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Chapter 11

(Aradia's POV)

I shook my head several more times. The gods were clearly having a good bit of fun with this sick joke because I was looking right into the eyes of the same man who just yesterday had captured me, threatened my family and quite possibly sent me to my death with those men at the palace. So of course I wanted revenge. I grabbed a knife out of my boot, jumped off my horse and lunged towards the dog.

"Aradia!" someone yelled at me as I tackled him to the ground. I swiped at his neck once until he rolled on top of me, pinning my arms, and knife, to the ground. I proceeded to kick and let out a string of obscenities in Scanran.

"Would you just stop!" he yelled, nudging a knee into my thigh.

I stopped my cursing to wince at the pain, "So you think you can waltz into this expedition as if you belong? As long as you're coming, I won't be."

"Don't be so dramatic," he said with a smirk, "I could care less if you're here, the only reason I'm coming along is because the Guard wants to have a hand in saving the world."

"And what does the Guard know about any of what is going on?" I said with a sneer.

"More than you know sweetheart," he said sarcastically as he released my arms from his death grip and rolled off me.

I stood up and brushed myself off and walked back towards my horse giving the Dog another suspicious look as he mounted his horse.

"Well, now that that's all suited out, we need to make it to here," Hasubi said pointing to a place on a map, "and then we can make camp."

"Alright, lead the way Princess," Yemaya said with a smile. Hasubi flashed her an annoyed look and led us out into the dusk.

(Hasubi's POV)

I could feel my face going hot, from a mixture of both embarrassment and anger. How dare she? Ever since we met she has been nothing but cruel to me all because of a title? I barely knew the girl, and I'm sure she would never take the chance to get to know me, how can she possibly judge me? My thoughts were interrupted as a voice next to me whispered, "Girl problems?"

"Samir!" I jumped a little and then sighed, "Yes. It seems I can escape the Palace but there is no escape from drama."

He laughed, "That is why I just love being a man; if anyone has a problem with another we just beat the daylights out of each other until we're done."

He looked at me with a sly smile and his deep brown eyes glittered with laughter, and despite my sour mood I could feel a smile spread across my face as well.

"Lady Hasubi, your smile seems to light up the night, you know that?" he reached across to me and put his hand on mine, "perhaps you can just smile at your problems and they'll go away."

I felt another blush warm my entire body and tried to match his cool and confident demeanor, "or maybe I'll just beat the daylights out of the other girl."

He laughed again and withdrew his hand as Rhea rode up beside me, "Hasubi, would you please introduce me to your new friend," she said with raised eyebrows.

Now I was sure my entire body was glowing red and I was very grateful for the night to hide my embarrassment.

"Samir of the King's Own, pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss…?"

"Rhea Bashon. It's nice to meet you too, Samir." She looked at me and mouthed too me, He's a keeper.

I laughed and prayed that Samir hadn't seen that. He didn't hint he had as he announced to Rhea, "So I take it you're not the one Hasubi wants to fight with?"

The Carthaki girl looked confused for a second and then smiled saying, "No, that would be Maya." She laughed as she motioned towards Yemaya and Aradia, laughing loudly behind us with the other traveling companions, all except the nameless man whom Aradia had attacked earlier, who rode silently behind everyone.

"Hmm, I see. And what exactly did you do to the girl to make her dislike you so much?"

"I was born," I said with a frown, "it seems as if everything I do either offends her or annoys her. She hates that there's a title in front of my name."

"Well then, you should just hate her back!" he said with a chuckle, "trust me, I've met plenty of soldiers just like her and the only way you get them on your side is if you show them that you're their equal."

Rhea let out a snort on my other side, "That's nice advice, but I'm pretty sure that only works among your soldier friends. You should just talk to her, tell her how you feel and apologize for anything you've done to offend her."

I frowned again, "Something tells me that Yemaya isn't the type to sit around and talk about feelings. I'll just avoid her until our journey is over."

"Well good luck with that, since we only have 3 tents and I suspect that the 4 of us will be sleeping together," Rhea said, "unless you want to make other arrangements." She trotted off of the road and onto a trail that led into the woods, motioning for us to follow.

I groaned, "Leave it to that girl to make things into the most uncomfortable situation."

"Relax, she's only trying to get you to grace us with one of those dazzling smiles anyway," he said with a wink as he dismounted his horse.

