Chapter 13: Chapter Riftan slid an arm under her neck and rubbed his cheek against her head. He appeared to be warming her up, thinking that she was cold. Not knowing what to do, Maxi peeked over his shoulder to see if anyone was watching them. As Riftan had predicted, no one so much as glanced their way, but she did not have the nerve to stay pressed to his side. “I’m all r-right, so c-could you m-move over a little...” “Can’t you see she’s embarrassed? You should really be more considerate!” Maxi’s head snapped up to see who the speaker was. A lean young man who looked to be in his early to mid-twenties stood a few feet away, holding a small lantern in his hand. “Mind your own business, Ruth. Away with you!” “There’s no need to growl at me like a watchdog! I have no intention of harassing your lady.” Maxi’s eyes went round with surprise. The young man spoke with the tone of a man scolding a feral dog, seemingly unfazed by Riftan’s daunting presence. As his gaze settled on Maxi, she hastily sat up, and Riftan reluctantly followed suit. “What do you want?” “The night was chilly, so I took the liberty of bringing something for the lady.” He fished for something in his robe pocket. When his hand reappeared, there was a small stone shining faintly on his papery palm. “A firestone. I cast a spell on it to keep it warm, so hold onto it.” “Is this r-really for m-me?” His unexpected kindness surprised her. The young man raised an eyebrow. “Who else? Those men over there could sleep soundly in the nude under a pile of snow.” His tone was scathing, as if he did not care who could hear him. “But you are different, my lady. You are not in fine fettle, by the looks of it. I would be the one to suffer should you catch a cold, so consider this a preventive measure.” What he meant was plain – she was not to be a deadweight. She took the stone without a word. Just as he had promised, a draft of warm air enveloped her. She stared at the stone in awe before realizing that she had not expressed her gratitude. “Th-Thank you, S-Sir R-Ruth.” A subtle look flashed across the young man’s face. “I’m a sorcerer, not a knight. You can just call me Ruth.” With that, he turned around as if to say he had no further business and walked across the room to his bed. She was watching him blankly when Riftan plunked himself down and pulled her toward him, evidently annoyed. “You must be tired. Go to sleep now. We leave at sunrise tomorrow.” He snuffed out the bedside lantern. As if on cue, the knights put out their lanterns one by one, and darkness descended. Maxi squirmed uncomfortably in his arms before a wave of intense fatigue overcame her. She closed her eyes, the steady thrum of Riftan’s heartbeat soothing her like a lullaby. Moments later, she was deep asleep, all qualms about sleeping in a dirty barn forgotten. *** When morning dawned, the village was animated with a vitality that bore none of the eerie silence of the previous night. The beauty of Eudychal Forest was visible just behind the row of cottages, and to the front of the humble lodgings was an endless field of rippling golden wheat. Maxi stepped out of the barn and washed her face with ice-cold water from the brook. Using her wet hands, she combed her long tresses that were tangled like vines. A cool breeze brushed past her damp face, raising little goosebumps along the length of her back. After wiping her face with her flowing sleeves, she returned to the barn. The knights had already finished packing and were assembled in front of the carriage. “Don’t wander around alone.” “I’m s-sorry.” Hearing Riftan’s stern voice, she rushed to his side. Riftan frowned in displeasure and lifted her bodily onto the carriage. “Monsters are frequently sighted in Eudychal Forest. Never wander alone.” She flinched, reminded of the ogres she had seen on the first day of their journey. “I’ll b-be c-careful.” “Good. We have too much luggage to load onto the carriage, so I’ll have to ride horseback from today. Call out if you need me.” He closed the door. Moments later, the carriage began to rattle down the bumpy dirt road. She watched the passing scenery through the window. The wheat fields grew distant, and her vision was soon filled with a dense wall of trees. Rays of sunlight shone through the canopy of leaves and fell on the winding path like a veil woven with golden thread. The knights rode in formation at a leisurely pace through the cascading light. Maxi anxiously scanned the dense thicket for foul monsters that