The leaves crunched under her boots as she tiptoed carefully through the small campsite, investigating. The fire was just barely burning and she didn't see anyone around. She took one more step when suddenly the blade of a sword was at her throat. Powerful arms gripped her and she could not get loose.
"Let me go!" She cried out.
"Teela?" came a shocked, familiar voice. The blade fell from her neck and she spun around angrily.
She gasped when she saw who was staring back at her. "Adam?"
"You shouldn't go snooping around like that Teela. I could have hurt you."
"Since when did you start carrying a sword around?"
"I needed some protection out here alone in the woods." He answered quickly.
She gave a smirk. "I guess my lessons have done some good after all." She said rubbing at her neck."
"Did I hurt you?" he asked with concern.
"Only my pride." She watched him toss the sword to the ground.
"What are you doing here Teela? I requested that I be left alone on this trip." He had a frustrated look on his face.
"I wanted to see if you were all right, but apparently you're doing just fine without me."
"I don't need you to follow me everywhere I go." He said flatly.
"Sometimes you do. Why weren't you in the camp when I arrived?"
"I went to get some water from the stream." He gestured to the pitcher that he had placed on the ground when he had attacked her from behind. "I didn't expect you to be here when I returned."
"I noticed. So you attacked me with a sword?"
"I didn't attack you. I was trying to frighten whoever was invading my territory, but I didn't realize it was you."
"I wasn't interested in your territory. I was interested in seeing if you were all right."
"Don't worry. I'm fine and I will be at the palace tomorrow afternoon for my lesson."
"I didn't come to remind you if that's what you think." She watched him walk toward the fire and add more logs. He set up a pot hanging over the fire and poured the water from the pitcher into it. He stood up.
"You came here to make sure you still have something to protect tomorrow. Your job will still be there tomorrow."
"Do you think I'm that cold?" he gave her a blank stare. "That I would only care about my job? Of course I care about it but that's not the only thing I care about!" she spun angrily on her heel and started away from his camp.
"Teela wait!" she didn't stop so he rushed after her. "I'm sorry. I don't think you are cold." He said grabbing her shoulders and spinning her around to face him.
"I come all the way out here to find you and you think I only care about my job."
"It's so important to you. So naturally I thought you were coming to make sure your charge was still around to protect."
"That's part of why I came but not completely."
"Then what's the other part?" The pale light of the fire flickered across her face as a look of uneasiness washed over her. He stared at her intently. He rarely saw the Captain of the Guard look confused or uneasy about something.
"I told you. I came to see if you were all right" She looked up at him. His face was barely visible in the darkness. "Are you?" He turned from her. For the first time in a while she felt real concern about him and not anger for his antics as she usually did. He had not been his usual happy-go-lucky self. "Adam, what's wrong? Lately you've been acting like another person. So angry and bitter and so elusive. You haven't been acting like the Adam I know."
He still would not look at her. She heard him let out a sigh. "What is the Adam you know like?" He finally turned to look at her.
"Well you know. Always lounging around. Fishing, sleeping. Very calm and passive. But you've been so angry lately. Why?"
"When your life is suddenly thrown into chaos, you don't act as you normally would."
"I don't understand."
He turned from her again. "Go back to the palace Teela. I appreciate your concern but I have things I have to sort out on my own for the time being."
"I'm not leaving until I know that one of my best friends is all right."
"You might be here a long time then."
"Why don't you just tell me what is bothering you? Maybe I can help?"
"No there is nothing you can do."
Suddenly it dawned on her. "It's your father isn't it?" He didn't move for a long time and then finally he nodded his head ever so slowly. "I won't push you to talk about it. It's actually none of my business, but maybe you should talk to him."
"Right now, I believe I am the LAST person he wants to see."
She walked around him so she could see his face. In the light of the fire she noticed the pain and hurt etched in his features. For once her hard exterior melted away and a look of great concern took its place.
"I'm sorry." She said simply.
He crossed his arms over his chest. "For what?" he said in almost a whisper.
"You've had things going on with your father. I didn't stop to notice and I haven't been a very good friend."
"Teela-"
"No, let me finish. I apologize for getting after you the other day about missing your lesson. I should have realized by your attitude and the tone of your voice that something was wrong and I didn't. And what's worse is...I insulted you. I realize I am very hard on you and I can often be mean. I do this because I only want you to be able to protect yourself. I won't be around forever to protect you."
"I hope you'll be around forever." He said softly. "What would I do without my best friend?" she cautiously looked up at him. His hurt eyes were now filled with concern and love. She smiled slowly.
"You'd be lost without me Prince Adam and probably even more lazy then you are now!" she laughed. For the first time in a long time, he laughed. "I should get back to the palace. I didn't even tell anyone that I left. Be careful out here and don't cut out anyone's throat with that sword of yours."
"I won't. Will you make it back to the palace all right?"
She gave him an insulted look. "Adam you do realize who you are talking to, don't you?"
"Of course, Teela, Captain of the Royal guard. But you're human and even you could get lost."
"I'll be fine. I'll see you back at the palace for your lesson at 2. Don't be late!" she called as she walked away.
