Page 16 of The Princess of Nothing
CHAPTER SIX
Iwoke covered in sweat. My clothes were stuck to me, and I was insatiably thirsty. I sat upright, then focused on Cedric. His mouth was partly open, and a light snore escaped. He grunted and shuffled onto his side. I turned my head and watched a centipede crawl up the side of the tent.
Pressing my fists to the ground, I pushed myself onto my knees and crossed my legs under each other, moving myself forward. When I moved the fabric doors back, I emerged into a tropical paradise. A chorus of singing, buzzing, and clicking erupted around me. I reached into the tent, grabbed my staff, and pulled my water cup from my bag.
I had walked several steps away from our camp when a frog with yellow markings on his back crossed my path.
I held my tin cup in the air and summoned drops of water, which had collected on the leaves, into a stream. I directed it inside and brought it to my lips. I smacked my lips together. Flies buzzed around me. I attempted to swat them away with my hand, but there were too many. I scratched a mosquito bite on my arm and groaned. “I don’t miss this.”
“Morning, sunshine!” Cedric exclaimed as he climbed out of the tent. “We survived the night, it seems.”
“Yes, we did,” I grumbled and offered him the rest of my water. “You’re far too cheerful in the morning.”
He winked. “Best time of day I think. Also...” He pointed at his bag. “I brought some, so you finish your forest water. I’ll have some fresh water thanks.”
“Of course you did.” I rubbed my arm. I should have thought to look in the bag.
He ran his hand through his golden strands, tousling his waves, then rolled back his shoulders and stretched his arms. “I’ll pack up, but first, here.” He offered me a bag of nuts mixed with dried fruits. “Eat up. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”
I took the bag, and a grateful smile pinched my lips. “Let’s get moving. If I don’t get back to Hawk and his crew at the tavern, they’ll think I ran off.” I rolled my eyes. “He’s so paranoid.” I rubbed my hands together, then fumbled my fingers. “It’s upsetting that so few will have faith on the word of a queen.”
“Princess.” He smirked. “For now,” he said, making me feel a little better.
“Very soon I will be, and rightfully, I am.” I pushed my cup back into my bag.
“You seem nervous,” he stated, brushing his fingers against mine.
I inhaled sharply and looked through a gap in the trees ahead. My heart thumped, and my legs felt wobbly. “Perhaps this was a mistake.”
Cedric grabbed my hands and entwined his fingers between mine. “Whatever lies in the village, we will face it together.”
It was a hundred degrees, yet I was shaking. I gulped, attempting to remove the lump in my throat, to no avail. “Let’s move.”
We walked between the trees. The deeper we went, the thicker the canopy became. Sprays of yellow light illuminated the browns and greens around us. I moved vines hanging from low branches and kicked a pile of dead leaves out the way. Yellow hues covered us as we neared life.
White-and-pink wildflowers pickled the ground, and the tree trunks got thicker. A lizard sped from a rock into the underbrush when we passed through. “We’re here,” I said, seeing the beginnings of the meadow at the bottom of the mound. I stepped carefully. My heart raced as we got closer. The ground turned greener, with long blades of grass and tall flowers. The trees grew sparse, and we emerged onto the meadow.
Little clay houses with wide windows sat neatly, and clothing lines with colorful skirts and shawls hung from them. Baskets hung from low branches, and weapons sat in racks. Polished bows lay against one of the houses, and a quiver of arrows rested next to it. I scanned the elves, who were turning one by one from their drinks and food on wood tables to look at us. I sucked in a deep breath. I didn’t see Birch, Daisy, or Star. My face paled. They must’ve died in the attack. A part of me knew it already. Birch had once told me she’d do anything to protect her tribe, along with Star. Being back here returned the feeling of safety and warmth I had received when I found myself alone in a kingdom filled with my enemies.
My lips parted and my chin trembled. Seeing it made it real. The taste from the nuts I’d eaten earlier rose in my throat. There were some signs of the attack; cracks in the clay of the houses, a few broken weapons waiting to be fixed.
The elves were staring at me. I was frozen to the spot. Cedric tugged my arm, but I couldn’t move or string together a sentence. I peered harder, desperate for any sign of them, but there was nothing.
One of the elves approached us. She walked barefoot on the luscious grass. Her eyes were wide and chestnut brown. She was in her forties, I would have guessed, and she had her black hair tied at the back of her head, braided down and resting over one shoulder. She reached us and stood a few feet away. “I remember you,” she said slowly, looking me up and down. “Friend of Birch.”
