He was a young boy when he had ran away from the castle. Men of thirteen years old were already fighting in battles but he knew nothing of yielding a sword. He didn't know where he was going. Just away from the taunts and the constant torments of an unrequited love and a truly unsympathetic life. He was allowed to learn side by side his persecutor, and he was smarter than her. He learned how to debate, use tactics in war decisions, and make just treaties with hypothetic allies. Everything she knew he was more knowledgeable, perhaps she was jealous of him because of this. He wasn't allowed to learn combat, the one thing that meant he wasn't a slave in this strange land.
He was eight years old when he watched his mother and father die by the sword of King Aronich. His father's last pleading words were to save his life. Aronich pledged that he would save the boy but he would live within the castle no higher than a generational servant. Aronich wanted to master the boy, use him to be his spy that was unarmed and untrained for battle. King Aronich wanted the boy to be defenseless, preventing him from leading an uprising for his lost land when he became of age. Without any male companions as the other servant boys in the castle had, the boy was left to the King's precocious daughter.
He lived under the guise of a playmate to the princess until he was too old for his precious daughter. He loved her no matter how much she goaded and teased him. She made him do humiliating and ridiculous things. She was the cause for many of his beatings when he was caught doing her mischievous wills. He endured them all, because he was smitten with her smile and her simple giggle. He would always remember her running through the castle gardens, her curly black hair waving at him, her little girl gowns of bows and lace swimming in the wake of her joyful play.
A raw howl broke his reminisce; he turned around and saw that Talyis had fallen again and dirtied her shift again. He cursed at her as he stopped his horse to allow her scrambled to her feet. Gareth rode up and dismounted from his horse to help her up.
Curse him too with is insufferable sympathetic temperament,
Novak commented under his breath.
"Novak, we should put her on the horse. We won't have to stop so much and we are approaching the Navapa territory," Gareth suggested helping Talyis to balance on her good foot.
"Fine," Novak spat, "she rides with me." Gareth scooped Talyis up and placed her in front of Novak on his horse. She winced as her back touched Novak's cold armored body and then whimpered as he took the reigns by reaching around her. Novak rolled his eyes and scowled at Talyis, "What do you want the horse to stir himself. Relax or you will walk."
Talyis bit her lip. She could smell him so close to her, he smelt sweet and so of delectable spicy she had never imagined that would tantalize her. She wished the circumstances were different that a man this beautiful and smelt this wonderful wouldn't loathe her very existence, take pleasure in her pain or steal from her what she only knew not to give away, not even to herself.
She didn't know why but she blurted out, "If you despise me so much why don't you kill me and make us both happy."
Novak let go of his reigns set aback by her comment, she wanted him to kill her. His Talyis wanted to die. More acid leaked from his stone heart, it pained him to hear her speak like that. He took a deep breath and allowed the bitterest chuckle he could muster from within and took the reigns and kicked his beloved horse to a gallop.
***
Thankfully, the band approached the edge of the Navapa, Novak did not know if he could maintain himself with the sweet smell of Talyis right under his nose any longer. Gareth shot a look at him and he pulled his sword out and wrapped it around in front himself and Talyis. She shirked back suddenly scared.
"Be still," he breathed into her ear and cut her bounds from her wrists, "You are not to say a word to anyone do you understand."
She nodded and let tears from her eyes. She was too far away from home, she had never heard of this territory, but from her captor's behavior perplexed her. They were on edge, overtly cautious; might these Navapa people help her?
They rode on until the reached a sentry on his way to the village.
"What is your business here, travelers?" the sentry inquired blocking the road with his horse.
"We are on our way to our homes after a journey to trade," Gareth spoke.
The sentry arched an eyebrow and starred at the band, "With weapons?"
"We have many enemies who wish to eradicate our people on our trading route. It is mere protection, sir."
"What about the girl, she has tears in her eyes. We do not allow any slaves in this region."
