"Fairrin Part 1 ~ Chapters 10-12" by Twyla Bendyna

Chapter Ten

Jessica sat down and massaged her thigh.  She then looked at the sky.  She was going to have to find a place to set up camp soon.  It was almost sundown.  She got back up and headed off again, wanting to get as far as possible before sunset.

Jessica had gone only a short distance before she heard hoof-beats rapidly approaching her from behind.  She quickly searched the area for a hiding place, found a low-hanging branch, swiftly swung up into the tree, and went high into the branches, quietly listening for her pursuers.

~***~

Derek pulled Lariette to a halt, and Amarine stopped beside them.  “Your Highness, it’s getting late.  Shouldn’t we have caught up with her by now, if her leg’s injured?”  Lariette looked back at Derek as he spoke.

“We should have.  I’m wondering if we missed her somehow.”  Derek dismounted and looked around.  “I guess we’ll make camp here and head out again tomorrow.  We’ll backtrack a bit, and then keep heading for Birth Cave.  Pray that she wasn’t...” He stopped and looked up.  What was up there?

“What’s...” Lariette started.

“Sh!”  Derek peered into the branches.  Then he whispered, “I thought I heard something up there in that tree.”  He saw a shadow descending, so quickly drew his sword and stepped back.

“It’s just me.”  Jessica hopped to the ground in front of them and brushed the bark and leaves from herself.

“Princess.”  All three of them were astonished.  She sure had gotten far for being injured!  Then Derek started in on her:

“Princess, you were supposed to have waited until tomorrow.  What were you thinking?”

“Prince Derek, I’m quite all right.  My leg’s just sore.”

“Just sore?  I saw it, Princess.  It was red, swollen, and bleeding.  That’s not ‘all right’ in my book.”

“It doesn’t hurt, Prince Derek!  It’s just achy.  I can make it on my own.”

“Oh, really?  What if you ran into a sentry?  You’d never be able to hold them off!”

“I’ve already had a run-in with a sentry, Prince.  A gnome and a centaur.  I injured the centaur and killed the gnome.  I can take care of myself!”

“I don’t care about just two!  What if you’d run into a sentry of ten or twenty?  You’d never have survived!”

“I would have been fine!  If not, who’d care?  I wouldn’t!  It would have gotten me out of Father’s arranged marriages!”

‘I would have cared,’ Derek thought, startled by her outburst and the emotions it wrought in him.  ‘And so would have Wildfire and your father.’

Lariette and Amarine silently watched this exchange, astonished.  They exchanged looks during this lull, both realizing that he was in love with her.

“Let’s set up camp.  We’ll head back out at sun-up.”  Prince Derek finally turned away and got a bag off Lariette’s saddle.  Princess Jessica started to help.  “Oh, no, you don’t!  You go sit down, Princess.  Get off of that leg.”

“My leg’s fine.  I’m not just going to let you do all the work by yourself.”

“Yes, you are.  I’m ordering you to sit down, right now.”

“No!”  Jessica turned, walked a little ways away, and stood, arms crossed, refusing to look at the Prince.

Prince Derek set his lips in a firm line and went to work setting up camp.  Within a half-hour he had the tent set up and went to gather firewood.  He then made a fire and started to get something together for supper.  Derek looked over at the Princess, and saw that she was still standing with her back turned to him.  He shook his head and called out to her.  “Princess, would you like something to eat?  I have supper almost ready.”  He watched her, waiting for an answer.  None seemed forthcoming.  “Princess?  Are you listening?”  She stayed turned from him, but shifted her weight to her good leg.  “Fine.  You don’t get anything, then.”  She didn’t react.  Prince Derek shrugged, then sat down a short distance from the fire and prayed over the food.  Then he began to eat, keeping an eye on Jessica.

“You can use the tent, Princess.”  Still no response, except to shift her weight again; this time to her bad leg.  “Good night.”  He stood up and went to rinse his dish in the nearby creek.  Then he set up a blanket near the fire and laid down to sleep.

It seemed a very short time before he awoke again.  It was still dark, and the moon was almost gone from the sky.  ‘What woke me up?’  He looked around, but saw nothing but the trees, with Lariette and Amarine curled up near their bases.  He got up and checked the tent.  It looked intact, but then he looked inside it.  Jessica wasn’t there!  A quick search around the campsite proved fruitless.

