Previously in chapter 272
Marie reads Maura's letter which mentions Jaha's keys as well. She speaks about it with Lexa and Anya.
Chapter 273
"Is there anything you want to pack?" Lexa asked their daughter in a kind tone once they had reached the commander's quarters. On the way, she had alerted a few of the guards to summon Alira and relay word to the warriors who would accompany them, that she planned to leave Polis as soon as possible.
Marie immediately nodded, quickly scurrying through the large room and putting a few things on the table.
Anya watched the blonde child walk back and forth with a frown and how the small pile of things their daughter obviously wanted to take with her on their journey grew continuously until it almost seemed as if the girl had collected each and everything which belonged to her.
"You are aware that we are not going to stay in Arkadia permanently?" Anya drawled with a raised brow.
Marie swiftly turned on her feet, still holing a few scrolls in her hands which she had just wanted to add to the pile "I want to show Maura what I have learned" she reasoned in an innocent tone, looking torn at all the things she wished to take with her "and what I drew".
Lexa walked over to the table as well "You really cannot take everything of this. You would need an additional horse to pack all this" she commented with a slight frown.
"But…" Marie wanted to argue as her features fell visibly.
Lexa shook her head "No, Marie, narrow down what you really want to take. To…" she halted for a second in thought before she added "… five things. Not more" the commander let her voice ring with finality and she did not let herself be influenced by the child's sweet pleading expression.
Marie gave up after a moment and indeed sorted through the things again. She turned slightly to Lexa and Anya a moment later "As how many things do the drawing supplies count?" she questioned innocently.
Anya slightly rolled her eyes "You can certainly count to five, little star, and now stop dawdling" she chided the girl in a soft tone, no hardness in her brown eyes yet.
Marie pulled a face, but finally put down all of her art supplies. She settled on her own favourite drawing depicting the busy market of Polis, a candle she had crafted, a thin belt she had embroidered with a beautiful flowery pattern, a book and the ball Risha loved to play with.
"Okay, I have decided on five things" the girl proclaimed, sounding a little unsure "Can I take two more? I want to gift the candle to Maura's mother and the belt to Maura, so, they should not really count".
"Marie, you are not going to be bored in Arkadia and Maura can come and visit Polis in the future" Lexa retorted and shook her head at their daughter in denial.
"Come on now, little star, you can saddle your own horse this time" Anya distracted the blonde girl before she could try to argue further.
Marie immediately nodded, grey eyes shining with a little excitement that she was supposed to do something herself now. She turned towards Risha who had laid down in front of the fire place and called the wolf to her side.
"Can I say goodbye to Ontari?" she asked on the way to the elevator looking up at Anya hopefully.
The general shook her head though "The nightbloods are not in the tower right now. They are on a field practise and will not return before we leave".
Marie looked honestly disappointed at that, but did not try to argue. She knew after all that there was nothing arguing would change now.
Anya shortly left Marie at the portal to the stables. The general wanted to shortly go to speak to a few members of her own unit who would not accompany them to Arkadia to specify their orders.
Marie entered the stables alone, leaving Risha just inside the gates as most of the horses still got restless in the wolf's close proximity.
The girl politely greeted the stables master. The man had gotten used to the blonde girl's frequent visits to the stables and all of his own seconds new to treat the commander's second and daughter with the respect due to her position.
Marie first stopped at the general's horse which had already looked over its stall and was neighing at her in greeting.
"Hi there, beautiful girl" Marie said with a smile, letting her fingers gently caress over the horse's soft nose. Behind her Skairasha was now also neighing to get her attention.
Marie laughed under her breath "Yes, yes, you both are really horribly jealous of each other" she said looking between both the commander's and the general's horses with an amused expression. She patted the general's horse one last time, before she indeed stepped over to Skairasha's box.
Marie climbed onto the railing and gazed inside. Skairasha's foal had grown visibly, but she knew that the foal still needed to grow a lot before it could be ridden the first time. She highly doubted that Skairasha would be the horse to take Lexa to Arkadia now as the foal still depended on its mother heavily.
She caressed over Skairasha's silky neck until Anya appeared behind her again and cleared her throat loudly.