Adam watched her leave, but as she disappeared so did the smile from his face. At least he and Teela had a small understanding. Somehow he believed that it wouldn't be so easy to smooth things over between his father and himself.
"Let me go!" She cried out.
"Teela?" came a shocked, familiar voice. The blade fell from her neck and she spun around angrily.
She gasped when she saw who was staring back at her. "Adam?"
"You shouldn't go snooping around like that Teela. I could have hurt you."
"Since when did you start carrying a sword around?"
"I needed some protection out here alone in the woods." He answered quickly.
She gave a smirk. "I guess my lessons have done some good after all." She said rubbing at her neck."
"Did I hurt you?" he asked with concern.
"Only my pride." She watched him toss the sword to the ground.
"What are you doing here Teela? I requested that I be left alone on this trip." He had a frustrated look on his face.
"I wanted to see if you were all right, but apparently you're doing just fine without me."
"I don't need you to follow me everywhere I go." He said flatly.
"Sometimes you do. Why weren't you in the camp when I arrived?"
"I went to get some water from the stream." He gestured to the pitcher that he had placed on the ground when he had attacked her from behind. "I didn't expect you to be here when I returned."
"I noticed. So you attacked me with a sword?"
"I didn't attack you. I was trying to frighten whoever was invading my territory, but I didn't realize it was you."
"I wasn't interested in your territory. I was interested in seeing if you were all right."
"Don't worry. I'm fine and I will be at the palace tomorrow afternoon for my lesson."
"I didn't come to remind you if that's what you think." She watched him walk toward the fire and add more logs. He set up a pot hanging over the fire and poured the water from the pitcher into it. He stood up.
"You came here to make sure you still have something to protect tomorrow. Your job will still be there tomorrow."
"Do you think I'm that cold?" he gave her a blank stare. "That I would only care about my job? Of course I care about it but that's not the only thing I care about!" she spun angrily on her heel and started away from his camp.
"Teela wait!" she didn't stop so he rushed after her. "I'm sorry. I don't think you are cold." He said grabbing her shoulders and spinning her around to face him.
"I come all the way out here to find you and you think I only care about my job."
"It's so important to you. So naturally I thought you were coming to make sure your charge was still around to protect."
"That's part of why I came but not completely."
"Then what's the other part?" The pale light of the fire flickered across her face as a look of uneasiness washed over her. He stared at her intently. He rarely saw the Captain of the Guard look confused or uneasy about something.
"I told you. I came to see if you were all right" She looked up at him. His face was barely visible in the darkness. "Are you?" He turned from her. For the first time in a while she felt real concern about him and not anger for his antics as she usually did. He had not been his usual happy-go-lucky self. "Adam, what's wrong? Lately you've been acting like another person. So angry and bitter and so elusive. You haven't been acting like the Adam I know."
He still would not look at her. She heard him let out a sigh. "What is the Adam you know like?" He finally turned to look at her.
"Well you know. Always lounging around. Fishing, sleeping. Very calm and passive. But you've been so angry lately. Why?"
"When your life is suddenly thrown into chaos, you don't act as you normally would."
"I don't understand."
He turned from her again. "Go back to the palace Teela. I appreciate your concern but I have things I have to sort out on my own for the time being."
"I'm not leaving until I know that one of my best friends is all right."
"You might be here a long time then."
"Why don't you just tell me what is bothering you? Maybe I can help?"
"No there is nothing you can do."
Suddenly it dawned on her. "It's your father isn't it?" He didn't move for a long time and then finally he nodded his head ever so slowly. "I won't push you to talk about it. It's actually none of my business, but maybe you should talk to him."
"Right now, I believe I am the LAST person he wants to see."
She walked around him so she could see his face. In the light of the fire she noticed the pain and hurt etched in his features. For once her hard exterior melted away and a look of great concern took its place.
"I'm sorry." She said simply.
He crossed his arms over his chest. "For what?" he said in almost a whisper.
"You've had things going on with your father. I didn't stop to notice and I haven't been a very good friend."
"Teela-"
"No, let me finish. I apologize for getting after you the other day about missing your lesson. I should have realized by your attitude and the tone of your voice that something was wrong and I didn't. And what's worse is...I insulted you. I realize I am very hard on you and I can often be mean. I do this because I only want you to be able to protect yourself. I won't be around forever to protect you."
"I hope you'll be around forever." He said softly. "What would I do without my best friend?" she cautiously looked up at him. His hurt eyes were now filled with concern and love. She smiled slowly.
"You'd be lost without me Prince Adam and probably even more lazy then you are now!" she laughed. For the first time in a long time, he laughed. "I should get back to the palace. I didn't even tell anyone that I left. Be careful out here and don't cut out anyone's throat with that sword of yours."
"I won't. Will you make it back to the palace all right?"
She gave him an insulted look. "Adam you do realize who you are talking to, don't you?"
"Of course, Teela, Captain of the Royal guard. But you're human and even you could get lost."
"I'll be fine. I'll see you back at the palace for your lesson at 2. Don't be late!" she called as she walked away.
Adam watched her leave, but as she disappeared so did the smile from his face. At least he and Teela had a small understanding. Somehow he believed that it wouldn't be so easy to smooth things over between his father and himself.