“Lariette!  Amarine!  Get up!  The Princess is gone!”  He quickly dissembled the camp and put everything up in their bags.  Lariette and Amarine went to drink at the stream, then Derek put their saddles back on, mounted Lariette, and they set off for Birth Cave.  He prayed he wouldn’t miss her in the inky darkness shrouding the woods.

Chapter Eleven

Jessica stopped at a small stream, took a drink, and splashed some water on her face and hair.  Then she smoothed her hair back, wishing she had a strap to tie it up.  A thought suddenly came to her, and she pulled her hair back.  Then, she twisted it around into a knot, pushed the end under and up through the center, and set off once more for Birth Cave.

After going a short distance, Jessica heard some voices ahead.  She quietly approached the sounds, staying in the cover of the trees and soon spotted them - a sentry.  A quick count told her there were about fifteen or twenty of them, and eight of them were centaurs.  She listened quietly to their conversation.

“Koran, shouldn’t we follow her?”

“She won’t make it far -- some of Cretor’s blood got on her cut.  With her running like that, the poison will quickly spread and kill her.  No worries.”

“Too bad we had to loose Cretor,” another said.  “He was one of our best fighters.”

“Really,” said the first one.  “I just want to kill that little...”

“Enough!  She’ll die by Cretor’s blood, so he will have avenged himself.  Understand, Auron?”

“Yes, Sire.”

“Let’s head on.  I’d rather not court the possibility of being found by that girl.  I’m just lucky she only caught my arm, and didn’t kill me -- she had no cuts on her body, and I would never have been avenged.”  He swung his arm a bit.  “Luckily, Lucifer saw fit to allow it to heal up speedily.  Otherwise, I’d have been laid out for a bit.  Let’s go.”

Jessica watched them disappear into the woods, shocked at what she had just learned.  A centaur’s blood was poisonous!  ‘That explains why my wound isn’t healing properly.  Some of that last centaur’s blood must have splashed into it.  Thank you, God, for keeping me alive this long.  Please help me to make it to Birth Cave and Anabelle, so that I can be healed,’ she thought to herself.  She was about to head on when she heard a twig crack behind her somewhere.  She whirled, dagger in hand, to face her possible attacker.

The young unicorn before her snapped its head up and backed up in fright.

“It’s all right!”  Jessica said, putting her dagger up.  “I thought you were a centaur or something.  Don’t worry.”

“Oh!  I’m glad you’re safe.  Who are you?  You don’t look like an elf or fairy.”

“My name’s Princess Jessica, and I’m not a Fairrinian.  I’m a human.”

“A human!”  She backed up some more.

“It’s all right.  I’m safe.  I’m here helping Prince Derek.”

“You know His Highness?”  She looked incredulous.

“Yes, I do.  What’s your name?”

“Star.  Could you wait a second?”

“Of course,” Jessica said, confused.  What was she about to do, and how did she escape?

Star walked to a low branch of a tree some distance away and looked up, saying something.  As she was walking away, Jessica had noticed a small cut on her left leg.  She must have been the one the sentry had been discussing!  Then she almost gasped aloud.  Princess Alana was climbing out of the tree onto Star’s back!  They’d both escaped!  Star turned and walked back to Jessica.

Jessica stepped forward and gave a small bow.  “Princess Alana, I am pleased to see that you escaped.  Prince Derek was beside himself when he saw you being used as a slave.  He wanted to rescue you; but, knew it was too dangerous.”

“How do you know me?  I’ve never met you before.”  Alana looked confused.

“I was with Prince Derek, and we stumbled on the worksite you were at that day.  I thought you looked a bit like him.  When I asked him, he identified you as his sister.”

“Oh.  You’re a human?”

“Yes.”

“Oh,” again.  “What’s your name?”

“Princess Jessica.”

“Did Derek marry you and bring you here?”  She looked shocked, as if the thought were completely inconceivable.

“No,” Jessica replied, chuckling.  “I came here on my own.  I ran away from my father, who wanted Prince Derek and me to marry.  Father had met him at a ball given by Prince Regent Allen’s sister-in-law, Princess Amy.  Dad thought we’d make a perfect match.  Neither of us did, though.  Prince Derek came back here, and I ran away.  When I gave my mare free rein, she came here - to her homeland.  I found out she’s a unisus.  Her name’s Wildfire.”

“Wildfire?”  Star looked astonished.  “I’ve heard of her.  She wandered off on her own when she was a yearling and disappeared.  She’s alive?”

