Thud… Thud… Thud…
"Ow!" Faye awoke with a sharp yelp.
She leapt up into a sitting position and rubbed the back of her leg thoroughly to rid of the sharp pain spreading through her calf. She looked around, confused, to find the cause of her infliction and found a glossy, ruby red apple sitting alone on the floor.
"Does that mean you're awake yet?" Kian's teasing voice called into the tree.
Grabbing Kians' jacket, Faye crawled on all-fours to the edge of the tree and peered downwards to the greenery below; Kian had just launched another apple into the air and Faye was forced to quickly duck to avoid being hit.
Kian smiled, amused, "Ah, there you are!"
Faye grunted, moving up again, "Stop that! You nearly hit me again!"
"I know." Kian sent her a cocky smirk before turning away, tossing the last apple in his possession into the air and catching it again.
Faye's jaw dropped in offence, as did her brow, and then she growled to herself irritably; how dare he be so blatantly difficult and rude! Faye stuffed the apple into the sleeve of her dirtied and torn leotard and carefully climbed back down the tree to meet Kian on the luscious floor of the forest which smelt of dampness and glistened from the remains of last night's storm.
"What time is it?" Faye asked, once she had landed on her feet.
Kian swallowed the chunk of mushy apple in his mouth, "Seven. I let you lie in - I know women need their beauty sleep."
Faye just folded her arms and sent him an impatient stare. Where had this bratty, rude attitude come from all of a sudden? He was so different, last night, when he gave her his jacket. Speaking of which, Faye realised she still had it over her shoulder and decided to fold it up and launch it at the back of his head.
"Thanks," Faye bitterly said, "it was wet, but still…"
Kian picked it up, brushing it down, "Yes, well, I very well wasn't going to sleep in a wet jacket… plus you had all the tears and such… I had to do something seemingly nice at the time or else we'd have never gone to sleep."
Faye was utterly appalled by his attitude and gasped, "I can't believe you! That was all an act just to get me to, what, shut up?"
Kian dressed himself in his jacket, smiling smugly, "I wasn't going to put it has blunt as that, but yes."
"You are"- Faye clenched her fists, her shoulders tensed, "you're just- I can't even- uurgghh!"
Growling like a hung-over bear, Faye spun on her heels and started marching away from Kian in the direction she had landed herself in. Unaware of where it was taking her, she just carried on walking in all her anger. Kian smirked to himself; he was unable to refrain himself from sneaking a perverted glance at her bottom in the leotard she was forced to wear.
"That's not the way to Fennella, you know, red." Kian called out, pleased with himself.
Faye brought herself to a stop, keeping her back to Kian so that he couldn't recognise the frustration on her face. Faye went to turn right, but Kian stopped her once again.
"Wrong. Again." He spoke, his voice filled with entertainment.
Faye sighed loudly and spun to face him, "Can't you just take me there then?
"Look," Kian sighed, still amused, "I'd love to help, but Orvin will literally slit my throat if I don't go back. I at least have to make it look convincing."
"What?" Faye asked apprehensively.
"Well, that I tried to go after you. Unfortunately, in the sudden wrath of the storm, I lost your tracks and, well… you got away. Sound good?" Kian leant against a nearby tree and took another chomp from his apple.
"So…" Faye twiddled her fingers, "you're not going to take me back?"
Kian shook his head, swallowing, "What would be the point? The Guards know you were there. You'd just be bad for business."
Faye slowly approached him, "Will you take me?"
"I told you, red," Kian sighed, leaning up once again, "I really can't…"
"I can pay you." Faye blurted out without even thinking.
Kian stopped moving, eyebrow raising, and then he slowly turned to face her to reveal his interest in the offer. It had definitely roused him.
"I'm the Priestess of Luahth. If you take me to Fennella, and I can sort all this craziness out - I'll pay you enough so that you can have your own Castle if you wanted it." Faye moved towards him in her moment of passionate convincing.
