Author's note: I'm baaaack! It sounds a little tacky, but what the hell. I wanted to get this chapter out to you as soon as possible, therefore some information in this chapter will slightly contradict earlier events(and I haven't proofread it yet)... I hope you enjoy it, and will forgive me for the long unofficial hiatus this story has been in. I've been going through four of the roughest and best years thus far, along with losing my inspiration for this story. But I'm back to feeling inspired and finally have some time to complete this story.
While writing this and the coming chapters, I will slightly alter some of the previous chapters, as well as proof-read them to the best of my ability (English is not my native language). I will publish these updated chapters as I publish a new chapter, and I will write at the top of those if a previous chapter has been updated. It might seem as a slow process, but I have some issues with some of the earlier storylines, that I need to fix, to be able to take the story in the direction I see it moving in. I greatly appreciate the comments and feedback I've gotten, I am trying to consider all your thoughts and ideas to the story. This was how I read fanfiction back in the day, and I would like to keep you who reads my story to feel like you're a part of the writing and creative process involved in storytelling.
No previous chapters have been updated thus far.
Happy reading.
-.-.-
THE LOCKET
Chapter 11
"Dauntless"
-.-.-
A breeze rustled through the treetops and travelled through the forest, bringing the last warmth of the day with it when it blew past the three travellers on their respective steeds.
Bella was riding on a beautiful coal black stallion, its coat nearly glistening in the setting sun making it appear to be shimmering, similarly to the way a disco ball would reflect the rays of light hitting its surface. She was instantly mesmerized by the animal when she'd laid eyes on it in one of the paddocks, and luckily the horse had seemed to like her back, since it had allowed her to ride it.
After their minor misunderstanding back at the town square, Edward had left her standing – well, rather leaning – against one of the barrels by the fountain, slack-jawed, and if she was being honest with herself, rather infatuated with the young man walking towards Emmett's cabin. She had needed a minute to gather herself and gain back the feeling in her legs, as his words echoed in her mind, before she followed his trace across the square to enter the small, yet cosy cabin. She had walked the distance with a bounce in her step, smugly noticing the scowls on the two crows who she'd overhead earlier by the well. Feeling bold, she'd turned slightly in their direction and sent them a boastful smirk as she winked, laughing silently to herself when they stumbled over each other, trying to avoid getting caught staring at her.
Emmett had been waiting for her in the cabin, handing her a fluffy towel and some toiletries and pointing her towards the small washroom at the back of the cabin and he smiled wistfully at her antics. He had seen their 'discussion' from the window and her strut across the distance from the fountain, her gait and behaviour like that of a peacock spreading its feathers to show off for the gallery. He could certainly see the why Edward was falling for this girl.
He had first seen the body of his old friend squatting in front of the booby trap, feeling relieved as he'd relaxed his hands from the hold he'd taken on the sword strapped on his bag. As he had laid eyes on the tiny person who'd fallen in the trap, he had never imagined she would turn out to be much stronger than she appeared.
Because she hadn't asked them to solve the mystery of the missing villagers, 'oh, no, no, she'd commanded them' he thought. He'd felt amused by their bantering and her bickering with Edward thus far, but her sudden change in demeanor, had pleasantly surprised him. She was fierce, and for the first time he had seen why she was the one they were betting on to get through this. It also helped, that she was adorably awkward and down to earth. 'Edward would be an idiot, if he screwed this up' he had thought.
Bella felt refreshed, relieved and light-spirited when she'd emerged from a long hot shower. The feeling of soap buds traveling over her skin as the grease, dirt and mud slipped its grip from her body, traveling down into the pool of water her feet stood in, had left her smiling as she'd revelated in the floral smells of the soaps she'd rubbed against every inch of her skin and through the many knots that had formed in her long brown hair. She was clean, and she couldn't for the life of her remember when a shower had last felt so good.
Emmett had met up with Edward in the tiny living area shortly after leaving a fresh change of clothes out for Bella. "What's the plan?" Edward had asked as he bent down to pick a couple of logs for the fireplace.
Emmett sat back in the worn armchair next to the window, his expression tense as he sighed. "We're traveling nearly 300 miles… Over half of those miles will be through steep climbs and dense forests. We'll need to bring an extra horse, which will slow us down significantly. It'll take at us at least five days to get to Jasper."
