"We should stop for the night," Sam commented, looking up, trying to see the sky. It was hard to tell how late it was because of the towering trees, but less sunlight was streaming down between the branches, so she thought the sun was setting.
"This looks like a decent spot," Justin said, looking around at the small clearing they were in. The branches of the trees hide the sky, even in the middle of the small clearing, so it was almost like they were in a room. "I think I heard a river nearby; I’ll go try to find it."
Sam nodded her head. "I’ll start a fire. Nyx should be back with some food soon."
Justin disappeared into the forest, carefully marking his trail so he didn’t get lost and separated from Sam. Sam started a fire, then climbed a tree, trying to see if she could catch a glimpse of the sky.
"Sam, where are you?" Justin called, walking into the clearing.
"Up here," Sam called, swinging down from the tree. She hung off of the lowest branch there was, which was a good ten feet off the ground. She let go and dropped to the ground.
Justin breathed a sigh of relief when she landed on her feet.
"Find any water?" Sam asked.
"Yeah. I marked the trail." Justin looked up at the tree. "What were you doing up there?"
"Trying to see the sky, to get some sort of an idea of where we are."
"Any luck?"
"No. I couldn’t get high enough to see."
"So we’ll just continue traveling in the same direction?"
Sam nodded her head. "It’ll be easiest. I wish I knew what direction we’re heading in. It would be so much easier to find the others."
"Think they’re ok?"
"Yeah, they’re ok. I just don’t want to be separated from them. What if we’re attacked or something?"
"Sam, I think we can handle any attackers." Justin’s blue eyes twinkled. "After all, it was because we were attacking people that we’re in this predicament."
A smile tugged at Sam’s lips. "True."
"They’re the one’s who should worry."
Sam laughed at that. "Hopefully no one will attack them."
"They should be ok. They’re in the mountains now."
***
"Damn, I hate this," Kaylyn muttered as she slipped on some rocks.
Joey caught her before she fell. "Be careful," he warned. "We don’t need anyone getting hurt."
"Thanks," Kaylyn said. "I’m not use to climbing over rocks."
"Tell me about it," Joey said. "I’m not use to it either. At home, we’d climb hills and stuff, but never a mountain and never one this rocky."
"We’ll stop for the day in there," Willow called, as she walked towards a cave.
"Are you sure we should stay in there?" Josh asked, glancing warily at the cave. "It could be filled with bats or a bear could make his home there."
"Don’t worry, Josh," Willow told him. "It’s easy to make sure a cave is clean. And if it’s not, it’s just as easy to clear it." With those words, she pulled a small wooden torch out of her bag and whispered some words under her breath. Instantly, a flame appeared on the torch. And Willow walked into the cave.
A few minutes later, she appeared, smiling. "It’s ok, there was nothing in there."
They walked into the cave, and within minutes, Willow had a fire roaring and everyone was pulling out their sleeping rolls and setting them up around the cave.
"Can any of you hunt?" Willow asked Josh, Lance, Joey, and Chris.
"Yeah, I can," Joey replied.
"Then it’s your job to find something for dinner." Willow looked at Kamryn as Joey walked out of the cave, carrying a bow and half a dozen arrows.. "And you can find water."
"I’ll go with you," Lance volunteered.
Later that night, after a feast of rabbits, when they were settling down for the night, Josh asked, "Are you sure this cave isn’t the home to some animal?"
"No." Willow grinned at everyone’s shocked looks. "I’m joking, people, joking. Of course this place isn’t the home to any type of animals. It’s too clean."
"Ok, we can sleep better then."***
"Tell me about your home," Sam said suddenly. She and Justin were sitting side by side in front of the fire, both silent until Sam spoke.
"It’s very beautiful, very different from Augumentia."
"Are you saying home isn’t beautiful?" Sam teased.
Justin laughed. "No, it’s beautiful. Minoa is beautiful in a different way than Augumentia. It has rolling hills, beautiful lush fields, small woods here and there. It’s never harsh there, everything is always calm. It doesn’t have any of Augumentia’s drastic contrasts. No towering mountains, deep valleys, dark, forbidding forests and open, welcome areas."
"I’ve always wanted to see different places," Sam sighed. "Travel to new lands, meet new people."
"You can have that," Justin told her, leaning closer to her.
"How? I’m a single woman; I can’t travel alone. It would be unthinkable."
"Do you actually care what other’s think?"
"No."
"Besides, you don’t have travel alone."
"What do you mean?"
"Come with me," Justin said, a second before his lips captured hers.***
"Were you serious about me going to Minoa with you?" Sam asked, raising her head from Justin’s chest. They were laying on a blanket of their clothes, covered by their cloaks.
"Very serious." Justin looked into her dark blue eyes. "I’m here because I was sent on a quest to find my bride, Minoa’s future queen. And I found you."
Sam pulled back from him, glancing around nervously. "Uh, Justin, you said nothing about marriage. I assumed I’d be your mistress. Not your wife. I’m hardly suitable to marry. I’m an orphan girl who had been raised by an old woman not even related to me. I’m a petty thief. Not the material for a queen."
"Sam," Justin interrupted. But Sam continued as though she didn’t hear him.
"Your wife would be expected to be the best dressed, have impeccable manners, know how to talk to emissaries and representatives from other countries. None of which I can do."
"Sam, stop it, you’re perfect. You’re not a petty thief, and it doesn’t matter if you were the daughter of a peasant or a king. And you’d make a perfect queen."
"Oh please, Justin. Let’s not insult my intelligence. We both know I’m not the kind of woman people want to marry their future king." She stood up, wrapping her cloak around her body. "I’m going to go take a bath." She walked off into the forest.
Justin gave her a minute, then followed her to the river. They didn’t mention the conversation they’d just had, instead acting as though nothing had happened.***
"This is horrible," the woman said softly, causing the five men in front of her to cringe. "This was never to happen." She waved her hand, with it’s long black-tipped fingers at the mirror on the wall. "They were not supposed to meet and fall in love. Do you know what this has done to my plans?”
"And the others! How could you let them get to the mountain? They’re getting closer to discovering the truth." The fairy, for that’s what she was, glared at the men. "If they discover the truth, my plans are ruined."
"Forgive us." Kevin bowed his head. "We will not fail you again."
"I will give you one more chance to stop them," she told them. "Fail and you forfeit your lives."