"Do you think that my horse is healed now?" Marie turned towards Anya, casting a glance down the row of stalls where the mutated horse was also looking at her.
Anya exchanged a glance with the stables master. She did not feel well with the thought of letting Marie ride that wild beast for such a long journey. The girl did not have the chance yet to actually try and ride it. She also did not trust that the horse would indeed be tame. She knew that it had bitten a second of the stables who had lost two fingers now.
"The broken leg seems healed, but it would be better to let it rest for longer" the stables master thankfully said and Anya inclined her head in agreement.
Marie pulled a face "Wait, I am going to say goodbye at least" she hurried down the row of stalls without waiting for an answer.
She gave the dark horse a smile "You and I are going to ride once I am back, I promise" she said to the horse, reaching out and caressing the horse's head.
When Anya called for her though, Marie let her hand fall away again and quickly hurried to the general.
The stables master had chosen an experienced horse for Marie which had a patient and gentle character and would surely make no trouble for the girl.
Marie let the brown horse sniff at her fingers with a smile "Hello, girl" she greeted the animal kindly.
Anya leaned against the stall of her own horse, observing in silence how her daughter received a saddle and bridle from one of the seconds in the stables.
The girl knew how to ready a horse by now, but Anya still watched carefully.
"I know how to do that, Mum" Marie called over her shoulder feeling watched, but Anya just rolled her eyes mutely at the child talking back senselessly, not moving an inch.
Marie visibly had difficulties with getting the saddle positioned correctly on the horse's back as she was still rather small in comparison to the large animal.
Anya did not move to help her though, waiting patiently if the blonde girl would ask for help or not.
Marie preferred to do the task alone though, stepping back breathing slightly heavier long moments later. She was not sure if she really had fastened the saddle correctly or not, but she guessed that it would do.
Anya did not test if Marie had done everything correctly when Lexa entered the stables just in this moment, followed by a few guards carrying bags under Alira's instructions and fastening them to the horses they were directed to.
"Can you mount on your own?" Lexa asked once she stood beside her daughter, giving the girl's shoulder a gentle squeeze for a moment.
Marie immediately nodded; she had learned well by now on how to compensate her lacking height with momentum.
Lexa and Anya both mounted their own horses, not watching how Marie got up. So that both failed to notice that Marie's saddle was not fastened strongly to her mount and already moved under the child's strong force of her mounting.
Marie did not notice it either as the horse trampled beneath her a little, unsettled by the girl's abrupt movements.
Marie needed a few moments to shush the horse again, keeping a tight hold on the reigns until her mount had settled and was standing still as she wanted. She urged the horse to follow Lexa and Anya on theirs as both women steered their horses out of the stables.
Outside of the stables a group of warriors was already patiently waiting for their leader to command their departure from the capitol. Some the warriors were eyeing Risha sitting at the gates of the stables weirdly.
Marie clicked her tongue at the wolf, keeping the reigns very tightly, hoping that the horse she had been given would not shoo because of Risha.
She was lucky though and the brown horse indeed was docile and calm now. Marie patted its big neck in appreciation, steering her horse to come to a stop between Lexa and Anya. She smiled at both of her mums.
She was honestly excited that they would make the journey to Arkadia now.
Marie had never had to ride through the darkness of the night.
Marie quickly had to learn though that riding at daytime and riding through the night were indeed two very different things.
The whole group was riding very closely to each other and at a much slower pace than she was used to. Once the sun had set, they made a brief stop and Marie watched in interest how a few of the warriors – namely those who rode on the outer circle of their group – lightened torches.
"Those don't really help to see" Marie observed almost thoughtfully to her mums in a low tone.
Lexa shook her head, while Anya acknowledged in agreement "No, but they do keep some predators away".
"Oh" Marie exclaimed in slight surprise. She could barely make out Risha anymore. The wolf had decided to run in front of their group.
Some time later though Marie suddenly noticed how Risha sped up. She shouted to the wolf, but the animal was not slowing down and soon she could not see it any longer, vanishing between the trees of the forest they were about to enter.
Marie kicked the sides of her horse, wanting to rush behind Risha, but quickly Anya had reached out and pulled on the reigns of her daughter's horse.