"We leave in the morning then?" It wasn't so much a question, as it was more the need to get Emmett's confirmation.
"Yeah, we do."
They heard her shuffle before she quietly cleared her throat. Their heads turned towards the sound, both of their expressions became surprised. She was standing in just a towel at the backside of the room.
She had heard the end of their talk, as she'd walked back towards the sitting area. Her grip on the fluffy towel tightened and she could feel the heat of her skin prickling as she blushed when she caught their attention.
"I can't find my clothes," she uttered and felt the blush spread from her face to her body.
Emmett had quickly turned from shocked to amused as he watched the reaction his friend had to the shy girl stuttering from the corner.
"Eh, you- wha…" Edward stuttered, as he struggled to keep his eyes from staring blatantly at her.
He was shocked to hear Emmett laugh, but couldn't bring himself to tear his gaze away from her. That is, until the big buffoon began talking.
"There a fresh change of clothes on the bed in the guestroom back there."
His body stiffened. That meant she would have been standing only a few feet away from that idiot, naked, with water running down her body, touching herself while he had brought her a fresh change of clothes. He saw red, and reluctantly turned his stare from the vision of Bella towards Emmett. He could feel the burn of his stare, as he clenched his teeth, feeling his jaw tighten. "You took her clothes while she was showering?!" he seethed.
"Yep." Emmett smacked his lips together to further pronounce the popping sound of the word. He was grinning widely, making his dimples appear to be deep holes embedded in his cheeks.
Edward couldn't see the charm in his smile. He couldn't for the life of him right now remember why he was friends with this buffoon. Hadn't he told him she was off limits?! His mind was reeling, and he had a tough time trying to formulate a response to the idiot's lack in judgement. Who the hell entered a bathroom while a strange girl was in the shower?!
"Uhh, okay," Bella broke his stupor with a small voice. He glanced at her quickly, not at all surprised to see her blushing, but surprised to see the blush had spread from where he usually got to enjoy it on her cheeks, to the top of her shoulders, down her neck and to the parts of her chest where her skin wasn't obstructed from his view by the towel. "I'll just be- eh, well… Yeah…" her voice trailed off, as she ducked her chin, trying to hide behind the veil of her hair. It dropped in long wet strands along her ivory skin, small water droplets dropping from the tips to her shoulders. She shivered and shuffled a bit, before she abruptly turned on her heels and nearly ran down the hall, back the way she'd come.
Edward was left dumbfounded by her hasty departure. He'd caught a glimpse of one of the droplets, as it had released its grip from the dark curls and had landed on the delicate skin of her collarbone, collecting in a tiny pool in the slight indentation by the base of her neck. He had felt his throat drying as his eyes had ventured down from the small pool, to the top of her chest. He had wondered how far down her blush truly spread, as he felt a spark ignite at the base of his spine. He'd vaguely registered when Emmett had stood up from his spot in the armchair, walking past him and out of the small cabin. He did however hear his small chuckle and stood straight from his position by the fireplace.
I'll kill the motherfucker, he thought and stomped after his old friend, intent on severing his head from the rest of his body.
-.-.-
It was empty in the small cabin after she'd finished dressing. She had taken the time alone to discover the secret nooks and crannies of Emmett's home. It was tiny, but cosy, with a sense of detail-perfecting she couldn't compare to the houses or apartments she'd left behind in her own world. Sure, they had had carving to adorn the interiors of their houses, but as she walked through hand carved wooden frames adorning each entrance to a new space of the cabin, or let her hand flow along the intricate carvings that embellished the wooden frames of every window, she was flooded with the sense that this form of craftmanship, came from a very different era than the one she had grown up in.
This sense of being out of place magnified, as she searched through the cabin for a source of electricity or any of the commodities she was familiar with but came up empty. The kitchen, which mostly resembled a pantry, lacked most of what she considered essential equipment. It was stacked with raw products, spices – some of which she'd never encountered before – and simple pre-processed food, such as flour and sugar, but she found no refrigerator, stove or sink. She truly felt misplaced.
She felt homesick and so out of her elements, as she walked through the small home and out the front door, into the square. But her feelings of dread were quickly replaced with humour as she caught the tail-end of the discussion transpiring between Emmett and Edward.
"-serious?! What were you trying to pull, huh?" Edward snarled.
