To the Victor

by Samantha M. Derr

  "I didn't know knights swore." Adi sounded amused as she approached, carrying a cup of water.

  Renee took the water and sipped greedily. "I've never met a knight who didn't. Usually they watch themselves in the company of a lady."

  "But you are a lady yourself." Adi smiled. She turned back to look at the burning inn and her eyes grew troubled. "We caused this."

  "No, Princess. The drunken louts who threatened your honor did." Said fools were trussed up. The locals would see they got justice in the village court.

  "Still. There's something I can do." Adi strode forward, toward the innkeeper, who was comforting his sobbing wife.

  Renee followed, wondering exactly what Adi had in mind. The crowd parted for them, and more than one man gave Renee a wide berth. She'd given her fair share of injuries during that stupid, foolish fight.

  Why were men so eager for battle during a time of peace?

  "Excuse me," Adi said softly.

  "Ah, sister." The inn keeper cleared his throat. Adi still wore her veil, though it was no longer white. She looked so tiny, but her strength was obvious in the way she straightened her back. "How can I help you?"

  "I hope to render you assistance, sir." She reached into the pouch still tied to her waist and pulled out a golden round token tied to a piece of string. "I have a king's mark with me. It's meant to be given to someone who's done favor to the king, and he will repay in kind. Take this to your liege and request the king rebuild your inn."

  The keeper took the token, his eye wide. "Sister, this is too much. You must need this yourself."

  She smiled and placed her hand over his. "Elrica bids me to give it to you. Please. It will make me feel better about this horrible night."

  Renee's heart swelled. She never could have guessed this kind of goodness lay beneath the quiet mouse. Adi could have simply walked away, or worse, behaved like a spoiled noble brat and complained about her journey being interrupted. Instead, she modeled her goddess, and that was a quality Renee could respect. She followed in silence as Adi led them back to the horses.

  "That was well done." Renee said. Adi ducked her head in response. A humble princess―now that was a rare find.

  Someone had started a fire in the middle of the road, and others were gathering around, piling up in groups to try to get some sleep. Renee debated joining them. She felt bone tired, and knew they would need rest before going anywhere.

  "I wish I could do more, but I can't without revealing myself, and my brother would be most cross when we arrived." Adi pursed her lips into a pout, and for a moment Renee was overtaken by the thought of pressing her thumb against that plump lower lip.

  Renee let out a hoarse laugh. "And a fine job I've done."

  Adi turned to face her. "Whatever do you mean? You protected me from those horrible men. And you got us both out safely, and then went back for anyone still trapped inside. You're amazing."

  "We'll see if Mother Ceara feels the same when we get back to the monastery tomorrow."

  Adi took a step away from her. "What? Why are we returning?"

  "In case you didn't notice, we have no spare clothes, no supplies, and little coin. It would be foolish to continue in those conditions."

  "We still have our horses and your weapons. And I kept most of my coin on my person. It should be more than enough to see us on our way. Renee, we can't go back. I need to be at the castle before my brother starts entertaining suitors for my hand. I have to have some say in the matter!" Her voice rose as she spoke, becoming more and more agitated.

  Renee took her by the shoulders and stroked her back gently. "Peace, Princess. All right. I'll get you to Castle Graymore." She thought for a moment. "If we cut through the forest and over the Valley, that should make up the extra day we've lost. Are you up for roughing it?"

  Adi smiled. "Mother Cera asked you about your woodcraft. I trust you to guide us."

  Renee swallowed. Was she worthy of that trust? Some part of her felt that if she'd been a better knight, she could have averted disaster before the drunkard threw that lamp.

  She would not fail the princess again.

  Chapter Four

  The sun felt delightful this morning, and the air was cool but not crisp. Adi took the veil from her head, the better to feel the wind whipping through her hair. They hadn't passed any other travelers on this forest path, which meant she didn't need to worry about her red hair giving away her identity. She'd always hated that about the color of her hair―that she could stand out in a crowd without meaning to.