“Yes, she is.  I saved her life from a wolf pack six years ago, when I was eight, and she’s been with me ever since.  She says she owed me a life debt.”

“She does.”  Alana dismounted, keeping her weight on her right leg.  “It’s part of the Code.  You saved her life, so she owes it to you.  In a way, you own her.  She’s yours by law.”

"Oh."  Jessica looked down at her feet, and then looked back at Alana and Star.  “Well, when I leave here, she stays.  I’d never take her away from Lariette.  Besides that, he got her with foal.  She’s due in just less than four months.”

“With foal?  Then, Anabelle will be a grandmother soon, for the first time!  She’ll be thrilled!”

“Wildfire’s not.  She was sure she would be fighting with Prince Derek and me; but now she’s stuck at Birth Cave.  I’m going to be stuck there, too, now.  I was wounded, and the cut won’t heal."

“By the way, Princess,” Star cocked her head, “what’s a centaur?”

“It’s a creature of Lucifer’s.  Half-horse, half-human.”

“That’s what attacked me!  One of them cut my leg, but I killed it.  I’m glad the Princess had hid in the tree before they attacked, or they’d have killed her.  Her leg’s hurt real badly."  She looked towards the clearing, then whispered; “I almost died.”

“You just might, any ways.  Did that centaur’s blood get in your cut?”

“I think it might have.  Why?”

Jessica lifted her covering and removed the bandage.  Princess Alana gasped, covering her mouth.  Star blinked her eyes.  “I killed a centaur a couple of weeks ago, and its blood got into this wound.  Sara worked on it with some herbs, and I kept it well-cleaned, yet it still looks like this.”

Alana closed her eyes.  “Star, we have to get you to Birth Cave.  Otherwise you might die!”

“We’ll all go, Princess.  If your leg’s hurt, you need Anabelle’s help, too.  You get on Star, and we’ll head out.”

“You ride Star.  Your leg’s worse than mine is.”

“I can walk, Princess.  You can’t seem to even put weight on your leg.  Get on Star.  I’ll walk.”

“I can carry you both.  Princess Alana weighs next to nothing, and you don’t look like you weigh much.”

“I weigh more than you think, Star.”

“If you weigh too much, I’ll tell you to get off.  Now, get on, both of you.”

“No.  I overheard the centaurs saying that running can cause the poison to spread quicker.  That means trying to carry both of us might, too.  I’m walking, Princess Alana’s riding.  It’s settled -- I’m the oldest.”  She turned and headed for Birth Cave, so Alana mounted Star and they followed.

~***~

Derek threw his sword to the ground and sat down in the small clearing they’d come to.  The blood there said it all -- there’d been a big fight, and someone had probably died.  There were hoof prints and footprints mingled in the clearing and a few sets of both went in separate directions from the place.  “That’s that, I guess.  She was killed and carried off, or led away captive.  Let’s get back to camp.  Nothing we can do now.  It’s over.”

“Are you going to let Wildfire know?  And her father?”

“After the battle.  That kind of a shock might cause Wildfire to miscarry, and we can’t spare anyone to take the message to King Joshua.  I’ll go myself, after the battle, to tell him about her and to tell Allen about Father and Mother.”  Lariette nodded his head in agreement.  Then Amarine stepped up to Derek.

“Sire, I’m gonna miss her.”

“We all will, with few exceptions.  I dread informing King Joshua -- she was his only child.”  He got up, picked up his sword, and mounted Lariette.  “Let’s go.”

~***~

Jessica stopped in a small clearing and looked around, getting her bearings.  “I think we’re almost to The Valley.  It’s getting dark, but I believe we can make it there by nightfall.”

“All right, Princess.  I can make it.  Her Highness is falling asleep, though.  I’m afraid she might fall off.”

“Princess Alana?”  Jessica touched the girl’s arm.  “Are you awake?”

“What?  Oh, Princess.  Yes, I’m awake.  I’m very tired, though.  Will we be stopping soon?”

“Shortly.  I think we’re almost to The Valley.  It’s deserted right now, since all that can’t fly are at Council Cave, in captivity, or in the Army.  It should be safer there than out here in the woods, though.  Try to stay awake, all right?”

“I don’t think I can, Princess.”

“Well then, talk to me.  Star, let’s head on,” she turned to the unicorn, and then turned back to Alana.  “I have a question, Princess.  How did you two escape the Outlanders?”