"With the state your travels left her and – well, let's be honest – your clothes in, you were in serious need of an upgrade." Emmett smirked as he pointedly looked at his clothes. "Were you seriously expecting her to be able to travel – by horse, nonetheless – in just your dress shirt?"
Edward was momentarily stunned by his own lack of consideration. He had been so caught up in all the latest adventures, he'd barely remembered she'd had to borrow his clothes after the whole fever incident. "Shit, I-"
"Thank you, Captain Obvious." Emmett cut him off with a laugh. His demeanor turned serious and he looked straight into Edward's eyes as he said "I didn't see anything I shouldn't have… Although I heard plenty," he smirked. "Your girl has quite some lungs on her."
Edward was relieved by his disclosure and laughed quietly as he remembered his own discovery of Bella's less than stellar singing skills.
They were standing by the wall next to the baker's cabin. As she drew closer to their position, she could smell the baking of bread and her stomach rumbled loudly, warning the two men of her arrival.
Emmett turned towards her, his smile nearly severing the top of his head from the rest of his massive body. "I heard that," he exclaimed, laughing violently as he witnessed her blush spread. "You heard that too, right Stella? We need food woman, and you better bring it out now!" he called to someone hidden in the cabin behind them, before he turned back to Bella, lifting his left hand to gently run a finger along the bridge of her nose. "That really is an attractive colour on you." He turned around and stomped into the little cabin, screaming about needing meat as he was a growing boy.
Edward was smirking at his antics and turned to watch Bella, when he heard her laugh quietly next to him. "He's quite something…" she smiled and blushed even deeper when she caught him staring at her, a light burning in his eyes.
He stood there, looking at her, marvelling at this young woman before him. She was dressed in a white satin shirt with long sleeves that tightened around her wrists. Three buttons held the shirt together for modesty against her chest, and it was tucked into a pair of dark high waist fitted linen pants. She had tied a slim leather belt twice around her waist, holding the clothes tightly to her body, so she could move freely without fear of the shirt becoming untucked. It made her waist look tiny between the swell of her hips and bosom.
He cleared his throat and looked back in to her eyes. "You look…" he exhaled loudly and chanced a second glance down at her attire. "…stunning."
He felt a tightening in his chest as he watched her blush profusely and duck her head, trying to hide behind her hair once again. He couldn't have that. He stepped up to her, leaving behind the few feet that had distanced them earlier and lifted her chin up, so he could gaze in to the pools of chocolate she was trying to hide from him. "Don't hide from me, love. Please." It was barely a whisper, but he knew she'd heard him. He'd heard the quick intake of her breath and felt the warm air on his chin and neck when she slowly exhaled it, her eyes closing softly, her dark lashes fluttering against the pink of her cheeks. He licked his lips and closed the distance between them, closing his eyes as he neared her pouty crimson lips.
"I- ah, ehm…" she stuttered. She had turned her head away when she had seen him leaning in, resulting in his lips colliding momentarily with her jaw. She'd felt sparks shooting from the spot and the hairs on her arm had prickled. Luckily, she was saved from his inquisitive gaze, when Emmett barged out of the baker's cabin carrying a tray with chunks of meat on it.
"Food people!" he yelled and clapped Edward on the back on his way past them. "Let's eat, I'm starving."
Bella sighed in relief as she watched Emmett walk away. "We should really go eat," she muttered and felt the rumble in her stomach before it announced it self by loudly growling.
Edward was stuck stunned, looking at her and trying to figure out why she had suddenly drawn away from him. When he couldn't get her to meet his gaze he sighed quietly to himself and nodded. "Come," he said and turned to follow Emmett.
-.-.-
By the time that they'd caught up to Emmett sitting by a bonfire just on the outskirts of the town, he had already placed most of the meat on the grill rack hanging over the fire. The smell of cooking meat surrounded them, the soft rays of the late afternoon sun slipping through the treetops and illuminating the patches of green grass and wildflowers surrounding the little spot. A wooden table stood near the fire with a couple of different logs scattered around the area. Some had been carved into the shape of chairs, but most of them were simply just lying on the ground, as if they had been cut down right there as opposed to having been moved there intentionally. Bella didn't see any stumps, so she figured the logs must have been placed there for the villagers to sit on.
"Come on, baby doll," Emmett called from his perch next to the fire, his dimples evident of the giant smile he was throwing her way.
