by Wylie, Jen
"Aro?"
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to steady herself. "It's messy," she finally answered. How could he sit there so still, so quiet? "Doesn't it hurt?"
"Very much," he said calmly.
Apparently, she didn't understand men at all. Or at least not him.
She took another breath and leaned forward. He had helped her, she would help him. Her conscience left her no choice in the matter.
It took a long time to clean it, to try to put pieces back where they belonged, and keep them there while she applied the paste. Breathing slowly helped keep her stomach from heaving. It was hard to not think about what she was doing. Tears continued to slide down her cheeks. He was like this because of her. Because he'd protected her. Finally she finished and wrapped the worst spots. Before he could turn around she quickly brushed the tears from her cheeks. She couldn't do anything about her shaking hands.
"Aro? What's wrong?"
"Nothing." She shook her head quickly. "I'm just tired. And hungry."
He watched her for a moment before he nodded and stood, gathering up his bowls and cloth. "Let us head back to the fire and have something to eat."
Her head shot up at that. He had food? Her stomach cramped at the idea of food. How many days had it been since she had more than a few pieces of that horrible bread? She followed him eagerly, and then watched impatiently as he puttered about the fire, cooking a few small fish on sticks. What looked like clams or muscles he placed by the fire until they opened.
She stuffed her face, and licked her fingers. "Oh, that was so good!"
He smiled over at her as he continued eating, in a much neater and proper fashion.
"So you can cook, too?"
He nodded. "I travel often. There are not always inns and such to stay in."
She yawned and curled up by the fire, watching the flames flicker. "Well, you are very good at it. At least with seafood."
He laughed quietly. "Thank you." He finished eating and tidied up. She watched him leave for a moment, and when he returned and handed her a small piece of wet cloth, she smiled. She sat up, laughing at his manners and wiped her mouth and hands.
He watched her, as if making sure she did a good enough job, and then settled down to sit beside her.
"Is there a reason you're being so nice?" She struggled not to yawn. "I wouldn't think you'd care about someone like me."
He paused before answering, as if surprised at her comment. "I am actually quite fond of you."
"Mmm," she managed, not really believing him. She lied back down again. A full stomach made her so tired.
He chuckled suddenly. "I have always had a soft spot for children."
His words caused anger to shoot through her. He thought her a child? She frowned slightly as she wiggled against the cold stone, trying to get comfortable. Finally she closed her eyes. "So you're that kind of man are you?"
She cracked an eye open to see how he'd taken her comment and couldn't hold in a chuckle. His cheeks were absolutely flaming, his eyes wide and horrified. They narrowed quickly however, at her laugh. "Got you," she murmured.
"You are such a troublesome child," he said sternly.
"I'm not a child," she muttered.
His fingers brushed hair from her face. "Ah, but you are," he said so very softly. "Don't rush growing up. Being a child is so much better. Hold on to your innocence."
"So I should stay a boy? I don't think the others would do that."
He grew quiet for a moment, as if trying to figure out what she meant. "Ah, yes," he said finally. "That was not…quite what I was speaking of. So you are…yes of course you are."
She smiled slightly at his floundering words. "I've never even kissed a boy," she admitted quietly as sleep pulled at her more strongly.
As she drifted off she felt his hand on her shoulder. "You have lots of time, Aro. Lots of time."
Chapter 10
A Good Day
The next morning she couldn't see Prince anywhere. She frowned, looking around. She was certain it had been his leaving that had woken her. She could vaguely remember him brushing hair from her face, and the feeling of his cool fingers against her forehead.
Had she dreamed it?
No, if she'd dreamed of him, it wouldn't be something like that. He simply still worried about her being sick, or maybe getting sick again. That was beyond strange itself. She hadn't thought he liked her, but from what he'd said the night before, he did.
Maybe they had started to become friends after all.
