From her calves, Riftan moved up to her thighs. She twisted away when she felt his firm hands, slick from the mint-scented oil, run down her flushed, saddle-chafed skin.
“I-I really think that is enough,” she said, embarrassed. “You must also be tired, Ri—” Maxi gasped as Riftan pulled her undergarment below her knees. “R-Riftan!”
“Stay still. If I do not apply this, we will have no hope of you riding tomorrow.”
“I will d-do it! I will apply it myself, so—”
“Why are you getting embarrassed?” With a snort, he crouched just above her as she writhed in an attempt to escape. “Stop wasting your energy and lie still. I am not going to do anything to you.”
He was clearly not going to back down. After applying the oil to his hands again, he started kneading her thighs in small circles. Now flushed to her ears, Maxi clutched at the blanket. Having him touch her body in such a sober state of mind was mortifying, and the fact that he was nursing her after she had proudly declared that she was more than capable of being the Remdragons’ healer made her feel pathetic.
Riftan, however, paid her no mind and quietly continued to apply the oil to her blistered skin. He only pulled her undergarments up again when he had kneaded out all of the biggest knots. “I will go check if the food is ready. Lie here and rest.”
He rubbed the back of his neck, his voice hoarse. Perhaps it was from crouching uncomfortably inside the cramped tent, but Riftan’s face looked slightly flushed. Maxi nodded, blushing as she pulled her trousers up. Riftan heaved a sigh and shuffled out of the tent on his knees.
Maxi lay sprawled on the blanket feeling as listless as a soggy leaf. Although the massage had been painful and mortifying, her muscles did feel significantly better. Rubbing her oil-smooth skin self-soothingly, Maxi turned to her side and used her arm as a pillow, falling immediately into a light sleep.
She awoke when Riftan returned, the light outside the tent already a twilight blue. He set down a wooden tray laden with a thick piece of sizzling ham, three fist-sized loaves ofbread, a chunk of cheese, and a bottle of wine.
“The smoked ham should taste better if you eat it with some bread.”
Maxi was so hungry, she could hardly wait for Riftan to cut the food into bite-sized pieces with his dagger before she was cramming it into her mouth. The platter was humble compared to those at Calypse Castle, but she was so famished that it tasted delicious.
“Do you want me to bring you more?” Riftan watched her wolf down her meal with wide eyes.
Maxi shook her head. The heap of food that had been on the tray was almost gone. Now that her stomach was full, her already sluggish body felt too heavy to keep upright. Not even the thought of monsters lurking in the hills could keep her eyes open, and Maxi fell into a deep slumber.
—
The next morning, theknights had the camp packed up before the first light of dawn. Maxi was in her saddle before she had a chance to wash her face or even comb her hair. Thanks to Riftan’s massage, her buttocks did not hurt as much as she had feared, but it still proved difficult to keep up with the knights. Even with Ulyseon’s guidance, she barely managed to navigate the dark mountain path. The knights never once let down their guard, only stirring their mounts faster as the sky grew light.
“I was afraid…there would be…more monsters on the journey,” Maxi finally managed to say as they slowed briefly at the foot of the mountain.
Garrow, riding next to her, shook his head. “Most of themonsters in this region are of the Ayin race. They are endowed with some degree of intelligence and know better than to show themselves to an army of this size. They will watch us but are unlikely to attack. Though I heard that a few forest goblins tried to sneak into the provisions last night.”
“L-Last night?”
When Maxi blanched and hunched her shoulders, Ulyseon quickly chimed in, “Do not worry, my lady. The night watch noticed immediately and took care of them.”
“W-Was anyone hurt?”
“Of course not! A Remdragon Knight would never be bested by the likes of a forest goblin,” Ulyseon answered indignantly, as though greatly insulted.
Still worried despite the squire’s assurance, Maxi carefully surveyed the knights riding in front of her. All of them calmly spurred their horses onward, showing no hint of exhaustion. Maxi peered over the heads of the company, trying to get a glimpse of Riftan riding at the forefront, but she soon gave up so she could focus on navigating the uneven mountain path.
The sun was at its zenith when the campaign party finally cleared the mountains. They rested briefly by a stream that flowed across a meadow. The junior knights watered the horses while the rest opened provision bags to distribute a late breakfast.
While Rem plunged her muzzle into the water to quench her thirst, Maxi hastily washed her face and combed her tangled curls. When she returned, her wild hair tamed into a neat braid, Ulyseon handed her a loaf of bread and an apple.
“You must be hungry, my lady. We should be able toprepare a decent meal in the evening, but there’s too much ground to cover to build a cook fire for midday.”
“N-No. This is more than enough.”
As she reached to accept the food, Ulyseon gaped at her raw hands. “Your hands are red, my lady. Are you hurt?”
“I-It is from gripping the reins. My gloves must be too thin.”
Maxi smiled to assure him that it was nothing, but Ulyseon continued to eye the red marks imprinted on her palms with a grave face. “It must hurt, my lady. Should you not be seen to?”