"No, Marie" the general said in a decisive tone, not letting go of the reigns yet either.
"But Risha is not going to know where to find me" Marie argued in a sad tone, looking at Lexa and Anya with a pleading expression, although both of her mums most likely could not see that in the darkness around them.
"Risha is clever, little star" Lexa retorted, trying to appease their daughter "She will know the way back to Polis and otherwise she can find us later".
Marie frowned, feeling worry bubble in her mind. Of course, Risha did leave the tower alone as well, but Marie doubted that the wolf actually ran far from Polis.
Lexa on the other hand had little doubt that the wolf would find its way back to Marie. Risha was very deeply connected to her human after all.
The girl felt a sheen of unshed tears burn within her eyes and Marie was suddenly glad about the darkness around them, knowing that no one of the others would notice the way her grey eyes glistened with tears. She wanted to believe her mommy's faith in Risha's abilities, but she was really afraid that she had just lost her beloved pet. She knew of course that Risha was a fully-grown wolf now and that there would only be a few predators which could threaten the wolf, but she also feared that Risha could run into some hunters' trap. The people in Polis and TonDC had all known Risha by now and no one would have dared to harm the wolf, but what if Risha encountered a hunter from a small village who did not know about her?
Everything within Marie urged her to speed up her horse and try and catch up with Risha, although the wolf had now of course long disappeared in the darkness. But she also knew enough about this earth and the danger of their surroundings to understand why her mums were not allowing or even helping her to find the animal.
So, Marie instead took a few deep breaths, trying forcefully to stop her mind from picturing scenarios in which Risha would die somewhere in the woods before the morning, and instead focused on the rhythmical movements of the horse's back under her own body.
It did not take them much longer before they also reached the outskirts of a denser forest, forcing them to ride even slower as the horses carefully had to search for the way.
Marie felt both of her mums watching her from time to time, making sure that she was not struggling to hard with her horse. Now that the ground was uneven, Marie was indeed having difficulties to counter the horse's unexpected and at times abrupt movements.
"You can ride with me, Marie" Anya offered from her right side in a low tone, visibly having lesser difficulties with her own horse.
But Marie resolutely shook her head in the negative and straightened her shoulders. She could do this and she would show both her mums that she was skilled enough in riding now to not require assistance.
Marie had no idea for just how long they continued to ride through the night. Her legs were beginning to feel slightly numb. It had grown colder around them noticeably and she was also feeling her tiredness.
It was getting straining to keep her eyes open. Marie had had a fairly structured routine in the capitol and although they got up very early in the morning, Marie was always tired out by the time to go to sleep and now it was several hours past her usual bedtime.
Marie really hoped that they would be stopping for the night soon. She knew that they had packed a few smaller tents which would be suitable to make a small camp for the night. But Marie had also heard often enough that warriors often travelled through the nights without rest, to now not be sure if her mums had planned the same.
Marie was internally debating with herself if she should just ask her mums if they were going to make a stop for a few hours or maybe if they could make at least a small break. The small group of warriors which accompanied them were all deeply trusted and Marie doubted that they would think of her as weak if she asked for a break, but something was still keeping her from asking.
Thankfully, a few minutes later, as if Lexa had read her daughter's thoughts called the group to a stop. They had reached a small clearing which offered enough place to erect the few tents they had packed.
Marie let out a deeply relieved breath. She could barely wait to dismount and she really hoped that there would be enough furs in the saddlebags to make for a relatively soft bedding. But as tired as she felt right now, even the soft grass would probably be inviting to lie down.
The other warriors all immediately dismounted at the commander's signal and one also started to herd together the different horses.
Marie smiled down at Anya who waited next to her daughter's horse, swinging one of her legs above the saddle.
She let out a surprised and startled squeal as she suddenly felt the saddle give away under herself. Marie had not fastened the saddle strong enough and it had loosened even further as they had continued their journey.
Anya was standing on the other side of Marie's horse and although she tried to quickly reach out and keep a hold of the saddle and hopefully on Marie as well, but the slight thud which resonated a moment later belied her attention.
