Two Go Forth

“As you wish mother,” was all he said. That night he made certain Calista would miss having a bed. He made love to her slowly and passionately making certain she felt pleasure from everything he did to her. They shared a bath and he washed and fondled her more sensitive areas, a bath might be long in coming as well. As they mounted their horses, she had a yellowy white hybrid mare named Amber. He had his fiery red gelding named Blaze. Their pack horse, an older sure-footed gray named Gorgon was packed to the gills with equipment.They left under the cover of night and along the way they’d need to assume secret identities to avoid trouble should they encounter men who wanted to harm the crown in some way. As daylight crept up over the trees to the east he tried to think about what to call himself.

“What about Horus?” he asked her and she shook her head. “Hmm….I have a hard time with names...What about Liam?” he asked and she quirked an unapproving smile. “Well...fine, you decide out names then,” he said as he threw up his hands. He had come up with 6 names and she shook her head at all of them. “I bet you already picked a good name for yourself. “Though I don’t know how you can sit that saddle after last night,” he mused though he blushed a little to.

Eldarion had never made love to her the way he had that night. It had made her toes curl and her back arch. She had moaned loudly as waves of pleasure washed over her. She had given herself over to him entirely and let him do with her as he wished. She wasn't sure when they would have a bed again...or a bathtub and they took a long soak together before dressing to set out before dawn. They were both dressed in plain clothes and she wore her leggings and tall, leather boots. They both had wool cloaks and she had hers wrapped around her body as they set out under the cover of darkness.

After an hour of travel, the sun began to creep up over the horizon. She looked over at her husband and just shook her head at his choice of names. They wanted to keep a low profile and not draw unwanted attention to themselves or the reason for their journey. His last comment made her blush, but she just shook her head and looked away for a moment before looking back at him with a little smile.

"You will be Derik and I will be Faye."

Eldarion only nodded and honestly liked her choices of names. He knew that he would, she was always better at that sort of thing. They had dried fruit, a bit of bread and a small palm full of nuts for breakfast. They actually had lembas but they decided to save that incase they got desperate. They both carried a few loafs the elven waybread just incase they got separated. He couldn’t think why that would happen but her suggestion seemed a good so he agreed. The path they took was easy thus far, low ferns and grass as they headed in a south westernly direction away from the city. They passed others but nonchalantly tried to keep their distance and only waved to people when they saw them. They talked when they rested their horses and it was decided that if they did have children she would name them as every name he came up with she shook her head at though he fully expected that.

“So, two girls, the standard, girl and a boy, two boys? I’m hoping for twins you know,” he asked though they were just talking. They had both agreed to hold off getting pregnant for a while though if it happened he was certain she would be thrilled. “I want two girls I think. I loved taking care of my sisters,” he said.

Calista, or Faye as she would now be known, was quite enjoying the journey so far, even if the end result was not necessarily going to be a pleasant one. It was just the two of them and the sun was shining and the air clean. She knew that not everyday would be like this one, but she would deal with that when it happened. She had never been this far outside the city and already felt free and the stress of this last year started to fade away.

They had stopped to rest their horses and it was then that Eldarion brought up the subject of children. This surprised her quite a bit after what had happened the last time they had talked about children. They both knew that now was not the best time to have a child, so she was still taking staybirth herbs, but it thrilled her to know he wanted children.

"I'm not sure we have much of a choice in what we get," she responded with a little laugh. "But two girls would be lovely."

Eldarion ate heartily, riding, even just the start of it had made him hungry. He liked how Calista kept her lithe, beautiful shape. He had seen other women, some were friends of hers, had gotten quite large of late. Not there was anything really wrong with a large woman but it wouldn’t do if she started to gobble up sweets like some of her friends did. “How many does Maeviane have now? Three? Haven’t they only been married for 3 years?” he asked. Maeviane was one of Calista’s closest friends and also one of the largest. She had not lost much of the weight yet from her third child. She’d know why he brought her up specifically. He and Maeviane’s husband Thronin had had to carry her up three flights of stairs because she had injured her back while she was with child and had been ordered to constant bedrest. “You won’t get fat on me...will you?” he asked. His tone denoted that he would not love her any less but liked her athletic shape. He had seen her gobble sweets before but never said anything about it. She did it more often when they were arguing.

Calista looked at Eldarion when he mentioned her friend Maeviane and the weight she had gained. "Yes, she has three children now,"she replied. "I would imagine if I had had three children in three years I would have gained some weight too. She told me it's Thronin's fault," she added with a little grin. "He just wouldn't stay off of her."

He leaned in toward her and whispered. ‘But I like your curves the way they are. Though I know your breasts, for a time do get much larger...you know...for the babes,” he said in a breathy voice. “You’d a...you’d let me still...you know?” he asked and his eyes drifted down to her breasts then up again.