“It wasn’t too very hard, actually.  I dropped some of the wood, and it hit my leg.  They had to carry me to the edge of the forest and set me down.  Since I couldn’t walk, they didn’t leave a guard,” she shrugged.  “Star went to the creek for a quick drink, and then slipped into the woods when no one was looking.  I didn’t know she had escaped until she came up behind me.  I’d been slowly pulling myself into the woods, and almost ran into her.  After she helped me onto her back, we rushed off, heading for Council Cave.  We hoped to find some Fairrinians there.”

“You would have found a few, but most of them are in the Army.  How long ago did you escape?”

“Oh, about three days ago.  It’s been slow going, what with my leg.  Then, today, we heard voices, so I climbed into a tree, and Star went to investigate.  I don’t know exactly what happened, but I do know she killed the centaur and got cut.”

“I was standing just outside the clearing, and looked into it.  I gasped aloud at the sight of those strange creatures -- centaurs, you called them?”  Jessica nodded, and Star continued.  “One heard me, and it came after me.  It moved so quickly that I didn’t have time to run.  So, I reared up and came down on its head.  It fell, but didn’t die.  When I turned to run, it cut me on my leg with its dagger.  I kicked backwards at it and hit it in the head again.  That time I killed it.  I guess some of its blood got on my wound.  I felt some hit my leg, I know that.  The others were coming, so I just ran as fast as I could.  I was heading back when we saw each other.”

“They were just leaving when you showed up, Star.  They’d removed the body and were talking about what to do to you.”

“Oh.  It’s a good thing you were there and caused me to be quiet, or I’d probably be dead right now.”

“Probably.”  She looked at Alana.  “Princess?  Are you still awake?”

“Yes.  I’m almost asleep, though.  How much farther?”

“Not much.  Just over this hill.”

They topped the hill, and saw the entrance to The Valley.  Star almost rushed to it, but quickly remembered that Alana was on her back, and followed Jessica down through the pathway that led into The Valley.  As soon as they made it inside, Alana slipped off Star’s back and went to a creek to get a drink.  Star rushed forward into the meadows beside the creek, happy to be home again.

Jessica walked around slowly; thinking that something looked wrong.  Then she realized what it was -- the plants were dying and there were no animals around.  “Princess, Star, something’s not right.  I think we’d better leave this place real soon.”

“What’s wrong?  I don’t see anything.”  Alana looked around her, confused.  “I don’t hear anything, either.”

“That’s just it, Princess.  There aren’t any animals here, and all the plants are dying.  I think the Outlanders have found this place, and if so, they’ll probably come back, maybe tonight.”  She turned around to head back out.  “Hurry up.  I think we’d better not stay here.  Let’s...” she stopped, her eyes widening with fear.  Then she turned back and began to head for the other side of The Valley.  As she passed Alana, she grabbed the girl's hand, whispering; “Hurry up!  I heard someone coming!”

Alana went as fast as she could, and Star rushed to her.  She got on the unicorn’s back, and they rushed after Jessica.  They quickly made it to the east exit and slipped out.  They stopped, and Jessica motioned Star to come closer.  Then she whispered, “I’m going to see what is in there.  You two wait out here.  We may have to stay here on the beach until tomorrow.”  She slipped back into the passageway and was soon out of sight.

The Princess quietly walked forward in the gathering dark.  Her sword was drawn and her body hugged the cliff as she slipped back through the passageway.  She stopped at the edge of the valley, then carefully knelt down by the cliff and looked out.  There was a mounted unicorn limping across the valley towards the east entrance!

~***~

Nick looked up as Derek walked slowly back into the cave.  “Your Highness?  Are you alright?”

Derek looked up at Nick and stopped.  “I didn’t get to her in time, Nick.  I didn’t make it to her.”  He turned and walked into his chamber, sorrow etched on his face as though it would never go away.

Lariette stopped beside Nick, looking sadly at Derek’s retreating back.  “He’s blamed himself the whole way back here.”

Nick looked at Lariette.  “What do you mean?”

“We found her footprints leading to a clearing covered with blood.  They didn’t leave the clearing alone.”

Nick’s eyes widened slightly as he turned to look at the tunnel Derek had gone down.  ‘So, Derek believes the Princess is dead,’ he thought to himself.  ‘I wonder.’

