Page 28 of Quest for her Knights
Someone hands me a piece of leftover cooked meat for breakfast, and soon we’re on the road again.
I try to sleep in the carriage. I even lie down across the bench seat at one point, but between my worry and the relentless bumpiness of the ride, I manage only a few seconds of dozing here and there. Eventually, I give up and just let my unfocused gaze drift toward the passing forest.
It all looks the same after a while. We stop for lunch, and then again for the night. I’m exhausted. So when I finally curl up beside the campfire and my head hits the pillow, I close my eyes and sigh with relief. At last—sleep.
Except… I can’t.
I lie there with my eyes shut, but sleep evades me. I’m so tired, why can’t I sleep? I turn to face the forest again so they can’t see my struggle, and the same thoughts plague my mind. Is the man following us? Are there others out there? What if we’ve stopped in the middle of some large animal’s home and it returns to find us here?
Silent tears roll down my cheeks, frustration bubbling at my inability to shut out the noise and sleep. Once again, I hear the changing of the guards halfway through the night, and when the sun starts to rise, I internally groan.
How long can I go on like this?
I quietly wipe my face and try to school my expression, but I know I must look terrible. Using my hair as a shield, letting it hang in front of my face, I sit up and keep my head turned away as I croak, “Good morning.” I stretch my arms overhead and then stand, facing away from them as I stretch the rest of my body.
“Morning, Princess. Everything okay?” Blaze asks.
“Yep. Everything’s peachy.” Peachy? Ugh.
“Come have some breakfast,” Arrow offers.
The thought of food makes my stomach churn, so I quickly shake my head, still avoiding their gaze.
“I’m not hungry yet. I’ll have a snack in a few hours. I’m just going to stretch my legs before we leave,” I add quickly, already moving toward the outskirts of the camp with my arms wrapped around myself.
Luckily, no one follows. After a quiet lap around the camp, I realize there’s nowhere else to go but back to them, and the thought makes me panic a little. I don’t want them to see my face. I’m sure they’ll instantly know something’s wrong, and I’d rather they think I’m acting strange than think I’m weak.
So I mumble something about waiting in the carriage and rush to it, climbing in and making sure my hair stays in front of my face in case they glance my way.
I have to figure out a way to get some sleep.
I’m not sure I can survive another night like this.
Chapter twelve
Arrow
Iwatch with a frown as Elora awkwardly climbs into the carriage. “That was weird.”
“Did she have nightmares last night?” Ranger asks.
“I don’t think so. She didn’t move at all,” I tell him.
“Hmm,” is his only reply before we start packing up camp.
Before we leave, I dip my head into the carriage to check on Elora. I frown, seeing her head dipped forward and her hair hanging down in front of her face.
“Hey, Elora, are you okay?” I ask tentatively.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I mean good. I’m good.” I frown, waiting for her to look at me, but she doesn’t move.
“You sure? Is there something I can do? Something you need?”
“Nope. Totally good here. All great.” Why was she talking so strangely?
“If you’re sure,” I hedge, hoping she’ll tell me what’s going on.
“Yep, just ready to get going.”
