Princess Jade, Clementine and I stared at the wagon. The left wheel had bowed under the pressure snapping the axel in two, this wasn't an easy fix, out here in the middle of nowhere.
For the first time ever, Clementine wasn't in a sparkling dress tailored to her, she was wearing a rough brown cotton that had been stained at the bottom from getting dragged across the dirty path. She was still stunning even though her hair was frizzy and unbound. Many of the warriors were caught staring at her, Clementine normally just smirked back their way. She had more confidence than I could ever dream of having.
Princess Jade still wore her normal attire. Red silk dresses that matched the color of her eyes. Her black hair remained smooth and without even the slightest sign of frizz. The warriors never glanced at her, despite her clear beauty. Out of respect and possibly a drop of fear, the princess did look deadly.
I wore one of the two dresses I owned. We had yet to stop by a creek big enough to wash clothes in, only hand sized streams for the horses to drink from. So, the state of my dress was undesirable, I had been in far worse for wear making me grateful that at least I wasn't back in the prison cell. My curly black hair was just as wild if not wilder than Clementine's. Green eyes dull from the lack of sleep I've been receiving.
I was too scared that I would wake everyone up with my night terrors or visions. We have been on the road to the land on the others side of The Outer Wall for three days now. The scenery was to die for, and Clementine said she had heard stories about how magnificent The Outer Wall is.
If it was prettier than this, then I couldn't wait to see it. It was hard to remember that at the end of this journey we all would be put to work saving warriors, warriors that were fighting for Ouizwells safety.
We traveled with a small group of men, I would roughly say around thirteen horseback riding, armor wearing, weapon carrying men. To say it was a little intimidation would an understatement.
"I'm sorry for the inconvenience lady's but it looks like you will have to carry on horseback." Jade glanced around, her back straight and head held high, I assumed she was raised this way, she rarely relaxed, I had learned that much with the close quarters we shared these past three days.
"There are no extra horses." She comments looking confused, I knew that these men meant we would need to join them atop their own horses.
"Absolutely not." She shook her head as she caught onto what the man was implying.
I spotted Haldis making his way to us, concern lacing his brows at the state of the wagon. He had been searching for a stream ahead of us. "What happened?"
"Axel broke." The previous man explained pointing to the wheel that had turned in on itself, the wagon lopped to the side awkwardly. When it had happened it nearly plopped me into Clementines lap.
"Well horse back then." He said turning his attention to us, his striking appearance taking in our unraveled attire.
It was hard to believe that this man stayed in my room on the floor for a few weeks. He was so big and so assertive that he seemed unfae. What was lurking in his blood that made him seem, so God like?
His father, The First King, had been massive in stature. A god in his own right but his mother had been Mortal as all the legions say. I had seen with my own eyes how easily that wolf beast torn into her flesh.
There was no sign of human blood running through his body other than the wavy hair. No sign of any weakness or feeble skin. The scar could be caused from that branch of his DNA but even Fae could scar from a beast of that size.
"With what horses?" Jade asked a tone of dismay in her voice.
"You can ride with Levi. Clementine with... " His eyes roamed over the men looking for horses that weren't loaded down with things to take back to camp. I couldn't help but notice there was only two lefts without counting him. "Ike. Your stuff with Henry and Ayumu can ride with me."
Jade instantly protested saying that she would not ride with a man. She eventually talked her way into taking Levi's horse and riding with Clementine, leaving poor Levi and Ike crowded on their dark brown mare.
I stifled a chuckle at her demanding these grown warrior men around. I even catch Haldis hiding a smirk of his own.
They were cousins, The First King's sister was the queen, and the longer I spent around the two I couldn't help noticing how much alike they were mentally. Physically they looked nothing alike other than the black hair.
Some of the warriors pack down Henrys horse with our belongings, our trunks looking like lunch boxes on the huge animal's side. Every time I see them it still amazes me with the sheer size of these creatures are.
I walk through the dirty trail, picking up my dress along the way, trying to keep it from getting dirtier than it already was. Who knew when we would be able to wash them.
"Come here and I'll haul you up." I get as close to the horse as I can manage. Haldis reaches down placing his big hands under my underarms.
He doesn't grunt of even struggle with my weigh as he gently pulls me up the length of the humongous horse. His arms are outstretched above his head as I place one of my legs on the other side. He eases me down onto the saddle, my bare thighs touching the cool leather, causing goosebumps to rise on my arms.
I make sure that the dress is still pulled down long enough to hide my skin.
His chest was pressed against my back, for some unknown reason my breath hitched in the back of my throat. His closeness was affecting me in a way it hadn't the first time I had been on his horse.
The smell of him was intoxicating, I inhaled deeply just to worship it to my full capability. His thighs were cradling my close to the horse's wire coat and cool saddle.
My mouth parted with a warm exhale stuck right there waiting to come out, if only my body would put this weird, unwelcomed feeling away.
"Cold?" The rumble of his voice did little to ease the feeling and the rocking of the horse only heightened it further.
"The saddle..." I trail off not exactly knowing how to say that my inner thighs weren't expecting the cool surface.
"Oh. Hold on." Before I could tell him that it was fine, his hands slipped just under the edge of my gown, he rubbed his warm hands up and down the saddle, chasing away the cool.
My body was on fire from his fingers accidently grazing my bare thigh. I cough to clear my clogged throat of all of the unwanted tension.
Was this attraction? Had I finally reached a point in my life that I felt attraction? Before I had never got a reaction from any of the men that flirted with me right as I had come into woman hood. I was purely uninterested.
It had never even come to mind, taking a man to bed. I was ashamed to admit that the thought briefly crossed my mind, before I beat it away with a stick.
"Better?"
"Y-Yeah." I lied through my teeth; he had only made whatever this was ten time worse. He seems oblivious to my body's betrayal thankfully.
I would just pretend this never occurred. My body had finally awoken, now I would try my best to shove it back into a deep sleep, or at least a nap until this horse ride was over.
Which was in a week's time.