Kian faced her fully, "With a moat?"
Faye almost chuckled, "Yes! And a bridge! No, two bridges."
Kian looked to the tree beside him, as if it had suddenly become the ultimate fascination in his life, and scratched at the bark with his fingertip as he mused. Faye's hopeful eyes grew wider with each millisecond that passed and her hands were clutched together so tight that the circulation threatened to cut off.
"Fine." Kian finally announced.
Faye smiled widely, "Really?"
"Of course. I'm a man of business, and this is a fair offer." Kian spoke, hiding his mad excitement at the thought of all his riches-to-be.
"Then it's settled. It's a deal." Faye nodded conclusively.
She then put her left and right forefingers in between her lips and, breathing in, she blew a long, silky whistle that rustled through the trees and scanned the area for at least a mile. Kian smiled faintly with impress; he wasn't aware that she could whistle.
Faye sent him a cocky little gesture with her eyebrows, "Something I learnt back at the Circus."
Kian smirked, eyeing Faye up and down in a moment of flirtatious admiration, but was interrupted when three magnificently sized horses broke through the bushes and entered the clearing where they both stood; Kian nearly fell back into a bush in surprise! Faye granted him mercy and refrained from laughing at him, but Kian had still noticed the amusement in her eyes.
"Hello, sir," Faye greeted the muscular, black horse, "thank you for coming."
The hefty horse whinnied, throwing its head up and down vigorously as if returning her friendliness. Kian, brushing himself down, was still standing at bay as he watched Faye work her magic - he still could never really accustom himself to it. It was amazing.
Faye turned to smile at Kian as she stroked the black horse, "Are you alright?"
Kian tugged on his collar proudly, "Certainly. I was going to suggest that, you know."
"Oh," Faye blinked at him, sarcastically innocent, "you can speak with horses too?"
Kian's face flattened, showing his disagreement with her mockery. Faye just giggled lightly and, turning to the horse, commanded it to lower down onto one knee so that she was able to jump up and mount it. Kian watched secretly in amazement.
"Well, come on then," Faye called to him, as her horse stood upright and she grasped its mane, "time is of the essence. You want your Castle, don't you?"
Kian rubbed his hands hungrily together as he approached the grey horse, "I certainly do…"
He mounted the horse with ease and slapped it lightly on its neck, forming a mutual agreement between man and animal. Kian always preferred it that way, especially with a horse he hadn't met before.
"Now, which way did you say was Fennella?" Faye looked to him as her horse impatiently trotted sideways.
Kian looked over his shoulder, pointing at arms length, "That way. We should stop for supplies when we reach the next village, though. It's at least three days travel."
"Right," Faye sighed to herself, a little disappointed, "let's go. Yah!"
Faye tapped the inside of her leg against her horse's belly and, with a merry neigh, it bolted off into a run with Kian right beside them. The couple rode for all of thirty minutes before breaking out into the outskirts of the forest and finding the trail that would lead them across the dry lands.
"No stopping! We're sitting ducks out here and those Guards might still be patrolling!" Kian shouted over to Faye.
With a nod, Faye nudged her horse and leant down so that her chest was resting against the slope of its neck; this was her desire for more speed, which her horse distinguished and increased its power. They traversed the ever-sweeping sands of gold with the sparkle of the morning horizon following them in their flight; Faye had, at first, anticipated their journey to be something strenuous but her fancy in the scenery banished any of those doubts. The open land welcomed her like the arms of her father and the clear skies were her mothers' eyes, pure and fresh and leading her into freedom and tranquillity. Faye was definitely a cultivated young woman from her lessons back in Luahth, but seeing everything with her own two eyes was an entirely different experience and Faye was beginning to question her parents' preclusion for her to leave Luahth territory. Yes, the people hadn't been very impressive so far, but the magic's in the earth were a phenomenon alone! The sensation of such open, inviting freedom sent a rush of new life through Faye. The earth was beautiful.