A/N – Wow, 25 chapters! This one is pretty short, but the next one is practically done already, so it won't take too long. Thanks! ~Emma~

Chapter 25

            Venitia and Dorian took a long while getting down the mountain; the day was ending as they reached the very bottom. Venitia was in a great deal of pain, and she only just made it.

            "General!" Dorian yelled. "The princess is safe!"

            The general was suddenly to be seen haring across the open space.

            "Your highness!" he said. There was a manic glint in his eye, and his face was flushed. "You're safe!" He then took notice of her wounds, as many soldiers looked on. "You are injured!" He looked behind him. "Where is the healer?" he screamed, making Venitia and the soldiers wince. A small, thin man hurried over, his arms full of bandages and ointments.

            "Heal the princess!" the general yelled, although the man was already working on Venitia.  "Everyone else, clear out!"

            Dorian lingered. He was extremely fatigued, but he still looked worried.

            "Go rest," Venitia said wearily to him, waving her hand as if to brush him away. He smiled and left.  The general stormed off to yell at the soldiers, who seemingly weren't doing anything wrong.

            "Here, your highness, move to the tent," the man said, helping Venitia up and walking her toward a large tent filled with beds and various bandages, ointments, balms, and such.  He bade her lie on a bed, and she carefully lifted her shirt only up her stomach so he could see the largest gash there.  The cooling ointments and the smell of the tent finally got to the princess, and she drifted off into sleep.

***

            Venitia woke to feeling very comfortable and painless. She opened her eyes, and there, sitting on the bedside table, was the bird.

            "You again," she said amusedly. The bird chirped happily. She giggled and moved onto her side so she could pet it. 

            "How are you feeling, darling?" a familiar voice said.

            Venitia flipped back over to come face to face with none other than her father.

            "Father!" she yelped, and threw her arms around him. His worried face broke into a smile.  She hugged him tight, but he hugged her gingerly, as if she would break.

            "I won't shatter, Father," she said jokingly.

            "I know you won't." Suddenly he became serious. "I heard what you did," he said.  Then he smiled. "I am so proud of you! My daughter, slaughtering evil creatures into a million pieces…I couldn't be happier."

            She laughed.  The bird chirped next to her again, and she turned around.

            "I want to know all about it," her father said, eyeing the bird with a smile.

So she began her long tale of the journey into the caverns, and then the music, and the fight, and finally of how she woke up on top of the mountain.

            "And that was the bird who was singing, Father! Not some ominous, doomed creature, but this magnificent bird! I also have the suspicion that he had something to do with my ending up on the mountain."

            "Of course he does," the king said. "Haven't I ever told you the story of the nehipox?"

            "Well, yes, but-"

            "And don't you remember the part when the nehipox pulls the boulder up out of the cave?" he said, referring to an old legend.

            "Yes, but- of course! It can lift heavy objects," she said, smacking her forehead. "I completely forgot!"

            Her father laughed. "How are your wounds?" he said, becoming more serious.

            "Much better, I'm not in any pain," she said, rather incredulously.

            They talked for awhile longer until the king sprung something on her.

            "I came here to take you home, darling," he said tentatively.

            "What? But I am doing so well!" she cried.

            "Your mother feels its best…besides, she's a wreck without you at home. And with getting wounded and all…she really needs you at home."

            Venitia sighed. "Alright," she said, somewhat disappointed. But what could she do? Her mother needed her…and anyways, that was kind of a nice feeling.

            Her father had already packed her things, and said they would leave at noon.

            "I reckon your mother may want to have a party when you return," he said to her as she showed him around.

            Venitia laughed. "Mother likes to have parties for everything."

            "Maybe she will invite your fellow soldiers. Would you like that?"

            Venitia caught a glimpse of Dorian. Maybe he would finally remove his helmet! she thought.

            "Yes, I would," she answered her father.  She made her way to Dorian.

            "Father, this is the man who saved me," she said. Dorian quickly stood up and bowed, and Venitia could tell he blushed.

            "She hardly needs saving, your majesty," Dorian said.

            The king laughed. "You're right there." He shook Dorian's hand.

            "You will no doubt be invited to the palace. I am sure the queen will want to share her gratitude as well," Aragorn said.

            Dorian's face hardened. "I assure you, I did nothing any other soldier would have done."

            Venitia felt her heart drop a little at this, but shook it off.

            Noon came quickly, and Venitia mounted her horse. With a quick good-bye to the soldiers, and a warm farewell to the still-anxious general, Venitia and her father set off for home.