Such thoughts quickly sobered her. What had happened to Kei? Had he died? Or had he somehow made it out of the ship? Even if he had, she had no idea how badly he had been hurt. He might not have made it to shore. Panic bubbled up inside of her, twisting her stomach. Had she lost him?
She sniffled and rubbed away tears that suddenly started sliding down her cheeks. He had been all she had left. She didn't want to think about him anymore. It hurt too much. She didn't want to think of everything she'd lost. Everyone.
She looked at the fire and moved to toss another small piece of wood on it. Prince had left her breakfast; a fish cooked and left on a large green leaf. The sight made her smile a little, proof he continued to think of her, to take care of her.
She tended the fire and ate slowly, one never ate fish quickly. It was a sure way to choke to death on a bone. After cleaning up she headed out toward the beach, wondering where Prince had gone off to.
She looked down its length, all the way to the next outcrop of stone, and didn't see him. He must have gone back into the woods. She also noticed the absence of bodies. Had he moved them? She didn't know, and decided she wasn't going to ask either.
Picking her way down the beach, she collected odds and ends that might be helpful. They were stuck here after all, wherever here was, and they had nothing.
She found a few pieces of rope, some netting that needed only minor repair, and another large bowl shaped shell. Holding them to her chest, she carried them along with her. When she kicked over a board she discovered her greatest find. A long, thin nail stuck out of it.
"Oh!" She grinned. It would do nicely.
* * *
When Prince finally returned to the fire a while later she struggled to contain her excitement. "Hello, my prince," she sang, bouncing up and down.
He stopped to stare at her strangely before setting down a number of items.
When his hands became free she shouted, "Catch!"
He did so with ease, and stared in shock at what lay in his hands.
She held up her hands and wiggled her fingers and laughed. Her now free hands.
"How..?"
She laughed again and ran up to him, holding out the nails she had found. "I found some nails, and freed them from their boards, and shaped them with rocks, see?" She waved them in front of his nose. "And then I picked the locks."
His eyebrows rose at that and she laughed again.
"So, my prince, how much should I charge you?" She grinned up at him sweetly. The look on his face made her laugh harder. "Just teasing. I'll take yours off, too. Come and sit."
He did so, and with only some minor cursing she was able to remove his chains as well. She watched him rub at his wrists, his head bent, dark hair falling over his face but not quite hiding his smile.
"See," she said softly. "I can be useful."
He shook his head and looked over at her, still rubbing his wrists. "I never said you couldn't be, Aro."
She shrugged and looked away. He'd spoken so very seriously her face grew warm.
They each shared the few things they had found, what she had gotten from the beach, and some food he had found in the forest. They washed up and prepared a small afternoon meal. Afterward he checked on her cuts and she checked his back, applying more medicine to a few places. They both added some to a few places on their bruised and chaffed wrists. He traded his torn shirt for one from his pile. It was too short in arm and length, but fit well enough otherwise.
>
They went back to the beach afterward, checking the shallows by the rocks for clams and mussels and fish stranded in little pools.
After a while she found herself staring out at the sea, her eyes searching for Kei even though she knew she wouldn't see him. Part of her didn't want to believe he was gone. Couldn't believe it, because it hurt too much. "He lied."
Prince stepped up beside her. He rested a hand on her shoulder but didn't say anything.
"He promised he'd never leave me. That we'd be friends forever."
"He was foolish to promise you such things."
She nodded, because really she knew he was right. No one knew what the future would bring. But, "He said he'd protect me. He lied."
Prince looked down at her. "He did not lie, Aro. He did protect you, from being crushed by the beam. He made sure you got off the ship."
True. Everything Prince said was true. It didn't make it easier. "But he died," she murmured, speaking more to herself than her companion.
Prince let out a deep sigh. "Aro, you must understand things always have a price. Did you think those who protect you will come to no harm? If you are in need of protection, it is always possible they will be hurt, or die, for your sake. Kei accepted this when he made his promises to you and in the end he died so you could live."
