"Dear Gods," Ari barely managed to whisper before she began pounding on the walls of the carriage. "Stop!" she yelled. She was practically climbing over Arell's lap.
Arell was completely taken aback. "What on Earth are you doing, Arinja?!" he asked in a panic, trying to scoot out from under her.
Ari shoved the door of the carriage open and stumbled out while it was still attempting to stop. She regained her balance and hurried through the horses to the bush with the young boy. He was laying flat on his back behind it, with part of his body under it and his head exposed. He looked to be about nine or ten years old, with short brown hair and a dirty face. She quickly checked if he was breathing and felt for his pulse. Both seemed normal.
Arell hastily came up behind her. "Is that a child?" he asked, with a hint of concern in his voice. Ari nodded, gently checking the boy's arms and legs for wounds. She didn't find any and there were no blood marks on any of the clothing. Milli, Jannah, and a few guards stood behind Arell with confused expressions.
Ari studied the boy's face for a moment while thinking. Then, she pushed back his hair in several spots until she found a large, bruised bump on his head. He was attacked. Ari stood up shakily and turned to Arell. She whispered, "Take him with us. Quickly. This is a trap."
Arell's eyes widened, then narrowed in anger as he nodded and scooped the boy up as per her orders. As he headed back to the carriage, he warned the guards of the potential attack. Ari told her maids to hurry back into their carriage as she and Arell, holding the boy, did the same.
Mere moments after resuming their journey, an arrow pierced the back of their carriage and they heard war cries coming from outside. Arell clicked his tongue in annoyance, laying the boy down on the seat and leaping from the carriage. Ari leaned her head out the door, with the boy's head in her lap. She watched Arell pull a blindfold out from his belt and wrap it over his eyes before taking out his sword. Then he ran towards the war cries.
As worried as she was for his safety, she was also insanely curious as to why he put the blindfold on. Wouldn't it be easier to fight without it? It's not like murderous bandits were sparring partners. They wouldn't go easy on him because of the blindfold.
Ari bit at her lip nervously for several minutes until the yells began to subside into silence. She heard confident footsteps stride up to the open carriage and Arell stopped near the door, his sword dripping with blood.
"Are you okay?" he asked nonchalantly. The blindfold was still over his eyes.
Ari nodded, then realized that he couldn't see her and answered, "Yes. I'm fine. But--" Before she could finish, he pulled the arrow out of their wagon, then walked away towards the maids' carriage to check on them. Ari squinted her eyes at him. She had so many questions.
Vida rushed up to the royals' carriage door, sheathing her newly cleaned sword. She leaned to peek into the wagon and examine the princess while asking, "Were you hurt?"
Ari's whirling thoughts were interrupted but she shook her head in response. "Did any of the guards get injuries?" she asked, checking her own guard for wounds.
Vida exhaled and smiled weakly. "I didn't get any, but a few of the Othans received a few scratches." At Ari's worried look she quickly waved her hand in the air. "Nothing you need to help with, though! Just minor injuries. They'll live to tell the tale. YOU need to be more careful showing your experience as a physician..." Vida trailed off as Arell returned from the maid's carriage with Ronan now glued to his side.
Arell pulled off his blindfold as Vida bowed her head to each of the royals, then resumed her place on her horse. Arell turned to Ronan and told him, "Let's travel for two more hours, then make camp. I'd like to be far away from these mountains before we rest." He looked at the surrounding area in disdain, then climbed into the carriage as Ronan called for the caravan to begin moving yet again.
Arell positioned the unconscious boy between them comfortably, then sighed heavily. "I hate travelling," he mumbled under his breath.
A smile played on Ari's lips before it fumbled while she thought of how to ask him about the blindfold. She bit her lip, then straightened herself. "Are you, perhaps, afraid of blood?" she asked cautiously.
Arell's jaw tensed, though his nonchalant expression wasn't fazed. "Why do you ask?"
Ari shrugged casually, then decided to just go for it. "I was just wondering about the blindfold. I originally thought it was just for practice but you wore it again just now, so I was curious." She swallowed hard, trying to see if he was angry or not but it was SO hard to tell with this man. She couldn't read him at all!
He turned to look out the window, silent for a moment. His gaze was fixed onto something distant under his heavy lashes. Without turning back, he asked her in a low voice, "Have you ever killed anyone, princess?"
Ari's eyebrows furrowed, confused at the question. "Of course not," she answered simply.
Arell chuckled dryly. "Of course not," he repeated. Ari's stomach turned painfully at the bitterness in his voice. The setting sun was bathing him in an almost red glow that only emphasized the dark aura he was giving off. His head turned just enough for him to look at her from the corners of his eyes. For the first time since meeting Arell, Ari thought that he looked... extremely dangerous. "Should I describe it to you?" he asked, a corner of his lip turning up menacingly.
Ari shook her head quickly, trying not to show fear on her face.
"Hmm," he mock-laughed, then turned back towards the window.
Ari slowly let out the breath she had been holding under his gaze. Her heart was beating loudly in her ears as the caravan continued to ride away from the bloody massacre of bandits.
She thought, 'Maybe... this WAS the Demon of Otha...'