Revised "Chapter" 8

He was waiting halfway for her, the horse looking lively and ready to start moving. The earth was clumping underneath the pawing of his hooves. Kirn smiled slightly, holding his hand out for her pack. She gave it over, and he roughly attached it, like an overly large saddlebag, but it was balanced out on the other side by a pack of supplies that he had rustled up from the commotion in the camp. He motioned her to get on. Nia hesitated a moment, unsure of whether she would be able to make it on. Her hand grasped the saddle horn, and her foot went into the holster. She lifted herself over with a little difficulty, since the horse insisted on shifting beneath her as she did so. Kirn lifted himself up in front of her so that he would protect her from wind and the immediate sight of any possible assailants. Even a beginning healer could be subject to kidnapping within the realm, if the people were hurt and needed one enough. She rested her hands around his waist and held on as he started the horst into a jog, then a canter, and finally into a jostling gallop as they headed around the camp and into the countryside. The forest closed behind them, cutting them off from the camp and the noise of the packing. A last glimpse before it did gave her the sight of the army on their horses in the field, preparing to move out.

They would be following behind them for a few leagues, but after that, she and Kirn would be on their own. Her face buried into Kirn's back, wondering what would be ahead for them. Would the camp even be there still? It was possible that by now they had moved- one of the time-honored strategies in the kingdom was to keep moving. If they were still there, she hoped that he would be able to have his things.

The ride was quiet, the whistle of the wind past them the only sound to accompany he pounding of the hooves of the horse. She adjusted to the rhythm of the movement in a few minutes, after awkwardly banging into Kirn a few times. She could tell that it irritated him, but he didn't make a sound. He was either far nicer than he let on, or he just wished to keep moving. Yelling at her would do no good, so Nia suspected the latter. The path they were taking was an older logging path. She could tell where the trees were growing back. There was grass growing in thin patches and lines except in the most worn of the tracks. Her eyes scanned the trees, looking for the mischievous sprites that were likely to cross their paths in this type of place. Greencaps were not uncommon in woods like these, the protectors of the forest, the ones that would take revenge for the trees that had been cut down. They had to watch for those at the camp because of the forestry that occurred there. Here, though, they were sure to be far more plentiful and angrier, since people had long left and the sprites were left to their own devices.

She had no desire to meet them. Kirn had managed to get here without coming across any, though, so that eased her nerves. It was possible that they had just decided that it wasn't worth it to take revenge against simple travelers. It wasn't unheard of, at the very least.

And there were other, more dangerous sprites to worry about. If the encroaching soldiers got to the woods, then they would have far more to worry about than Greencaps. The ones that lived in the mountains seemed to be taking care of them fairly well, but there were always things that were more dangerous. Even the people that lived in the country knew that there were places that were still untamed. Wasn't that the case in those other countries? It was said that they didn't take the proper precautions against the mountain spirits and creatures, which made her think that they were just strange to them, or that they had killed them off. While Nia was frightened of the deadly ones that haunted in the wilds, she would be saddened if their mystery was forever ended and left to the dust of time.

Her hands tightened around Kirn's waist even more. The ride and shade of the forest was getting to be too much for her after the complete lack of rest from the night before. It was not going to harm anyone if she rested, right? Her eyes slipped closed once she was sure she had a firm grip, and her body slumped against his back. The sunlight made patterns against her eyelids, ones that hypnotized her and drew her into her own dreamland, where the world was mysterious and dangerous, exciting, and loving to her, where she could escape to the safety of the mysterious man's arms.

Kirn felt her go limp, and one of his hands moved to make sure hers were secure. Soldiers could do this without a problem, but she was not a soldier, and there was a real danger of her falling off. His grip on the reins slackened, and the gallop slowed to a canter, a different three-beat that was more leisurely and kinder to the sleeping woman. Some roped from the side of the saddle- necessary for a soldier who laid traps- was unwrapped, and he wrapped the reins around the saddle horn so that he could tie her wrists so that she was secured around him. It was safer for them both that way. As his other hand went to get the reins, one of his hands lingered over hers. Quite a healer, indeed. He decided against pushing the trip too much, because they would need the horse to get to the town in time. In the meanwhile, though would follow the... the path?

He pulled the horse to a stop as he contemplated what was in front of him. It split off into two branches, both going in the same general direction and both appearing to be quite safe in the sunlight. However, if they took the wrong one it would be real trouble. A trick of the Greencaps? Or some other menace? He was sure this hadn't been here before, though he had been coming the opposite way before. His eyes lingered over the trees and ground, but were unable to discern anything that would tell him which way to go. He could not even see the evidence of his previous passing. Greencaps were surely at work with that. Kirn took a breath, and took the path to the right. It seemed to be in more the general direction of where they should be heading, and that was definitely the signal of something otherworldly at work. He felt his shoulders tighten with the stress of not knowing if he was taking Nia into danger. The soldiers following them would have their own test to pass through. The one thing he knew was that he could not turn back- that was the one thing that would ensure their death if he did. Greencaps were known for illusions and traps, and if he did at this point, he would only see a mirror image of the crossroads. Being entirely turned around was as bad as just facing the two paths and choices.