Bella smiled back at the huge man squatting next to the bonfire, shaking her head in amusement. "I'm coming dimples." She laughed as she neared the two men and positioned herself on one of the logs, with her back towards the fire. "What are we having?" She asked, as she tried to identify the pieces of meat grilling on the rack, momentarily wondering if she truly wished to know what they were having. The whole rabbit incident last night made her cringe slightly, and she hadn't been able to eat it, when all she could imagine was the furry face of Bugs Bunny as the two men had gulfed back the meat violently. Berries were just fine, if you asked her.
But the smell of the meat cooking was too tempting. She had lost some weight since this whole adventure had started, and she truly wondered how long she would be able to keep up with everything, if she kept refusing the proteins and only settled for a few measly berries and greens from the wild.
"Oh, you'll love this… We need to stock up on our energy for the next couple of days, so a measly little rabbit won't do for the three of us anymore." He grinned and looked mischievously down at the meat. "Oh no, baby doll... We're having Bambi tonight."
She knew she was supposed to be outraged by his revelation, but in all honesty, she really was starving and the meat he was cooking were as far from her imagination of a tiny deer grazing through the forest. And, as she convinced herself, she really did need the protein, so instead of admonishing him for killing Bambi's mother, she merely laughed wholeheartedly and nodded in agreement to his choice in dinner for them.
"What's going to happen now?" she asked, for the first time since her shower feeling the conviction in her voice. She knew they had a plan but hadn't the slightest cue as to what that entailed.
Emmett was picking at the meat, handing them the pieces that was done. "Here you go baby doll," he smiled at her, and handed her a tiny piece. The baker's wife had appeared with a couple of beverages and freshly baked bread, and Bella gladly accepted the lump the old lady handed to her.
"We leave first thing in the morning," Edward muttered from his perch in one of the carved chairs. "It's going to take us around a week to reach Camp Portus, and another two to three weeks to get to Carlisle."
She nodded and fiddled with her piece of meat, before tasting a small piece. It was slightly tougher than what she was used to, but it tasted almost fruity and she was once again reminded of how hungry she truly had become.
"We'll need to go through the northern pass to get to Jasper…" Emmett added. "The surrounding area is filled with guards patrolling the countryside, and we should honestly expect the worst for most of the trip. We're going through enemy land, and we'll need a liable reason to go through the pass once we reach it," he smirked and looked at Bella and Edward with a twinkle in his eyes. "Which remind me, did you decide on a cover story?"
The strained silence that followed his question pressed down unto all of them, and the spent the next couple of minutes eating their meat and bread without making eye contact.
Edward had been certain she'd been okay with his revelation in the town square earlier, but after his attempt to kiss her by the baker's cabin, he felt unsure if she even wanted him. He didn't normally feel insecure, but something about the brunette beauty sitting across from him, made him experience a range of emotions he had yet to encounter in his nearly 25 years.
"We'll be engaged," Bella stuttered suddenly and locked her gaze with Edward's surprised one. She held his stare for a long time before turning towards the smiling face of Emmett. "It'll be much more believable than us being related," she muttered. She felt weird even thinking about her and Edward being familiar in that sense, no, being engaged was the lesser of two evils, she thought. In reality, she was rejoicing at the opportunity to play house with him, even if it was just for the sake of their safety.
The sun had begun to set in the distance, the last warmth disappearing from the air surrounding them. Emmett had bid them goodnight after her declaration, and Edward had stared at her funnily, wondering what had suddenly caused the change between them.
"Come with me," he whispered as he stood and offered her his hand. He could see her gulp, right before she lifted her left hand to join his. He helped her up from her seat and kept a tight hold on her hand as he led her around the back of one of the cabins sitting at the edge of the town.
"How are you feeling?" He broke the silence, keeping a firm hold on her hand, not yet willing to release her and miss the sensation of warmth spreading up his right arm and into the rest of his body.
She looked up at him and was shocked to see his emerald eyes burning into hers. He looked worried and a frown was edged on his face. She tried to free her hand from his grasp, but his grip tightened as soon as he felt her hand slipping.
"What's going on princess?" he muttered. "Why this sudden distance? What's happened?"
They were walking along the edge of trees, coming to an opening between the forest to their left and the town to the right. An old wooden fence circled in front of them, keeping a border around a large meadow. At the centre of the paddock stood a couple of fruit trees and below them a chestnut mare was grazing peacefully in the setting sun.
