The faint smell of blood wafvered in the air as Lord Typhon had his shoulders against the rough tree, his body tense, his mind alert and wakeful. He listened to her breathing drift into the unmistakable rhythm of sleep and still he held himself rigid, waiting. The fire had burnt out as his eyes adjusted gradually to the dim glow of mingling starlight and moonlight that shone .
Gently he propped himself up and gazed at the woman across, she lay still and unmoving, lost in exhaustion he wondered why she took all this risk just to save a son, she could probably have another one if she got married. He moved slowly to where she was as he crouched down beside her.
Her face was pale and her cheeks had traces of blood from the cut close to her jaw, scratches covered her neck down to her bare feet, dried blood covered her already tattered clothing as some part of her tunic where torn off showing bare flesh.
He couldn't assure her safety if she went to Hivites looking so disheveled, he won't want her turning into someone meal. Lord Typhon watched as her chest lifted sharply on an in drawn breath. He cursed at himself as he reached out to her, roughly patting her shoulders. Sapphire shot her eyes open finding Lord Typhon towering over her.
The pale glimmer of star shine showed her the belonent planes of his face, sharp and ferocious looking. One might even say he was actually handsome, if one liked the rugged, flawed somewhat scarred type. She didn't, But if there was anything she did like about his appearance it was the mole on his left cheeks. It framed a face stern and rigid.
Finally, Sapphire spoke
"Is there something wrong Milord?"
Her mind raced, as her brows creased, she hoped all was well.
He shot her a daunting look before speaking
"The men are at rest, go wash up before the sun rises, we leave at first light"
Sapphire waited for Lord Typhon to explain further when he didn't she nodded and moved back putting some distance between them before she spoke
"I don't think it's necessary Milord"
"I speak you obey got it" He frowned as she rolled her eyes at him. He hated women who tried to be difficult and this craze woman was really a piece of work.
"Down the road just out of sight there is a pool, Go wash up before any of the men awake " he pushed away from her as he stood up straight
"Is it safe?" She stared up into his shadowed eyes
"Scared!" He said, one corner of his mouth lifting into a mocking smile as he gazed down at her, his expression hard and unreadable and she knew a new rush of fear that seemed to radiate up like a slow heat from the depths of her belly. This man was sending her to her death!!!
The silence between them twanged out, became tense as she nodded slowly
"Take" He tossed a leather satchel to her as she clumsily caught it mid air. Groggily she stood up as she dragged her feet and prayed her way to the pool. It was not hard to locate it as cool breeze wafted around her, sweet with the scents of grass and scattered white lilies. From deep in the grooves of trees came the repetitive call of a cuckoo and a distant muffled snort that might have been a wild pig. She caught sight of a small pool formed by a fall of rock that had caused the pool to backup behind it.
She stood a moment listening to the shifting of the leafy branches up above and the sibilant hiss of the marsh grasses blowing in the wind. The moon felt cool beating on her almost bare skin. The ruffled surface of the pool beckoned, cool and glittering, the water so clear she could see the sandy bottom far below. Curling her toes over the edge of the rock she sucked in a quick breath as she slowly but methodically stripping off hose, braies and shirt until only the white swath of cloth that bound her breasts remained. Slowly, she unwound the binding let it flutter to her feet like a wide, pale ribbon as she dove in
"ARACHEMEDES" an icy shock tore through her body as she jerked her legs up. The water was colder than it looked, a vibrant shock that sent a thrilling shudder through her naked body as she plunged deep causing the flesh wounds on her body to sting badly as tears threatened to roll down her eyes.
She kicked out, her arms cutting in an arc that brought her back to the surface, she broke through to the air above and tossed her head, shaking water and a tumbled lock of hair out of her eyes, the nite air skimmed over her bare flesh as the wind eddied around her, sweet with the scents of streamed lapped sand, grasses and the promise of dawn.
A wolf howled in the distance as Sapphire muscle leapt in a tightened Jaw. Self consciously aware she was alone, naked in the middle of no where as she reached for the leather satchel which she had left on the bank, she picked up a soap which was neatly wrapped in a pouch as head bent, arms raised she used the soap to wash off the dried blood from her body.
She had finished washing and moving quickly she disappeared behind the rock, presumably to change into dry clothes which was left by the man.
Lord Typhon pulled on his boots as he tightened the girths of his boots. He was leaning against a nearby rock, close guarding the craze woman, although he had given her space to do her thing.
She changed into a fresh surcoat of cream chocolate trimmed with mid nite blue damask. The same color of blue as the wool tunic beneath it.
Her freshly washed hair framed her face in soft, dark nite curls that seemed to accentuate the delicate bones of her face. She made her way to where he others where, fully awoken as glow worms put in a bracket gleamed on. Each men took turns in stretching their limbs as they attached the bracket to their stallion for visibility.
Sapphire watched with keen amusement
"You kept us waiting woman"