Karigan glanced around the group she travelled with as Zachary called a stop for the night. To an outsider, they would look like nothing more than a small contingent of soldiers riding with a Green Rider, but a closer look would reveal that there was more to the story. For one, Karigan's Green Rider uniform hung loosely from her body, a clear indicator of the weight she had lost during her journey through Blackveil. Zachary, too, was thinner than he had been though he had managed to obtain a militia uniform that fit him relatively well. In fact, it seemed to accent the muscles he had already begun to regain due to his rigorous conditioning along the road. He had insisted on practicing his sword work nearly every day, and Karigan enjoyed the opportunity to watch the way his body moved lithely through the familiar forms. She kept her observations discrete, but Zachary still seemed to know she watched. In fact, she began to suspect that he was showing off for her.
Though Zachary appeared relatively comfortable in the silver and black militia uniform, the same could not be said for three other members of their group. Three of Zachary's Weapons, Donal, Fastion, and a newer recruit named Phillipe, all travelled with them. They had wanted a larger group of Weapons, but Zachary had been insistent that they keep their numbers small, pointing out that they did not look like normal militia soldiers and too many would attract unwanted attention. Karigan had to admit that he was right. The other soldiers they travelled with gave the Weapons a wide berth, as if afraid of them. Karigan could not blame the soldiers—the Weapons came by their name honestly, and they were quite foreboding even without their normal black leather.
As the soldiers went about setting up camp for the night, Zachary slipped away into the nearby forest with his Weapons. Karigan knew he was going to train. She followed at a discrete distance, taking a seat on a nearby boulder where she could watch hidden by the trees. Zachary was fighting Donal on the current day, and she watched as the two touched off with their blades before falling effortlessly into the dance of the sword. Karigan lost herself in watching them until a wry voice interrupted.
"I suppose I should have expected to find you here." Karigan nearly fell off the rock in surprise, and she turned to see Fastion watching her with a small smile.
"I was just. . ." She trailed off, unsure of what excuse to give.
"Enjoying the scenery?" Fastion suggested. He sounded much too smug for Karigan's liking. She had not realized Weapons were able to make jokes.
"Aren't you supposed to be watching the king?"
"I think you're doing a fine job of that," he teased. Karigan flushed but said nothing, unwilling to give him more ammunition. Instead, she turned pointedly away from him. She sensed Fastion still beside her, and after a few moments, a niggling worry at the back of her mind caused her to turn back to him.
"Fastion, has anyone else said anything?" she questioned. He did not have to ask what she meant. Canting his head to the side, he considered the question, the teasing glint leaving his eyes.
"I doubt it would be noticed by anyone not familiar with both of you. The differences have been subtle, but I have definitely noticed that both of you have been much happier since your return from Blackveil. And you have not been improper, but you have been. . . closer than usual. It's subtle and certainly not something most would notice, but Black Shields are not most people."
"They also have the utmost discretion," Zachary remarked, stepping up behind them. Karigan turned to see him standing nearby, a sheen of sweat covering his face. He had removed the militia jacket for his practice, and the tunic he wore clung to his damp skin in a very distracting manner.
"Of course," Fastion said.
Zachary stepped forward, grabbing Karigan's hand. He obviously noted the tenseness in her body, for he smiled. "Trust me, Karigan, there have been far more scandalous secrets that the Black Shields have kept for the royal family over the years."
"Truthfully, Sire, we feel that it's about time," Phillipe offered. Fastion shot a dark glare his way, but Zachary simply laughed.
"Then I suppose we are in accord." He tugged on Karigan's hand.
"What are you doing?" she questioned, stumbling to her feet.
"I thought it was time for a change of sparring partners." His eyes twinkled as he grinned at her. She protested immediately.
"Zachary, I don't have a practice sword."
"We can use real blades."
"Standard practice for swordmasters," Fastion added, smirking.
Karigan gaped at the king. "You're a master?
"Of the third level." He chuckled. "I wanted to pursue the fourth level when I was younger and was most upset that they would not let a king also be a Weapon."
"I knew you were good, but I never thought. . ."
"Mm, it is not something I advertise. I have always felt that it best that my enemies do not know how well I can protect myself. And alas, the responsibilities of a kingdom often leave me little time for practice. It is why I am endeavoring to practice as much as I can now."
"Shouldn't you be practicing with one of them then?" Karigan questioned, gesturing to the silent Weapons who were watching the whole exchange. All kept their faces impassive, but she was pretty sure she detected a hint of mirth in their eyes. "I am nowhere near the level of a master. I will not be a challenge at all."
