({[Rianna on the Run - Four]})
dedicated to Molly, the ego-deflater(as usual). ALSO, this chapter is dedicated to my brother, who's flamboyant personality was used for Aden's character.
Ria watched as the two men circled around each other, dagger in hand.
"Remind me," she said wryly to Stormsong, "How did I ever get into this?"
Stormsong poked her nose into Ria's hair as if to say, It isn't your fault. Ria smiled and patted her neck.
"You're going down, Aden!" Revean snarled.
"Not too soon, I hope," Aden replied pleasantly. "There's still some things left on my to-do list. My mother will be awfully angry if I don't wash those clothes."
His remark made the thieves laugh. Aden smiled broadly; Revean was even more furious. He lunged for Aden's chest; Aden pulled back swiftly. Revean was no fool- he kept his balance. They circled again.
This time it was Aden that lunged, to the side. Revean backed away, but Aden stayed close. He took more steps backward- Aden was on the offensive. Revean was cunning, however. He waited until Aden backed him up enough, then sprang forward, stabbing wherever he could. Aden ducked the blows, and tried to get up. Revean stabbed lower and lower; finally, Aden was forced to drop, and roll. Revean lunged on him, his dagger above Aden's throat. Ria's heart raced.
Thankfully, Aden managed to turn the standoff over, and they tussled on the ground. The dust made such a cloud, Ria couldn't really see what was happening, but she could discern two figures rolling around and around. It seemed no one had the advantage.
One figure finally wriggled out of the lock they had on each other, and sprang up. The other one got up more slowly. The first one lunged at the other, grabbing him around the neck, and holding the dagger against his arm. As the dust cleared, Ria was overjoyed to find Aden with the advantage. The bandits stood silently by as Aden carefully made a little cut with his blade on Revean's arm. A few drops of blood oozed out.
"I think this is first blood, eh?" Aden asked, dust-coated and grimy, white teeth flashing in his indomitable grin.
Revean grunted.
"I'll take that as a yes," Aden said. He let go of Revean. Aden walked over to Ria, and said, "Let's get going then." She nodded mutely, and she followed Aden as he walked out of camp. Looking behind, she saw a dusty Revean glaring at them with fury as they left.
Leading Stormsong, she caught up to him. "Not to be impolite or anything," she asked, "but where are we going now?"
"Well, I need a horse, don't I?" he asked cheerfully. "My
dratted horse is around here somewhere."
"You just left him?" Ria asked
incredously. "Without tying him?"
"Well, he doesn't ever wander too far. Plus, he always comes when I call," Aden tilted back his head and yelled, "CHINK!"
After a few seconds or so, she heard the trot of a horse. Turning around, she saw a brown gelding with a honey tail and mane come toward Aden, saddled and ready.
"There you are, old boy," Aden said affectionately. "Come on, Chink, we better get going."
"I can't believe you didn't tie him," Ria muttered. Aden didn't hear, or ignored, the comment.
He mounted skillfully, and Ria did the same. Following his horse, and not quite sure why, she looked around. They were approaching the end of the forest, the trees thinning out. No thief could lurk in waiting in the thin foliage. She was safe.
Now out of danger, all of her weariness came crashing down on her. She trotted to Aden's side.
"Um…when are we stopping?" she asked uncertainly.
"Soon, my rose," he said cheekily. "There's an inn in about a mile."
If Stormsong hadn't been as tired as her, Ria might've galloped the whole mile. Instead, they plodded like packmules to the inn, the Swift Centaur. The stables seemed clean and quiet, and rooms were cheap, so Aden pulled out a coin and gave it to the innkeeper. Ria tended to Stormsong, and followed Aden up to the room.
When he opened the door, Ria, so weary that she didn't care one iota about manners, walked over to the bed, fell down on it, and was instantly asleep.
"I'm sorry," she mumbled, when she realized she was just drifting off while Aden watched. Then sleep took her.
-0-0-0-
When she woke, there was a blanket covering her, and it was day. Had she really slept through a whole day- and night? She threw the covers off, and dressed in fresh breeches and tunic. Leaving the old ones on a chair, she walked downstairs tentatively. She had never been in an inn's bar, and she wasn't sure she wanted to.