Chapter Twelve

Jessica started to rise up and go to the unicorn and rider she saw in the Valley, but then saw what was coming in from the far entrance – centaurs.  The rider turned to look back at that moment.  Jessica heard a shout from the centaurs, who started bearing down on the unicorn and rider.  The unicorn was now moving at a faster pace, making its limp more pronounced.

She notched an arrow and let it fly – and one centaur fell, grabbing his chest.  She watched as the other centaurs stopped, momentarily confused by their comrade’s fall, then turn in her direction.  Suddenly, there was a bellow in a voice she had now come to recognize – Koran.

“It’s the human!  Spread out!  Don’t stay in one spot too long, or you’ll be hit!”  With that, the centaurs scattered.

The rider and unicorn slowed down at the centaur’s words; then they looked around themselves in confusion and fear.  Jessica could imagine their thoughts: ‘Human?  A human, in Fairrin?  Oh, no, it can’t be!’  As she saw a couple of the centaurs circling in her direction, Koran called out another command:

“Get the human first!  The unicorn is lame, and the elf is unarmed if reports are correct.  They’ll be easy prey.  That human is the one to worry about.  She’s well trained.”

By this time, the unicorn and rider had picked up speed once more, headed in Jessica’s direction.  She realized that they didn’t know where she was, and quickly crouched down against the cliff, well out of sight.  A centaur suddenly appeared right next to her, and she recognized him as Koran.

The centaur looked around him in confusion.  “I know this is where that arrow came from.  Where is she?”

Koran began to turn in her direction, and Jessica knew she had to act quickly.  She quietly pulled out her sword, and then quickly sprang up from her crouching position, her weapon making a perfect arc for the centaur’s head.  Koran reared up, catching sight of the blade coming at him, and whirled in Jessica’s direction.  Jessica raised her sword higher as Koran reared, and cut deep into the centaur’s upper arm.  She jumped to the side as blood began to come from the wound created, and Koran came down right where she had just been standing.  He looked down at his arm in shock, and then turned to look at Jessica, who had her sword raised to strike again.  Then, he called out, “Retreat!  It’s not worth it!”  All the other centaurs in The Valley began to leave as Koran looked down on Jessica.  “I will deal with you another time, human.”  He whirled and ran away just as Jessica’s sword swung through the air to where his head had been.  His voice echoed through The Valley with his last words, “You will die, even if you are his cousin.”

Jessica lowered her weapon, and then turned to see the unicorn standing nearby.  The rider, an elf, had dismounted and was watching her warily.  Jessica gave him a smile as she pulled out a rag and cleaned her sword.  “Hello.  My name is Jessica.”  She sheathed her sword and stepped forward, hand held out.  “What would your name be?”

The elf looked down at the proffered hand, then back at her face as he accepted it.  “My name is David, and this is Rose.  You’re a human – so, what are you doing here?”

Jessica dropped her hand and smiled.  “Helping Prince Derek regain Fairrin from the Outlanders.”  She turned away and started out to the beach.  “You may travel with us to Birth Cave, where your friend can be healed.”

David and Rose followed Jessica through the passageway.  “‘Us’?  You have friends here?”  He asked as they stepped out onto the beach.  Then he gasped, “Princess Alana!”

The young fairy looked up, and then smiled in happy recognition.  “Sir David.  You’re home!”

The elf rushed forward and dropped to his knees before the young princess.  “Princess, what happened to you?”  He put out his hand and gently laid it on her leg.

“A load of logs fell on my leg and broke it.  Star helped me to escape from the labor camp I’d been imprisoned in, and then saved me from some centaurs.  Princess Jessica found us right after that, and has been helping us to go to Birth Cave.  Were you two the ones who had come into The Valley a little bit ago?”

David turned to Jessica in shock.  “You’re a Princess?  Why didn’t you say anything?”

Jessica shrugged.  “Didn’t feel the need.  We’re all on the same level here right now: fighting the Outlanders, to push them out.”  She turned to Alana.  “Yes, they were the ones I heard.  There were centaurs after them, but they’re gone now.”

David stood up.  “You said you were here to help Prince Derrick.  Where can I find him?”

“The Army is at Council Cave right now.  However, they planned to march soon.”  She went to a small bag, reached in, and pulled out some parchment and ink.  She sat down and began to draw.  “This is what I remember their plans for advancement were going to be.  If you follow this route,” she said as she drew a quick sketch of Fairrin, as she remembered from the maps, and drew out a path from Council Cave, “you should find the Army without much problem.”  She stood up and handed the parchment over.  “Be careful, though.  There are Outlanders and centaurs all over the place.”

