Chapter Five
Lily's horse had bolted when the boar appeared, leaving Garthan's steed as their only means back to the castle. With a single, almost graceful motion, Garthan swept her into his arms and carried her over to his mount. She pulled herself onto the saddle, moving back to make room for him and freeing up the stirrup. He swung up in front of her and she wrapped her arms around his waist. As he nudged his horse into motion, she rested her head on his back.
For a few minutes she just sat there, enjoying the closeness. Then she became aware of the scent surrounding her… a mix of allspice, ginger, and a hint of something herbal. Whatever its origin, she felt almost drunk with it, closing her eyes, and inhaling deeply. Then her eyes snapped open as she realized what it really was.
That's his scent. His emotional scent. Oh, sweet Danu… we are heart-bonded!
Smiling brightly, she leaned around his shoulder and looked up at him. He had a similarly intoxicated expression… she imagined it was because he could pick up her emotional scent, too.
"I suppose that we should introduce ourselves," she said, a lilt of humor in her voice. "You probably don't want to address me as 'Boar Bait' around the castle."
He laughed, a rich, deep sound that sent bolts of warmth all through her. He turned a bit in the saddle to look at her, "If I did, you'd have to call me 'Boar-slayer'."
"I might do that anyway," she said, laughing herself. "My name is Lily. Lily Deganna."
"Garthan Miriso," he replied, giving her an almost bashful smile.
Lily Deganna Miriso… I like the sound of that…
The ride back to the castle was both nerve-wracking and exhilarating.
Lily kept up a stream of pleasant chatter, which he had to admit was more interesting and engaging than any he had ever participated in before. She had a rather snarky sense of humor, which dovetailed nicely into his own. Once she'd broken the ice by calling herself 'Boar Bait', he'd found her to be incredibly easy to talk to. He'd probably said more words to her in the past ten minutes than he'd said to any other woman in a social setting for the entire year combined.
This was no court flower. While raised as a lady, and certainly possessing the manners of one, she also had an intriguing earthy quality to her. Her hobbies were similar to his; horseback riding, reading, philosophy, and (delightfully), sports. Apparently, the girls of her town formed impromptu teams and played various sports from Above and Below. She particularly enjoyed soccer, but also played broom hockey and raced horses for fun. She enjoyed music and dancing as much as any other lady of the Goblin Kingdom.
Well… at least I can carry a tune even if I do dance like a plank of wood.
He quickly discovered that unlike the other butterflies that visited during Spring Equinox, she had come out of a desire to see other sights and not necessarily to hunt for a husband. She described the slow pace of life in her home village, and her desire to see more of the Kingdom and meet new people. She spoke of her family with affection, particularly her older brother, and recounted a few funny stories about their childhood. Her presence here in Caladh was her mother's idea, not hers… but she'd agreed to go, if only for the change of scenery.
She was also skillful in drawing him out of his shell. Somehow, he found himself telling her about how he'd met Randel and the King, back when they were all children, touched briefly on their guerilla operations in the Great War, and vignettes about the founding of the Kingdom and building it to what it was today. He recounted some of the more amusing stories of their attendance at Ardalon court functions, his impressions of the Fae and the general direction that the Kingdom was going.
While they chatted, he noticed something… interesting. Like most other ladies, she wore a floral perfume with notes of roses to it. Overpowering that, however, was a scent of warm vanilla, sweet cream, and cherry blossoms. It was the most amazing scent he'd ever experienced, and it was all he could do not to pull her in front of him and bury his nose in her neck.
All too soon, they'd reached the castle. After helping her down from his horse, he swept her back into his arms and carried her to the Healer's chambers. She laid her head on his shoulder, seemingly content to let him do this. Melina gave him a startled look when he'd carried Lily in, but a quick explanation got the venerable Healer moving to unwrap the offending ankle. She complimented Garthan on how well he'd immobilized it and quickly got to work. He probably should have taken his leave at that point… but he just couldn't.
She's going to need help getting to her chambers…
He tried to ignore the amused looks Melina was giving him as she Healed the ankle. She recommended that Lily retire and elevate the ankle for the time being, wrapping it with an herbal poultice Melina provided. In the morning, the pain should have resolved enough that Lily could use her own Healing magic to repair the rest.
"My Lord, she probably shouldn't put weight on this ankle until tomorrow. I don't suppose I could prevail upon you to see her to her chamber?" asked Melina, a twinkle in her eye.
"Of course," he answered, the tips of his ears turning pink.
And so, he did. He carried her back to the room she shared with her friend, helped her to the bed (blushing furiously as he did so) and piled some pillows at the foot so she could elevate her ankle. He prepared the poultice (a foul-smelling concoction, to be sure) and wrapped it gently. Then, having no further excuse to remain in her presence, he took his leave, her promise to see him on the morrow ringing in his ears.