Marie gave a muffled scream as she landed on her backside in a heap together with the saddle next to the horse, which gave a neigh and trotted over to the rest of the horses.
"So much for you being able to saddle your horse alone" Anya commented rather drily, crossing her arms over her chest as she looked down on Marie with a raised brow.
Lexa reacted overly worried though, nearly rushing over to the blonde girl and quickly helping her up, asking if the girl had hurt herself and what had even happened.
Marie's cheeks were slightly reddish when she admitted in a low tone that Anya was right and the fall had been her own fault for not fastening the saddle well enough.
Lexa sighed under breath. They had all been rather lucky to not have made their trip during daytime and with a much higher speed. Marie's saddle would surely have gotten lose way sooner and a fall from a horse at a high speed could even end lethally.
Marie's face still had a reddish tint when she brushed off her trousers and bend down again, carrying over her saddle to the side of their soon-to-be makeshift camp.
Around them the other warriors had already fallen in long trained synchrony and while four people were busy erecting one tent after the other, two had set out to gather firewood, while another pair had vanished with a few waterskins to a stream they all knew to be near enough. They would not be on their journey long enough to have to hunt now.
Marie saw Gustus rummaging through a large bag, pulling out what appeared to be a few bundles. She recognized a moment later when Gustus removed the rags that this were food portions packed from the kitchens in Polis.
Lexa gave the girl a gentle shove in Gustus' direction, mutely telling her to assist the burly guard in distributing the food among their small group.
Marie obediently stepped over to Gustus, she rubbed her backside on the small way which was honestly still smarting from the impact. She yawned deeply when she opened her mouth to offer Gustus her help.
The man snorted slightly under his breath, shaking his head at the girl, but his dark eyes remained kind. "Here" he said to Marie with amusement underlying his tone, handing over a few pieces of bread and strips of dried meat.
Marie still walked a little funnily as she walked around and distributed the food among the warriors.
She came to a stop some time later next to the fire, sitting down between Lexa and Anya, giving both of her mums a tired smile. She had kept a piece of bread and a strip of meat for herself and took a bite from the bread first.
Marie watched in slight confusion as the three warriors which had been assorted the first guard shift seemed to spring to attention. Her confusion only rose when they let their weapons sink and it took Marie a moment longer to recognize Risha breaking through the underbush and stepping onto the clearing.
Her heart immediately felt lighter again at seeing her wolf again, alive and obviously unharmed. Marie blinked in surprise though when Risha directly came to her, sat down right in front of her and let something fall from her mouth.
Marie pulled a face of disgust when she recognized the slightly bloody body of a small rabbit.
Anya let out a laugh "Your wolf has brought you food" she commented.
"Eeewwwiiie….!" Marie exclaimed when Risha pushed the rabbit further in her direction with her nose.
The wolf seemed to watch her closely for a moment.
Marie was not really sure but to her it seemed as if Risha had just shrugged, before she began to rip the rabbit apart. She felt even more disgusted when a few splashes of blood landed on her trousers.
"I very well hope that you do not expect your wolf to sleep in our bed looking like this" Anya said critically, glancing at the wolf's bloody fur.
"But…" Marie wanted to argue as Risha always now slept at the foot of their bed.
Lexa interrupted the child though, having to agree with her general "You really have to wash the blood from her snout".
Marie nodded with a slight sigh. All she wanted now was to go to bed and sleep. She knew that it could not be too long before the sun would rise again and she doubted that they would stay long before their journey would continue.
Risha did not seem to find it too amusing though when Marie kneeled down in front of her with a moist rag and tried to clean the fur around her snout. The wolf continued to try and turn away her head, but thankfully at least remained sitting in front of her human.
Marie was really relieved when Lexa and Anya both had stopped their short meal and they could go to bed now. She tiredly let herself sink down on the furs between Lexa and Anya in the rather small tent they would use for this night.
She yawned deeply before she tiredly smiled at Anya over her shoulder. Her grey eyes were already starting to flutter shut "'night. Love you" she mumbled slightly hard to understand, before she turned a little and let her head fall against Lexa's shoulder.
The commander placed a soft kiss on the top of their daughter's head "Sleep well, our little star".