The Unexpected Heir: A Tale of Alus (41 page)

He had decided to move away from the main roads when possible. Since they were far enough north, the coast presented a possible path, but not every inch of coastline was made of pristine beaches of sand. Even walking the sand when it was available was known to be draining on legs needed to walk hundreds of mile possibly. Luckily, there was also much easily passable ground to use beyond the worn paths used for roads.

They were near the coast enough to find gentle hills and prairies. Forests were rare though often they could find knots of trees and shrubberies close to streams and other water sources.

Avoiding the road also meant that they moved a bit slower. Xerese didn't think that she held him back as much as before. Her legs had grown stronger and each day built her stamina, but there were no days off from walking as Toman pushed to put miles between them and the dangerous town.

Eventually, they no longer saw the fires of burning farms, and they began to worry a bit less. They hadn't seen any of the squads of soldiers in a long while and the few they had seen had been in the distance.

Water had been a bit harder to find over the last few days. Toman measured out their water even tighter than he did their food, which was slowly disappearing even with the man's scrounging.

When they found a small cut leading to the sea, Toman decided to follow it upstream. He was taller than her and the man said that he thought he saw a reflection of light not too distant to the south. The guard told her that he hoped that it was a pond or widening of the stream.

Xerese hadn't been able to wash her clothes for a week. The days without finding a stream meant that she also couldn't wash her face or the dirt off of her legs. Feeling filthy, the lady followed him willingly as she hoped that they had finally found a place where she could get clean once more.

Going uphill, the two followed the little stream until they found a dam made up of sticks, mud and other natural debris. While it was rough, they thought that it was caused by beavers. The animals were common enough near water where there was also enough woods to work with to create their land changing dams.

As they moved around the dam formed between two hills, the two were rewarded with the sight of a small lake.

"Amazing," Xerese commented impressed by the size of the lake created by the industrious creatures. A couple more of the dams had been created to the east and west to help contain the waters of the lake so that they couldn't escape down their ancient tracks. "To think that they made a stream into a lake. The little run off probably keeps it from overflowing their dams most of the time."

"The little beasts have had to be driven off in places where they created lakes cutting off the rivers and streams feeding some of our cities in the past," the big man stated looking less impressed and more annoyed by the creatures' habit of making lakes for their homes.

"In a place like this, it matters little, of course. Well, maybe the land could be farmed to the north if it wasn't here, but we must be far enough away from any towns that it isn't harming anyone," the girl replied looking for a good spot to enter the water. She would wash her clothes as well as long as Toman wasn't pushing for them to move along too soon. It was still mid afternoon and there was time for walking, but they couldn't pass up the treasured water without filling the two flasks in the packs they carried.

The man looked at the woods surrounding the lake. The trees opened up to the north where a larger version of the stream they had followed fed the dammed up water.

"We can make camp early, can't we?" she asked her guard. It was strange to think that she now followed the man who was supposed to be her employee. Her royal birth and the riches of her family meant little so far from home. Xerese knew that she was lucky that he had stayed with her. Without the powerful man, the girl hated to think what would have happened to her.

He frowned as Toman continued to look at the cover surrounding the lake. "I suppose that we could. While we can certainly put more miles in today, perhaps a break would be worth it. We can always try harder tomorrow," the man finished glancing at the lady he protected. The girl had walked at the pace he set with little complaint; even those first days when she had been barefoot Xerese had tried. Wearing the shoes made by Edric, the girl had proved less fragile; but he knew that they could only push so hard before she would break.

"What do you expect to see when you look around here? We haven't seen anyone in days."

"There could be signs of wild animals more fearsome than beavers or bandits who might wish to use a place like this to hide away from the king's law. Not every soldier is likely to be as violent and destructive as those who struck Delem, but there are enough."

Frowning at the man, Xerese pouted as she informed him, "Well, at this point I don't care if a wolf wants to come eat me. I am tired and itchy from all this dirt. If you want to walk further, then we can do that after I bathe."

Dropping her bag on the ground, the girl sat and began working the laces of her boots. As she looked at the tan boots, Xerese marveled at the quality that Edric had achieved in one night. She didn't know how long it should take a cobbler to make shoes or boots, but any orders they had made back home had taken days or even weeks to arrive. The lady appreciated the padding in the soles as well as the surprisingly good fit all around her feet and ankles. They protected her and made it easier to do all the walking that she had been forced to do over the last couple of weeks.

Standing again, she looked at Toman who had refused to budge while removing her boots. Wearing a skirt and blouse today, the girl knew how to get him to move. Faced towards the water, Xerese began unbuttoning her blouse. She didn't look his way, but had a feeling that he was blushing as she listened to the scuffle of his feet as the man turned and hurried into the woods behind her.

Toman would scout and probably look for food. He might even decide to make camp, but whatever he decided it wouldn't involve looking at her while she bathed.

The blouse and skirt were removed and reviewed. Both could use cleaning, but after dumping the remainder of her clothing from the bag, Xerese thought that they were the least dirty of what she had now. She would wash the dress and other outfit. While they dried, the lady would have to put up with the least dirty of her clothing or choose to wear something wet.

Toman wouldn't leave her for long. The man would cover his eyes if he returned, sure; but he wouldn't risk leaving her for too long. His stated worries were real. It was like having an overprotective mother hovering over her all the time, but the man meant well. Perhaps that was another reason she never felt any romantic feelings for her protector. It had just been the two of them for weeks now. Xerese had read stories of romance where a man and woman couldn't help falling in love under such circumstances, but there was none of that here.

