CHAPTER TWO

2

A HANDSOME SAVIOUR AND THE FLAME HE IGNITES

As her body was already accustomed to getting up just before the sun rose, she stirred just in time to watch the sun glide through the sky. She blinked. Why did it look a lot closer to her window than usual? Even her bed felt harder than usual.

Frowning, she sat up. It took a while to get a bearing of her surroundings, but when she did, the first thing she was aware of was that her head was throbbing. It was easy to forget that fact however, as soon as she realized where exactly she was.

On top of the damned mountains of Myrd.

Memories of the previous night flooded her mind's eye. She thought the little kids she had seen playing the previous morning, of Ana and her customers. She thought of Tiaa Brunna, and whether she had escaped too, or was laying amongst a heap of bodies, with dead, unseeing eyes, and bile filled her throat.

Who were those people, and what had their poor, peaceful village done to deserve that raid?

" Oh good. You're awake."

She nearly jumped out of her own skin. She had not even heard anyone approach. She tried to steel her nerves, act fearless and all, thinking of ways to run, how far she would make it with her throbbing head, when she looked up at her kidnapper's face and… oh.

Oh.

By the goddess' name, he was handsome. And he was smirking at her. "You're still as dumb as ever, aren't you?"

She squawked. "E..excuse me?"

"You almost got caught back there. Don't you know how dangerous that was?"

She sniffed. "My village was under attack. I had to leave my Tiaa behind. I didn't expect to run into anyone." Her prior admiration was turning to disdain. What a prat!

He shook his head. "How's your head? Do you feel good enough to walk? We can't stay here long. Seidr's men will be combing the mountains by now, looking for you."

She gaped, struggling to stand but getting tangled in the blankets that had been mysteriously draped over her overnight, skillfully ignoring his snort at her expense. "Looking for me? Why?"

He began packing up his bedroll. She could see two swords by his feet, sheathed in their scabbards. She remembered hearing blades slice into flesh and accompanying screams, and shivered. "You have a great destiny, I suppose. Not everyone will benefit from it, though, so they wish not to see you overturn it."

"I don't understand." She started folding up the blankets. "Who are you?"

He glanced over his shoulder at her. "My name is Florian. I'm a mercenary. I was sent by well wishers to bring you safely to our hideout."

"Well wishers?"

He sighed exasperatedly, like he was the one who should be tired. The jerk. "Listen, I can't give you all the answers right now, but I can tell you that we're not safe here. There are people who can tell you what you want to know, and they are waiting for you in Casmi."

"And how do I know that you're not one of those who wish me dead?" She knew he wasn't though. She couldn't explain it, just how she couldn't explain the bad feeling she got about that man at Ana's tavern that might have been true on some level, but she knew this Sir Florian would keep her safe.

He rolled his eyes. "You don't. But you aren't really in a position to debate it right now. Seidr's men will be here soon. Its either me or them."

Having said his piece, he took off towards the opposite side of the mountain, strides powerful, almost confident she'd follow. She hated how she had no choice but to scramble after him.

'My name is…" She began, but he hushed her.

"Princess, with all due respect, I don't think you know who you are."

She sputtered. "I know who I am!"

He spared her a glance, amused. "Enlighten me, then."

"Ileafek of Lemech."

He huffed, reaching to his side to pull out a scarf, which he tossed at her. "If you're coming with me, tie up your hair and cover it up. Its stands out like no one else's, and the last thing we need is an active target on our backs."

She obliged, pulling her hair into a knot and covering it with the scarf. Tiaa always told her that her hair was unique, that it matched the fire inside her. She never understood what that meant though.

Thinking about Tiaa once more brought tears to her eyes, but she shook it off. There was nothing more to be done.

Their trip down the mountains was mostly quiet, so as not to garner any attention, and partly because Ileafek was still stewing in her thoughts. Both the man at Ana's tavern and the man she met just before Sir Florian saved her had stared at her hair. Not just in awe, like she was used to everyone in the village doing. They had a hint of recognition in their eyes. She knew her hair was unique, but she never dreamed it would bring her such trouble.

"So, where are we headed?" She asked, in lieu of anything deeper.

"Casmi, like I mentioned earlier. We'll stop at the village at the bottom to get horses, and we'll head there immediately. We're incredibly exposed out here, and it's not safe. I'm a pretty good swordsman, but even I can't take out an army by myself."

"Why'd the well-wishers send you out by yourself, then?"

"A lone traveler or two is less likely to arouse suspicion."

"Oh." Just then, something occurred to her. "Wait, you said I'm still as 'dumb as ever.' What does that mean?"

Florian looked at her, eyed her briefly, and looked back at the trail. "We grew up together."

She frowned. "I don't remember ever coming across you in Lemech."

"Not Lemech, you dolt. Your home before that."

"I don't…" she started, but he held up a hand, signaling her to be quiet. She was confused at first, but then she heard footsteps, and someone grabbed her roughly from behind, and a hand covered her mouth to stop her from screaming. Not that it would have been any help. The nearest people were her villagers, and she could still see smoke rising from what should be the remains of her village.

"Who are you, and what business do you have up here?" One of the men, and as she took a look at him, she realized, with horror, that he was clad in the same garb as the men that accosted her the previous night.

"We were headed to Casmi for business, and stopped to retrieve something from Lemech." Florian said, his eyes scanning the men, probably to see if he could take all 12 of them.

"Is that so?" the one that had spoken before drawled, before signaling to the one holding her to yank off her headtie, which he did. She tried to struggle, but it was no use. She was pretty strong from all her pig wrestling years, but she hadn't even had breakfast yet.

The man tutted, and turned to the others. "Kill him, and bring her."

Florian drew his swords as the men descended on him, and the one holding her started dragging her away, she struggled fiercely, trying to buy time for Florian, who was holding his own well, to get to her.

But, just as Florian took out one of the men in front of him, another pummeled him from behind, and he went tumbling to the ground.

Fear and desperation gripped her throat, clawing it's way down her chest. Florian was going to die because of her, just like others at the village. These men were going to use her to do whatever, and she was useless, utterly useless to do anything about it.

The fiery feeling she usually got surfaced again this time, stronger than ever, but this time, it didn't hit any blocks, mental or not. It surged through her, filling her, encompassing her. Asking her to let go.

Closing her eyes, she let go.

She could feel it immediately surge out of her. She heard horrifying screams, smell burning flesh, but oddly enough, it didn't faze her. Not when she felt like this. Not when she was doing this. She didn't feel in control of herself, she felt so far away, but that didn't faze her, either.

Finally, everything died down. She opened her eyes. A faint tang hung in the air, and she stared, befuddled and unbelieving, at the charred remains of their assailants, and at Florian, who looked quite the sight, gaping, with blood rolling down the gash on his head.

Well.

Damn.