  She ran her fingers through her tangled locks now, wishing for the brush lost in her pack. No matter. She twisted her hair into a long braid that nearly reached her waist and knotted the very end to keep it in place.

  Renee came out of the forest, leading both horses. She'd taken them to water that morning, along with their water skins for the next leg of their journey. Adi had stayed at the campsite to bury the fire and pack up with few belongings they had left. She stood and smiled.

  Renee's eyes went wide and she nearly stumbled. It was the first time Adi had ever seen her off-balance. "Your hair."

  "What? Oh." She laughed. "Yes, it's red. I know I look nothing like my brother." No, Al had blond locks, like both of their parents. Adi's hair was a throwback to some long dead ancestor, but not entirely unheard of in the Rosemunde line.

  "It's beautiful," Renee said. Her eyes widened, and then she turned away, her attention now on getting the horses saddled.

  "Thank you?"

  Had it really been the first time Renee had seen her hair? Adi thought back. After the horror of the fire, they'd camped out on the King's Road with the rest of the travelers. She'd slept with her veil on, too exhausted to remove it. And then they were back on the road at around noon the next day, although this time it was through a narrow forest track that had led to this much larger path. No, then. She'd been completely covered the entire time.

  Renee had found them a place to camp, off of the road but in a lovely clearing. Adi took a deep breath, taking in the green scent of the forest. She closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of the horses, the bees buzzing near the wildflowers that poked through the dense tree cover.

  She hadn't wanted their inn to burn to the ground, but she found this track much more pleasant than the monotony of the King's Road. This road meandered through the forest, making each turn unexpected. Around the next bend they could stumble upon a deer, or a rabbit, or in one memorable case, a brightly colored bird that seemed lost. It felt more like being on an adventure, despite the relative quiet. Not that she'd ever tell Al that.

  "We'd best be on our way. I want to be at Glendola by nightfall." Renee walked Champion over and picked up the horse blanket they'd been using as bedding. Adi had rolled it into a bundle, and she waited as Renee made sure everything was secure to Champion before climbing up.

  "Glendola?"

  "It's a village over the valley. We should be able to replenish our supplies and find a place to sleep. This time we'll stay out of the common room."

  Adi couldn't help the giggle that rose up. "Surely history won't repeat itself."

  "I should have known better to bring a woman as beautiful as you around such ruffians." Renee mounted her steed.

  That was the second time she'd commented on Adi's beauty. Really, Adi was nothing special. She had known many others who were far more attractive―Duke's daughters with hair like spun gold, the Princess of Alcione with hair like midnight and eyes of sapphire. Adi was just a tiny girl who happened to have been born to the right household, with too bright hair and a tiny stature.

  "Well, I find I prefer sleeping outdoors." Adi dismissed the comment. "Perhaps we won't need a stuffy old inn anyway."

  They got back on the track, which was wide enough that they were able to ride side by side. It wasn't the beaten brown dirt of the King's Road, but it seemed to be well-maintained. Strange that it seemed well-traveled, but they hadn't seen anyone pass them.

  Renee g
ave her a look after a few moments of riding in silence. "If you love the outdoors, why did you shut yourself away in the monastery?"

  Adi bit her lip. The true story she had told no one. Not even Mother Ceara or any of her dearest friends. "I told everyone I wanted peace."

  "But that's not what truly happened, is it?" Renee's eyes had softened.

  How did she know? There was something about this knight, and for a moment, Adi wondered if the tales they told about the Wolf Knights were true. Did they have a bit of magic left over from the old days?

  "No." Adi swallowed and decided to tell the story. "I killed a man." Her voice didn't even sound like hers. "A Kurm assassin, come to murder me in my own bed. But I'd been trained to defend myself." She'd learned from the palace guards from the moment she could lift a sword. "I knew how to run from his grasp. How to grab the dagger I'd only ever used for ornamentation before. And I knew how to hold it. How to drive upward into a man's belly."

