Golden River
Shyana took his offer and announced to the group. "Everyone, we're going to travel to the river. We'll set up and clean ourselves before continuing on. Don't drink the water, until Revarian has blessed it."
Vikas pushed past her. "Make sure you don't fall in and drown, Makea. It would be such a pain, if I had to save you again."
An irritating prickling shot down her spine and Shyana met his stride. "Fine, only if you don't scream like a child when you see a worm. It seems like the smallest things can upset the prince of the Thurucalns, especially the kind of things with no appendages."
Vikas straightened and countered. "The serpent did have appendages; hundreds of them!"
Revarian sighed. "Please children, enough. We're almost to the river."
The sound of rushing water greeted their ears, before they came upon it.
Shyana's breath escaped her lips at the sight of the most beautiful thing she'd seen since leaving Xhaia.
The river glowed in the darkness like a rippling golden thread, weaving its way in and out of the trees, without being disturbed by them.
The water itself seemed alive with a honey-colored fire, rolling and tumbling over itself at a slow speed, reflecting against the trunks of the trees.
The forest glowed with it.
Shyana dipped down to place her hand in the stream and when she pulled it back, the water dribbled off her flesh in golden sparkles.
Revarian gripped her shoulder. "You may touch the water if you choose, but do not ingest it until I bless it. Understand?"
The general nodded, turning her attention to the rest of the company who just crossed the ridge and appeared just as transfixed with the golden stream, as she was. "Let's set up here for a little while. Only to replenish ourselves and then we must continue on. The Blood Song is close, I can feel it."
No one replied, just continued to stare at the river.
These days had been filled with so much violence and fear, that something so lovely was almost hypnotizing.
Akiem started filling up their canteens with the shimmering water and handed them to Revarian, who rested himself against a tree, pulling out a large red leaf with small slits along the sides.
She sat with her legs drawn to herself, studying Revarian, as he performed his blessing.
He lifted the leaf to his lips and closed his eyes.
A low, soft melody escaped from the grooves in the leaf, filling the darkness with sweet music, as his hand rested on each canteen.
Shyana let out a little gasp, when the golden water dimmed and faded till it was clear.
Both Thurucalns and Xhaians rested their tired bodies beside the shimmering river and took a moment to eat, dress their wounds and hydrate.
Shyana looked down at herself and lifted her fingers to examine the blood, which seemed to cover her. The spider's neon pink plasma still burned her skin, small pieces of it disintegrated off of her wrist.
She tapped Akiem's shoulder and whispered. "I'm going to clean myself. Make sure things are secure here."
He nodded, still unable to look her in the eyes, for what he'd done; she doubted he would be able to for a long time.
Shyana escaped quietly from the group of men and moved upstream.
While living among the members of the army stripped her of her modesty, Shyana didn't trust the Thurucalns, as she did her own brothers.
She craved time to be with her thoughts and try to create some kind of strategy in this cursed forest.
Her armor slid off her stiff shoulders and she released her scarlet hair from its braids, sending it tumbling down her back, in long, wavy tresses.
Setting a toe in the glittering water, she discovered, it was surprisingly warm to the touch and gracefully stepped out, until she was waist deep.
Taking a moment to enjoy herself, Shyana skimmed one elegant hand along the top of the golden water, smiling as it parted for her and joined again, within seconds.
She lowered herself into the river and felt a relieved sigh escape from deep within her lungs.
There was a slight burning from the deep gashes Akiem inflicted on her waist. "I shouldn't be in water with open wounds. I shouldn't…"
But for some reason, the thought seemed to fade, just as she was formulating it. All that mattered was the warm happiness filling her up wherever the water touched her.
Unbeknownst to the general, she wasn't alone anymore. Vikas snuck away to scout out the perimeters.
With Akiem so wracked with guilt, he didn't notice the missing prince and Vikas welcomed the brief time to be rid of both of them.
He searched for a place to survey their terrain, but then he heard a soft splashing back at the river.
Sword drawn, he approached cautiously.
His eyes flicked to the river and the back of a woman standing waist deep in the shimmering water.
Golden, glittering liquid streamed down her figure in gentle ripples, like the finest melted metal.
It didn't occur to him that this was the body of his enemy or that those toned arms had slain more of his brothers than he could count.
He didn't notice the various scars, which marred her pale skin like a network of roots or the circle of claw marks claiming her lower back.
All Vikas knew, was that in all of his travels, he had never seen anything half as lovely as the woman before him.