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Chapter 5

It felt as though a week had passed since Levy felt the ground beneath her feet, even though it had only been one day. Her backside had become unbearably difficult to sit on and her arms ached from the strain of holding herself astride. Her robe did not allow for much freedom and so she had resigned herself to sitting side-saddle.

They were walking now in an unknown part of the forest, far south from her home. The trees were so thickly packed together she could not make out a single star in the sky.

Her riding partner sighed and adjusted himself behind her. She paid him no mind as he had not attempted to initiate a conversation, and she, too shy to. Since they had left FairyTail, she had plenty of time to wonder about the man popularly referred to as the Black Steel Dragon. She did not dare turn around, but his hands were in plain sight and fair game as far as she was concerned. Her first impression was of their size. They were most likely as big as her foot, if not bigger. Even though they were concealed in leather and armor, she couldn't help but think about what they would look like. Were they as tan as his face suggested? Her mind conjured many possibilities of what they would feel like too. She imagined them to be warm. Considering his profession, she wondered if he had any scars, or rather many scars. She concluded that if he did, she would like them.

She paused at the turn her thoughts were starting to take.

No, Levy. Very wrong, she chastised herself. He was a murderer and she was...his...prisoner? Unlikely because he needed her help.

Gajeel was the biggest imbecile he knew. It was a mistake to let the blue-headed watchman ride with him. He should have given her her own horse to ride, or better yet, let her ride with Juvia. He did not want to risk her running away, not when he was so close to figuring out his father's last words. He even abandoned his home in search of its meaning. His father, a clever bastard, had taken the time to inscribe his last words in the old language: runes. Such writing had long since been disused and knowledge of its translation rapidly disappeared. By the time he had come of age, it had all but completely vanished.

His chest filled with an old shame he had not thought about in many years. His father would be crushed if he ever knew of his actions.

He shook off the emotions and repositioned himself in the saddle. The blue-haired temptress was becoming too much for his senses. Every now and then, he leaned forward to catch the scent of her hair, wishing he could drown in it. She smelled like sunshine and almonds. A mouthwatering scent to say the least. From his vantage point, he had a clear view of her neck and shoulders. He liked to watch her musculature compensate for the rocking motion of Pantherlily, tightening and swaying. As the day turned to night, her movements had become more pronounced; she was tired. He let his mind wander to dangerous thoughts unsuitable due to the close proximity they shared. He glanced at her pert little bottom mere inches away. It would take hardly any force at all to pull her against him. He wondered if she was as soft as she appeared.

He released a pent up sigh of frustration, now having to reposition himself to accommodate an equally frustrated appendage of his. He sent a silent 'thank you' skyward for his concealing armor.

It seemed to Levy that he was equally as tired as she was. Her vow of silence was at the breaking point when she was painfully reminded of her growing need to relieve herself. She gnawed on her lower lip, weighing her options (truly, she had none). The brute behind her pulled the studded reins to halt his horse.

"Can we—?"

"We'll set camp here," he interrupted. Levy looked around them, unable to make out much of anything in the dark, but certain figures stood out, trees and horses namely.

One of his men had managed to light a few torches rather quickly and she was given a clear view of her surroundings. There was not much to the clearing, if it could even be called that. It was actually an area with fewer trees. An outcropping of rocks landmarked the furthest point of their settlement, they being the opposite end of a large oval.

The man behind her slid off the horse and started digging through one of the saddle packs. She did not wait for him to retrieve her. Instead, she slid off the same side and fell in a tiny heap. She misjudged the strength in her legs and winced at the new bruises. He hauled her up to her feet and took hold of her hands, clamping a metal bracelet around each of her delicate wrists, locking them. She eyed the cuffs and tested the strength of the chain linking her bondages together.

She raised a thin brow at him and asked, "Why do I need these?"

He had turned back to his horse and unsaddled the beast, shouldering the heavy tack and bags, still holding the long chain attached to her cuffs.

"Insurance," he stated emotionlessly.

So, Levy had been wrong to assume she wasn't a prisoner here.

He lead her across the clearing towards the outcrop of rocks until she stopped in her tracks, resisting to continue. He felt her stop and looked over his shoulder at her, seeing her bite her lip and cross her legs, it was almost comical the way she wiggled. And he almost smiled.

"What's the matter with ya?" he asked, a little too much venom in his tone causing her to grimace at him.

"I have to go," she stated simply.

