Chapter 17
The sun was beginning to set just as the allied band reached the edge of Passage River. An ironic name considering it inhibited most from entering Elden Wood. It had been a long, continuous ride and unaccustomed to long travel, Ororo was more than a little sore. Her lack of sleep the previous night did not help at all either.
Jean still slept peacefully against Hank's shoulder behind her and had not shown any improvement. At least she hadn't shown any signs of getting worse. The only difference that her face, once distorted in intense concentration had relaxed and displayed a meek smile.
"I think here would be a good place to camp for the night. It will allow the horses to pass the river with renewed energy as well as ourselves. It wouldn't be wise to brave it in the dark."
They all agreed and one by one began dismounting. As Ororo went to dismount, her legs collapsed like rubber underneath her and she fell to the ground, her leg caught in the stirrup. The wind was knocked out of her and she cursed, the sky rumbled with thunder in the distance. Nathan came to aid, knowing how exhausted she was, and extended his hand.
"Are you alright, my lady?" She pushed his hand away.
"I am fine. I'm just… argh!" Frustrated, she smacked the ground with an open palm and winced as she did so, little rocks and sticks digging into her skin. "I need some time alone." She said softly, examining her sore palm.
"That may very well be but you're not going to get much if you remain sitting." He extended his hand again. In any other situation, he probably would've laughed at the sight of her but now being able to sense her emotions, he felt sympathy. The travel to Nymon was becoming strenuous with the previous night's incident. Obviously, her pride was wounded by only the fact she was too stubborn for her own good, constantly wrestling duty and emotion.
She scowled and accepted it and he jerked her to her feet, very similar to after their spar days ago. Unfortunately, she wasn't as spry as before and stumbled into him, her legs not cooperating. He caught her and steadied her. "Are you sure you're ok?"
"I have not traveled this extensively in ages, if that tells you anything." She said curtly. "I think I am going to go relax in the river." She began to hobble to the banks and turned around again to retrieve her bags on her horse, too angry to be embarrassed. "And I expect a fire when I get back."
Nathan just shook his head as he watched her leave in amused silence, not noticing Hank had stopped his horse next to the his side. "She may hold the title of Queen but 'princess' is more like it, eh?"
"Agreed." He chuckled. "Want help there?"
"I thought you would never ask. It's not often I'm this close to a beautiful lady for so long, but I say, I think the saddle has sprouted thorns and it is time to part." He eased the sleeping Jean over into Dayspring's waiting arms and she sighed. Nathan looked at Hank with a question of doubt, fearing he had damaged her and Hank waved it off as he dismounted. "I think she has finally entered sleep, rather than full unconsciousness. No worries."
As Hank rolled out Jean's bedroll, he couldn't help but notice that his friend was fascinated with the red haired woman. "You know, someone once said, 'Each has his past shut in him like the leaves of a book known to him by heart and his friends can only read the title." (1) Nathan looked at Hank, surprised at his friend's notions. "I would've thought it obvious. I've noticed you watching her since the start of the trip."
"Hank, it's not like that…"
Hank raised his hand to cut the king off. "You didn't let me finish. I know you're not enamored with our red-haired beauty so much as she reminds you of someone. You don't look at her the same as you did Aliyah…" he paused at the mention of the woman's name, watching the King wince, "but you give her the look almost a child would a…"
"Mother." Nathan finished.
"Exactly." Hank examined his friend's face, gauging if he should press the issue. Nathan remained silent as he set Jean down and covered her with a blanket.
Resigning, Nathan rose and scanned the area. "We need to find firewood. I'll tell you more as we walk." Hank jumped up and dusted himself off.
"What of Ororo?"
"I'll tell the others where she is. If just to keep them from intruding on her privacy."
"I would think it might only encourage them."
Nathan smiled. "Possibly, but I pity the arrogant bastard that even attempts it."
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Twenty meters upstream, Ororo found a calm inlet pool of water with enough brush to allow her to view the small shapes of her allies in the waning light but maintain her privacy behind fallen brush. She draped her clothes over a rock that still maintained the day's heat and dipped a toe in the water. It was icy as she expected and cringed. She summoned a gentle, warm wind and stirred the water with it, creating a small whirlpool in the area. After several minutes, she tested the water and satisfied, waded from shore.
She still shivered from the temperature. Although no longer icy, it was far from normal bathing temperature. She covered her nose and submerged herself underwater quickly to soak her hair. Re-emerging, the water tickled as it dripped down her neck as she rubbed her eyes. Opening them, she sensed a presence behind her on sure and turned, startled to see the shadow of a man on shore that strongly resembled… "Remy?" Her breath caught in her chest as she locked gaze with those piercing red eyes that burned into her. She rubbed her eyes again and the vision was gone.