"She is my..." Novak swallowed hard, "wife, she fell into the mud and ruined her favorite gown. Her tears are mere feminine trivialities, sir, I assure you."
The sentry examined Taylis from afar. She wished, she prayed he would not believe the lie. Her jaw quivered but she did not look at the sentry.
"It is near sunset, do you plan to continue your journey beyond the mountain pass today," the sentry asked making small talk but never taking his eyes off of Taylis. Novak hugged her to him noticing the sentry's disbelief and then whispered tenderly into Taylis's ear to not cry- a display for the sentry.
"No, we will setup our camp in the forest and set out in the morning," Gareth answered.
"You could buy the girl a new dress in the village. There must be a shop that is still open beyond dusk," the sentry said and then turned his horse back onto the path and galloped away towards the village.
The band turned off the road towards the forest in a full gallop. Novak was determined to get the night over with and onto his home as soon as possible. The last thing he wanted was a diversion of his plans caused by these meddling people. As soon as they reached the forest's edge, they slowed down and he could hear Talyis's the loud sobs penetrating the air in front of him.
He flexed his jaw, "Enough with the insufferable crying!"
"What kind of disgraceful monster bore a man like you," she spat her anger boiling over.
"Be careful, Vile," he gripped his reigns to restrain his hands.
"He didn't believe your lie," she goaded, trying to believe her taunts herself, "Who would believe I would be your wife. A lowly peasant wouldn't give away a mule to you," she laughed trying to sound strong. "The sentry is going to send officials to scourer the forests and arrest all of you, lascivious Aricin scum."
"Say one more word!" he warned.
She did not hesitate, "There was a reason why you, Aricin, should have been destroyed. I curse my father's neglect to not completely hunt..."
With that, a feral growl erupted from Novak. He threw her off of his horse and she fell to the ground with a loud thud. Instead of tears, the detested mocking cackle of his boyhood sliced the air. Talyis laughed like a little girl her legs kicking about her. Strength was on her side once again, her eyes ridiculed him.
Novak was stunned like a child bullied, he nervously looked at his band, and relieved they only focused on the girl and did not notice his humiliation.
He simply said to his band in the ancient Aricin language he knew she had not learned, "Tonight," the band concurred and followed Novak leaving Talyis behind on the ground.
Talyis's chortles were renewed again as she saw Novak ride away from her. She was oblivious to the now united retribution she had just caused. Gareth sighed seeing the eyes of his band grow dark with the memories of their lost loved ones plague their faces. He rode up to Talyis and offered his hand to her. She composed herself, flipping her hair out of her face and climb onto Gareth's horse.
Gareth was quiet, he didn't want to have conversation with Talyis either nor did he want to let his horse catch up to the rest. He knew his friend and his temper too well. It was best to let them all calm down. It was nice to ride at twilight, the sunset brought a clean breeze and the skies pinks and purples calmed him. When they had reached the camp the fire was already started and the tents were up. Seeing that the cattle prod was already in the fire, Gareth knew Novak's rage was far from restrained.
Novak stormed up to Gareth and yanked Taylis off the horse. She was disappointed; she hoped that he would have taken his horse to the forest so she would have a moment's peace to herself. He grabbed the helm of her shift and pulled it to her naked hips displaying her to Gareth's eyes. She caught her breath, her face flushed in embarrassment as she looked at Gareth, the only one to show her some value. Her stomach knotted instantly as Gareth looked at her indifferent.
"I told you to remove the hair!" Novak stormed, he twined his fingers through her hair knotting it as he twisted her head hard to him and dragged her across the camp to grab the shears. He snapped her head away from him and shoved the shears into her hands. "Go!"
"Novak, must you be so rough with the girl," Gareth voiced, "She is already broken. That display at the forest's edge was a girl loosing everything she has left."
Novak studied his friend in betrayed disbelief, he huffed, "Go follow her, make sure she doesn't kill herself with those shears."
