by Alice Wilde
I cry out, “Gods, Roan. My arm!”
Just then, six men thrust their way through several nearby bushes.
“Unhand her!” one of them yells, raising his crossbow at Roan. The other men raise their weaponry as well, and we find ourselves surrounded by a crescent moon of drawn swords, bows, and daggers.
Roan lowers me carefully to the ground, and I raise my uninjured arm in the air toward the men.
“Wait, please. Stop. It’s just a misunderstanding,” I say, a grimace crossing my face as the pain in my arm intensifies. My stomach twists and I force myself not to look at my injury, but at each of our aggressors’ faces in turn.
“Explain yourselves,” the man holding the crossbow says, edging slightly forward.
“I tripped,” I say. “Roan was merely saving me from a fall.”
“That’s not what it looked like.”
“I swear, the only danger I’m in is from your armed crossbow.”
The man blinks, confusion showing on his face. He lowers his crossbow nervously, his eyes shifting from Roan to Li and then to Ero, whom I realize is no longer in his human form. The rest of the men remain in their defensive positions.
“And the leopard?”
“He’s harmless…unless I command otherwise,” I say with more confidence than I feel.
Ero shoots me a look that I can only guess is his way of letting me know I have no real control over what he may or may not do next.
I lean against Roan and immediately realize my mistake when excruciating pain surges through me once again and I yelp.
“You’re hurt!” the man exclaims, stepping forward once again and motioning for the rest of the men to lower their weapons, which they do, although they don’t sheath them. He must be their leader.
Roan growls and Li and Ero move nearer to me, blocking the strange man from getting any closer.
“It’s nothing,” I say through clenched teeth.
“Don’t move,” Li says as he moves next to me without taking his eyes off the men surrounding us. “Now breathe in deeply…and out.”
I see a flash of light and everything goes momentarily dark as Li expertly grabs my arm and shoulder and snaps them back into place. The agonizing pain in my shoulder turns into a numb throb, the pain nearly altogether diminishing under Li’s fingertips.
“What…how?” I ask dumbly as my vision returns and I dare to look down at what I can see of my arm. I don’t know what I expected, but I’m almost surprised to see I still have an arm at all.
“Roan dislocated your shoulder,” Li says. “There will probably be bruising.”
“Sorry, lass,” Roan whispers before slinking a few steps away from me but still within arm’s reach.
I instinctively want to hug him and let him know everything’s fine, but I shake the thought immediately. No. He, as well as the others, needs to know he can’t just go around manhandling me.
“She’ll need a sling,” Li says, directing the words toward the man with the crossbow whose mouth is agape at what just happened.
“Oh, yes, of course,” he says waving a hand at one of his men, who immediately steps forward, ripping a long strip off cloth off the bottom of his own shirt and handing it over. “My name is Louis, and you’re all practically naked!”
The remark throws me and I can’t help but burst into laughter. A moment later, Louis and his men are laughing with me, the tension finally breaking.
“How kind of you to notice,” I say when I can finally catch my breath. It feels good to laugh. I honestly can’t remember the last time I laughed so hard. Louis is rather short, but not unpleasant to look at. His brown hair is shoulder-length and tied at the nape of his neck with a few wavy strands springing out around his face. I’m not sure how old he is, but if I had to guess, I’d say around his mid-thirties. He’s quite thin, but sinewy in a way that suggests he has a hidden strength.
“Forgive me, but my first concern was for your safety,” Louis says as he hands the strip of cloth over to a stony-faced Li. “Judging by the state of you, I doubt many would blame me.”
“We’ve had a rough time of it. I don’t suppose you would happen to have a spare set of clothes…or three? And my name is Annalise. This is Li and Roan,” I say nodding my head toward them.
“We don’t have much, but you’re welcome to see what we have,” Louis says with a nod of his head. “If you and your companions wouldn’t mind following us back to camp.”
I look over at Li, who shrugs as he wraps the sling around me.
“Lead the way.”
Two
Roan
It hasn’t been easy traveling with Annalise. Not that the lass is a pain in and of herself, but she is more than a little headstrong. She insists on walking on her own two feet as much as she can, which has slowed down our progress significantly, not to mention I’d rather she let me hold her as much as possible. I may not be able to have the lass, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting her.
Ero may have been teasing Li about stealing her first kiss, but I hated Li for it. Not a true hate, but enough to wish him ill luck with the lass. Although he seems to be doing a pretty good job of pushing her away himself.
The stress is starting to wear on us all. It’s been brutal traveling in human form. Our feet are painfully aware of our lack of shoes and the speed at which we run. At least when Annalise lets one of us carry her, we are able to run, which helps keep our minds off our feet and reduces the worry of being found. Something I’m dying to tell her, but can’t. I admire her strength and will to persevere. I won’t be the one to stifle that or take her freedom away if I can help it.
She has a habit of walking longer than she should and then trying to hide the fact that she’s limping. It’s difficult for me to restrain myself from sweeping her off her feet at those times, but I do.
I smell the meat almost instantly—we all do. It doesn’t take long for Annalise to assert herself once again. At least she can get away with it. Li tries to control her as much as possible, but he never gets very far once she’s made up her mind.