Her heart sank and she scolded herself for being so tired. "Certainly there never was an elf more miserably silly than Ororo." She sighed.
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Nathaniel Essex watched Ororo from within the shelter of the trees. On his way to the Muir Cathedral, It was by chance he had discovered her bathing in the river and couldn't resist watching. She puzzled him, this captivating woman of light that had captured the heart of evil itself. He watched her with the apathy of time afforded only to a man such as him.
She had his back to him which gave him the opportunity to jump down and head towards the rock where she had rested her clothes. He doubted it possible but thought it a good idea to check amongst her belongings for any clue of their plans.
Upon picking up her clothes, her scent wafted up to his nostrils and filled his head, catching him off guard. He could sense the purity in spirit within her and as much as he longed to taste it, it disgusted him. "So innocent for one of her age and trials." He heard a splash and watched her emerge from the water, silver hair slicked back against her neck.
She turned quickly and made eye contact with him, stopping his breath. An awareness invaded him that she knew he was there. He heard her whisper Remy's name, full of doubt, and just as she went to rub her eyes, he dropped her clothes back on the rock and faded into the shadows.
He marveled at her capacity to sense him which could mean only one thing: Remy had tasted her blood. "Remy, you love-sick son of a bitch," he thought to himself as he pondered the possibilities. An elf as a vampire was a most intriguing idea to Essex especially one as powerful as the Queen of Elden. Now the questions he had to ponder were when Remy had tasted the Queen of Elden and how much he had drawn out of her.
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Hank stirred the fledgling fire, grateful for the warmth it provided. He was relieved to be out of the forest, for the most part. Tomorrow they would have to traverse through the remaining length of it but aimed to reach Nymon at sundown. His mind was milling about of all that Nathan had told him of his mom. He had long known what kind of woman she was and had heard the king describe her appearance but Dayspring had always been reluctant to talk in depth about her.
His eyes wandered from Nathan's worn out gaze in the fire to Roberto and Sam carrying on a jovial conversation. He overheard them discussing what the future held for them: DaCosta wishing to travel the sea again, Guthrie wishing to return to Elden. Evidently the blonde man was enamored with an elfin girl he had met and danced with at the party. It pained his heart to know that in all likelihood, both men would not make it through the war. Lord knew he feared for himself as well.
He observed Benjamin Russel who was leaned on a tree, scanning the horizon across the river. Although a quiet man, Benjamin was nothing less than frank when he did speak. Little was known about his past but he was more than loyal to his king and actually served more as a bodyguard than a subordinate.
He heard movement and a groan behind him and turned around to see Jean waking up. He jumped up from the ground to her side and helped support her up, the King and his soldiers right behind him.
Jean brought a hand up to her forehead and rubbed her left eye with her palm.
"My lady! Are you alright? Do you need anything?" he pressed.
She yawned, almost relaxed. "Water, please." She was groggy and exhausted from all of her mental work but grateful to be in order. Sam handed her a canteen that she guzzled unabashedly. Wiping her mouth with the back of the hand, she noticed a face missing from the ring around her. "Where's Ororo?"
"Nathan, please?" Hank asked of his King as he fussed around the recovered woman.
"Right." Nathan turned on his heels in the direction he saw Ororo head 20 minutes previously.
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Ororo floated on her back in the river, her body floating as free as driftwood. She thought she heard a voice and pulled her head out of the water to listen. After several seconds, she wrote it off again to her exhaustion but decided it was time to return to her companions. She began the trek back to shore and froze in her tracks, startled, as Nathan emerged from the brush, breathless.
"Ororo! Jean! She's a…." Their eyes locked and he couldn't help but stare at her curvy, mocha body glistening in the moonlight. "...wake," he finished embarrassed before realizing he should turn around.
Ororo barely took notice of his embarrassment and walked ashore to gather her things, sloppily throwing on her purple tunic and pants. As she adjusted her belt, she said, "Nathan, do not be embarrassed. I'm sure you have seen women before."
"Women, yes, my queen. A royal lady, no." He still kept his back to her, still unable to shake the image of her from his mind.
"Then I'm revealing a long kept secret: A title does not severely alter the anatomy, I'm afraid." She gently teased before heading to camp with a satisfied smirk on her face.
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author's note: I forgot to mention that I didn't put Remy's accent in the last chapter. I need to know if I should adapt the previous chapters to reflect no accent or replace the last ones with it. I personally like it, but I've been told it's taboo in fics. What do you think? Oh yeah, and I had to have SOMEONE walk in on a naked Ororo. It's mandatory, I thought.