They started out again and it wasn’t until the sun was just touching the tops of the trees that they decided to stop for the night. He helped her with the tent, it was fairly large, designed for three people. He collected wood while she made the kindling. He liked this sharing of work thing. Everything they did seemed less of a chore this way. He also suggested that she set snares while he got the fire going. He had made them a soup from one of the dried packets his mother had prepared for them. While they sat to eat it he looked over at her.

“The only reason I’m out here right now is because of you Calista. I...just want you to know that. That time you spent with my grandmother...what you learned...it means alot to me,” he said in a soft, actually regretful voice. He supposed he’d always feel regret for what he had done to her and he lowered his eyes down to his bowl feeling more than a little bit of shame right then.

Calista simply smiled at Eldarion’s question in response. They traveled for several more hours without encountering any problems or danger. She had brought her bow and quiver just in case and was glad for the training she had received from Serethiel, even if her doing so had meant Eldarion had cheated on her. The skills she had learned were numerous and she felt better able to defend herself if necessary or to hunt if the situation required it.

After they stopped for the night, she helped Eldarion put up the tent and then went to set up some snares while he got the fire going. She could see evidence of small animals around and hoped that they would catch something. She came back to see Eldarion had prepared some soup. She was quite hungry and her stomach actually began to growl as she smelled it. She accepted her bowl and then sat down next to him to eat. However, before she could start to eat he spoke about the time she had spent with his grandmother. She could hear the sadness and guilt in his voice. She sighed softly and looked at him.

“It meant a lot to me as well. I...I know that things between us aren’t perfect...and perhaps they never will be, but it means a lot to me that you wanted me to come with you...that you remembered what we had talked about. Things will get easier over time...they already have. I think we’ve gotten past the worst of it and are still together...that in and of itself means something.”

He did the dishes while Calista took the short walk for water. Serethiel taught her how to find sources of water when no river or lake were nearby, one of the more useful skills she imparted to Calista during her training. Out, where they were there were animals and insects that buzzed past her. There were no people she could smell and with the mountains to the north and the trees and foliage, this was actually quite a lovely area. It was quiet and serene to walk along what appeared to be a fox trail back to Eldarion. Their horses were in a tight huddle near their camp and Eldarion busied himself with getting out the bags she’d need to change in and out of if she so desired. Out here there was no ceremony to anything. She could sleep in her clothes if she wanted to. “You want first watch?” he asked plainly as he put away the dishes and stowed the water. What she just brought they’d use for the horses and washing up tomorrow morning.

The sun was getting fairly low in the sky and Calista wanted to get the water before it got dark. She walked down a small path that had been created by the animals. She knew that if she followed the path she would eventually find water. She came across a medium sized creek and filled the buckets. She walked back up the path to the camp and put the buckets down off to the side.

"Yes, I can take first watch," she responded. She was tired, but she knew Eldarion was as well. "I never did ask you how you feel about Arina and what she did..." she asked after a few minutes of silence.

This was a question eldarion did not want to discuss but, considering they could find them anytime he supposed that they should. Eldarion was protective of his sisters. Arina, as a child had been stubborn but also quite the little character and he loved her dearly. She of often wanted to learn things for herself and argued when she didn’t agree. Often even when she knew she was in the wrong. He wanted to put this all on the soldier. He was older than she, by a few years and should have been told his place. However that had not happened soon enough and Arina obviously felt for the man. Well that was something more to consider aside from seeing that she was safe. He laid there on his bedroll as she sat by the fire. The tent flap was up so they could see one another clearly and could talk a while.

“She is my sister and I will see if she is safe and well. I want to believe this...this soldier was really a man who manipulated her in some way but I’m not certain that this is the case. Arina can be...stubborn, at times and both mother and father had told her to not see this man. Well, that is good as throwing her at him directly I think,” he said and he lifted up onto his elbow.

“But...but it doesn’t change the law Calista. If men were not punished for deserting, how can any king or commander enforce any lesser rules or laws? He needs to answer for that. I think if we focus on that part, the rest will take care of itself. If we present it that way and leave her out of it, I think she might understand her mistake. If we go at it focused upon her...I’m not sure she won’t take it as more of the same from my mother and father...what do you think my love?” he asked sweetly, really wanting her in his bed right then but didn’t want to obligate her tonight to anything.

Calista could sense that Eldarion did not want to discuss this, but it was something that they needed to discuss. They needed to know how they were going to approach Arina and this man. Internally, Calista felt conflicted about the situation. While Arina was still rather young, she was of legal marrying age and clearly loved this man if she was risking her own exile for eloping with him. However, things could have been handled differently by her. Perhaps if her parents had gotten to know this man more then some agreement could have been reached. She wasn’t sure that dragging Arina away from him was going to work though. Arina would just leave again to find him.