I know Li is just trying to be cautious, and I can’t fault him for that, but I’d rather watch and see what happens. It isn’t long before I’m forced to eat my own words, even if they were just said in my head. Like an overprotective parent, I made the mistake of snatching at Annalise as she tripped. Instead of her ending up with a bruise, I literally yanked her arm out.
The last thing I meant to do was hurt her, and I’m going to have to wait awhile before I get a chance to properly apologize and hopefully mend things between us. Food should help.
Three
Annalise
The campsite is farther away than I had expected. Louis explains that he and his men had been scouting the area when they heard me clear my throat, but what’s really bothering me is the distance the scent of their dinner has traveled. The very fact that we were able to smell out and pinpoint the direction of their camp from so far off is what has me worried. I’m certain we won’t be the only ones drawn toward it.
My stomach twists in anxiety as well as in hunger. Every part of me is screaming to run and never look back, but I can’t let my fear keep us from a meal.
“I didn’t mean to startle you before, but there are a fair number of women and children with us. I’m sure you can understand our need to be cautious.”
“Which is exactly why you’re letting strangers follow you back to camp,” Li mutters.
“Forgive me for saying this, but I’d rather know that you’re in our camp than skulking about somewhere in the woods nearby. Besides, I find friendliness goes a long way in protecting our own interests,” says Louis.
“And what are those exactly?” Li questions.
“My interests? Well, as much as it might surprise you, we’re actually part of a traveling troupe of performers. We’re on our way to Paris to play for His Royal Majesty. If we can earn the favor of the king, we should be able to charge good coin for our performances. Ever
yone will want to see a troupe that’s played before royalty. So, my interests are really quite simple. Keep my troupe safe…and alive.”
Li says nothing in response, but grunts and appears to lose interest in the man.
“If you don’t mind me asking, what are you doing roaming these woods?” Louis asks. “And where are you from? Your French is good, but I’m sure you’re not French.”
Louis’s eyes briefly flit to both Li and Roan, and I’m suddenly glad that neither of them seems to be paying much attention to the conversation anymore.
“I’ve had a fondness for languages and culture from a young age,” I say. “There’s not much more to it than that, at least for me. My governess had little interest in teaching anything beyond the feminine arts, so I read and studied in secret whenever I got the chance.”
“So, you can read. You’re of noble birth, then?”
I pause for a moment. I knew I was fortunate to have the education that I did, but I had always taken my ability to read and write for granted.
“Can’t you?” I ask, the question sounding far worse spoken aloud than it had in my head.
“I can, but I was born into a rich family and was well educated until my father disinherited me for…personal reasons. You’ll find few commoners can read, let alone speak multiple languages,” Louis says with a chuckle.
I’m thankful he didn’t find my question as rude as it sounded.
“But that still doesn’t explain where you’re from, or what you’re doing here in the first place.”
“It’s a little hard to explain, and, to be quite honest, I’m not exactly sure where here even is,” I say.
“We’re about a day or so south of Paris,” Louis says. “Now, tell me your story.”
I don’t know where to even begin. I want to trust this strange man, but I’m not sure what kind of news has spread about my disappearance in the days since I ran away. I’ve already unwittingly given away the fact that I’m highborn, although he may have already realized that from the material of my dress. I look down at myself and almost laugh at the thought. My dress is even worse than I had realized—torn, muddied, and barely covering anything. It would be nearly impossible for someone to know from a glance that it was once a priceless gown. I can only imagine the state the rest of me must be in. After a moment, I decide that honesty is the best course of action.
“I am a runaway queen,” I start. “I was wed to a cruel man only a few short days ago against my will. My father was pronounced dead during the ceremony and my husband was crowned king in nearly the same breath. Roan, Li, and Ero are my protectors. They aided me in my escape and have promised to help me take back my kingdom. Now, we’re journeying north in the hopes of reuniting with Roan’s family and calling forth an army.”
Li is walking ahead of us now, and I happen to glance over at him just as I finish speaking. His shoulders are tense and his jaw is clenched tight, and I realize too late what I’ve done.
Louis says nothing for a long minute and then bursts into laughter. “You are quite the storyteller. Although, I’m pretty sure my wife, Lena, could give you a few pointers on making it a bit more realistic.”
I’m not sure what to say. Part of me wants to snap at him for not believing me, but then I laugh and Li almost immediately seems to relax. It’s probably a good thing he thinks I’m telling a tale. I have to learn to be more careful with my tongue.
“You’re right. I was always bad at telling stories. I’ve loved reading since the day I learned to read on my own, but I’ve never excelled at creating my own.”
“Never fear, my queen,” Louis says with an exaggerated bow, nearly tripping over his own feet in the process. “I’ll have you introduced to my wife the moment we reach camp. Or, as is more probable, she’ll make herself known.”
Ero is weaving in and out of the trees nearby, and Roan has fallen a few steps behind so that I’m surrounded on all sides. Louis’s men have spread out, carefully surveying the area and keeping an eye out for game.
“How much longer until we reach your camp?” I ask.