might jump out to ambush them. But her worries were for naught, and the journey progressed peacefully. Before long, she slumped onto the seat, exhausted from the strain of her nerves being on edge in the shaking carriage. Her vigilance, after all, would not protect them. After a good while, the carriage came to a stop. The door opened, and Maxi saw Riftan standing there. “We’ll rest here.” Relieved, she hopped out of the carriage. She felt a tingle in her stiff legs as blood began to flow through them again. Stifling a groan, she bent forward awkwardly to rub her legs. Seeing this, Riftan spread his cloak over a flat rock for her to sit on and began to massage her cramped legs. Flustered, she glanced around. The knights who had been watering the horses were now looking her way in disbelief. She blushed and pushed him away. “R-Riftan, I’m all r-right...” “Is that a habit of yours?” “P-Pardon?” His hands were just above the hem of her skirt, massaging her calves lightly. “Every time you open your mouth, you say you’re all right.” She watched as his strong, sinewy hands gently squeezed her legs. She could not think of a suitable reply, and instead wanted only to ask why he was being so kind to her. The butterflies in her stomach were pleasant, yet they also gave her the uncomfortable feeling of wearing clothes that were a touch too small. “I-I really am all r-right now...” Only when she freed herself from him did Riftan stand up. She pretended to smooth the creases of her skirt. “Take some rest. I’ll get you something to eat.” Soon after, Riftan quietly returned with bread and cured meat. The bread was so dry and tough that Maxi could only push it down her throat after soaking it in water. After finishing her meal, she took her leave from him to relieve herself in the thickets. The dull journey resumed. Inside the unsteady carriage, Maxi whiled away the time by counting the trees passing by the window. The further they went, the thicker the forest grew, such that the sun barely shone through the dense canopy. When it grew so dark that it became impossible to journey further, the horses came to a halt. Maxi was permitted to disembark only after the knights had patrolled the vicinity to ensure that no monsters or wild animals were lurking. She clutched the handle of her lantern and approached Riftan, who was setting up a small tent near the carriage. The other knights were setting up their tents around a campfire. Riftan hammered a stake into the ground to secure his tent, then turned to her. “The woods are thick with fog before dawn. We need these tents to protect ourselves from the frost.” Maxi looked down at the triangular tent that stood at waist height, then bent over to peer inside. It looked as if it would not fit even one person. “Isn’t it t-too n-narrow for t-two p-people?” ... She tilted her head quizzically, and Riftan stopped hammering. He turned to her with an embarrassed look. “I’m sleeping here alone. You go sleep in the carriage.” Maxi’s face went red. Realizing in shame that she should not have assumed they would be sleeping together, she hurriedly thought of an excuse. “We’ve b-been sleeping t-together, so I th-thought...” “Spare me. I could barely hold back last night as it is.” He let out a deep sigh, and she hung her head with a hurt expression on her face. Seeing this, he muttered a curse and began leading her away by the hand. She tried to follow him as best she could on her unsteady legs. They were not far from the camp, but it was already alarmingly dark. The haunting cries of nocturnal birds mingled with the rustle of leaves in the wind. As Maxi squeezed Riftan’s hand in fear, he pushed her against the thick trunk of a tree and kissed her hungrily. She gasped audibly. A soft tongue passionately wrapped itself around her own. She flinched at the sensation, but her movement only made him cup her face and kiss her more deeply. His soft hair tickled her forehead as his large hands gently stroked her neck and cheeks. He tilted his head to taste the roof of her mouth and explore the insides of her cheeks. A drop of saliva dripped between their lips and trickled down her chin. Following its trail with his tongue, he whispered, “I want to stay up all night like this.” He guided her hand down his body. She felt his hardness throbbing under her palm and gave a start. She tried to snatch her hand away, but his grip on her arm was too firm. ... “Have you any idea how excruciating it is to keep my hands to myself in this state?”