Edward stopped and pulled Bella into his side, finally releasing his hold on her hand. In an effort to keep her from stepping back and so as not to lose the warmth spreading through his body whenever he touched her, he firmly planted both his hands on either side of her hips, drawing her even closer to him. "Please Bella…Talk to me," he whispered.
Her hands were fidgeting against his chest and she would have preferred to cover her face behind her hair, but she couldn't seem to slip away from his intense gaze. She sighed and closed her eyes, hoping to gain some distance from him but her body was reeling against her mind's wish for distance, moving slightly more into his body, feeling the heat radiating from him and straight into her own body. She felt electrified and her mind reeled with her body's betrayal for him.
"I just…" she uttered silently and sighed. He slipped his hand from its hold on her hip and encased her fidgeting hands with his, rubbing his thumb against the palm of her right hand. She startled slightly at the sensation of him caressing her in such a nurturing manner and opened her eyes, to find his own green ones staring at her with concern. "This is all just very… I don't know – unreal?" she posed it as a question but didn't really expect an answer from him. "I mean, you are real, and this whole thing-" she glanced around them, before returning to his gaze "-is obviously also real. Tara is very real and so are those boys from earlier. But a war? I mean, I've never even been in a fight, how am I supposed to participate in a war? I want to help, I really do." she almost whispered the last part. "But I don't see how…"
He briefly closed his eyes and leaned down so their foreheads touched, before commanding her to look at him. He waited until her gaze locked unto his and quietly whispered "This is real." He let his grip slip from her hands and lifted his own to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear, before continuing. "I can't imagine how scary it must have been for you so far, being ripped from your home and dumped into this mess of a world, but I really need you to listen to me about this, okay?" he questioned, his green eyes becoming darker.
She sighed and closed her eyes for a second, feeling relieved that he didn't call her out for being foolish. She knew she needed to wear her big girl panties from here on out, but the last day's false sense of security had left her mind in chaos and she'd began wishing for the comfort of her docile life back in Seattle, her only worries of her ability to pay next months rent or affording a muffin with her usual morning coffee.
"Isabella," he called and watched her eyes flutter open, meeting his. "Are you listening?"
"Yes," she whispered and steeled herself, letting her hands open against his firm chest feeling the rise and fall of his breathing beneath them.
"You are one of the bravest, hard-headed and compassionate persons that I've ever met." He paused and licked his lips. "That is qualities you not only need to have, but want to have, when you go to war. I've seen many men," he paused when a pained expression twisted his otherwise beautiful features, "turn into madmen, when faced with the hard times war bring. They succumb to the fear of failure before the fight is even over, and that kind of betrayal taints the soul. I've seen your soul princess," he smiled, and his eyes glimmered a beautiful bright green. "Seen you in the town today, the way you cared for that young girl, out-smarting even me with those trolls, Bella you are exactly who we've been searching for… Alice knew all along, I've seen it in the last week and soon the rest of our people will see you for what you truly are," he whispered, his face had inched closer to hers and she could feel the warmth of his breath as it breezed past her skin. "You are our saviour."
She gasped, and Edward weaved his right hand into the long dark curls at the back of her head, drawing her to him, eliminating the last couple of inches between them. His warm lips met hers and she sighed softly and melded her body into his hard one, feeling the comfort and warmth spreading through her body from where hers met his. Her lips were burning in the most amazing way, sending shivers down her spine and making her eyes flutter closed.
He'd felt her slump into him and had welcomed the sensations her soft pliable body had brought onto him. He'd felt his skin prickle and he slightly tightened the grasp he had on her dark roots, making her moan from the pleasure it sent through her body.
He had nearly missed the pleasure of hearing her soft moan, but once his mind registered the sound, he'd felt compelled to deepen their connection. He stood straight, bringing her body even closer to his and snaked his left hand from her hip to grip her around her waist, lifting her slightly off the ground.
She felt lightheaded and vaguely registered when he'd lifted her, but her mind quickly became occupied when she felt his tongue prodding at her bottom lip, begging for entrance.
The sound of a hoofs thundering closer and a soft nickering broke them from their kiss. Edward sighed and returned her safely to the ground before turning expectantly towards the dark muzzle that were inches away from the back of his head. "Well speaking of the devil, hello Daunty," he smiled and petted the horse behind him.