"I think you underestimate your abilities. And sometimes, it is nice to practice with someone who is not a master. I have found that they tend to be less predictable." His brown eyes were wide and pleading, and Karigan found herself unable to resist his entreaties.
"Fine. But I still do not like the idea of practicing with real blades."
"Just be mindful of the edge. It's rather sharp." His smile was unrepentant, and Karigan glared at him before following him to the clearing where he and Donal had been fighting. They touched blades to begin the bout. Still wary of the edged blade, Karigan moved slower than she normally did when practicing, and the king responded in kind, meeting her blows with ones far less powerful than he had been using during his fight with Donal. After a moment, he shook his head, lowering his blade. "I know you are stronger than that, Karigan," he told her firmly. "Do not worry about me. Practice as you would normally." Karigan bit her lip and nodded. The second time, when they touched their blades, she attacked with far more force than she had used at first. A smile spread over Zachary's face as he countered the attack, but it quickly turned into a look of concentration as he worked to keep up with her attack.
An hour later, they finally ended the bout. Karigan rested on her sword, breathing heavily. Zachary was very good. If they had been fighting for real, she would have been dead at least a dozen times. However, despite the fact that he was obviously much better than her, he never showed any signs of frustration or impatience. He proved to be a very patient teacher, walking her through what she did wrong every time he sent her sword flying or managed to land a kill point. And under his tutelage, she did feel that she was getting better. He seemed to concur, for he smiled at her as he put away his sword. "You did quite well, especially at the end," he told her.
"I'm still nowhere near as good as you."
He shrugged. "I've had many years of practice. I do not doubt that if you are motivated, you could one day be even better than me."
She let those words settle for a moment before coming to a decision. "What would I have to do? If I were motivated, that is."
He cocked an eyebrow, grinning. "I should have known the spirit of competition would inspire you."
She glared at him. "You are right. There are trying times coming. This kingdom needs a strong king and a strong queen. And I want to be able to protect you."
Zachary chuckled at her vehemence, pulling her close and pressing a kiss to her temple. Her heart fluttered at the contact. Since they were travelling with others, they had needed to be careful about their interactions. He had not kissed her since they had left the Kmaern's village, even on the hand. In addition, Karigan found she missed his comforting warmth while she had slept. It was ironic, she thought, that in some ways, she actually preferred travelling through Blackveil to their current journey, if only because no one expected them to act as king and Green Rider. "I will talk to Drent when we return. He may be tough, but he is the best Arms Master there is."
"I heard he only trains future Weapons."
"I think he will make an exception for you." She raised an eyebrow, and he chuckled again. "You impressed him when you trained with him before you left. Or at least, you got as close to impressing him as anyone can with Drent." She glanced at him skeptically, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw Donal nod in agreement with Zachary's assessment.
"Okay," she agreed.
"Good. Now, we should probably get back to the camp before the others finish all the food." He smiled, kissing her hand before dropping it. She let him leave the forest first, his Weapons following in the shadows. After a few minutes, she followed, emerging from the trees near her tent. Since she was the only female in the group, she did have the benefit of her own tent, but it was rather small and simple. Not that Karigan minded. She did not need anything ornate.
As usual, Karigan ate dinner by herself. Most of the militia seemed to feel that Green Riders were somehow inferior to them, so they generally ignored her. The few that had tried to talk to her seemed more interested in the fact that she was the only female in the group than in Karigan herself, and she had ended all those conversations quickly. She realized after that why there were no women in the militia. She could not imagine being surrounded by such rampant testosterone every day for months at a time. Karigan missed her fellow Riders. She was greatly looking forward to reaching Corsa and not just because she was eager to see her family. There was a large company who would meet them there, including three Green Riders.
Karigan had the second guard shift that night. However, she found it difficult to sleep, and after a good deal of time spent tossing and turning, she decided to relieve the first shift soldier early. Quietly, she crept out of her tent, grabbing her saber and her saddlebag as she made her way to the west side of the camp where she was assigned. She had taken to carrying the bag with her wherever she went, for she had an uneasy feeling about letting the dark moonstone out of her sight. Sometimes, however, she wished that she did not feel such a strong sense of duty to protect the moonstone. Though she had not taken it out of the saddlebag since placing it there before leaving the wall, it still seemed to leave a queasy feeling in her stomach whenever it was close, a feeling that was getting worse the further they travelled from Blackveil. Surprisingly, no one else but Zachary seemed to be affected, or, if they were, they had not said anything. Zachary had promised they would have their scholars study it once they reached Sacor City, and Karigan could not help but feel that time would not come soon enough.