His chin lifted. He was Kirn! He was more than a foot soldier- he was guard to a Sylph, and a second Tithen to the commander! He had some authority and could take on these things. Nia probably had some herbs that would come in handy in protecting them from these spirits. She had to- no healer was unprepared for an emergency, right? He glanced at the position of the sun. It was hard to believe that this kind of emergency had occurred three hours after leaving the camp. Somehow, he had thought that it would be longer before they came across any trouble. He and Nia would have to escape on their own from this, though- the army would be no help, what with the Greencaps and their ways. He slowed the horse down to a walk, his hand slipping to touch Nia's, reassuring himself that she was still there, not wanting to wake her quite yet. There was still the possibility that he had chosen the right path and that they were well on their way to the camp.

Liam and the rest were on the path in the woods. He could see where the tracks from the Sylph and her guard had rushed along. A gallop, to try and get to the camp on time. He smiled slightly, wishing them luck on their journey. They would need it with the timeline they were given. It was a comfort to see that they were well on their way. At the head of the army, he would know when their paths split. If he were father back the tracks of his own men, both horsed and not, would have destroyed the marks made by the other travelers.

His eyes strayed on them, watching them as they disappeared into the distance on the path. Literally disappeared. He started his steed forward, unsure of if what he was seeing was really there. His entourage of guards followed closely behind, calling out to him as he trotted forward and peered at the ground closely. "Junie, come here. Examine these tracks!" He called his head woodman forward from the ranks. The man did so at his order immediately, so that he could do what his Prince requested. He dismounted and walked through the guards so that he could examine the tracks in front of the Prince more closely. They seemed to veer a little to the side before vanishing into the woods. There was nothing beyond the tree line, no hint that any person or beast had passed by there.

The men behind them were murmuring, wondering what was happening, in hushed voices that held an inherent wariness of the forest around them, knowing that it was dangerous here and that it was far too easy to stray to their deaths. The Prince gazed back. "Fall in and parade order!" The command gave the men direction. They did so, falling into the orderly rows that delegated their order far better than the slightly messy lines that had been in before. The Prince turned his attention back to the woodsman. "And what is your determination?" It was said in a quiet voice that seemed to be muffled even further by the blanket of solemnity that hovered over the soldiers. At the same time he motioned for the man to come close so that his answer would not be overheard by ears that should not hear it.

He gave a slight sigh. It was barely audible, but tinged with regret. "It seems that these riders have been led off by the Greencaps, or perhaps willow sprites. They have been stolen away."

The Prince's shoulder stiffened. "With a Sylph should they not have avoided this?"

"They are not trained in woods lore, except for some of the most minor avoidances. They are too often kept in the cities where they have no need of such things, and are mainly trained as healers. The sprites would not care of her rank, or of whether she was needed. We should take care lest we also fall to a similar fate."

"Is there no hope that they might be saved?"

"They have as much chance as anyone of surviving. We cannot follow where they have been taken. That part of the stories is true."

The Prince grimaced, furrowing his brow. This was not good- they would have to save themselves if they were in trouble. With any luck, his own contingent would not fall, either. His back straightened. "Men, head out!" None of his worry tainted his voice, and it echoed clearly through the trees. They could not worry about this at this point, regardless- there was a war to be fought and a border to be brought into order.

They kept heading along the road. With so many, the likelihood that they would be tricked into evil places was far less, but it was still not a safe thing to be dealing with in this area. His eyes kept towards the road, letting his men take care of guarding the borders of the men. The cavalry spread out at his motion, taking to the sides and herding the men closer together.

Nia sighed deeply as her eyes opened. The gentle rock of the horse beneath her comforted her an unusual amount. This was nice. She lifted her head from Kirn's back. She could feel that the folds of his clothing had made an impression on her face, and so she tried to lift a hand to rub it away. Her hands happened to be tied around his waist, though. "Am I a slave or a captive?" she murmured quietly, trying to get his attention without startling him. From the look of his shoulders. He was tense with something> Worry? Panic? He didn't look good, though, from where she was looking.

He glanced back to ensure that she was awake. "I didn’t' want you to fall off when we were riding. I hope you don't mind. Give me a moment." He stopped the horse and started to unknot the rope. "Are your writs’ chafed?"

"No, they feel fine." She drew her hands back so she could rub them, feeling a slight tingle as blood started running through her hands more freely. "Thank you. Falling off would naught have been an experience I wish to be acquainted with."