It was a beautiful raven stallion that stood on the other side of the fence, gazing at the two with soulful brown eyes.
"He's so beautiful," Bella muttered and gazed at the majestic creature as it let Edward continue to pet it behind its right ear.
"He really is, isn't he?" Edward smiled wistfully as he thought of another creature who could compete with the black beauty next to him. "You can pet him if you want, he doesn't bite, much" he laughed and reached for Bella, who had stepped back once she'd noticed the big steed standing right by their kissing faces.
Bella blanched and planted her heels in the ground. "He bites?!" she shrieked, but she should have known it wouldn't be futile to resist Edward. He was stronger than her, and easily pulled her towards the black stallion, as he laughed at her frightened expression.
"Don't worry princess," his smirk turned into a soft, reassuring smile as he pulled her up next to him. "He won't bite you."
She'd heard the underlying tones in his voice and for once she didn't miss his play on words, when he'd specified the 'her' part of the sentence. "But he bites others?" she asked, her trembling hand reaching out to softly pet the horse on its forehead.
"He's bitten people before, yes…" Edward murmured and continued in a sullen voice, "but those idiots had it coming."
"Why? What did they do?" Bella asked and found she couldn't stop touching the soft fur underneath her fingertips. It felt like silk and seemed so delicate as she watched a few strands of fur come loose when her hand passed by it.
Edward climbed over the fence and walked around the horse, his right hand flowing through the black and the ridge of it's back as he came to a stand next to it's bb. "Horses, and it seems that Dauntless here especially, have a sense that we humans must have left behind at some point. I guess you can compare it to that of our gut feelings," he said and smiled at her, before lightly clapping the animal softly. "They can see the good and bad in us, and they choose who to trust based on that… Well, evaluation for lack of a better word," he snickered. "That's how I knew he wouldn't bite you love."
Bella smiled softly up at the black beauty and marvelled at the depth she found in the brown eyes staring back at her. She felt like the wind was knocked gently out of her and she gasped softly before slowly leaning her forehead against Dauntless'. The horse knickered softly and she felt the warm air blow past her upper body, sending shivers down her body. The air had turned cold, the sun nearly gone from the sky and she welcomed the warmth the horse radiated as she stood there, her eyes closed, breathing in the smell of the magnificent creature before her, suddenly feeling a renewed sense of determination.
-.-.-
They had been riding for most of the day and had already left a good many miles behind them, according to Emmett, and Bella could feel the stiffness in her body settle in. They needed to take a break soon, but she feared that the two boys were dead set on riding through most of the evening and early night.
She was riding Dauntless, having been thrilled when Emmett had presented him to her this morning back at the village, letting her know that she would be riding the black beauty for most of their trip. Edward was riding the chestnut mare they'd seen the night before in the paddock, while Emmett rode a big spotted horse, reminding her of the cows she'd seen on the meat packaging back home. He had tied a much smaller horse, a pony she'd been told, to one of the rings on the back of his saddle, and the small guy was loaded with all the equipment they would need for their travels to Camp Portus. Initially she'd felt bad for the little guy, but Edward had assured her that the pony was practically as strong as Dauntless and could easily handle the weight of all their necessities.
"How are you feeling?"
Bella startled slightly and felt the movement of the horse tensing up beneath her, before she turned to look at Edward, who had halted the mares pace a bit to match that of Dauntless'. "I'm fine," she smiled at him and caressed the fine hairs at the base of the horse's neck, silently telling him she was okay. "Just a little tired, is all."
Edward nodded in response and softly kicked the mare, trotting to catch up with Emmett riding a few paces ahead of them.
She didn't hear the beginnings of the discussion that took place between them, but when Edward turned and gestured towards her, raising his voice, she gently nudged Dauntless into a slow trot, catching up with the two men in front.
"-unacceptable Emmett! She needs to rest, as do the horses." Edward was nearly spewing the words at his friend, his face and gaze locked on him with a passion she'd yet to see from him.
Emmett sighed and looked at Edward with an icy glare. "I honestly don't give a flying fuck about what she needs or don't need right now." He held up a hand to stop the rebuttal Edward tried to give and continued in a slightly softer tone. "We're still going through royal lands and we're not stopping until we make it to the campsite by Mount Calire. Or do you want to risk not only our lives, but everybody else's, by being a stubborn, and quite frankly stupid, lovesick puppy?"