Walking in, she was temporarily blinded by the fume and smoke. When she grew adjusted to it, she looked around. Rough men were drinking at the bar table, and other men were sitting at tables. Flirtatious maids flitted in between drunk men, offering drinks and blinking eyelashes furiously. Among the chaos, she found Aden, sitting at a table, reading a piece of parchment. She walked across the bar to him, and slipped into the chair across him. He looked up, and grinned.
"Sleeping Beauty finally awakens," he remarked. Ria ignored her annoyance.
"Did I really sleep the whole day?" she asked.
"Better believe it. You must have been pretty tired from your escapades," he said.
"Mmhmm," Ria said. "Um…I'm not sure how to say this. First, thanks for…"
"Rescuing you from the dragon's claws?" Aden supplied. Ria scowled.
"If you want to put it that way," she said shortly. "Now what are you going to do? I mean, am I going with you? No, I can't."
"So, in other words, you are a lost fawn, and are seeking guidance," Aden said loftily.
"I'm not a fawn," Ria said.
"But everything else applies to you. First, I'd like a little more information about my rescuee."
"Me?"
"Who else?"
Ria fidgeted. "What do you want to know?"
"Why the hell you were riding a horse through Revean's forest, who you are, where you're going, and what you came from," Aden said. "For starters."
"I was riding a horse through Revean's forest because I didn't know it was his," Ria said, feeling a bit ashamed. "My name is Annia, I'm going to Ayortha, and I came from…the city Nowhere, in the country Nopast."
"If you didn't know it was Revean's forest, you're just a tad oblivious," Aden said. "So why are you going to Ayortha?"
Ria was relieved he didn't pressure her further about her past. As for the name Annia…it had just been coined on the spot. But she rather liked it. "I'm going to Ayortha to visit my mother's friend. She runs an inn there. I need to get some information from her," Ria said. It was as close to the truth as she could get.
"How interesting," Aden said lightly. "We seem to be going in the same direction."
"You're going to Ayortha?" Ria asked, disbelief on her face. She was grateful to him for rescuing her, but…
"Of course!" Aden grinned.
"And when did you decide that?" Ria asked suspiciously.
"A few moments ago," he replied. Seeing that she was about to refuse him, he
added, "You do need protection, you know. There's a lot more trouble than
Revean, and your bow isn't going to save you."
"But why do you want to come with me?" she asked. "Hell, why did you even rescue me?"
"I rescued you because it's not often that I see Revean bested," Aden replied, a smile playing on his lips. "I wanted to enjoy it, and a girl who could do that deserves my attention."
"Deserves?" Ria muttered under her breath. Aden ignored her.
"I want to continue on with you because you're hiding things," he declared, still grinning. "And I love a good mystery."
"Shut up," Ria muttered.
"Why? I want to know more about you? I already know a few things. You know, observation is quite a handy tool."
"What do you know about me?" Ria asked, intrigued.
"Am I allowed to be your escort to Ayortha?" he asked.
"Yes," Ria said grudgingly. "Now what do you know about me?"
A secretive smile appeared on his face. "I'll tell you on the road."
Ria glared at him. "You son of-"
"Now, that's no way for a young lady to talk," Aden chided.
"Oh, stop talking to me like that," Ria cried,
exasperated.
"Like what?" he asked innocently.
"Like I'm a little child you can rebuke, and play with. How old are you, anyway? Not old enough to say things like that to me, I bet," she said.
"I am old enough to be wise, yet young enough to be foolish," he said cryptically.
"So in human years…" Ria replied sardonically.
"Fifteen, my primrose."
Ria gaped. Fifteen? That young, and already a journeyman, involved in fights…why, he was only one year older that her! Aden, for once, appeared annoyed, perhaps because he didn't like being judged by age.
"Well, you definitely can't talk to me like that then," Ria managed finally.
"Of course," he said. "But I still will."
Ria rolled her eyes. "You're only one year older than me,"
she said, letting loose another piece of information. "How are you so…free? I
mean, you're wandering with no apparent purpose…you have no duties? No family?"
"No duties, yes," he said. "But I do have family. I have their permission to
wander like this. I like my way of life for the time being. It suits me."
Ria was sure that she had more questions about him than he had about her, but Aden stood up and left a coin on the table.
"Now we must get going, right?" he said, grinning. "It's quite a long way to Ayortha, you know."
-0-0-0-
On the road again, Ria found out that Aden was quite skilled in things, apart from his fatherly- and infuriating- way of talking to her. He knew the exact road that would take them to Ayortha, and he managed to wangle more loaves out of a baker than Ria ever would have. He knew how to barter well- they walked away with five loaves for the price of two.