Karigan sent a grateful soldier back to his tent and took up her position on a convenient rock, letting her eyes adjust to the dim light from the moon and stars as she surveyed the area around her. So far, the journey had been uneventful, and Karigan doubted that would change. They were a group of well-trained soldiers. Few would dare attack them.
"Care for some company?" a familiar voice questioned.
Karigan turned to see Zachary standing a few paces behind her, a small smile on his face. "You are supposed to be sleeping, Majesty," she told him, eyebrows raised.
"Zachary," he corrected. "We are far enough away from the camp that no one will hear us." Without waiting for permission, he stepped closer and took a seat beside her on the boulder. He sat so close that their thighs were pressed together, and Karigan glanced around nervously. If anyone walked up to them, their relationship would no longer be a secret. "Donal and Fastion will keep them away," Zachary said, grabbing one of her hands and pressing it to his lips.
"Still, we should not take chances."
"And I will leave soon enough. But first." He leaned forward, surprising Karigan. She soon sank into his kiss, whimpering slightly. His hands dropped to her sides, pulling her close. Karigan's own hands clutched at air for a moment before finding their place on his back and in his hair. Suddenly, he pulled away, his breathing heavy. His eyes searched the area for a moment before landing on the bag by her feet. He took a deep breath, pressing his lips in a tight line. "The dark stone is in there, isn't it?" he questioned. His words sounded almost pained.
"Yes. What's wrong?"
"I don't know." His brow furrowed, and he swallowed hard. He backed away from her, still breathing deeply. After a minute or so, he finally relaxed. "Sorry. I do not know what came over me."
"Do you think it's the stone?"
"Maybe. Why do you have it with you?"
"I don't really know. I just didn't feel safe leaving it behind."
"It seems to be getting stronger." Karigan nodded in agreement.
"Should we check it?" she asked. "I haven't taken it out at all yet." He looked even less happy with the idea than Karigan felt, but he did nod. She reached for the pack, watching him carefully. His normally tanned skin had a sickly pallor she did not like. "Are you sure?" she questioned.
"I'm fine," he said shortly. She opened her mouth to object, but he stopped her with a look that told her arguing would be useless. Swallowing hard, Karigan reached into the pack. Her fingers closed over the fabric of the tunic she had wrapped the dark moonstone in, and she felt her stomach turn threateningly. She forced the nausea back, reaching a second hand in as well to get a firmer grip on the stone. Pain shot across her forehead, as if someone were pounding on the inside of her skull. However, she managed to pull out the stone, letting the tunic fall away as she did so. It seemed to pulse with energy, and she could feel the waves of it washing over her. It shook her like the concussion from an explosion, and her vision swam. Blinking, she forced herself to focus on the stone. It looked darker than before, as if more clouds had gathered inside it. Of course, Karigan's mind could easily be playing tricks on her.
Retching caused her to turn her attention back to Zachary. He seemed unable to fight back the nausea as she had. His eyes were glassy and unfocused, and he was heaving violently. Karigan watched in horror as he started to slip sideways. Footsteps suddenly sounded behind them, and Fastion's voice cut through the ringing in her head. "Put it away!" he commanded, catching the king before he crumpled off the boulder where he was sitting. The words spurred her into action, and Karigan quickly shoved the stone back into her pack. Once it was again safely stowed, Zachary finally stopped vomiting though he was still pale and shaky. He was blinking slowly, leaning heavily against Fastion's hands. "What was that?" Fastion demanded.
"We don't know," Karigan told him, her eyes on Zachary. A bit of color had come back to his face, but he still looked unhealthy.
"Well, whatever it was, I would recommend keeping it as far away from him as possible."
"I'm fine." Zachary's voice was weak but still defiant. Reaching up, he wiped the back of his mouth with his sleeve, grimacing. "Embarrassed but fine."
"Sire, that object -"
"Is much safer in Karigan's hands than anywhere else," Zachary said, cutting him off. Karigan was happy to hear that he sounded much more like himself. "But I do agree that perhaps I should not try to examine it more closely until we learn more about it." He closed his eyes, taking a deep, steadying breath. "I apologize. It appears I was not as unaffected as I hoped."
"Are you alright?"
He gave a weak smile. "Yes. At least, I am now. But I should probably get back to my tent now. I cannot imagine that I am all that pleasant to be around in my current state." He glanced down at his soiled clothing.
"I don't mind."
"I do. I will see you in the morning." Karigan watched him go, noting how Fastion and Donal hovered closely, obviously still concerned for his health. She glanced back at her pack once he had left, frowning. She was not sure how the stone caused the effects it did, but she was beginning to think that they could not figure out what it was fast enough.