"Well, I hope being lost is not one that you're too eager for, either. Unfortunately, it seems I might have taken a wrong turn in the woods. I have no idea where we are at this point."

She glanced around them, taking in the sight of the dark trunks of twisted and warped trees pressing in on them. The sun was still in the sky, and she could feel a warm breeze brushing her hair away from her face. It gave an odd whistling sound as it wended its way through the woods. Her shoulders shuddered, though, as she realized the implication of his words. "Ach. So the greenies have gotten the best of us? Or one of the woods sprites at the very least. Any idea of how to get us out of this mess?" They weren't really questions to be answered. The answers to all of them were fairly self-evident. If there had been any hope of him knowing how to avoid the traps, they wouldn't be in this situation in the forest place. If he knew how to get them out of it, he would have already. All in all, Nia was frustrated with herself, as she had no better idea of what to do at this moment.

"Let me down, ne? I would appreciate a look around us. Perhaps I can get my bearings better on my feet. I've naught been on a horse before, and it's making me motion sick." Kirn let her slide off. She did so slightly awkwardly, but was right on her feet well enough in a few moments. Her eyes looked around, trying to find something useful other than the dirt of the path ahead, for the path behind them... It hardly seemed believable, but the path behind them only extended for a few feet, and then disappeared into overgrown thicket and woods. It was as if it was dead-set on eating them whole, the way it was enclosed on them. Her fingers tightened, and she walked over to it, pushing aside some of the branches, hoping for some clue as to what to do.

That turned out to be a bad idea, however, as there was a high-pitched squeak, and her fingers came away with a dozen thin slices that bled like no tomorrow.
It was painful, so much so she jerked her hands back and buried them into her sleeves. The blood seeped through the material, staining it bright crimson. Her gasp of pain didn't go unnoticed. "What is it?" Kirn dismounted quickly and hurried so he could see. It appeared worse for him since her sleeves were now red up to the elbow. "The greenies!" He hissed, looking back at the brush with fear in his eyes. They weren't attacking yet, but... his eyes went back to her wounds as she pulled them out so he could see. It was a relief to know that she wasn't more hurt than she was. He turned towards the horse to see if he could get her pack so she could take care of her hands only to see that the horse had disappeared. "Nia, please tell me I am imagining this." It was a quiet order. Her gaze lifted from her hands, where they had been fixed by the little wounds, and every motion was stilled.

"It's gone."

Her voice was quiet, unbelieving, panic starting to run into her tone. "I can naught help us if I do naught have my pack. Where did it go?" Her hands gripped into fists in front of her. clasped together. "Kirn, we're stuck and lost here. Where did the horse go?!" Her tone was rising into the hysterical. Nia's eyes were wide, and he could see the whites clearly. Fear was practically pouring from her pores. His hands went up and grasped her shoulders.

"Listen. We aren't going to find the horse if we stick around here panicking. Understand? We'll be fine iffin we just keep walking." His eyes bore into hers, trying to give her the confidence that he himself wasn't feeling. A brush of leaves on his elbow encouraged him to take a move away from the end of the path. It was slightly terrifying, as it meant they were slowly growing. He gazed at them, looking at them, seeing them slowly grow and encouraging them to keep moving.

Nia's eyes followed his gaze. "Imma sorry!" Her feet started moving, pulling him along after he started her moving. "I shouldna gotten off, and now we're stuck without my pack, and we do naught have the horse-"

"It would have happened at some point. Better the horse and your pack disappear before us, right? There would not be much else to happen first." Your hands will stop bleeding soon enough. We don't need your pack for that. Just keep them wrapped in your sleeves." She nodded and obeyed his words. She knew that already, felt silly for forgetting, for letting her mind be thrown by what was happening. This was the best she could do, though. Nia wasn't going to lie- she was scared. This was the first time that she had really been out and about in the wilderness. She had always been by the cities, or in populated areas. Very few people lived out in the wilds, and those usually didn't need her skills- they themselves knew the best remedies for their maladies from having lived out there.

She stuck close to Kirn's side. There was little else to bother her at this point, other than their being attacked. It made her grateful for Kirn's sword. As a healer, she had to fundamentally be against them, but as someone who needed its protection, it was something else entirely. With her hands in her sleeves, there was no way for her to grab his arm- something that she would be tempted to do if she were not wounded, something that would be dangerous and a hindrance if he needed to draw his weapon.

Kirn kept his hands on his weapon, not knowing when he would need it. He was just grateful that Nia could not smell the blood that he could- faint, but not hers. It didn't bode well for their ride, but their feet would be enough for them right now. They would carry them far enough, and once they got to the camp, they could find a new one. What else could be done?