The words stung, hurt. More tears came and fell. Then she thought of his back, the wounds he had taken while he protected her, got her to shore. He was right. He was always right. It was getting annoying.
She looked up at him. "I didn't think you liked Kei."
He grimaced. "I do not. However, I respect the sacrifice he made for you. He did a very honorable act. It is not like the Fey to do such things. They are wild, uncaring creatures. Perhaps," he paused. "Perhaps he was different."
She wiped away tears and looked out to sea again. "Do you...do you think he might have gotten out?" She looked back up at him. "The Fey are strong right? He might have?"
Prince shook his head slightly. "I don't know. He had been very badly injured." He sighed, as the tears continued to trail down her face. "He might have, I truly don't know."
She sniffled again and managed to nod as she moved her gaze to her feet in the shallow waters, letting her hair fall to hide her face and her tears.
His arms suddenly slid around her, and she didn't fight him as he embraced her very gently, stroking her hair like she was a little child. Resting her cheek on his chest she let herself truly cry, just a little. Though she had been trying so hard to be strong, he was being nice, and she didn't want to make him angry. She didn't want him to be mad at her again, she couldn't stand it when he was. She didn't want him to go, too. That would be worse, so much worse.
"I'm sorry, Aro," he said quietly.
She didn't know what he was sorry for. Perhaps that she had lost Kei, or her brothers, or her home. He could have been sorry for her for any number of things. She'd lost everything. But it helped a little, knowing he did care, and it allowed her to calm down the tears.
He tensed suddenly and she looked up quickly as his arms tightened around her. "What–"
"Shhh," he muttered quietly and slowly turned. Keeping one arm around her, he guided her back into the rocks. She knelt when he motioned her to do so, watching as he did the same and peered around a large rock. Though he had relaxed his hold on her, his eyes darted back and forth quickly as he watched something in the direction of the other side of the long rock outcrop they called home.
She resisted the urge to look herself, or to ask what he had seen or heard. Her brothers had taught her enough about scouting, so she knew when to be still and quiet. Besides, it wasn't like they were in friendly territory. She had no idea where they had ended up, for all she knew the next beach over could be Janur Port, or another slaver city or village.
He frowned suddenly, but relaxed. She clenched her teeth to keep from asking what was going on, and her silence paid off as he finally looked down at her with a faint smile. "I believe it is Bo and Cain, making their way around the outcrop."
She grinned and clapped her hands silently at his words. Someone else had survived! She had tried not to think about it, the possibility she and Prince might have been the only ones to make it to the beach. She tried not to think about a lot of things. It helped, somewhat.
Her smile broadened as she heard them suddenly, cursing as they moved around and across the wet rocks. Yes, she could definitely identify Bo and the occasional quieter curse from Cain as well.
She leaned forward slightly and whispered, "Should we go meet them? Or at least let them see us? Is it safe?"
Prince frowned slightly but nodded, turning toward her again and ruffling her hair so it fell over her face.
"Thanks."
She peeked around the rock and waited a moment, when she saw the others come further into view she stood and waved. She tried not to hide her disappointment to see it was only Bo and Cain. Kei, Kendric, and Avery weren't with them. Of course, they were the three she knew the best. She had to be the unluckiest girl in the world.
"Hey." She walked out and greeted them as they drew closer.
Bo's grin grew. "Hey there yourself, pup. Glad to see you made it."
She smiled back. "You, too." She turned slightly, and saw that though Prince had stood and shown himself, he hadn't moved. She sighed.
Bo chuckled. "Been stuck with quite the company."
"Actually, I wouldn't have made it to shore without him," she said honestly. "I got a fever, and he took care of me, too. So," She shrugged. "He's really not so bad." She could have said more, a lot more. But she was supposed to be a boy, and boys didn't gush about how wonderful other men were.
