she could reach, surprising Lena, before turning quickly away and returning to her mother. Her mother took her hand as they walked away, Lena watching, a smile written on her face from the innocence of a child.
AN: am very sick, will post updates for everything else once Im over it. Took a while to write this through illness
