CHAPTER 17: "Special"

ARI

They fled under the cover of night, guided by stars. Sir Oliver led the way, claiming that Osha would guide them. Prince Richard, knowing his constellations, often caught Sir Oliver leading them east, rather than west to Grand Falls.

Sir Oliver shook off the mistakes.

Ari wrapped her legs tight around Destiny's body as the horse rode swiftly over uneven plains, muddy rivers and, most dangerously, alongside a steep canyon. She was ready for the once unruly steed to throw her down to her death, but Destiny remained calm.

Osha wills her, Ari concluded.

Sir Oliver had sent an eagle to the Order before they departed Nightingshire, citing Jason's need to meet them. It was the perfect lie. Ari had gotten used to lying, but she was growing to despise it.

More eagles came to them during their journey, leaving messages for Sir Oliver. Ari had asked him how the eagles knew where to find them, and he fell back on his typical explanation scapegoat, "Osha wills it."

If only Osha willed a useful answer, Ari remarked.

For many moons and many dawns, they had camped, rode, camped, rode, camped, rode, stopping only as often as one of them required a piss. Ari made sure to conduct this in privacy to avoid the awkward explanation to Prince Richard.

She wondered, however, if she really needed to hide from him anymore. Something Bard had said stuck in her mind and she could not shake it. Something in the Prince's blue eyes as he rode his white stallion told Ari that he knew, and that he wanted her. Ari was determined to prove it.

She wanted to discuss Dayne, as well, and how she could have killed the boy. She felt guilt, overwhelming guilt that she could not shake. The Prince was always someone she could turn to, but Sir Oliver wanted to keep the encounter with the farmer's boy out of royal ears for as long as possible. He and Ari both knew though that it was only a matter of time before Lord Gerard found out why they truly fled in the night.

She swallowed the guilt and focused on the road.

After a long day's ride across the plains and over the Bountiful, the party had settled down in a quiet grove, vacant but for the occasional bustle of chipmunks. Ari and Prince Richard slept close to the fire, as autumn chilled the nights. Prince Richard, especially, was unfamiliar with such bitter conditions, having lived in a palace his whole life. Sir Oliver rested a reasonable distance from the fire, eyes closed, peaceful despite the cold. Ari wondered if the knight ever truly slept, if he dreamed.

"What happened to your cheek?" the Prince asked, shooting hot breath onto his fingers.

"Sharpening a dagger," Ari lied. "I was clumsy."

"Aye," the Prince laughed. "Try not to lose an eye outside of a duel."

As the Prince rubbed his hands together, Ari thought this moment as good as any to pick his brain.

"Are we friends?" she asked.

"Pardon?" the Prince shivered.

"Are we friends?"

The Prince smiled his cool smile. "Of course, Jason."

Ari wanted more. "Am I... special?" she asked.

"Of course. You have become my most loyal companion. Why, think of all the afternoons we spend together."

"Aye." Ari nodded. She wanted more. "Did you ever have other companions like me?"

"Your common tongue is sharp now, my pupil," the Prince said, smiling. He answered her question, saying, "I never truly had too many friends. The only people my father would often let me associate with were other highborns."

"Pretentious highborns?" Ari asked.

"Precisely! Every so often, though, I found myself wandering around the castle walls, searching for someone or something that did not bore me."

"Did you find it?" Ari asked.

"There was one other boy I truly was close to," the Prince said, with an audible despair in his voice, a nostalgia, a longing. "Tollin. He was the son of one of our knights. He followed his father on a quest, perhaps, a year ago and... Well. There has been no one else since. Not until you, Jason."

Ari felt her heart race, but she tried to pretend nothing came of his comment. "You two were close?"

"For many years, as children, as young men," he said, rubbing his arms to try and warm them. He gazed into the fire as if he saw his long-lost friend there. Ari could not help but notice it was a long gaze, a silent, contemplative gaze. He snapped out of it and looked around at the forest. "We will need more wood for the fire. I will go gather some."

Ari nodded.

"Rest, Jason," the Prince said. "We will take turns with the watch."

Ari obeyed her friend and laid her head back to rest. She watched the stars until her eyes shut.

///

For many more moons and many more dawns, they rode. The Prince was recording things with a piece of parchment and charcoal, and according to him, they had been riding the countryside for seventeen nights. To Ari, though, it felt like eternity.

When they had reached a monolithic, long-abandoned dwarven temple, Sir Oliver told his party, "We are nearly there."

There were many more ruins along the road, and the terrain got harsher and harsher as they went. The trail became less of a trail the further they went. The ground beneath the horses' hooves was steeper as they approached mountains.

As the windy day progressed, heavy rains hit, and Ari once again feared a great fall to oblivion. She held fast and strong, though, trudging along on Destiny until finally Sir Oliver said, "There."

Ari saw it in the distance and instantly knew why it was called "Grand Falls." The castle sat on the edge of the tallest waterfalls Ari had ever seen, tall enough to give even the Dragon of Nightingshire a fear of heights. The castle was white and gold, pristine, as if it had never seen a rainy day. Almost on cue, the rain began to slow as Prince Richard awed at the fortress.

"Gods be good," he marveled. "It is so beautiful."

"Aye," Sir Oliver huffed, not impressed. "It is the inside that is not so sweet. Come now, lads. The Order awaits."