She could see he was relieved to find her where he had left her. Perhaps he thought a bear had eaten her or something. It would serve him right for leaving her there alone.
“Here,” he said, handing her one of the bulging packs he was carrying. “There are some more appropriate clothes in there for traveling, if you want to get changed. Also a cloak and bedroll. Can’t have you sleeping on the ground again.”
He leaned in and her first instinct was to pull away, but his eyes caught hers and held them. Slowly he lifted a finger to his mouth to indicate silence and brought his face close to hers. He put his lips right next to her ear and spoke in the quietest possible whisper.
“Your name is Rowan. That is all you need to know. Speak nothing of where you came from or who you are. Ask no questions. The woman I have brought here may be dangerous if she finds out you’re a princess.”
Eyes wide, she turned her head to him in startlement. This brought them almost nose to nose, breathing in each other’s exhalation. She backed away slowly, nodding, trying to calm herself. His lips were parted and he seemed to need a moment to get his wits about him as well.
“I will leave you to get dressed. Follow me when you’re ready and we’ll depart,” he said, this time in a much louder tone, then turned and walked away.
Once she was certain he could no longer see her, she stripped down, using the oak as a shield, and pulled the garments out of the bag. The fit was better, not quite as snug in the hips and the blouse wasn’t as baggy as Clay’s shirt had been. She pulled on the sturdy coat and boots then threw the cloak over her shoulders. She would never get used to wearing pants, she felt almost naked, but the cloak made her feel like she was decently covered. Putting his clothing away, Lana settled the strap of the pack over her shoulder and walked through the thicket toward the sound of voices.
“…plan to pass over the White Mountains, I know a place where the crossing isn’t so bad,” Clay was saying to a woman standing next to a beautiful white mare. Her back was to Lana so she couldn’t see what the woman looked like but she seemed to be a bit taller than Lana herself, and was every bit as thin. She had a longbow strapped to her back with a full quiver of arrows.
Clay himself was standing next to a strong looking brown gelding, brushing its coat with long, even strokes as he spoke to the newcomer. Spying Lana, he addressed the woman again.
“Nym, I’d like you to meet my companion, Rowan,” he said, gesturing toward Lana. The woman turned and Lana was struck by how lovely she was. It almost made her angry but she wasn’t sure why. The woman, Nym, held herself with such confidence and grace it made Lana feel like she was just a clumsy oaf. To confuse matters more, she also felt an affinity toward her, similar to how she felt with Clay. Could it be her elven ancestry or something else?
Nym approached her with a hand outstretched, smiling warmly.
“Pleased to meet you,” Lana said politely, shaking the woman’s hand quickly.
“And you,” Nym responded. “Shall we go, then?”
“Of course,” Clay said. He mounted the gelding and held a hand out to Lana. “Rowan, my dear, come ride with me. This mount can handle our weight for a time.” His voice was full of warmth and care, not at all like he had spoken to her previously. Lana wondered what he was up to and narrowed her eyes then caught herself, realizing what he must have done. He had told this woman they were romantically involved to hide her identity! She was thoroughly offended but knew she must play the part. Clay obviously felt that the elf woman couldn’t be trusted.
She walked over to the gelding and allowed Clay to help her up to sit in front of him. He wrapped his cloak around them both and took up the reins. She could feel the heat of him against her back and blushed furiously, shooting a glare at him over her shoulder so Nym couldn’t see. He chuckled softly, urging the horse to a slow walk.
They maneuvered the horses carefully through the forest until the trees became sparse and then picked up the pace to a fast trot. As the day wore on, Lana tried to focus on the scenery before her, but the swaying of the horse along with their combined body heat lulled her into a doze and she knew no more.
* * *
Clay was distracted. Lana was asleep in front of him on the horse, leaning back into his chest and she fit as if she belonged there. Her warmth and soft body had his head spinning and it was all he could do to think straight. He knew they were only pretending and needed to keep that in mind. Clay started to wonder if perhaps he should have claimed she was his sister or cousin, but it was too late now to change his story so he must continue with this charade, no matter how distracting the halfling princess was.
He and Nym had kept up a steady stream of chatter and it served to take his mind off of Lana. As he had requested, she didn’t ask any questions about his journey or Lana’s presence and he offered her the same courtesy. Instead, they spoke of Eva, the land they had in common