  "Sweet Isaura," Renee murmured.

  Adi wiped at her cheeks, not surprised to find the words had brought her to tears. "Things were very delicate after that. For my own safety, I couldn't stay home. I feared to sleep in my own bed. I chose the monastery. Elrica promised peace, and that's one thing I needed in those horrible days."

  Renee brought her horse close and reached out to rest her hand on Adi's arm. "You should have been safe in your own home."

  Yes. And now they were going back there. "My brother didn't want to start a war. Not after almost fifty years of peace. But I fear it's inevitable. That's why I must return, you see. I need to make an alliance. Either with Kurm," the thought made her shudder, and she was sure Renee felt it beneath her warm fingers, "or a country that would lend us military support in case of war."

  "You'd marry into a realm that tried to kill you?" Renee looked down at her hand, and her eyes widened. "Forgive me, Princess."

  She had moved her horse away before Adi could reach out and grasp her in return. "Don't." Adi swallowed, struggling to gain control of her emotions. She'd have to learn to school her features soon. The court wasn't a place where one could wear their heart on their face. "Right now I'm still just Adi. Remember?"

  Renee smiled at her, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I know. It's why it's hard to see you facing something so horrible."

  "It's my duty. I'm sure you know that as well, Knight Wyvern."

  *~*~*

  "That I do." Renee had sworn herself to service of Isaura. She answered to the head of her order. Right now they served the king of Hedlund, but that could change at any time.

  Still, her heart ached for the young woman in front of her. Renee wanted to take Adi in her arms and hold her, give her comfort for the darkness she'd been through. Those thoughts... were not appropriate for the princess of the realm. They weren't two women who could simply share an embrace. She'd have to hide her attraction, and not risk touching Adi again. Renee respected her too much to tempt her in such a way.

  They continued on in silence, though it was peaceful. There was something about taking the forest track that was more soothing than the busy King's Road. Renee could at least enjoy Adi's company for as long as she had it.

  Not far from their goal, Renee noticed the trail wasn't as well-maintained as it should be. Large branches had fallen on the road, and they had to carefully lead their horses around some too big to trot over. Someone from the village should have been clearing this road, especially this close to the bridge.

  The hair on the back of Renee's neck prickled, and all of her instincts screamed to be wary. Her unease was made worse when they reached the bridge. The little wooden stand where a villager waited to collect tolls for passage had been smashed, the wood cracked and splintered.

  "What could have done that?" Adi asked.

  Renee shook her head. "I don't like it. Stay behind me as we cross." She pulled out her sword, comforted by the weight of it in her hand. Her horse snorted and stomped his feet. What did he sense that she did not?

  The Glendola-Valley Bridge had been built in the old days, before magic had left the world. It was a marvel of engineering that no one had been able to produce since. Made of white brick, it soared across the span with three archways as its base. Perhaps in the past there had been more below than cracked rocks and a trickle of a stream. This expanse certainly was wide enough to imagine a roaring river. No one could build something this vast now, even if anyone could remember how to make the white bricks that never aged or crumbled.

  Renee moved them along at a trot, eager to get off the bridge as quickly as possible. They'd made it halfway when a sound pierced the air, a noise she'd never forget. It was a roar and a wail, and it sent chills down her spine.

  But it was enough of a warning for her to shout: "Get to the end as quickly as you can!" to Adi behind her.

  The dragon swooped down from above, its mouth open and dripping saliva as it roared. It had its claws extended, reaching for something, and Renee guessed that something was either her or Adi. She knew her horse would not panic, but she was uncertain about Adi's.

  Adi had galloped past, head down and legs tucked like a professional racer. There was a girl who knew how to ride. Renee chased after her, her eyes on the sky, watching the dragon as it approached. She could trust Fleetfoot to keep his footing and follow the path.

  They were close to the end of the bridge. The dragon chose that moment to dive, going for Adi.

  "No." Renee charged forward, and as the dragon reached for Adi, she sliced with her sword, taking off one of its claws.