Bo and Cain both looked over at Prince. A smile broke across Bo's face suddenly. "Good enough. We all need to stick together. This isn't the time or place for such nonsense. Cain?"
The other man nodded. "True."
She jerked her head in the direction of the cave. "Come on, there's water and a fire. And if you're good I'll take off those chains."
They suddenly noticed she didn't have any, and as they made their way carefully back she explained. She quickly gave them the very short tour of where they'd been staying. The first thing done was to remove their chains, and then both men went to the waterfall pool to wash and drink. Since she didn't want to accidentally see anything she shouldn't, she suggested to Prince they go back out to search for more dinner.
Chapter 11
A Not so Good Night
When she and Prince came back from searching for food she found the boys tending the fire and saw they had also brought in more wood. Prince asked her to go collect more of some large leaves he used for cooking, so she scrambled off before it got dark. She didn't have to go too far, many of the kind he liked grew just past the waterfall along the ledge walls.
When she returned she didn't miss how everyone grew quiet. She grimaced at them. What had they been talking about? There were a few huddled whispers between the three, followed by some sort of agreement as she reached the fire and tossed the pile of leaves to the side.
She frowned at them all. Should she even bother to ask? It wouldn't do much good. She'd gotten the same treatment from her brothers and other adults, too. She knew they all considered her a child, so quite possibly it wasn't anything she actually wanted to hear.
She helped Prince prepare the food while they all made small talk about the various items they'd been able to scavenge.
She turned to Bo when the food was almost ready. "So what's the word?"
He accepted a leaf full of food from Prince and she saw the two exchange quick glances. "How about we wait until we're finished eating?" He grinned at her. She thought it looked a little forced, but she didn't know him well, and it was hard to tell with the long scar on his face. "Then there won't be any interruptions to the story. We can both tell our tales. I'm interested in hearing what you two have been up to."
She agreed and dug into her food with enthusiasm. Bo and Cain
laughed at her exuberance while Prince frowned. She ignored them all. It wasn't her fault it seemed she never could get enough to eat. Though she hadn't been starving in the city, food had begun to grow scarce as the enemy army had drawn closer and roads had slowly been cut off. The time on the slave ship with almost no food had been hard though. She knew she had lost weight, and her still growing body seemed to always want more food than they could find.
When they had all finished, they cleaned up and Prince left to take their remains away. She settled by the fire, holding back sudden shivers. The sun had gone down, and the nights had become so much colder. She wondered how far north they were, and if the winters here would be cold and snowy like they had been at home.
Prince returned and took a spot next to her.
"Well, let's hear yours first," Bo said, before she could say anything about them telling their tale.
She didn't know if she should do the talking or Prince, and looked to him for guidance. The little frown of his that annoyed her so much appeared for a moment until he gave her a brief nod. She didn't know what he meant by that though and bit her lip in frustration.
Bo sensed her unease and prodded her along. "What happened when you went over, Aro? I didn't see you."
She grimaced. "I sank." She glanced over at Prince "He pulled me up and kept me from going under again."
To her surprise Prince then took over the story, relating events in his refined quiet voice. She only interjected once, telling the others about Prince protecting her from the rocks. For some reason she really wanted them to like Prince. Seeing how he had been doing so much for her seemed to be helping with that.
He didn't seem too impressed with her efforts however, shooting an angry glance at her interruption before continuing with their story up to the present.
"So you haven't seen anyone else?" Cain looked at them both, clearly hopeful.
She shook her head and looked to Prince, who shook his as well. "Have you?"
"We've seen a few footprints on the beaches, and heard things moving in the woods. Could have been people or animals." He shrugged. "But I'm getting ahead of myself." He told of both he and Cain reaching the beach located two coves south of theirs. Much like they had, the two had dealt with searching for water and food, finding shelter and regaining their strength. "Once we began feeling a bit more alive we decided to see if we could find anyone else and started checking out the other beaches. I guess we were lucky we chose to come north."
