Page 32 of Mated to the Alien Warlord

I smiled and took his hand to give it one last kiss before he slapped my horse's behind to set us on our journey. With tearstained eyes, I turned one more time in the saddle to stare at his lone figure waving goodbye and prayed to all the gods they would keep him safe. As much as he had been cursing Fionbyr and saying it would be a short campaign, I knew that Fionbyr was a formidable enemy, especially if he had allied himself with Grobhan.

Soon the sun was rising, and I took my sleeves off, enjoying the warm rays on my skin. My heart was heavy, and I already missed Vandor, but that couldn't be helped, and I was determined to make the best of this journey.

With my much smaller entourage, I had talked Vandor down from sending fifty warriors with me to thirty, we were making good time, and I thought we would reach Wyrkymburg either late tomorrow night or early in the morning the day after.

We made camp where the road branched off in two different directions, one that led to Wyrkymburg and the other toward Steppenfort. I contemplated the two paths and smiled at the realization that my fate had led me to Wyrkymburg. I looked forward to seeing the Dark Sea again, even though I would be without Vandor. I was sure the days would keep me busy, but I already dreaded the nights.

My guards set up a tent for me where I stayed for the duration of the night, not wanting to intrude on the men whose laughter rang out into the darkness. If I were a man, I would have joined them, and it would have been perfectly acceptable. I had seen Vandor, and even Khazar Gryck, spend time with their men many times. But since I was a woman, I knew I would only put a damper on their good mood and make things awkward.

So, I ate my meal alone, feeling sorry for myself, and tried to make conversation with my unborn baby, who Vandor insisted would be a boy.

I was curious too as to when he or she would be born because human-Thyre pregnancies ranged from five to nine months, with nine being the exception. Thyre women were only pregnant for five months, and the stronger the Thyre genes were, the shorter was a human pregnancy, although it also depended on if it was a human or Thyre woman who was with child.

I wondered if the healer in Wyrkymburg would be able to guesstimate the date of birth. I had heard that some healers had the gift of foresight and were able to precisely predict a delivery date.

By the glow of a torch, I read one of my favorite Thyre history books until my eyes became heavy and I decided to go to bed, where, predictably, I missed Vandor's arms around me so much, tears burned in my eyes.

I slept in my clothes with a tight grip on the necklace Vandor had given me and woke to the noise of the camp readying itself for another day of travel. My bladder called, and I stepped outside, where Wrynn, the guard in charge, nodded at me.

"Good morning, Lady Damaris. The array of bushes over there will ensure your privacy, and I made sure it hasn't been sullied yet." He pointed at a group of ragged bushes, the same ones I had used the previous night, and I thanked him for his courtesy.

"If you don't need anything else, I will have your tent dismantled in the meantime."

"Thank you, Wrynn, I appreciate it." I smiled at him and hiked my skirt to make my way to the bushes while avoiding thinking about the thirty men and imagining that they all stared at me as I walked. But no matter how much I told myself that peeing was a completely natural bodily function, I felt my face heat with every step I took, despite assuring myself before I vanished into the bushes that not a soul was watching me.

I lingered a little bit longer than I needed to just to make sure I wouldn't have to go again once I was in the saddle. At least the bushes assured some privacy, not like the blanket the guards had held up with their backs turned while we traveled through the real steppe, where sometimes there was neither a bush nor a tree to be seen for miles on end.

I was rearranging my skirts when I heard Wrynn's shouted warning and hurried forward. Not too far off in the distance, I made out a plume of dust, announcing a quickly approaching small army. I hurried from the bushes and Wrynn took my arm. "Quickly, Lady Damaris."

He led me to my horse while my heart beat in my throat. "Who is it?"

"They're riding under Warlord Fionbyr's banner," he said darkly, heaving me up onto my horse.

My hand flew to my chest. "How many?"

"Too many to keep you safe. You have to ride fast, Lady Damaris. Keep straight on this road, it will lead you to Wyrkymburg."

"Alone?" I croaked.

He nodded and his face portrayed the direness of the situation. He was ready to go meet his gods. "Wrynn."

"Ride as fast as you can, Lady Damaris. We will hold them off for as long as possible." Giving me as much of a lead as they could, his unfinished sentence said, and I swallowed.

"It has been my honor, Lady Damaris."

Before I could say another word or even thank him, he slapped my horse's behind so hard it took off in a hard gallop, and I barely clung to the saddle. One quick turn of my head gave me a view of my thirty guards creating a circle that would meet the approaching army, which, from the looks of it, was at least a hundred warriors strong.

Real fear jolted through me as I kicked my horse on faster and faster. What would Fionbyr do to me? To my unborn child?

I kicked my horse to go as fast as if the demons of hell were after us, which, from the rumors I heard about Fionbyr and his men, they were.

I knew I wouldn't be able to keep this breakneck speed up for long, and neither would I reach Wyrkymburg in time to hope for help. All I could do was pray that my departure had somehow escaped Fionbyr's men or that they would give up chasing a woman alone down through the steppe.

The only chance for hiding I saw was where the forest and the mountains that separated the steppe from the Dark Sea met, and I hoped I could get lost in there, but the forest was still hours away, and I could already feel my horse slowing and my body tiring.

Aware that the horse would run until it broke down under me, I slowed it, hoping we had managed to get enough distance between us and our pursuers. Hoping that Wrynn and his men could fight Fionbyr's men off long enough to give me enough of a lead.

Wrynn and his men!

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