Odd, there were no bandits breaking in...
She looked at Amilia who gave her head a shake then reached for a candle and lit it. With that, Lina let the spell dissolve and asked "So we aren't under attack then?"
Amilia shook her head and replied "No, I just remembered!"
After a few seconds Lina asked "Yes?"
"Oh, sorry. Okay, um well, we've been really busy with negotiations with Elemikia lately so when a letter arrived from Gracia a few weeks ago I didn't get to see it, and I had forgotten it arrived. See, she does occasionally write home, giving us spotty updates and usually asking for money. Not often, once or twice a year, if we are lucky."
Lina gave a little gasp. "How is she?"
Amilia replied "Fine as far as I can tell, I just remembered daddy gave me a few highlights. She'd been cocking a snook at Martina of all people over there in Zoana it seems, and now she was wandering through to Elemikia and wanted money. The point is, she named a drop off spot in Zefielia! I can't remember where, near the city somewhere. Lina, she'll only be getting there now! We can do this! The border is a whole quarter of a mile north of here, and we can get to your home town in a few days! And with no servants around to know we've gone, we could sneak over and back without anyone knowing! Oh Lina! Let's! Let's do it! I haven't seen her since she left, and I don't know why she's hiding but, I want to, no, I need to see her again, and so do you!"
Lina did a big double and even triple take. "You're kidding right? Or you are still asleep! That's it."
No, I'm not Lina." said Amilia with a bit of a frown. "I've got this one chance to go see her and it may never come again for years, if at all, I'm going. If you want to stop me I suppose you can, but I think I'll hate you for the rest of my life. And after having such a blessed time with you I'd be crushed. Look, if it's Luna you fear we'll do our best to stay out of her way, at any rate, with me around she might not do so much to you, and you are an adult now, maybe you'll get along better. Just don't mention girl love in front of her, tell her about Gourry, and she might be happy."
"Stop you? Luna? I was worried about me meeting Naga again..." said Lina, a bit confused. She thought a minute. "Yeah, you are right, I need to see her and so should you, so if this is our only chance we better go for it. But, gee, sneaking the heir apparent to Seirune across the border, what if something happens?"
"Er, well, we'll go as two ordinary girls okay? Don't wear your sorceress costume, and we'll wear some durable travel wear and go from there. Heck let's see, we can be, what works in Zefielia? Two friends traveling to see the country?"
Lina thought. "Well, I have an aunt in the north of the country, we could be two cousins traveling to visit family. Yeah, that'd work. Okay, we need to disguise ourselves a bit..."
"OH! Wait, I know... ha, ha, my big sister La La is getting married in the north! And I was working on your farm, Lu Lu, just the other side of the boarder in Zefielia, so, we don't even need much of a story for your accent which is a bit non Zefielian. And we are friends, and your folks said you could go with me as my guest to the wedding! There, now we have the same story, and with a bit of plain clothes and wearing our hair different, we might just do it! Only, just don't forget everything the instant you see Naga, er, Gracia and glomb onto her in public or something, okay?"
"Hey, you worry too much, Li Li!" chuckled Amilia. She then laughed out loud and fell back on the bed. "Mr. Gourry's going to be so mad if this gets out!" she said.
Lina laughed and said "Well, let's get back to sleep, we'll get ready and set out in the morning."
Amilia gave a little content sigh. "Lina?" she asked.
"What?" was the reply.
"Will you kiss me goodnight, Lina?" Amilia asked.
There was a quick movement and Lina's face was in front of hers. "Are you really that insatiable, Amilia?" Lina asked.
"Yes!" said Amilia with a needing look on her face.
"Good!" said Lina gleefully as she kissed Amilia deeply and erotically.
It was awhile before the girls actually got back to sleep.
------------------------
As a result , morning came just in time for lunch, so they did that as breakfast and got dressed quickly. They knew that if they didn't they'd not get away that day at all. So, it was just passed noon when they set out. In less than half an hour they were over the border and into Lina country, as Amilia kept calling it, despite Lina's protests and threats.
They trudged north on the road, occasionally passing people such as farmers in carts or leading livestock. There was a postal courrier once, and someone just riding for pleasure too, but no one bothered the girls or seemed to take unusual notice of them, unless having several friendly strangers wish you a good afternoon constituted some bizzare form of Zefielian harassment...
