Traveling back to the castle, the Duke's entourage stopped for lunch and Tilda helped prepare the food. As she peeled carrots her eyes focused on the other side of the valley.
Noticing Tilda's distracted gaze, Felux asked, "Somethin out there?"
Tilda said, "My hometown is just a few miles from here. My family lives there."
Felux said, "That's not far. When've you seen them last?"
"A little over two years. I stopped visiting when I returned to the Baxarte estate only to find Cosaria half beaten to death and lying cold on the ground. They understand why I haven't visited, but it's hard."
"You miss them?"
"I do," Tilda said, "But their letters help. My younger brother, he's afraid I won't recognize him because he's grown so big."
Felux asked, "How old's he?"
"Fifteen. What about you? Do you have family?"
"Aye, but they're none close by. Doesn't bother me, though, I'd say Lord Delrik's the same as kin to me."
"That helps when you miss your family, doesn't it? To have someone nearby that you're close to?"
"Aye."
Tilda said, "I'm thinking about asking Lady Cosaria if she'd let me visit tomorrow, but… I don't know if it's possible. If I went, I'd get back to the manor later than everyone. I'm not sure if Lady Cosaria will be alright on her own without me, and if anything were to happen."
Felux said, "How about I go with you? We'd take my horse and if we left in the morning we'd be back to the manor same time as everyone else."
"That… just might work. But don't you need to protect the Duke?"
"He can take care of himself."
Tilda asked, "Would he even agree to it?"
Felux grinned.
༻✧༺
Early the next morning, before the sun had even risen, Cosaria watched as Tilda slid her bag over her back.
Tilda asked, "Are you sure you'll be okay without me?"
Cosaria said, "I have Lord Delrik."
"Yeah, I don't know if that makes me feel better."
Cosaria said, "Tell me all about your family when you get back."
"I will."
Felux quickly approached the chatting women and said, "Let's go."
Tilda said, "Now?"
"Aye," Felux said as he glanced over his shoulder nervously.
Tilda hugged Cosaria then she and Felux made their way to his horse. Felux helped Tilda on the horse as he took one last glance behind him. Without further waste, he mounted his stead and set the horse at a gallop. The faster they got away, the less time Delrik had to stop him.
Delrik came out of his tent just in time to see the back of Felux's horse disappear behind a few scattered trees. Delrik leaned against the carriage as he said, "He really took off just like that."
༻✧༺
After covering enough distance, Felux slowed the horse to a steady canter. He took a sigh of relief knowing they were far enough away.
Tilda finally asked, "So what did you say to Lord Delrik?"
Felux grinned at the memory:
That morning, without warning, Felux had barged into Delrik's tent and announced, "I'll be going to meet Tilda's parents and be back at the manor in two days. Keep Lady Cosaria safe and don't do anything weird as I'm gone."
He gave the announcement more as a brag than to actually inform Delrik of his plans, but Felux couldn't help it. He was excited to spend personal time with Tilda.
Delrik had snapped up but was confused. He said, "I'm sorry, what?"
Felux said, "Bye!" And scuttled out of the tent. He knew Delrik would be opposed to the trip, but Felux wasn't going to let that stop him.
Felux responded to Tilda's question, saying, "I told him the truth."
"And based on how fast we're traveling I take it that he was very understanding," Tilda said sarcastically.
"Didn't give him the chance."
Tilda laughed and said, "You're fantastic."
Felux's heart skipped a beat as he noticed how close he was to Tilda. She sat in front of him and his arms wrapped around her as he gripped the reins. He slowed the horse to a simple trot.
Felux said, "We'll be good now. If you're fer walking instead."
Tilda felt quite comfortable on the horse. She didn't have to worry about holding on since she felt like Felux had become her safety restraint. Without that worry, her ride was innumerably more relaxing than her previous one. She said, "I like riding. It's nice."
Being this close to Tilda, Felux caught her scent; She smelled like fresh grass and morning dew. He responded, "Aye, it's nice."
Tilda, having taken no notice, said, "My family is going to be so shocked to see me."
The closer they got, the more her nerves itched for their reunion. Watching the trees go by and the road pass under them, it was agony to be patient. The seconds felt like minutes and the minutes felt like hours. It had been two years since she'd been home. Two years since she'd seen her parents and siblings. Two years since…
A lot had happened in two years.
༻✧༺
The road began to look familiar and happy memories flooded Tilda's mind; parading down the dirt path in celebration of her older sibling's weddings, catching squirrels with friends, planting rocks and pretending they were seeds about to grow into towering trees. Her childhood was here, and, like a soft blanket covering her, it was a comfort.
Tilda frowned as a small church came into view on the right. She had intentionally forgotten about that place and her body stiffened as they passed the cold imposing building. While it was tiny compared to most chapels, it still had the same solemn staid architecture. The severe design was standard for such buildings.
Tilda glanced in the opposite direction, not wanting to even spare a look at the structure.
Felux noticed her uneasiness and asked in a curious tone, "This's where your family attends worship?"
Tilda quickly snapped, "My family doesn't attend worship."
Felux thought for a moment then said, "That's a bit unusual. Thought it's a requirement common folk attend worship."
Tilda scoffed, "The church would like that to be true, wouldn't they?"
"You don't seem to harbor any friendly feelings towards the church."
"Who me?" Tilda feigned ignorance, saying, "Nah, I'm as impartial as they come."
From inside the church, a young priest noticed the two travelers. As he emerged from the church yard, he waved his arms frantically, yelling, "Tilda? Tilda! Is that you?"
The young priest looked like he couldn't have been older than nineteen. He had one of those baby faces that never matured until their mid-thirties. So, while he was older than a teenager, he still wasn't anywhere close to looking like a man.
Wishing she hadn't been recognized so easily, Tilda turned to look up at Felux and asked, "Could we go a little faster?"
Felux picked up the pace just a bit.
As they strolled away, the young priest called, "TILDA?!"
After they'd left earshot, Felux asked, "What's that you said about being impartial?"
Tilda said, "It was sarcasm."
While he was curious, Felux didn't ask about what had happened or who that priest was. If she wanted to, Tilda could tell him when she was ready. Otherwise, he had no problem respecting her space.