"Come on Drak" Pam cheered her as Ruby duck and dodged her strike.
They train every afternoon and guard every night. It's been more than three weeks since they started the routine, the weapon test was almost a formality as all the riders already knew their capabilities. Still Daria wanted a scout duty.
"Try harder" Ruby whispered as she slid from under daria when she pushed herself up by the momentum she gained after kicking on the stoned fen for a vertical strike, though she turned in an instant, Ruby's knife still found her throat first.
"You're distracted" Ruby whispered in her ear. Yes she was.
"You already knew my movements" That's just an excuse.
"So do you" She caught her.
"Short it out, before it's late" Ruby turned away after those words.
And that was the reason she wanted to do the scouting work. The last three weeks were like walking through a sand desert, every step heavy, every breath an effort and no end to this agony. She needed a good distraction. The only peace she found was in the firm grip of her sword. Its sharpness was more reliable than the softness of her bed.
"That was the seventh loss in a row" Pam came rushing to announce what she already knew.
"You still need more time" Pam said in a low tone, it was not a question but simply a fact.
"Take all the time you want, ill keep you company" she looped her hand through Darias as they went to take a water break. She noticed Pam's face, more relaxed, brighter smile, more…happy, which was absent while they were in pandora mist. At least she can find satisfaction in that, here they were all well fed and healthy.
"Lets get inside, first troop would be back by now" Jerry, another rider said. The first troop that was led by lord Kan today, they all were eager for the information but Daria felt eagerness directed somewhere else and she feared the disappointment more. Since the last incident, he was avoiding her like a plague, they never ate in the same room, they never trained at same time, they never stayed in the same group even during their occasional scouting. And even though she tried to clear his doubt, he never gave her a chance.
In the dining hall, everyone was gathered around the first troop sitting at the center table. And though she didn't want to, her eyes still found him in the corner.
"Any news?" Jerry asked as they took seats.
"Just the same, everything looked ok, just a couple of creatures on the way" thats what they ever heard, its like everything is getting normal, could it be possible that they almost eradicate their race? But the question still remains…
"We are still not sure how those creatures crossed the crest field without getting noticed" Lord Kan took over and Daria couldn't process a single word beyond that voice.
"And that too in such a big number" Leu added grimly. For some time now Daria went through all the possibilities and everytime she came to one conclusion…but that would be a big claim, without evidence it would just be a theory.
"Did you cover the whole area?" Tom asked carefully, as Lord Kan had no patience for unnecessary questions.
"All that we can, till the wolf shield's and west shield's bases" It was funny that they were still maintaining the borders even in such a situation, in such a place. But she understood, the kingdom's safety comes first and for an age old fight, they had to establish a system.
"Tommorow we're going to wolf shield's section" Lord Kan informed. She was totally sure he turned to her for a moment, and her heart knew what needed to be done. It skipped a beat, swooned over the moon, even got excited for more.
"Let's eat, ill pick the troop later" He left without any food.
************
"Why can't I go?" Daria was not in the troops, again. She was sure Kan was doing it on purpose.
"Why are you so impatient?" Tom reasoned.
"But Ruby and Pam are going" She argued
"It's not a picnic trip" He tried to deflect the obvious question.
"Lord would have his reason, he cant just pick everyone"
"But what could be his reason?" She felt stuck, all her plans were getting delayed, at this rate she'll be back in Grovers clutch in no time.
"How would I know, he has lot in his plate already and he's leaving for wolf shield tomorrow, may be he didnt have time to think"
"Leaving for Wolf shield?"
"Yeah, Kings order" Kings order? Suddenly he put down the sword he was polishing and turned to her.
"Dont tell anyone, king wants him to meet the princess" Daria was frozen at those words.
How can she forget the reality of the difference between them? She thought things would go normal after she revealed the truth, but who she was joking with. Does any of this even matter?
"So that's the reason he's visiting wolf shield's land tomorrow" she just said it for the sake of conversation, not wanting him to see her unease.
"Yes, he'll be back in two weeks" two weeks, without seeing him? She felt suffocated for many reasons by now.