David nodded his thanks as he accepted the parchment.  “I will go with you to Birth Cave, to make sure you all arrive there safely and to possibly get some weapons.”  He turned to Alana.  “Your Highness, rest well.”  He turned and headed for a spot near the passageway, calling back, “I’ll keep guard here, Princess Jessica, if I may borrow your sword.”

Jessica nodded, “You may.”  She went to him and handed him the sword and sheath.  “Thank you.  I was going to stand guard, but didn’t know if I’d be able to stay awake long enough.  I’m glad we ran into you.”  She turned to walk away, but stopped and grabbed her thigh, flinching in pain.

David quickly grabbed her arm.  “Princess!  Are you all right?”

Jessica nodded quickly.  “Yes, I’m fine, David.  I have a nasty wound on my thigh that’s not been healing right, though.  That’s why I’m headed to Birth Cave.  Anabelle is there, and she might be able to help the healing process along.”  She smiled over her shoulder at David.  “Thank you for the concern, though.  Good night.”  She walked away with a slight limp.

David watched her go with respect and admiration.  She was wounded and hurting, yet she plowed on.  She helped others, with little thought to herself.  “She’s not like what I thought humans were like,” he murmured to himself as she walked up to Rose and Star, who were by the sea, talking.  “She is gentle and kind.”  He narrowed his eyes as he watched her turn to Alana and help the young fairy to settle in for the night.  “In fact, watching her, I would almost say that Ama had returned to us!”

~***~

Prince Derek looked out across the Barrens to Faerie Castle as he leapt from Lariette’s back, tears coming unbidden to his eyes.

Lariette gently nudged the prince’s arm.  “Sire, we’ll win it back.  We can’t lose with The Creator on our side.”

Prince Derek smiled and nodded, but the smile was sad, and the tears still came.  “I know, Lariette.   However, I can’t bring people back from the dead.”  He knelt down as he spoke, studying the ground intently.  He then stood up again, brushing the dust from his knees and hands.  “It’s strange.  I didn’t want anything to do with the human princess.  When I finally figured out what my brother was up to, arranging the going away ball like he did, introducing me to King Joshua and finagling a promise from me to visit the castle, I wanted to punch him.  Then I met Jessica, got a taste of her intelligence, and wanted to strangle him.  I realized very quickly that I could really come to enjoy her company.  When she refused me before the offer was made, I couldn’t believe my luck.  I thought, ‘Yes!  Here’s my chance to escape.’  I overheard her talking to herself about running away from her father’s matchmaking again, and had to laugh.  She had such courage and spunk.  I left there without telling King Joshua.  I thought it would serve him right to lose his daughter, like Fairrin lost Amarine to him.”

He turned to face Lariette.  “I amazed myself, Lariette.”  He looked down at his clenched hands.  “I—…”  He stopped talking and drew his sword in one breath, facing the forest behind Lariette.  “Show yourself!”

Derek’s sword almost dropped from his hand as he saw Tara step out.  “Tara!  You almost got yourself killed, girl!”

Tara smiled.  “Sire, you’d never strike before knowing who it was you were about to hit.”

Derek smiled as he sheathed his sword.  “You’re right.  I wouldn’t.  I just hope the Outlanders never realize that.”

Tara’s look turned sad as she walked up and touched Derek’s arm.  “You’re in love with Princess Jessica, aren’t you?”

Derek looked up at her, startled.  “Wha-what?”  Lariette also turned towards them in shock.

Tara smiled sadly.  “I overheard you talking to Lariette.  You were about to tell him that, right?”

Derek turned back towards the Barrens.  “Yes.”

Lariette gasped.  “But, Sire, what about Fauna?”

