Page 12 of The Oracle's Journey

“Dawn will be here soon, and we need to prepare to move,” I warned the others as they stood by, staring at me. The humans weren’t so hard to intimidate, but I made sure the other elves lowered their eyes before I moved on, snarling a few more orders before dismissing them. I looked down at Ozanna with her tangled hair and bloodied face. She glared up at me with her one open eye, seething with rage and damaged pride.

I shook my head. “Lobikno, keep her out of trouble while I get healing supplies.”

Ozanna

I’d had enough of being carried around. It wouldn’t surprise me if there was a permanent indentation in my belly from Lhoris’ shoulder.

“Lhoris, please,” I gasped, “I can’t breathe.” I was also too tired and too sore to really fight anymore, and I was so done with being tied up.

He hummed. “I will need your word to not fight while I rearrange you.”

“Yes, yes please. Please?” I practically begged.

Lhoris stopped and set me on my feet long enough to resituate the satchel slung over his shoulder. After shifting the bag’s strap to rest across his torso, he scooped me up in the cradle of his arms.

“Where are we going?” I was able to see the silhouette of his face in the pre-dawn light, though it wasn’t enough to read his expression. It was awkward to be so close to somebody’s face without talking to them.

“There’s a stream ahead. It comes down off the mountain to feed into the bigger one your princess found the other day,” he explained in a conversational tone.

How many stories had Emmelina told last night?

“We need more than a waterskin and a rag to get you cleaned up. Your friends will be coming along later to wash up and bring some fresh clothes for you. I thought you’d upset them less if I took care of you before they see those injuries.”

I sighed and nodded. Clean clothes meant the rope would come off and my poor angry joints could have a break.

“What’s wrong now?” he asked.

“Hm?”

“You’re rigid and trembling.”

“I’m in pain.” I wanted to punctuate the statement with you idiot, but I needed to work with him. “My shoulders mostly … from being tied this way.”

“We’re almost to the stream,” Lhoris said, picking up his pace. “I would prefer to not bind you, but you’ve made this very difficult.”

“It’s possible I’ve been excessive,” I lied, voice tight and clipped. I’d been exactly what I meant to be.

“You shattered the carriage doorframe,” he laughed. “It’s more than possible. How in the world did you do it?”

We reached the stream, and he set me down on a boulder so I could dip my blood encrusted feet into the shallow water. The cold water felt amazing on the angry cuts. I half expected the water to hiss as my feet settled on the pebbled bed.

I shrugged. “I don’t know, really. I threw my shoulder into the door, figuring I’d have to do it a few times to get anywhere, but then … I guess you saw what happened.”

He leaned in closer and the rope around my wrists slackened. How did he untie the stubborn knot without even a tug? I groaned and winced as my stiff, sluggish arms came forward to rest in my lap.

“Just don’t do anything we’d both regret,” he said and dipped a thick piece of fabric into the water. “I’m going to wash away that mess now.”

Water ran down my face and shirt while he wiped the drying blood from my eye. It felt so good to have the filth from that struggle washed away.

“How did the princess escape the carriage?” he asked. The question felt conversational, though it wasn’t, really.

I laughed, maybe a little hysterically, still concerned for the state of my sanity. Under normal circumstances, I’d have told him to fuck off, but even I couldn’t believe what I’d seen. “Magic. It’s been a nightmare trying to keep her safe these last couple days. I don’t even know if she’s aware of what she’s doing.” And I explained what I'd witnessed, though I still couldn’t wrap my head around it.

“That is fascinating.”

Lhoris started wiping the cut on my forehead. His gaze, however, drifted lower, to my chest. The way light reflected in his pupils gave him away. His night vision was obviously better than mine and it wasn’t difficult to figure out what he was looking at.

“Are you staring at my tits?” I asked in a dry, accusing tone.

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