I ceased my efforts at the familiar voice as I turned my eyes to see none other than the green-eyed captain I had met yesterday. My fear melted and was quickly replaced with irritation has he slowly released his hold.
“Peter!” I hissed back in a whisper. “What are you doing grabbing me in the middle of the woods?! You frightened me half to death.” I pulled away from his arms in a huff.
“Shh.” He held a finger to his lips. A deathly serious expression crossed his face, numbing my anger. “We are not alone.” My body tensed again. The twig I heard breaking earlier came from in front of me, but Peter came up from behind. So, if it wasn’t Peter I had heard, then what was the noise?
He must have seen the alarm in my eyes because he placed his hand back on my arm reassuringly, and this time I didn’t push him away. My hand fell on top of his wrist, and I clutched his sleeve tightly.He wasn’t going to leave me, right? What would I do if he dashed into the woods and left me alone?He gave my arm a soothing pat and slowly began to rise from the ground.
“No wait!” My whisper came out desperate. “Please, don’t leave me. What if it’s the assassin?” I looked up to him pleadingly, still clutching his sleeve.
“I won’t leave you, princess.” His hushed voice filled me with a calm I was in dire need of. “But I do need to investigate whoever is out there. Stay right here and don’t make a sound. I promise I won’t go farther than ten paces. You should still be able to see me through the brush.” He cast me a reassuring look, easing me to release the hold on his wrist.
“Alright,” I whimpered. “Just please… be careful.” He nodded softly, then proceeded to step in the direction of the earlier noise.
True enough, he only took ten wide paces before stopping in his tracks. I anxiously watched through some loosely dense shrubs as he scanned the woods, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. After a few tense moments of Peter surveying the surrounding trees, he cautiously turned back to my hiding spot. I rose tentatively from my cover as he approached, his eyes darting back and forth among the trees. He was only a mere three paces away when without warning, an arrow whizzed by my eyes missing by only an inch.
“Get down!” Peter shouted as he unsheathed his sword and raced in front of where I stood.
On his command, I ducked to the ground, covering my head in defense. The blood drained from my face as I recognized how close to death I had just been. I was too terrified to look up, but I could hear the clashing of blades a few feet in front of me. My legs trembled beneath me as the sounds grew quicker and more targeted. Suddenly, the sound of clanging metal ceased, and a horrible silence echoed through the forest. I fought the urge to look up, fearing that my hiding place was the only thing dragging out my dwindling life span. Without thinking, I latched onto a sizable rock that rested beneath me, desperately seeking any form of defense.
With my new weapon in hand, I mustered enough courage to look up from my spot ever so slightly. My eyes widened in horror as I saw Peter locked in a stalemate with a man dressed head to toe in black. The man stood behind Peter, his sword pressing close to Peter’s neck, blocked only by Peter’s sword. In turn, the captain held a small knife inches from the attacker’s stomach, but the man had a firm grip on Peter’s wrist, preventing him from following through with the attack. The two men stood locked in frozen combat, each using their full strength to fend off the other’s attack. If either let up for even a moment, they would forfeit their life.
My hands clasped over my mouth, shaking from the sight before me. The slightest movements of struggle from both men made my heart skip a beat as I witnessed the sickly moments before death.What do I do?Hot tears flooded down my cheeks as I held back a cry of anguish. Peter’s strength was beginning to subside, and the attacker’s blade was inching closer to his throat. My voice choked on my scream and in a moment of despair, I sprinted toward the man in black. At the sound of my movement, both men looked up at my oncoming presence. The man wore a mask over his nose and a black hood, but I instantly recognized his steel-blue eyes. My movement startled both men enough that they loosened their grip and broke away from each other’s hold.
“Princess, stop! Run away, now!” Peter shouted frantically as he tried to run back toward me, but the other man was faster. He pushed past Peter and raced toward me, his sword at the ready.
Adrenaline pumped through my body as I tightened my grip on the large stone. I stopped in my tracks only feet away from the oncoming killer and leaned back on my right foot. With every ounce of strength I could muster, I reeled my arm back and threw the rock at the man, aiming for his forehead. Simultaneously, I stumbled over the uneven ground, falling hard on my wrist. The limb throbbed in pain as I looked up from the dirt to see the rock make contact. My aim wasn’t anything to be proud of, because even from close range I only managed to hit him square in the chest— although it still sounded like it hurt. A loud thump resounded at the impact and the man let out an audible groan of pain. He hunched over and held a hand to his chest where the rock had struck him. He then rose awkwardly to his feet with anger burning in his eyes.
Fortunately, the injury had delayed his pursuit long enough for Peter to get past him and stand at guard in front of my crumpled form. The man furrowed his brows at the captain and took a few slow steps back, still gripping his weapon.