Derek whirled on him.  “Don’t you think I’m thinking on that?  I have a betrothal to uphold, and uphold it I will.  I wouldn’t have turned from that if Jessica had lived, but it would have been harder when I finally realized – finally…”  He stuttered to a close as he looked down at clenched fists and swallowed hard.  “I have my honor to uphold, Lariette, Tara.  I will marry Fauna, as is my duty.  But, I will never love her like I should.  She knows that.  She and I are not a love-match. She loves someone else already, but won’t tell anyone, not even myself or him, to uphold the promise set by our parents.  As much as I’ve tried, I can’t fall in love with her.”  He looked up at Tara.  “Don’t let this conversation go further than this, Tara.  Fauna and I have known we’d never love each other like husband and wife for years now.  No matter what, though, we will uphold the honor and integrity of our families.”  He turned to Lariette and mounted him.  “Let’s get back to camp, before we’re all missed.”  Tara nodded and followed him back to Council Cave, amazed and honored at being allowed to see a side of her Prince that few would ever see – his heart.

~***~

“David?  It’s Princess Jessica,” Jessica slowly walked forward, calling out so David would know she was friend, not foe.

David stood up with a smile.  “Are you trained in the art of war, Princess?”

Jessica stopped in confusion.  “Yes, why?”

“You knew to not just come up behind a warrior on watch without warning him first.  Few untrained people know that.”  He bent to dust off his legs.  “You want to finish up the watch, Princess?”

Jessica nodded.  “That’s what my plan was.  My thigh feels better now that I’ve rested, so I should be all right.”

David nodded as he handed her sword back to her.  “Call out if you need help.  I’m a light sleeper.”  He turned and walked back out onto the beach towards Rose, Star, and Princess Alana.

“Thank you.”  Jessica started to crouch down, but sat instead when pain tore through her thigh.  David had already turned away, so her wince wasn’t seen, and the small gasp of pain she let out went unnoticed.

When the sun started to peek over the cliffs of the valley, Jessica stood up and went back out to the beach.  She had just stepped out onto the sand when she heard hooves closing in behind her.  “David!  Grab my bow and arrows!  Quick!”  She turned back and drew her sword, ready for battle, to see Anabelle galloping towards her.  She nearly dropped her sword in relief as David reached her, an arrow notched and ready to fly.  He, too, lowered his weapon as Anabelle reached them.

“Princess!  What are you doing out here?”  Anabelle pranced to a halt before turning to look in shock at the elf.  “David?  Is that you?”

David smiled as he put the arrow back in its quiver.  “It’s good to see you again, too, Anabelle.”

Star and Rose trotted up just then.  “Anabelle!”  Star smiled as she spoke.  “It sure is good to see you.”

Anabelle stared at the two unicorns.  “Rose?  Star?  You escaped?”  The two laughed at the older unisus’ shock; then, Anabelle recovered and smiled, “I’m glad you are both alive and well.”

Jessica stepped forward.  “Not as well as we could all wish for.  Star and I need your help.  We have poisoned wounds that need healing.”

Anabelle looked back to The Valley and nodded.  “Understood.  However, we won’t be going that way.  I’d come this way to take a walk, and had to rush out this way to escape some very odd-looking creatures.  Follow me, if you will.”  She turned towards the cliffs on the farthest end of the beach, and saw Alana sitting up, looking in their direction.  “Princess Alana?”

Jessica smiled as she laid a hand on Anabelle’s flank. “Yes.  Star helped her escape.  She’s also injured, though.”  Jessica turned to Star.  “Think you can carry her, Star?”

Star nodded.  “I should do fine, Princess.”

They got to Alana, helped her to mount Star, and continued to follow Anabelle.  They soon reached the cliffs, and Anabelle walked up to the water’s edge.  “Princess Jessica, please get on my back.  We need to walk out into the tides a bit.”  She turned to David as Jessica mounted.  “David, if Rose can carry you, you might want to mount up.  Rose, Star, be careful – the tide is strong.  We have to get to the ocean entrance to Birth Cave, though.  There’s no telling if those creatures will come out onto the beach or not, and I certainly don’t want to face them.”

David got on Rose’s back, and the group went out into the water.  As they rounded the edge of the cliff, they saw what Anabelle was leading them to.  “I’d forgotten about this cave, Anabelle,” David said as they climbed out of the pool of water inside the cave.  “It hasn’t been in use for a while, has it?”

Anabelle shook her head as Jessica dismounted.  “It’s been so long, I’d almost forgotten about it until a few days ago.  Come along.  It’s a bit of a walk to Birth Cave from here.”

About an hour later, they came out into the main cavern.  The sunlight streamed in the entrance, and they saw Wildfire standing there, staring out at the sky.  She turned as they walked out, and gasped at the sight before her.  “Princess?  What are you doing here?”  Then she saw Star walk in with Alana and rushed forward.  “Princess Alana!  Star!  You escaped!”