Perhaps that only worked in books, the girl thought. There would be suitors for her if she returned. Shaking her head, Xerese changed the wording of that thought. They would be there when she returned. Toman would get her safely to Malaiy and then they would sail home.

Moving deeper into the lake, Xerese enjoyed the cool water. It was refreshing after so many days in the heat and dust. Fields could be just as bad as the dirt road, though her legs were often laced with green streaks from the grasses trying to snag her skirts. How many more days would it take to get home? Surely there must be other cities and towns nearby where they could find a ride aboard a ship. Even riding in a farmer's cart would be a nice break.

Submerging under the water, Xerese did what she could to rinse out her hair. She missed shampoo. Her mother had always brought it in as well as flower scented soaps. They were the basis for being a lady, or so her mother seemed to think. Just being clean was enough for Xerese, especially now that she knew how it felt to live so basely.

Rubbing at the skin on her arms and face, the girl began moving towards the shallower water. Her legs and body would be easier to clean there and she could grab her dress to clean it first. She could even use it as a wash cloth Xerese supposed. Rubbing it against her skin would help to start scrubbing it clean also.

As she wiped the water from her eyes, the girl was blinded a moment as she continued forward. When her hands dropped, she opened her eyes and stopped freezing like a statue.

"Well don't stop on our account, pretty one," a man dressed in the blue soldiers' uniform of Tseult said grinning at the girl. He and four other soldiers stood near her clothing all leering at her. The water was now only to her waist after moving forward towards the shore.

Her right arm reached across her breasts to hide them, while her left splashed into the water trying to conceal what was distorted by distance and the lake.

The man frowned, "Well don't go being unfriendly now. A pretty girl like you shouldn't cover up what the gods blessed you with."

She noticed a blade in his hand as the man gestured with it towards her. The other men stood arms folded or hands on their hips leering at her from the shore. Standing perhaps only twenty-five feet from her, Xerese had a feeling that they had already seen much of her. While it made her blush, part of the reddening was from anger.

Dropping her arm from her breasts, the lady put aside her want to protect her pride and dignity. If being a pretty woman could be used to get her out of this, then she had to gamble that her beauty could distract them long enough for her to come up with a plan to escape. She wouldn't leave the water if at all possible. They couldn't touch or harm her easily if she remained deep enough. Armor and weapons would surely drag them down. Xerese was also a fair swimmer. If she had the opportunity, maybe she could swim to the opposite side of the lake and hide from them.

"I would like to think a soldier of Tseult would be more decent and noble than to disturb a woman while she bathed. Certainly they shouldn't be harassing her and leering at her like some harlot in one of those houses for such women," Xerese admonished the men as she assessed her options.

Glancing behind her, Xerese's hopes of escape diminished as she spotted three more soldiers watching from the opposite shore. The girl doubted even a champion swimmer could move quick enough to get to a place where she could escape into the forest. Running into the forest naked wasn't her favorite idea anyway, but it was certainly better than what she feared these men might do to her.

Her words of rebuke received laughter from the men between her and her clothes. Perhaps the men behind her couldn't hear the conversation, but Xerese was keeping her attention on the men in front of her for now.

"I doubt that any man would wish to miss a vision such as you. As to being soldiers of Tseult; that could come under debate," the man said with a smile. His fellows all chuckled at his rebuttal. Why they considered that so funny, Xerese wasn't sure; but either way they further revealed what they might hope to get from her.

The man glanced to his followers and said, "The girl is so pristine that she can't even use words like whorehouse or prostitutes. I wonder if that means she is a virgin as well."

"She doesn't cover up like a virgin," one of the other men said appreciating the view.

"Well, even virgins get to the point where they no longer want to be virgins," the first man laughed. "Maybe this one has gotten to that point. She is pretty young, but maybe she is tired of being so pure."

"I prefer being... left alone," Xerese stated with a frown for the men. "Leave me now. I don't wish for there to be trouble. Just leave me to my business."

"Oh and what kind of business would that be? We already discussed a few professions that you look capable of doing well," the soldier leered. He moved a little closer to the water as he continued to antagonize her.

Xerese held her ground for the moment, though she wanted to flee.

"Come out of the water so that we can see you better," the man urged her with a wicked smile.

"I will not," she said with a shake of her head.

The man turned angry and shouted, "Girl, come out of there! We won't hurt you, I promise."

"Not much anyway," one of the men said quietly to the others causing them to laugh. Xerese could tell from his lips what he had said, though she couldn't hear him from the water.

Xerese stepped back with a frown. The men all began to look annoyed with the girl now and started to follow their vocal leader towards the water. She took another step back and briefly glanced behind her towards the three on the opposite side of the small lake.

"Stay away from me!" the lady from Malaiy ordered, but fear had snuck into her voice making it more of a plea. She wanted to tell them that she was warning them; but Xerese knew that being outnumbered and exposed it would just sound completely hollow.

Nearly halfway between the two sides of the lake, the men behind her fanned out hoping that the girl would try to swim towards them. The water was now over her head, but not by a lot as Xerese began to tread water still uncertain where she should try to go. Behind her there were fewer men and they had remained silent, but the young woman doubted that they would be any less dangerous than the men starting to step into the first few inches of water.

They could see that this end of the lake wasn't too deep, but waiting for her to tire as Xerese was forced to swim to keep them away might be worth pressuring her from a distance. Eventually they knew she would have to choose a direction or risk drowning.