Apparently he was finished talking about it, before she realized what he was going to do, he picked her up and all but tossed her onto a young mules back. Asahel handed her the reins, she groaned lightly
"Milord you know, I could just ride with one of your men"
"And be a burden "
Lord Typhon taunted back.
"But the risk----" she was cut short
"In Hittites we live off risk"
He had already swung onto his stallion and ridden away before she could ask.
The others fell into formation behind him, riding hard through the valley, their pace slowed once they reached the hills. The men formed a single line to climb the narrow treacherous trail ahead of them . After making one harrowing turn, she discovered they were almost off Creedom. A silent tear fell into her cheeks so did all her memories. She was leaving for good, No for a short while!!
"I'll be back"
She saw the man's lips twist into a half sneer that flickered her on the raw.
Sapphire drew in a deep shuddering breath as the mule faltered near the first crevice and the stones rumbled down the steep cliff on the right, she cringed. It was a sheer drop to the bottom of an abyss. Her mule continued to have trouble finding his footing.
Just then a hand held unto the reins as with ease led it to go at his own pace. Lord Typhon!!!
"I'm fine" She blurted
His response wasn't what she expected
"I know, we won't want you dying quickly before you reach Hivites. You still got some use"
The last of the light leached from the sky turning it first to gray then pale gold, a harbinger of the darkness to come and still they rode on. The men rode with enviable ease that told her they could ride through the nite without taking a break.
Sapphire hunched her shoulders and tried not to shiver for the heat of the day had disappeared with the sun and a bitter wind kicked up . In her exhaustion the cold seemed even greater than she knew it really was, became one more enemy to borne like the scream in her back and the ache in her legs . She clutched with numb fingers the reins before her, afraid that she might slip unknowingly into sleep and tumble from the saddle.
She pressed her lips together and rode on. The men spoke in hushed voices as they continued on
"Tired? After all you are a Woman" He said, his voice coming to her out of the wind tossed darkness and she realized he must have reined in to allow her to catch up with him.
She felt her body tense with strain and anger and something else she couldn't even begin to identify
"Is it so obvious?" she replied weariness and simmering fatigue both sharpening her voice. The mule would have paused but she kneed it determinedly forward without even glancing at the man beside her .
The soft huff of his laugh curled towards her through the nite
"You have such a bad temper" Typhon said and brought his stallion beside hers .
"Never knew I had one"she turned to look at him, To her eyes he was a little more than a shadow in the moonlight, a dark silhouette of broad shoulders, bulky and all muscles. Yet, she was intensely aware of him beside her, of the sheer energy of his being and the dangerous power of his masculinity. Riding through the cool, star lit nite with the wind blowing her hair about her face and this man by her side and the faint following pattern of his men.
She looked away from him to the distant gently rounded hills glowing dimly in the moonlight
"I was always the cool headed lady"
"I see" he said, imbuing her voice with all the scorn he could muster. This woman!!!
She slowed around in the saddle to face him
"You don't believe, I bet you haven't seen the men in Creedom loose their temper"
She couldn't see his features but she could hear the hardness beneath the heavy mockery in his voice as he said
"Feeble"
" Only Feeble men lose their edge"
He leaned closer, close enough for the faint moon light to show her the stark planes of his sun kissed face, close enough that she could see the faint flutter of his long raven hair as it moved against his strong throat in the nite wind.
"I agree" he urged his stallion forward and left her there to follow or not, as she pleased.
She sat staring after him, the reins slack in her hands, a strange lonely ache burning fiercely in her chest. An ache that was part sorrow, part yearning for some nameless things she could not grasp.she didn't know how long she would have sat there lost to exhaustion and her pain, suffocating wants and confusion if Asahel hadn't come up besides her . The mule began to move of its own accord, following the other stallion down the muddy road. They finally caught up with the others as Asahel gave a signal stopping the procession.
"Take a break"
Since they were so close to Hivites, they decided to call it a nite . Sapphire groggily refused assistance as she dismounted and nearly fell to her knees. She had almost forgotten about her injury!!!
Every one saw that the bottom of her feet which were bare were caked with dried blood but no one rushed forward to help her not if she really needed it. They waited for her to straighten herself and follow Lord Typhon to the flat rocks which he had leaned on.
Sapphire tried not to wince with each slow and painful step. When she finally reached the rock, she dropped to the ground and leaned her shoulder against a smooth rock. Her face was so gray Typhon thought she might pass out. She was exhausted to the core.
Asahel handed her his leather water pouch sapphire took a long drink, nodded her appreciation to the man before admitting
"I'm exhausted"
She took another swallow before continuing
"Is Hivites still far, I've never journeyed for so long"
The men busied themselves in cutting woods to rest for the nite, fires where made to encamp themselves. Sapphire was given a bland soup made by one of the men with a bread, her stomach rumbled loudly reminding her just how long it had been since she'd last eaten.
"I bet it doesn't suit your taste princess" One of the men who noticed how reluctant she was to eat spoke with a grim
"Shut up Miko! Mind your business"Asahel spoke as he handed her wine
"Make do with this, it's late"
Sapphire turned her head to smile at him, he has been the only kind one around. Her gaze travelled beyond the Lord who had his head rested on a cedar tree with an enviable ease. He really blended well with the dark. She thought
She watched as he lifted his cup and tilted forward his head to drink. She saw his jaw bulge and the muscle of his tanned throat move as he swallowed. Then he lowered his head meeting her gaze
She watched his face break into a lazy welcoming smile that was a wonder to her. Looking at him now, she thought no one would ever suspect that an hour ago he wanted to leave her to death. She had always known men for strange, incomprehensible creatures.
Sapphire took a quick swallow of wine as she ducked her head and feigned a sudden intense interest in her bland soup. With haste she finished her own share of the meal as she washed her food down with a swig of wine.
"Thanks for the meal" she muttered to no one in particular as the men paid her no attention
"Anytime princess"Miko winked seductively as he nodded to her
With mutified steps she went under the thick bough of an oak tree to rest since she couldn't sit sleep or make do with the bare floor. Barbaric men! She cursed lightly
Although asleep they were very conscious, once she had dashed into a stone causing few to glare hard at her.
Sapphire was already drowsy, she could barely keep her eyes open as exhaustion caught up with her, her back aches due to the position she kept, she leaned against the tree before she collapsed...