She listened to Eldarion and slowly nodded. It was certainly worth a try, although she doubted Arina would leave willingly. Glancing into the tent her eyes met his for a brief moment. She then looked up at the night sky and smiled a little.

“Do you remember when we used to stay up late just so we could watch the night sky for shooting stars? Most of the time I would fall asleep against you before seeing any.”

Listening to her he laid back and remembered. Calista had ways of soothing his worries, his hurts and helping him become a better man. Being the King’s son had been a difficult trail to follow. The pressure that was on him was incredible and when she was gone...he didn’t want to think of that right now. “I remember you used to sing to me sometimes. I’d sing to you but...I am not so good,” he admitted and it was true. His grandmother was an excellent singer but he thought Calista was a close second. “Sometimes I wondered if the stars could hear us. Our voices, our songs...our hearts,” he said softly. ”Right now just thinking about last night...with you makes me wish I could sing,” he said more sleepily.

Calista smiled a little as she listened to Eldarion. He used to ask her to sing to him all the time. There had been one song in particular that he had loved so much that it was all he had ever asked her to sing. She had become so sick of singing it that she had eventually refused to sing it any more and hadn't sung it for several years. She was quiet a moment before she began to sing that song to him.

Eldarion fell asleep fairly quickly, she’d know he was at least as tired as she was and she quickly heard the rasp of him sleeping. Now she was truly alone, the sounds of the night all around her. Their fire dwindled and with just one more small log it perked up enough to leave her enough heat as the night grew colder. She had visitations. A doe and her fawn and a small group of wild turkeys that made a hell of a racket as they passed. A large, black snake slid along the ground as it hunted for prey and she wondered if it had seen the two field mice that ran nearby their camp earlier. Crickets cricked, frogs croaked and insects buzzed to fill her ears with the sound of night. No one appeared and no one passed nearby as she could tell and the night drew on as she stood watch over their horses.

Calista sang the song all the way through even though she knew he was asleep. She glanced into the tent at his sleeping form and felt a wave of love come over her. It warmed her heart and made her smile. The night grew cooler and she pulled her cloak tighter around her body. The night was relatively quiet. In the distance she could hear an owl and nearby she could hear nocturnal animals hunting for food. She looked up at the night sky and smiled when she saw a shooting star. She closed her eyes and made a wish. She knew that Eldarion wanted to be awoken to take his watch, but he was sleeping so soundly and had looked so tired that she just let him sleep. As dawn drew close she began to collect more wood for the fire. With the fire going again she prepared breakfast, including some tea.

Eldarion awoke to the smells of crackling bacon and bubbling eggs. He smiled thinking they were home. He rose and remembered they weren’t home they were traveling. And she let me sleep!? He got up too quickly and fell forward as he tripped on a boot. He hit the floor and stubbed his foot. From where Calista was cooking she saw it all on complete comical detail. He made it worse by getting up to quickly and hitting his head on the tent frame . “Owee!” He exclaimed as he righted himself and scowled at Calista though she knew he was grinning at himself. “No laughing!” He said as he bobbed into his boots. “You let me sleep! Your going to be dead in the saddle honey,” he told her.

Calista heard Eldarion stir and looked over at him. He suddenly stated awake and she watched as he got up too quickly and stumbled and fell forward. She tried not to laugh. He then stood up and hit his head. She was now concerned for him, though she had to keep herself from laughing. She rubbed his head a little as he walked over.

"I'm fine," she assured him. "You were so tired and looked quite cute sleeping," she added with a little grin.

Well ‘that’s what he liked to hear….being referred to as ‘cute’. Well he supposed it was a term of endearment but did she ‘have’ to seem so chipper in the morning? And going without sleep besides. He scrubbed his teeth with a bit of the soda they brought with them then he kissed her good morning as he accepted a plate and a little tea. She cooked his eggs how he liked them and the bacon was crispy too, near to burnt like he liked it. He sat close to her as they ate, and talked of the night before and what, if anything had happened.

As he began to pack up the tent she went to check her snares and get enough water so he could give the dishes a scrub. She returned with two fat rabbits and the water and he went to carry out his promise of cleaning them to hang in their skin as they rode for the day. Eldarion didn’t much care for doing dishes and cleaning game but it had to be done and she had cooked and he had promised to do it so it was done. Before long their fire was scrubbed, their tent and gear stowed and they were off once again headed more west than east today. The sun coming up at their backs and the mountains falling behind them to their right to the northeast.

“If this Lucas tries to fight us...I think maybe I should try to disarm him first. I’d have you wound him for what he’s done but Arina might not listen to us then if we did that. Do you think...do you think they are...laying together? She is so young,” he said and she could tell that it bothered him to think of that.