Anyway, they put a good amount of miles on that day and had hunkered down for the evening in a little inn. All in all it had been a good day, they had rented a room with one big bed, to make it look like they were being frugal with their money.
And the cover story was perfect too, not that many people asked, and those that did, even the nosey inn keeper, were just making conversation. Amilia was welcomed with a warm smile to Zefielia, being as she was aknowledged to be a Seirunian, and she turned on the charm and gushed about how Zefielia was so nice. Lina was afraid she might have to kick her at some point, but Amilia did remember to restrain herself a bit, and in the end it was pulled off nicely.
After a good meal they settled to bed, asking for an early wake up call. Lina promptly threw herself on the floor to Amilia's amazement and disapointment. But Lina explained "We can't take the chance we might say or do something in our sleep, Lu Lu. If we were overheard someone might be suspicious. Yeah, most likely they'd do nothing, but some prude might say something to the local Shirrif, and then we'd have to answer harder questions. And tempting as it is, if we fight them, you can kiss meeting Naga goodby. To be honest, I think our best bet is to try and sneak up on her."
Amilia nodded. "You are probably right, but, oh, this will be so hard."
"Well, it was your idea." said Lina with a smile that suggested she too would love to lie next to her friend.
Amilia, after losing the ensuing argument about who should take the floor, made Lina take some of the quilts that were in a closet and use them as padding. They then settled down and drifted off to sleep.
The wake up call came soon enough, maybe even too soon, but it had to be. Up, dressed, a stolen kiss, and then to breakfast, and the open road again. "So, we'll be in Zefielia city later this afternoon." said Lina. "Where was the drop off point?"
"In a woodland somewhere." Amilia answered.
"Oh, okay." said Lina. As I remember, there is only one woods, to the north of town, almost more like a park really. Should be no problem finding it then. I just hope she'll be there. Or we will wait for all those weeks for nothing."
"If you like, we could go see Luna..." said Amilia a little tentatively.
"Well, not today, but we'll see..." said Lina quietly.
They walked on the rest of the day and as suppertime hit with a vengence they entered the outskirts of the city. They found a likely place to eat and settled down to a nice supper. They planned to spend the night out in the woods, just in case. It was about half way through the meal one of the regulars called to a waitress "Hey, where's Luna tonight? I haven't seen her all day?"
Lina just about jumped out of her seat. Amilia shushed her as discretely as she could. "Don't blow your cover..."
Lina got a grip but still waited with baited breath for the answer. Fortunately, the girl called back "She's been on assignment. Won't be back till later I'm afraid. No, I don't know what the assignment is. Anyway, you saying that we aren't good enough for you?" There were general guffaws and some teasing and loud laughter, and things returned to normal. More or less.
Amilia couldn't resist asking the waitress if this was the restaurant where the famous "Knight of Ceified" worked. Lina wished she could kick her under the table, but, in the end they seemed to get away with it as the girl was eager enough to babble on about Luna and her exploits.
But the tables turned a bit when the waitress explained that her last exploit had been to backhand an unruly customer in the face for trying to get free drinks with a hideous laugh that almost cleared the tavern. Both girls started at that. A few questions and the waitress voulnteered all too willingly that it had been a tall, dark haired woman in a bizzar and revealing costume. But the kicker was that Luna had forgotten about the ring she wore since her father had died two years ago, and here Lina almost lost it, but managed to just barely hang tight. Anyway, the upshot was that the woman had been cut by the ring, and Luna was feeling really bad, especially as the woman had fainted, apparently at the site of blood.
Needless to say, after a doctor had said she wasn't hurt, she had been escorted without ceremony out of the building, and left to revive on her own. A while later and she was gone.
Finally, the waitress left on her duties too, and Lina and Amilia just stared at each other. They ate quickly and said nothing, paid, and left for the woods.They were out of town and on their way before Lina could no longer hold it in. She suddenly doubled over, tears of grief streaming down her face. "Daddy.." she sobbed.
Amilia took her into a big hug and lead her off the road. There she cuddled her distraught friend and tried to comfort her. Lina cried a long time, then finally said. "First Naga, there is no doubt she is here now. Then I have to see Luna, and mommy..."