  The dragon reared up and shrieked in pain. That gave them enough time to get to the other side of the gorge, back onto land. Renee didn't pause to see if the dragon would pursue them through the trees. "Keep going!"

  This part of the track was littered with branches as well, and she knew it for what it was now―the dragon trying to scoop up human prey.

  They galloped beneath the cover of trees, until the forest retreated and the gates of Glendola came into view. She looked up at the empty sky, though she couldn't shake the feeling of something watching her from above. Renee reined in her horse and watched Adi do the same, speaking calming words to her mare.

  "Come. Through the gates." No guards stood watch, but she did see the back of a small boy as he ran from them and into the center of town.

  A bell clanged as they made their way through the main track, made of white stone like the bridge. This was a very old village, and the buildings on either side looked no worse for wear, their brick walls still a gleaming white. They might have been built last year. More magic.

  At the sound of the bell—which the boy had grabbed from a pole in the town square—villagers came peeling out of those buildings. Renee realized she still had her sword in hand and sheathed it in a hurry. She meant no harm to these people, but the adrenaline from the fight still flowed through her veins.

  "They came from the bridge!" The boy called, and the cacophony of the crowd grew even louder. Renee drew her horse closer to Adi's, just in case.

  "Hold, people, hold." A woman stepped forward and the crowd parted for her. She had hair like autumn and wore an earth colored gown with pouches hung from her waist. The golden tattoo on her forehead marked her as the town's wise woman. "Welcome, travelers. I am Merena. Is it true you came from the bridge?"

  Renee nodded. "And noticed you have a dragon problem. I am Knight Renee Wyvern. This is my charge, Adi." She left off Adi's title and names to protect her. She realized that Adi had never gotten around to replacing her veil, so the entire town was treated to a view of her beautiful red hair. Renee sent off a prayer to Isaura that no one would connect Adi to the missing princess.

  "How did you make it across? Since it came, no one has done so. Even the ones who went to leave a warning on the other side were taken." Merena clasped her hands over her chest.

  "Luck and my sword." Now that the dragon was gone, Renee realized what she'd done. Isaura truly must have been with her this da
y.

  There were whispers, and someone else came forward—a man wearing an apron and covered in baker's flour. "You say you are a knight? Can you slay the dragon?"

  "Jim, this is not a children's tale," Merena snapped.

  "She's already injured it. That be dragon blood on her horse." Jim pointed.

  Renee hadn't noticed the blue-black blood that had stained the side of Fleetfoot's saddle. They were both lucky that stories about it being corrosive were just that.

  "Excuse me," Adi said, her voice strong and clear. "What of your liege and their knights? They should have taken the dragon ere before now."

  Merena nodded. "And they would have, had they not all left to enter the king's tourney."

  "All of them?" Renee frowned. How terribly irresponsible. In her order, knights had to earn their place at tournaments. The rest drew lots to remain on patrol. Protecting the realm was no less important when the king called for a celebration.

  Adi turned to Renee and said in a low voice. "Can you do it? Slay a dragon?"

  Renee gaped at her. "My duty is to see you to your destination, my lady. Not slay beasts on the way."

  "It's killed everyone who's tried the mountain pass to get to Duodasham. We can't just leave it." Adi's eyes widened, and her cheeks turned pink. If she continued to be passionate about such things, the king would never say no to her. Renee found she could not deny such an impassioned plea. Or perhaps she could never say no to Adi.

  Renee stopped and thought about it. The last time she'd slayed a dragon, she hadn't been alone. She'd had her sister knights with her, and some far more experienced in dragon slaying. Renee had been there to learn, and she remembered her lessons well.

  And this beast looked to be a juvenile, not fully grown. That worried her a bit—where had it come from? Dragons were rare, although they still popped up in mountain communities like this one. But a young dragon meant an egg clutch. There might be more.

  That she'd have to leave in the hands of those who came after. This problem, she might be able to solve.