Calista was tired...very tired, but she had wanted Eldarion to get enough sleep. She could tell just how much this situation with Arina was bothering him and she wanted him to be as clear headed as possible when they caught up with them. She fixed him a plate and then sat down next to him with her food. As they ate she told him what she had seen from the night before. After breakfast, she went to check the snares and get some more water he took down the tent and packed it away. She returned with two rabbits and some water and together they finished cleaning up the camp site. With the items stowed, they once again headed out westward. She was quiet as he spoke about Lucas and what he might need to do.When he then asked her if she thought that his sister and this man were laying together she looked at him slightly.

“If she left with him then I would assume so,” she answered honestly. “I hate to say this, but she is technically of legal marrying age...even if I too believe she is too young. Perhaps it would be better just to let her be. She will not be happy if forced home and will probably just leave again to find him. Perhaps she needs a taste of hardship and hard work outside the palace. Life will be difficult without her parent’s help and that may be just what she needs.”

“You’d defy the king...I mean father?” he said with raised eyebrows. “I know its my sister but...even mother thinks it's a good idea. I doubt she’d send us out if she’d didn’t. I’ve heard her disagree with father before, especially about my sisters. “And i don’t want her to live in squalor Calista. Not Arina,” he said worriedly. He didn’t. He wanted them to be happy be being poor wasn’t easy. And he didn’t even really know what it was like. “What if we were poor, wouldn’t it be hard to go to that after being...us for so long?” he asked seemingly very interested in her response.

Calista sighed and was quiet a long moment. She finally looked over at him and spoke gently.

"But don't you want your sister with the one she loves? If we force her away she will be heartbroken and extremely unhappy. How would you have felt if someone had taken me away from you? Listen, I'm not saying that I agree with what she did...but it's done."

Eldarion sighed realizing that his parents may not really have had the right solution. Nor himself but a crime is a crime, regardless if it were himself or Calista or whomever. Nothing said he had to like what was happening though and Calista’s words struck truth in his head right then. They stopped for a while and he doled out more dried meat, apples and shared with her a few pieces of the candied plums he had gotten for them as a surprise. He refilled their canteens and then they started out again. Where they were the small forest had closed in tightly around them. The path was narrow here and Calista stopped up ahead. The moment she did that she dismounted and he did as well following her lead. Suddenly he smelled smoke and so did she. There was a fire nearby along with the smell of cooking meat...rabbit he decided. She gestured to her left as she strung her bow. As quietly as he could he drew out his sword and he felt his adrenaline begin to rush to his head. If this was them he as going to have words for her and this man as well. First she disappeared and then he went into the brush after her.

Garl basted the rabbit again though all three of them would have eaten in half raw they were so hungry. Pickings had been slim as of late. The last people they saw were a young pair, a man and a woman and before they could get to robbing them poor Arlan had a spear through his gullet. They ran into the trees and never bothered to look back. The girl dropped her cloak though and Karlie now wore it and she wouldn’t give it up he knew which made him want to brood even more over their bad luck. A sound in the brush made Joff look up. “Eh, did ya hear sumpin?” He asked in his low voice.

Calista knew that no matter what happened that this was not going to be a pleasant encounter. She could only hope that they were safe and that this man was taking care of her. When they stopped a little while later they spoke of other things as they ate a mid-morning snack. She was surprised when Eldarion produced the candied plums, which he knew she loved.

After the brief stop they started out again on what was a rather narrow path. They were forced to dismount and walk their horses. She was in front, with Eldarion close behind her. Suddenly, she smelled smoke and something cooking...a rabbit it smelled like. She wondered if this was them. She quietly pulled out an arrow and nocked it. She glanced at Eldarion and he gestured for her to go left. She simply nodded and headed towards the left. She hoped that if this was the couple that Eldarion would remain calm...well as calm as possible.

Eldarion was never as quiet as calista she snaked into the brush like a rabbit herself. Each dead leaf he stepped on sounded loud in his ears but he was being fairly quiet to. With his sword out he moved through toward the fire, here and there seeing glimpses of Calista just a few yards from him. Finally they came up to the edge fo the small clearing but someone, a man was looking in their direction. He didn’t seem to see them right away but Eldarion saw the cloak and knew who it belonged to. Frantically his eyes shifted to the others but none of them were Arina nor Lucas. He hadn’t realized he had stood right up nor did he see Calista’s eyes go large as she watched him as everything seemed to happen at once.

The man that stood drew out his sword as he saw a glint of steel from the fire as the others shifted then a sharp pain in his arm. ‘Where did you get that cloak!” he growled and then he met the large man with his sword as the others unlimbered their bows..