“Very resourceful, princess.” The man’s words sounded exasperated as he tried to hide the pain. I felt a small sliver of satisfaction seeing him recoil from my attack. “A captain is an excellent shield indeed, but unfortunately, not a very subtle one.” His blue eyes glinted wickedly as he exchanged a deathly stare with Peter. “Looks like I know where to find you for our next little game. Have fun hiding, princess… I will see you soon.” And with those last eerie words, he darted back into the brush, leaving the two of us alone in the chilling air.
Peter helped me from the ground, then quickly pulled us both deeper into the woods in an opposing direction, fleeing from the place of conflict. When we finally stopped at a safe distance, my adrenaline fled my body, leaving behind only a rush of emotions.
I fell to my knees and sobbed uncontrollably. It wasn’t very dignified for a princess to be seen bawling her eyes out in the middle of the woods, but right now, I simply did not care. I was too overwhelmed, and my wrist hurt too badly for any consideration of my own dignity. As I allowed my emotions to spill over, I felt a gentle hand grace my shoulder. I looked up through my tears and saw Peter had hunched down onto the ground with me. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a white linen handkerchief with the military insignia embroidered on the corner. I accepted it graciously and wiped my eyes with my good hand. It smelled just like him— of pine and sunshine with a hint of musk.Wait a moment… When had I noticed his scent? Working in the mill must have attuned my sense of smell; surely, that was it.
“Thank you,” I murmured into the handkerchief. “Please forgive my unseemly manner. I am afraid that my emotions have been building up for far too long for me to control them properly.” I wiped away the last of my tears and offered the handkerchief back to him. Instead of taking it, he offered me a hand to raise from the ground. The movement was so fluid, it was as if I had weighed nothing at all to him.
“Do not fret, my princess,” he said, his words gentle and caring. “There is no shame in feeling fear. I am deeply sorry that I was not able to protect you well enough to prevent such terror.” His hand didn’t release from mine at first, and I found myself relishing in the warmth of it. The sun was blocked out by the trees and the air had begun to grow chilly.
“There is nothing to apologize for,” I stuttered slightly as my teeth began to chatter. “If you had not been watching me, surely, I would be dead by now.” My arms wrapped around my body instinctively, still remaining sensitive of my aching wrist. A cool breeze blew, shaking a few leaves from the trees, sending a shiver down my spine. Seeing my obvious cold, the captain removed his uniform jacket and gently draped it over my shoulders, leaving him in only a white button-up. I fought off the warmth of a blush at the action.
“May I see your injury?” He gestured toward the hand I was favoring. I stretched out the tender limb and he took into his hands. I winced at the touch as he ever-so-delicately turned my hand over so it faced upward.
“It isn’t broken, is it?” I could feel my face contract from the sting of his careful movements. He was looking at it so inquisitively, almost as if he was studying the joint itself.
“No, I believe you have only sprained it.” He turned my hand back over with a slow motion that thankfully didn’t cause further pain.
Once my hand was facing downward again, he placed two of his fingertips overtop the most sensitive spot of the injury. I grimaced at the discomfort, but suddenly, a soothing sensation spread through my wrist, nullifying the pain. Peter’s eyes maintained strong concentration, so much so that their natural green color began to brighten and grow more vibrant. It took me a moment to recognize that he was using his magic to heal the sprain. I directed my eyes to his silver streak the peeked out from under his cap. True to myth, it was sparkling with energy, much like a glistening gem. It was truly beautiful and before I realized it, the pain in my wrist had completely subsided. I watched curiously as his eyes shifted to their normal hue and the patch of silver reduced to a more natural sheen. He removed his hands from mine and looked up at my enraptured face with a smile.
“How does it feel now, Your Highness?” He looked to me expectantly, and I realized I had been staring at his eyes long enough for him to notice. I felt a flush of embarrassment as I slowly rolled my wrist around to test its sensations, and I found not even an ounce of pain stirred from the movement.
“It feels perfect!” I exclaimed in amazement. “That is remarkable. I never realized magic could be so useful.” My memory recalled the enchanter who had tried to impress me by making gemstones illuminate in the dark. Peter’s magic was on a whole different level than anything I had ever witnessed.
“It’s nothing much,” Peter claimed modestly. “My magic is actually rather weak for a caster, but my gift for healing makes it useful. My true talent is curing illnesses. If your injury had been anything worse than a sprain, I wouldn’t have been able to fully mend it.” His humility astonished me. That was considered weak magic? Healing any injury, even a minor one, was nothing short of miraculous, and certainly more wondrous than a glowing rock.
“That is incredible,” I gushed like a true fanatic. “Thank you for showing me your gifts, and also for using them to heal me. I am truly in your debt.” I lowered my head in gratitude.
“I believe I am just as much in your debt, Your Highness.” An expression of gratitude crossed his face. “You came to my rescue during combat. If you had not provided such an excellent distraction, I fear I would have succumbed to the enemy’s sword. Better yet, you landed a blow on him. I didn’t realize the princess of Isalla had such a good arm.” He chuckled softly, earning a smile from my lips.