“Hmm, it can’t be more than a few minutes now. Although I must admit that we haven’t been walking straight back to camp.”
“What?” I say, alarm rising in my voice.
Ero immediately disappears from my field of vision, and I’m certain he’s gone ahead to investigate the surrounding area for danger.
“No need to be alarmed,” Louis says. “It’s merely an extra precaution. In case you really are a danger to us, we’d prefer not to lead anyone directly back to camp.”
“Is it really that dangerous out here?”
Louis looks at me for a long moment before saying, “You haven’t been traveling long, though the state of you would suggest otherwise. You’ll come to find all roads are dangerous, but particularly for those of us with something precious to lose.”
I’m not sure what to say to that. Of course, I’d like to think I have a lot to lose, but I can’t say that I do. Besides Roan, Li, and Ero, I have nothing.
We continue walking in silence. It isn’t long before Ero is back and walking with us. His gait has changed from a large cat on the prowl to a calm lumber, which sets my mind more at ease.
The perfume of roast fowl is much stronger now, and I can make out the sounds of cooking and laughter. We must be approaching the camp.
No sooner has this thought crossed my mind than we push our way through a thicket and into a small but bustling camp.
“Louis,” a tiny, dark-haired woman calls excitedly from the open doorway of a caravan on the opposite side of the camp. Leaping down the steps, she runs over and throws herself into Louis’s open arms.
I blush and feel a twinge of jealousy as she kisses him repeatedly all over his face. I’m surprised by the feeling. I don’t have feelings for Louis, obviously, but part of me wishes one—no, all of my men would kiss me like that.
Ever since we left the clearing a few days ago, all three of them have behaved themselves far more than I could have hoped. The closest I’ve gotten to any of them has been when they carried me or when we had a moment to sleep, which was another reason I insisted they allow me to walk as much as possible. Being held so close to their bodies was physically frustrating. I want them with such a burning passion that knowing nothing is going to happen just makes me more bothered around them. I can still feel Li’s kiss, my first kiss, on my lips whenever I close my eyes.
“And you are?”
The question shakes me from my thoughts and I blush deep in embarrassment as though I’ve spoken my mind aloud. I try to find my voice.
“I…I’m Annalise.”
“Lena,” Louis says, “I found these three, and their pet leopard, wandering through the woods and thought it would only be polite to invite them back for supper.”
“Pet leopard?” Lena asks, looking around wildly.
“He’s quite tame, most of the time,” I say quickly.
She looks us over with a careful eye and then smiles brightly, pushing herself out of her husband’s arms.
“If you say so. It looks like you could all do with a new set of clothes as well!” Lena says, giving Roan a wink as he tugs at the strip of cloth barely covering his modesty. “This way.”
I’m surprised she doesn’t say more about Ero. I doubt leopards are commonly found as pets, and then I notice her eyeing Li and Roan appreciatively. No wonder she has no interest in a leopard.
Li rolls his shoulders, straightening his posture more than I thought humanly possible. Unfortunately for him, the posture check draws Lena’s attention and she playfully slaps his buttocks as she passes him.
“No need to be so formal. We’re all family here.”
Louis shakes his head and mouths “sorry” at us as we’re led away by Lena.
The camp is bright and cheery in the fading light of day. A fire crackles away in the center of the clearing where several men and women are busy preparing supper. A group of children is playing tag
at the edge of the camp.
“Here we are,” Lena says as she climbs the steps to the caravan. “Wait here. I won’t be but a moment.”
I take a closer look around the camp as we wait. Small groups of men and women are scattered about practicing acrobatics, contortionism, juggling, and so much more. There must be at least twenty or thirty of them. If this is a small troupe, I can’t imagine what a large troupe must be like.
“I’m afraid we don’t have much to offer, but hopefully this will do,” Lena says, reappearing from the caravan and presenting each of us with a set of clothes.
I reach for the set she hands me, but Lena doesn’t let go immediately.
“This was one of my mother’s. She was a good bit taller than me, not unlike yourself. I had hoped one day to give it to my daughter, but I doubt any children of mine will be much taller than me or my husband. And I’m sure she would approve of me giving it to someone in need.”
I swallow hard, my eyes stinging with the kindness of the gesture. Lena smiles again before turning to Li and Roan.
“And these are costumes from our friendly giant act. I think they should fit quite nicely. They may even be a bit too big.”
“Thank you,” says Li.
“Yes, thank you.”
“No need to thank me, just hurry up and change. I’m sure you have more than a few of the men fearing that their ladies will up and run off with you,” Lena says with a chuckle and then points to a spot beside the caravan. “Oh, there’s a bucket of clean water here to wash up with. Make good use of it. You’re all about as ripe as a swill full of rotten food.”
Li and Roan dunk their heads in the bucket of water in turn and then scrub at their faces, necks, arms, and bodies before tugging on their shirts, which pull taught across their chests, even if they were made for a giant act.
His red hair dripping down over his eyes, Roan glances up at me through his wet eyelashes and winks. I blush and look away. I know I shouldn’t be watching, but I’m not the only one who has been staring. Lena has gone off to find Louis, but several of the women close to us have stopped what they were doing to watch Li and Roan get dressed.