Alana smiled at Wildfire.  “Wow, you’ve grown up, Wildfire.  Last time I saw you, you were just a filly.”

Wildfire nodded.  “I know, Princess.  I finally came back home.”  She turned back to Jessica.  “Now, what are you doing here?”

Jessica smiled sadly as she sat down.  She didn’t answer, instead pulling her legging down and removing the exposed bandages.

“Princess,” Anabelle started to walk forward.  “Those rags are pretty bloody.”

Jessica nodded.  “I know.  That’s why I’m here,” she answered as she finally exposed the wound, wincing when the cloth stuck to it and pulled.  “I need some help.”

David, Wildfire, Anabelle, and Rose gasped in shock at the condition of the wound.  Then Anabelle rushed forward and knelt before her.  “Princess, that wound is really bad!  Why hasn’t it been taken care of?”  She bent her head, touching the wound directly with her horn, and then pulled back in horror.  “That’s poisoned!”

Jessica nodded again.  “I know.  This wound has been being cared for by Sara for a couple of weeks now.  The blood of a centaur is poisonous, and I got some blood in this wound when I fought one.”

Anabelle glanced up.  “Centaur?  Is that what those weird creatures were?  The ones with a man’s head, torso, and arms, instead of a horse’s neck and head?”

“Yes.”

“I seem to recall tales of a creature called a centaur,” she continued, horn again at Jessica’s wound.  “Aren’t they the Fallen One’s minions?”

Jessica nodded, wincing slightly as pain shot through her leg.  “From tales told, they were set loose by him a few generations after the flood, to kill descendants of Japheth, and stop the spread of God’s followers across the world.  It worked, too, 'cause Carmania and Aurania only recently started to follow God again.”

Anabelle raised her head to study the wound.  “I think I’ve done all I can for today.  This is really bad, though.  You should have come back here much sooner than this.  You’re going to be here for a good long while, while I try to get this fixed.”  She turned to Alana.  “Your turn, Princess.”

Soon, she had treated everyone’s wounds, Rose and Alana’s being the easiest to fix.  Star’s wound, also being poisoned by the centaur blood, would take a bit longer, just a Jessica’s.  She was unable to fix any more on Daren and Lisa, and David had no wounds to be tended.

~***~

“We have delayed our march long enough,” Derek paced back and forth before his people.  “I know the loss of Princess Jessica has hit most of us hard; I know that she had found friends in many of you, and you a friend in her.  However, the longer we tally, the easier it will be for the Outlanders to find us out and destroy us, stopping our attempts before they start.  It will be a long march, as originally discussed.  We will backtrack at times, and go around areas we would have normally marched through, to avoid detection.

“The sixteen outriders will be ready at all times.  You know who you are,” he glanced out at the Army, seeing those chosen nod their heads, and continued, “and you know what to do, so no further discussion needed on that subject.”  He motioned to Toren, who stepped up.  “Toren has brought us invaluable information on the Outlanders techniques, as you all know.  And Dalan has begun training many of you some of the human knights ways of battle, which I also witnessed while visiting my brother and deem as useful in this fight.”  He stopped his pacing, looking out at the faces of what was left to defend Fairrin, and nodded.  “All is set, we leave at first light.”

Nick and Sara approached Derek as the company parted ways to prepare for the march.  “Sire?”

Derek glanced over his shoulder, smiling a welcome.  “Yes Nick?  Sara?”

Nick cleared his throat, seeming embarrassed before he finally spoke up.  “I wanted to apologize.”

Derek stopped studying the map before him, turning to fully face Nick.  “Apologize?”

Nick nodded, and then glanced at Sara as if for encouragement.  “I – I’ve realized that the Princess was much more than just another human, her loss has hit me harder that I thought it would.”  He swallowed hard.  “I’d come to respect her, in a strange sort of way, over the past couple weeks.  She stayed strong through her pain; few Fairrinian women would do that, even.”

Derek nodded, smiling sadly.  “I wish she could have heard you say this.  She hated that not everyone trusted her, just because of what her father did.”

Nick nodded, looking down.  “I just wanted to say that, Sire.  To let you know.”

Derek clasped his shoulder.  “Thank you.”

Sara smiled, happy to see the two no longer at odds over the human princess, and wished they could all see what she had seen while treating her wound:  that the girl was Amarine’s daughter.