Haros sighed with a laugh and shook his head. He pulled Lephas to the side, stepping in closer. “You sweet on her or something?” he asked quietly.
“No!” Lephas lied. “I'm concerned aboutyougetting too close to her.”
“Hey, look – I think she's a nice-looking piece, but I'm not seriously pursuing her,” Haros whispered. “Though I amdefinitelygoing to start hanging out in some mixed-race bars when we get back to Banesteppe. I've never seen a female faerie down there, but a demon can hope.”
“Good,” Lephas replied. “Keep it that way.”
“All I was trying to say was, I could understand it if you were...Interested.”
“I’ll admit she's not hideous,” Lephas responded cagily. “But no. You know as well as I do Zelrus wouldn't be best pleased to hear one of his men had bedded the prisoner. Especially if that person was me.”
“What he doesn't know...” Haros caught Lephas's warning glare and shrugged. “Yeah, I know. He'd be pissed. But hey! If she's not hideous, then you won't mind her trailing around after you all day, right?” The other demonslapped him on the shoulder.
“That's not what I–”
The commander was interrupted by the front door being lifted away from the frame again. An icy blast of fresh air assaulted them.
Lori was frog-marched back into the room, shivering already.
“It wasnotnice getting my ass out in that snow!” she whined.
“What are you talking about?” Lephas looked at the soldier who had accompanied her. “You did take her to the outhouse just down the track, didn't you?”
The boy's face fell. “Oh.”
“...You mean, you had me squat in the snow, like an animal, and there was an outhouse?!” Lori gaped.
“Just... Get your things.” Lephas pinched the bridge of his nose. He had a headache.
“I-I'm sorry sir, I–”
“Hey, don't apologise to him, kid! I have half a mind to make you go back out there and eat some yellow snow.” Lori huffed, clearly embarrassed.
Haros snorted loudly, earning a killing look from Lephas. Haros turned hurriedly to get his pack onto his shoulders. He lifted his sword onto his backand held out Lephas's sword.
The commander took it from himand strapped it into place around his waist.
“Alright guys, come on – let's move out!” Haros shouted. As the other soldiers started shuffling out of the front door, he turned to Lephas. “We'll wait outside. I'll get Karn.”
“Right behind you.” Lephas nodded and looked to Lori. “Come here.” He grabbed her shoulders and steered her to a wooden stool.
“I want you to have a word with that guy! The indignity of it!” Though she kept her gaze fixed on the embarrassed soldier, who was hurriedly exiting the farm house, she allowed Lephas to push her onto the seat. She crossed her arms with a heavy sigh.
Lephas knelt down in front of her and pulled a small silver key off a clasp on his belt. He unlocked the iron manacles and they fell free, one at a time, from the princess's legs.
“That's better,” she groaned, rolling her ankles.
Lephas clipped the manacles back together and dropped his bag off his shoulder. He placed them inside and then pulled out some leather straps with sharp spikes of metal attached to the length of them.
“What are those?” Lori asked curiously.
“You'll see,” Lephas replied and grabbed one of her boots. Expertly, he wrapped the leather around her foot in loops, like a ballet slipper, and tied them tightly half way up her calf. The spikes lined the soles of her previously tread-less boots.
“Ah, now that's a good idea. I was slipping about all over the place yesterday.” The faerie smiled.
“I'm not surprised,” Lephas focussed his attention on attaching the snow spikes to her other boot.
He jolted, the leather straps falling from his hands, as Lori reached out to trail her fingers over one of his horns. Her hand flew away as thoughshe had been burnt. “What are you doing?” Lephas cocked an eyebrow at her.