Not comprehending her meaning, he continued dragging her along until she yanked on the chain with more force than he expected. He was becoming irritated with her defiance and a low growl boiled at the back of his throat. He turned to face her full on and she stood there, resolute.

"I have to GO," she emphasized.

Rolling his eyes at her when he finally understood, he dropped his gear to the ground at his feet. With his hand now free, he started to remove his plated gauntlets. His tan hands had become soft with heat from being trapped inside the leather for so long. He placed his pointer finger and thumb inside his mouth, just past his lower teeth, positioned in a 'C' formation. When he exhaled, a long winded whistle sounded, piercing the dark and sending a hush through the once busy men. There was a light jingling sound accompanied with the light clopping of hooves as the same horse she rode in on had heeded its master's call and stood next to her.

The armored man looped the long chain over the horse's neck and fastened the links together.

"To the river and back. Don't take long," he requested, addressing his horse.

She stared, incredulous at what he was implying.

"You're making the horse go with me?!" she hissed.

He eyed her with a teasing grin, "Would you rather I go with ya, Shorty?"

It was then she was reminded of the fact she was surrounded by gruff men, and this was his solution for privacy, albeit unorthodox. Her eyes fell to her feet in embarrassment as she shook her head 'no'.

He waved them away and the black horse complied, taking the female to their destination. He watched them as he gathered his gear from the ground. She constantly looked around, judging her environment.

"She is afraid," a weathered voice broke Gajeel's opportunity to stare.

Gajeel made a sound similar to a 'hmph'.

"She is alone and far from home. Juvia understands why she is afraid," she spoke softly, giving voice to her musings.

Gajeel was going to toss her a snide remark, but thought better of it. His female companion followed him when he moved to set his gear inside the little rock shelter.

His elfin watchman would soon return and for reasons unknown to him, Gajeel felt apprehensive about her seeing him still armed. He stripped the plates from himself and set them in an orderly fashion within the den, crouching to do so. He unrolled his bedding, eager for a recuperative rest.

"Gajeel?"

He looked up at his friend, slightly disturbed by the turmoil in her grimace.

"She...only knows kindness. The girl," Juvia unconsciously gestured in Levy's direction, "will not help you if you do not show her some compassion."

Juvia truly wanted to comfort the girl. She was brave to have lasted this long without breaking. To watch your home turned to ruin was a sight Juvia understood all too well.

Gajeel picked himself off the ground, rolling over the thoughts in his head.

Be kind?

He looked around their settlement as the scent of food wafted near them. Meat. He had not eaten anything substantial in a while, and a hot meal would set well with him. He would figure out kindness later.

Levy allowed the animal to lead her to the river. She was tense and constantly looking over her shoulder. She had the feeling she was being watched.

The horse was not much of a reassurance, but when they moved out of earshot of the camp, Levy unloaded her worries to the beast.

"I really hope everyone is safe," her voiced had cracked with longing when she thought about her town on fire. She had to keep reminding herself that is was only the buildings on fire and that the people were still safe. Her people were smart and trusted each other.

She eyed the animal, hoping for some kind of personable response, but she received none.

She heard the sound of trickling water and tripped over some object under her feet. Her foot came forward to catch herself and splashed into the shallow bank of a very wide river. It may have been dark, but the trees could not shade everything, and moonlight reflected off the water, illuminating her way.

She stepped further onto the bank, pulling her robe and bag up to keep from getting wet as she relieved herself. She bunched the fabric in her hands. Her stupid, cuffed hands.

That stupid dragon man was such an idiot. She could run if she wanted to. She reached inside the opening of her tunic when she finished and retrieved a pin Lucy had used to fasten a pleat. She picked the lock on the cuff, concentrating on the hooks and gears inside, pleased to hear the 'click' that sounded before it popped open. She repeated the action on the other cuff, quicker than the first, and dropped the offending iron in the icy water. The horse behind her whinnied threateningly and bucked.

Frightened by his reaction, she backed into the cold river, paying no notice to her now soaked clothes. The current pulled at her feet and she stumbled, regaining her footing on a lodged log. The rushing water now at hip level and she shivered.

The black animal tossed his head and reared at her, stomping along the bank, causing a ruckus.

"What's wrong with you, horse?!" she hollered.

A fleshy snake wrapped around her ankle and she shrieked, kicking at her feet to dislodge the creature.

The large animal on the bank charged the river and reared on his hind legs, coming down to herd the girl under him. Levy dove out of the way, displacing her feet from her log.

A stray kick to the back of her head turned her vision black, and she sunk into an unconscious stupor.