When they stopped for the night, Ria was again a complete amateur. She had to watch while Aden made the campfire, cooked the rabbits he caught, and made their campsite. Feeling it was the least she could do, Ria rubbed down Stormsong and Chink.
After eating, Ria sat back against a tree and started to daydream. Aden, on the other hand, had different plans.
"Interrogation time, my sweet," he said in that same pleasant tone he always used. "You thought you could escape it?"
Ria glared at him.
"Well, first off," he grinned, enjoying the experience, "What's a noble like you doing out on the road with no soldiers?"
Her glare deepened, if that was possible. "What makes you think that I'm a noble?" Ria asked.
"Ahh, you're too easy to guess, primrose. Look at your hands," he said. "They're callused from holding a bow, but besides that, they're soft, smooth, unbroken, and most importantly, rather pale. From being inside, I suppose. Since you know how to use a bow, however, you must be a noble of low rank. A merchant's daughter, perhaps?"
Ria was secretly relieved. Since he didn't suspect royalty knew how to handle bows, he assumed she was someone else. She would let him think that- there was no way now she could deny she was a noble.
"Yes, I'm a noble," Ria said grudgingly. "A merchant's daughter, from Frell." Ria thought that she should take on Ella's sort of life, it would suit her purposes admirably.
"Hmm. Yet, that still doesn't explain the out-on-a-rural-road-at-night part," he said thoughtfully. "You were running away?"
Ria rolled her eyes. "From finishing school," she said. After all, that was what Ella had done. "It was too boring."
Aden grinned. "And why to Ayortha?" he asked.
"I told you, my mother's friend is there. I need some information from her!" Ria cried, exasperated. Making up all these lies had worn her nerves.
"Plausible, plausible," Aden said.
"Shut up," Ria muttered. She crawled into her bedroll, and turned her back to him. She didn't want any more questions. Yet she could still his infuriating chuckle. Burying her head in her bedroll she went to sleep.
-0-0-0-
She woke up, as all the victims do, by an ogre poking at her. Her body tensed in terror, then relaxed. Thanks to her mother, she was fluent in their language, and could easily persuade them. Ria still vividly remembered her lessons in the menagerie, trying to control the captured ogres before they controlled her. Thankfully, there were always soldiers to stop her from going to near them. But after those years of practice, she was confident in her ability.
Then the idea occurred to her, and she looked at Aden with hidden glee. He was up, and looking warily at the ogre guarding him.
"Good morning," he said, yet without his usual smile. "Although this isn't a great wake up call."
"Noo," Ria agreed, "Not really."
"Well, I survive Revean to be eaten by ogres," Aden sighed. "This great life of mine."
"I should have stayed in finishing school," Ria grinned.
"Well," an ogre near her asked in Ogrese, "When are we going to eat them? I'm hungry!"
"And the horses," another ogre added, "Why did we keep them alive?"
"I think we should eat them now," one complained.
"No!" the tallest ogre commanded. He seemed to be the leader. "We should keep them all alive. Have you not forgotten? Tonight is the Feast. We're saving up. And if we move now, we might be able to catch more."
There was no arguments against his commands.
"I hope that meant 'let's go eat some veggies instead of them'," Aden commented wryly.
Ria just smiled secretively. She would save them, eventually. But first, she would let them have some fun with Aden. It was payback time. She dug an apple out of her saddlebag and started to eat it.
"Darling primrose," Aden said melodramatically. "This is the time to say I am madly in love with you and I hope that you reciprocate my undying allegi-"
Ria threw her apple at him. It bounced off his chest.
"I hope the ogres cook you first," she muttered.
-Alqualyne
Faeriegurl - Thanks for the constructive criticsm, it was really nice to get it. I don't know if I'll change the title- I might, but it's not really reviews I was after. However, I still might change the title, but the alternatives I have in mind are more idiotic-funny than anything else. This whole story was written for a friend of mine's birthday, so I just decided post it on here for fun. But keep on reviewing, I love getting criticism! But what did you mean about the 50-60 reviews thing? It confused me, my poor brain is a bit…idiotic. Clarify, please? Did you mean reviews are good? Or too many are bad?
Jamine- Aden and Terence…it sucks that they're just products of our imagination! If only they were real…
