Apologies for not flashing last week but Nano has been keeping me busy. I am proud to say, though, that my word count is over the 42K mark. *grin* The prompt I used this week was: "You're deluding yourself if you believe that"
If you don't remember what happened to Rodric in the last two chapters, you can read them HERE. (Scroll to the bottom). Otherwise, read on and enjoy!
Myths, Secrets and Love 3
Rodric kept his gaze fixed on the stretch of sand looming before them.
The two sailors on the small boat heaved and puffed with exertion as they rowed
toward Arvynen Island. Unicorn Island. Rodric
frowned. Why would they take Fergus to such a place? The horse people were not
friends with other creatures. They kept to themselves for the most time and did
not enjoy any company. Rodric scratched his head, cursing the damn lice
crawling through it. Even if the island gave him a bad vibe he would be glad to
be stepping on some firm land. He was tired of the sea. Tired of searching for
Fergus. This voyage had been going on for too long. Were he another man, he’d
have left Fergus to fend for himself. If he was dead, he was dead. There wasn’t
really anything he could do about it. Except, his damn consciousness didn’t let
him rest. If Fergus was dead he wanted to take his body home. His heart
squeezed at the thought and he shook his head. Now, if Ferguson was alive...
Rodric grinned. A shiver cursed through him and he fisted his hands into tight
balls. He hoped he was alive because he was going to give the infuriating man a
well deserved throttle.
“What you grinning about, Captain?” one of
the sailors asked him. His furrowed brow and wide eyes indicated he thought
Rodric had gone mad. Maybe he had.
“None of your business, Kane.”
“Captain, there are people on shore.”
“Aye.” Rodric made no comment about the
evident fear in the man’s voice. Unease curled inside of him. The horse people
were waiting for them. Why didn’t it surprise him? As they came closer he began
to distinguish the features of those on the shore. Two of them were men or
centaurs, the upper part of their bodies that of a man’s anatomy, the bottom that
of a horse. The third party waiting for them was a woman with silver white hair
that flowed loosely in the wind. He rubbed his eyes. What was a woman doing
among them?
“Is she naked?” One of the sailors cried
out.
“Quiet now, you fools. Don’t say a word
unless I tell you too. I don’t know who she is or why she is scantily dressed
but those men look like they will kill us if we try anything.”
The men grunted and nodded their agreement.
William fingered the pistol at his side. Damn, Fergus had taken his sword. He bit
back a sigh. Who knew where it was now? He squirmed in his seat as the boat
approached the shore. He could feel the heavy gazes of those on the shore. By
the Gods, he hoped the sirens hadn’t deceived him.
Finally, Rodric got out of the boat and
stepped on firm land. He breathed a sigh of relief. Land. If the unicorn’s hadn’t
been watching him he would have sunk to the ground and kissed it. Instead, he put
on his best smile and strode up to the inhabitants of the island. Bowing in
respect, he gave them a cocky grin. The woman’s pale eyebrows lifted, clearly
unimpressed. The men did not move a muscle.
“Welcome Rodric Belavue. We have been
expecting you.” Rodric started. The woman’s voice was incredibly soft, like the
whisper of the wind against the trees on a breezy autumn day. One moment it was
there and the next it was gone.
“Thank you.” He cleared his voice. “You know then about my quest?” Straight to
the chase, there was no point in pretending he was here for other reasons if
they had already been expecting him.
“Yes. The Queen and King demand your presence.
Your sailors will stay here. Jairod and Kairod will see to their comfort.”
Rodric raised an eyebrow, surprised. “You
will travel with me without an escort?”
The woman laughed, the sound pleasing to
his ears. “I am a woman of the Arvynen and I fight just as well as any of the
men. Better even,” she said, flashing him a broad smile. “Besides,” she said,
beginning to walk ahead of him into the island, “that gun you carry is useless.
It is water logged.”
Rodric swore under his breath. He waved at
his sailors to stay with the Arvynen soldiers and followed the woman into the
island. After a few minutes, he cleared his voice.
“You’re not one of them, are you?”
The woman glanced his way, her eyes
dancing with mirth. “"You're
deluding yourself if you believe that."
“But, you’re not, er,” Rodric coughed. How to tell a woman she didn’t
look like a horse without insulting her.
The woman laughed. “My name is Arjä and I think, what you’re trying to
say is that I don’t look like a horse.” She slowed her gait, coming to walk at
his side. William noticed then that her long hair was not white but a very pale
yellow. “The Queen will explain as soon as you swear to secrecy and fealty.”
Rodric stopped in his tracks, staring at Arjä’s back, who continued on
without him. Swear to secrecy and fealty? He wasn’t swearing anything to
anyone, especially not to a race that was known for its disgust toward humans.
“You want to find Ferguson, don’t you?” She called, teasing him.
Rodric swore loudly. Darn Fergus. Slapping his hand against a tree, he
raced to catch up with the petite unicorn woman.
To be Continued…
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