Bella gasped loudly. The venom of Emmett's words shocked her to her core and she felt moisture gathering in the corner of her eyes. Both men swung their heads around, Edward's laced with concern and Emmett's expression turning bashful as he realized she had heard his words. She kept her head held high, even as she felt her stomach sink with the embarrassment of her tears, and insistently nudged the flanks of Dauntless with her shins, bringing him into a gallop, sidestepping the two men who'd come to a halt when they'd heard her gasp.
"Bella!" Edward called as he prepared to pursue her on his mare, only to be stopped by Emmett's right hand on his arm.
"Let her go Edward," he mumbled and looked at his old friend with a sad expression on his face. "You should let her cool off, you know… I'm sorry, I really didn't mean it as it must have sounded to her." He grimaced and looked towards the young woman still galloping ahead of them.
Edward looked contrite as he turned towards Emmett. It went against every inch of his being to ignore her, when she was this upset, and he'd frankly wanted to spew profanities at Emmett for his behaviour, but he knew where it was coming from, and once again he found himself more upset with his own lack foresight than with the hurt Emmett had caused his girl.
He sighed and clapped Emmett on his back. "I know what you meant Emmett, it's okay." Edward said and met the worried gaze of his old friend. "This trip would probably take us a hell of a lot longer if you weren't here to keep us in line…" he laughed quietly and was happy to see the understanding in his eyes. "We haven't exactly been good at sticking to the plan thus far, and honestly I'm more embarrassed with my own lack of determination as far as the plan goes. It's just that she…" Edward's voice drifted off as he looked towards Bella with a chagrined expression twisting his features.
"I understand," Emmett sighed dejectedly, and his blue eyes had turned a dark navy. His thoughts were far from there as he gazed into the distance and Edward felt a slight twinge in his stomach as he realized what had Emmett's expression turning sour.
"You haven't heard from her?" He questioned and sighed when Emmett returned to his gaze and slowly shook his head. "That's – I'm sorry, I truly am Emmett. We'll find a way to get word to her once we've got everything assembled back at the camp." He said with determination, before looking back towards Bella, seeing that she'd slowed her pace and were now going at a slow trot. "But I need to make sure that she's all right," he sighed and looked longingly in her direction.
"You should probably give her some space, man," Emmett grinned, but knew it would probably be futile to point out at this point. Had their situations been reversed, then nothing would have been able to keep him from storming in her direction.
"I know," he sighed and looked briefly towards him. "But there's this need in me to -" he stumbled on the words, trying to find the right way to explain the tugging he felt whenever she was too far away from him. "I have to go to her," he stated in earnest, before abruptly kicking his shins into the mare, making her nicker in aggravation as she bolted into a gallop, catching up to the brunette ahead of them.
"Don't say I didn't warn you then," Emmett yelled, as Edward galloped towards Bella. He laughed quietly to himself and clapped the pinto underneath him. "He's a total goner, huh boy?" The horse neighed softly and stomped its feet impatiently, but Emmett just shook his head, the laugh still running off his tongue as he nudged the horse to begin moving slowly to catch up to the two riders ahead of him.
Bella was huffing slightly, dread and embarrassment coursing through her body. She had acted like a petulant child, and she honestly wondered what had happened to that level-headed, easy going woman, she prided herself on being. Ever since she'd been dumped into this mess, she'd been short-tempered, hot-headed and uncharacteristically emotional.
She had truly come to despise this alternate version of herself.
She heard the thunder of hooves before Edward's worried voice drifted past her from behind.
"Isabella?"
She sighed loudly, initially wanting to ignore him and stew for a little longer, but she quickly realised that would only serve to further redeem her crazy behaviour lately. Instead she squared her shoulders and turned slightly to look at him as he rode closer, slowing down to stay securely by her side. "I'm fine, Edward," she smiled softly as to reassure him of the truth behind her words.
He was silent for a long time, his eyes searching her face trying to find evidence that she was hiding her true feelings or if she was lying to him. He'd caught a brief glimpse of sadness in her eyes, before she'd turned away from his probing eyes. That wouldn't do, he decided and brought a trembling hand to touch her on the shoulder, silently commanding her to meet his gaze.
