Riftan spared her only a glance over his shoulder. Maxi fell into formation, trying to hide her despondence.
—
As Maxi rode toher place behind the company, Garrow and Ulyseon hastened to her side, abandoning the drake carcass they had been inspecting. A senior knight clicked his tongue loudly at them as they passed.
“You two better get your heads on straight.” With a grunt, he retrieved a heavy ball and chain looped around the leg of one of the monsters, then looked back at the junior knights disapprovingly. “Getting distracted from guarding her ladyship while those vultures are circling…”
Ulyseon scratched his neck, looking embarrassed. “Our apologies, sir. This is the first time we’ve seen a drake up close….”
Ulyseon turned to Maxi with a look of apology. Maxi smiled reassuringly. What could have happened to her with so many knights around?
As if reading her thoughts, the knight who had admonished the squires grew grim. “We do not know what dangers may be lurking, my lady. One moment of carelessness can cost a life.”
Maxi nodded stiffly, and even the squires’ faces grew serious.
“Never take your eyes off of her ladyship from now on.” With a satisfied look, the knight went to retrieve another weapon.
Maxi watched as he joined the men cleaning the weaponsrecovered from the carcasses while the others finished harvesting the magic stones from the drakes’ hearts, all with the methodical detachment of people who had performed these tasks many times before. When they were done, they hastily washed their blood-splattered armor and mounted their horses in unison, setting out again without a moment to catch their breaths.
Not long after the company had put the cliff well behind them, Maxi heard loud flapping above. The flock of harpies swooped down to gorge on the drake carcasses. Maxi shuddered at the sight, certain that the horrifying image of the monstrous creatures with their pallid faces smeared with blood would haunt her dreams that night. Riftan’s commanding voice snapped Maxi’s focus back to the front of the party.
“Keep your wits about you! More drakes may be hiding nearby!”
The terrain remained rugged for hours, but the knights never lost focus as they traveled along the lively stream that flowed through the valley. The looming possibility that monsters might leap out at them made Maxi’s back damp with sweat. She was so on edge that by the time they stopped to feed and water the horses, she was utterly exhausted.
“Here, my lady, have some water and salt.” Garrow handed Maxi a waterskin and a small quilt pouch. “You will exhaust yourself if you do not keep hydrated.”
Slumped on a rock, Maxi pinched some of the salt and sprinkled it into her mouth. Ulyseon watched as she drank thirstily from the waterskin, looking as though he felt sorry for her.
“Please endure it a bit longer, my lady. We should be able to get some proper rest once we are out of this valley.”
Maxi barely managed a smile. Even in the face of the young knight’s pity, she simply could not bring herself to claim that she was fine.
Despite her anxiety, they rode for the rest of the day without any more monsters. When they had finally passed out of the valley onto the surrounding plain, they began setting up tents. Maxi teetered off her horse and mechanically began to gather firewood alongside the knights, who were all quick to dissuade her.
“You must save your energy, my lady. You would be helping us more that way.”
After hesitating briefly, Maxi put down the twigs. The knight who had spoken had a point. It would certainly not do for her to drop from exhaustion tomorrow. It would only slow the party down. She retreated while the knights prepared the meal, washing her clammy face and neck in the brook. The cool water soothed her sore hands and forearms. She soaked a towel and wiped her underarms and back, imagining how heavenly it would feel to take a real bath and change her clothes. With so many knights around, the best she could do was to flap her clothes and try to dry the sweat.
Thinking that she would at least change her socks, she had just submerged her feet in the stream when Riftan’s voice sliced through the silence. “Your tent is ready. You should go rest.”
Maxi rose obediently and picked up her boots, but she did not like the thought of putting them on again with wet feet. She gave him a bashful look as she shook the water off. Before she knew it, she was in the air.
“R-Riftan!” Maxi shrieked.
“You mean,Sir Riftan,” Riftan muttered sarcastically,striding toward the tents with Maxi in his arms. Maxi pursed her lips as he laid her down in the tent. “Rest awhile. I shall bring your meal as soon as it is ready.”
Maxi wanted to lash out and ask him if he had ever heard of a mage being served thus by the commanding knight, but she could not muster the energy. Once he left, Maxi changed into a new tunic and undergarment. She wished she could change her trousers as well, but neither the energy it would take to wash and dry them, nor the embarrassment it would take to ask the knights to do her laundry, seemed like appealing options. Maxi brought her trousers to her nose and scowled in disgust before slipping the sweat-soaked garment back on.
She had never realized just how opulent her life had been up to that point. She had always had clothes to change into and clean water to bathe in. The damp trousers she wore smelled of horses and sweat, and she wrinkled her nose in another wave of disgust.
It is unavoidable in a campaign….
Maxi lay down and squeezed her eyes shut. Perhaps it was because she was not as tired as she had been the previous day, but she was far more aware of every bump on the ground beneath her blanket. Tossing about, she tried to find a comfortable position.
“Are you uncomfortable?”
Riftan, his head poked back in through the tent opening, had caught her wriggling around. The last thing she wanted was to be seen as fussy when he already thought of her as a delicate noblewoman.