(Aradia's POV)

"You know," Yemaya said to me as we rode side by side into the woods, "you aren't going to be attracting too many men if you attack every single one you meet."

"Oh, very funny. The one back there doesn't even count as a man; he's more like a stinking dog," I said, disdain dripping in my voice.

"I resent that sweetheart," a smooth voice startled me from behind; "I thought that you would've learned back there in the barn that I smell quite nice."

"Stay away from me," I said, narrowing my eyes and leading my horse over to the stream by our campsite.

Of course, he followed me, "What's wrong? Does it make you nervous to know that the same person sharing your food, and sleeping only a few feet away from you is the same person who could have you thrown into jail for a very long time?"

I turned on my heel and stepped towards him until his back was pressed against a tree and my face was inches away from his, "No. You want to know what really bothers me? The fact that the person who threatened my family is sharing my food and sleeping a few feet away from me. In my book, no one gets away with that," I stopped my tirade for a second to catch my breath and then looking straight into his deep brown eyes said, "If I were you, I'd sleep with one eye open."

He looked down at me, his eyes blazing with an emotion I couldn't exactly name, "Don't you dare threaten me again," he said, grabbing my arm tightly and pulling me closer, "You think you are so high and mighty with your little 'gift'? I'll tell you something sweetheart, you're still a criminal, and once we get back to Corus I promise that I'll have your pretty little bottom back in jail before you can even dismount your horse."

"We'll see how well that promise holds up since you'll be dead as soon as we enter the gates," I hissed angrily, yanking my arm away. As I walked away and shot out "and that is one promise I'll be sure to keep." I huffed away towards the tent, adrenaline rushing through my veins. He made me so angry, acting as if he was such a noble and honorable guardian of justice. Deep down I knew he was no better than me and Eris. Everyone steals something, things, money, but that dog stole the one thing everyone holds most dear, freedom. I didn't even know him and I despised him with every bone in my body… but why was it that I got shivers when I thought about being so close to him?

(Yemaya's POV)

"You like her don't you?" I said behind him. He whirled around, shoulders heaving.

"Actually, I want to kill her. People like that need to pay for what they do." He said, seething.

"Oh? Well then mystery man, tell me what's so wrong with her kind of people." I teased. Hopefully I'd get a little information as to why Adam had sent him in the first place.

"People like her and her brother and those 'guards' have no discipline, no sense of remorse, no sense of humanity," he said, getting all worked up again.

I placed my hand on his forearm, gesturing for him to sit down in the grass next to me, "That's quite a severe judgment, especially for someone who was recommended by the King Rogue."

"You don't know what you're talking about," he said harshly, his eyes searching my own. Then he added with a softer voice, "How did you know about that? My arrangement with Adam is supposed to be a secret."

"Adam is my oldest and dearest friend," I said calmly, "he tells me everything…except how he knows you."

He looked around suspiciously, and then leaned in close to whisper in my ear, "I'm his brother. Gavin Peirce."

I gasped, "That's impossible. Adam told me that you died."

"It's true. To Adam I might as well be dead. About 14 years ago Adam, my mother, father, sister and I were traveling from Tyra to Corus when we were attacked by a group of ruthless bandits. Adam and I had gone out into the woods to look for dinner and when we came back to the camp we saw our father lying on the ground with blood pouring out of his stomach. I was absolutely paralyzed with fear as we watched from the trees as our mother and sister were raped and beaten. I was only 6 and Adam was 8. I'm still plagued by the nightmares of those images. It was then that I promised myself I would never let anyone get away with crime again; I had seen just what a horrible path it would lead to. I guess Adam was so afraid that he thought the only way to survive with people like that in the world was to be one of them. That night we went separate ways on the road. I don't even know if he was alive until about 2 years ago when he claimed his title as the King Rogue. I didn't believe it when I heard it, I was only starting out as a member of the Provost Guard, and so I foolishly went down to his court alone. As I walked entered the Cesspool 4 huge rushers jumped me and would have killed me, if Adam hadn't stepped in. Ever since then he's been saying I was indebted to him. I guess he decided to cash in on his favor for this little expedition."

I stared at him in silence; tears barely glistened in his eyes. I wrapped my arms around him and remembering the dirty and haggard body of Adam the day my Ma and me had found him living in the gutter all those years ago and whispered over and over again, "I'm so sorry."