She'd been glad for the small opportunity to gather her wits before she once again met his searching eyes, and she looked at him, her brown eyes set in stone as she repeated the sentiment to him once again, willing him to at least believe that she wished to leave the matter alone. She could always return to the feelings of hurt she'd felt once she was alone and didn't have to be concerned with keeping up her strong front to appease Edward.
"Love, you don't have to pretend…" His voice trailed off, as she shot him a menacing glare, effectively ending his sentence prematurely.
The fire in her eyes, when she'd glared back at him, was mesmerizing. He couldn't seem to tear his gaze from her and he felt a surge of satisfaction rolling over his body as he memorized the look for further exploration in the future. He did, however, sense he shouldn't press the matter further, and decided Emmett had better apologize to her himself, since he wasn't risking her wrath by disobeying her wishes.
He nodded, but kept his eyes locked on hers, not yet ready to lose the sight of her sitting proud on Dauntless, her proud determination shining through every inch of her body, but strongest in her chocolate eyes. The sight brought immense satisfaction to him and he felt electricity run through every nerve in his body, making him come alive.
She finally broke their connection as she slumped slightly in the saddle and turned to look ahead of them, seeing the edge of a forest coming closer in the distance. "You never did tell me why he bit those men…" Bella wondered and looked briefly back towards Edward, hoping to change the subject. When he looked at her in confusion, she gently leaned forward to scratch the black stallion behind its left ear, a low rumble coming from the creature beneath her.
Edward instantly grieved the loss of their connection and it took him a couple of moments to catch on to what she was asking him, but when he did connect the dots, the image of the proud stallion and Alice's smug face entered his mind and he laughed quietly to himself, before responding to her. "You see, Dauntless here was quite the mishap back at the King's Stable. His mother was one of the King's prized race horses and no one in the stable or the King's Guard knew she was with foal, until Alice happened to one day pass by the paddock where she was foaling."
Bella marveled at the carefree and happy expression on Edward's face, his emerald eyes dancing with mirth as he was clearly seeing something from another time in his mind. She prompted him to continue with the story by slightly nodding her head, giving him an encouraging smile.
"The King was furious when he found out about the foal… Poor Alice nearly had a heart attack when she found out from the Queen, that the King wanted the foal euthanized."
"Oh no," Bella gasped loudly, her hand coming to rest in front of her mouth as her wide eyes looked towards Edward's.
"Relax, love," he grinned. "He's obviously fine." His smug smirk garnered an exasperated glare from her in return and he leaned his head back before laughing at her miffed expression.
"Real funny, Edward. Hardy-ha-ha." She tried to hide her smile, but was unsuccessful when she noticed the glimmer in his eyes and the satisfactory smirk twisting his handsome face into looking younger and much more carefree than it appeared just minutes earlier. "What happened then?"
His smirked turned into a solemn smile, as he recalled the next part of the story. "Well, when the veterinarian showed up at the stables, Alice had a fit. The little bugger went apeshit crazy on some of the Guards by the stable, trying to stop them from making it to him." Edward gestured to the stallion, as it nickered in response, almost like it knew what they were talking about. "One of the bastards smacked her, hard, and Dauntless just went crazy after that. He bit the vet and the stable boy that was holding him and barged right into the Guard who had hit Alice, sending him a few feet into the air."
The proud stallion threw its head back and stomped its hind leg into the ground, almost throwing Bella out of the saddle, as she lunged upwards from the movement. "Whoa boy," she muttered and ran her fingers through the fine hair at the base of his neck, feeling the horse beneath her relax and continue ahead.
"That there," Edward smiled and gestured to the black stallion, "is one of the proudest and most intelligent horses I've ever had the pleasure of working with. He's the perfect warhorse and I'm willing to bet on my mother's life, that he'll do whatever he can to keep you as safe as possible."
"How can you be so sure of that?" She wondered and looked quizzically at him.
Edward smiled and looked at her in earnest. "I already told you princess… He's seen your soul and has decided to trust you."
Bella smiled and looked at the horse underneath her with a newfound respect and admiration. "I like you too," she leaned forward and whispered into its ear, before she leaned back into the saddle, feeling the calming motion of the working muscles beneath her seat and she felt just a tiny bit safer, as they rode ahead, the bridge of trees nearly within their reach.
-.-.-