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There was no frivolity within the carriage as the caravan resumed its journey. All of the ladies had made it back without harm, but nearly every knight and soldier now nursed some part of his body. For Captain William, it was his left shoulder. The axe blow had jostled him hard and wrestling around on the ground with the younger men had not helped, either. While no one of these hurts put him in danger of bleed-out or rot, they would slow his actions and muddle his mind.

Every soldier knew that pain was the cost of living and only the dead were free of it. No one could get through a real fight unscathed and even the fake ones could leave their marks. Battles left bruises, strained muscles, and drew bloody designs across the flesh. Most of these injuries would heal and fade, but a hearty few would linger and constantly remind the men of their mortality.

More than that, pain was a taxing condition. Aches and strains took willpower to ignore and they would all tire faster this way. Conditioning and discipline allowed soldiers to push past their fatigue for much longer than the average man, but the captain could tell they were all hurting.

A pair of the common spearmen held their weapons with their off hands while another limped a little. Each knight leaned a little too far to one side and even the boisterous scout had lost his arrogant smirk. The attack had been well coordinated and it had done its job well. While the men involved had been amateurs, without professional training, their purpose had been to wear down the caravan's defenders. Predators were naturally attracted to weakened prey and they all knew another attack was likely.

"Captain," Lieutenant Kendal spoke softly as he moved his horse close. William took note that his lieutenant kept moving his right leg stiffly as he shifted in his saddle in order to keep weight off of tender spots.

"Report," the older knight kept his voice down.

"Our walkers are not going to be able to keep this pace much longer."

"I know," the captain nodded, "we're almost there."

"We're not going to be putting our best face forward," the lieutenant cautioned.

"It's necessary," the captain said with a nod, "the prince and his men need to see the danger of these woods else they will not have their guard up."

"Do you believe they would be so foolish when they have the princess in their presence?" the lieutenant asked with a furrowed brow.

"Arrogance is an odd poison, Kendal," William spoke to the younger man in a fond tone as he leaned back in his saddle a little.

"Aye," the subordinate nodded, "that it is."

"Pass along the word that we are almost there," the captain ordered. "Keep them quiet and alert but let them know they can push themselves and use up their reserves. Soon there will be rest."

"Yes, sir," the subordinate nodded, and then he cantered over to where the infantry were walking, dismounted, and then spoke to them in low and confident tones. Jokes passed between some of the rank and file. The captain expected a few of those jabs to be at his expense, but his pride could take it. The men needed to vent their stress, and they would not be any good to him if they were too beaten down to focus.

The sudden shriek of a scout's signal arrow soared into the air, and every one of the men knew what that meant. Weapons were drawn from sheaths and spears were shifted into fighting grips as all present stared hard into the wood line. The column had stopped moving on its own and battle formations drew together. Breath came more quickly as heartbeats pounded at a more demanding cadence, filling the silence with the sounds of their own fear.

Three bowmen appeared upon a small rise and a collection of soldiers seemed to coalesce into view on another flank. The call to gather went out and every one of the men put their shields before them.

"Stand fast!" called the captain, but the men who appeared to be ambushing them did not advance. Their eyes looked more amused than hostile and there were several smirks among them. An idea caused the captain to ride his horse to the head of the column and there he found what he was looking for. A formation of knights dressed in a little too much finery was trotting toward them at a leisurely pace and their baring showed they were both unbloodied and fresh.

"Draco-Alight!" he challenged with a brandish of his sword.

"Only the Dragon's fire can banish the darkness!" the challenge was answered by the knight at the head of the well decorated formation. Normal protocol would have been for Captain William to tell his men to stand at ease, but his cargo was too precious, and he did not appreciate the way these men were toying with them.

Several more seconds passed before the knights drew their horses to a halt and a short faceoff occurred. "Are you going to tell your men to stand down?" one of the knights asked in an amused tone.

"Show me your face, sir," William ordered.

"How ... dare you!" one of the subordinate knights balked in a predictable fashion.

"Stand at ease, John," the original speaker ordered as he flipped up his visor with his empty right hand. The gesture showed that the knight had not drawn his weapon and, after a moment of showing his eyes, the man removed the entire helm. Locks of luxurious blond perfection tussled out onto his shoulders and an unscarred face quirked an arrogant smile. "Does this satisfy you, sir knight?"

The mocking tone was not wasted on the captain who snorted once as he sheathed his recently marred blade. "Hardly," William retorted, "but I dare not speak of my satisfaction with the ears of frightened maidens so near."

"For sure," the man laughed and all of his soldiers gave away their positions by following the example of their leader.

Thirty men in five groups, William's ears told him. None of them are winded and more are easily accessible should any fighting occur.

"You appear to have had some trouble getting here," their host offered as the insult in his voice ebbed to the sound of concern. "You and your men can stand at ease ... for you bask in the radiance of Prince Aether and as long as you give me no reason to harm you ... both you and your people will be safe. You have my word."

"I accept your pledge of hospitality, your highness," Captain William acknowledged. "My men and I shall be fair guests and honor all of the obligations that guests incur."

"Just so!" the prince shouted in triumph, and his men all put away their weapons and moved into a less hostile posture. The captain's men also relaxed as the signal was given to stand down. The knight formation moved closer to the captain's position and the prince leaned forward to speak softly. "May I see thy lady?"

"Of course!" Princess Alessa declared as she flung herself free of her guards and stepped delicately to the head of the column.

"Princess Alessa," the captain began in a warning tone but her eyes flashed toward his and narrowed in terrible warning, "may I present Prince Aether," he amended.

"Charmed," she accepted the invitation, and then the prince dismounted and stepped over to her with his smirk still intact.

"Such radiance," he flattered with enthusiasm. "The tales of thine beauty pale at the truest sight of you!"

"The sight of thee is also fair," the princess remarked with a mischievous smile. "Tell me, Highness, however did you stay so beautiful when the dangers of our world mar most fighting men until they are barely human?"

"With skill, style, and a little help from my allies," the prince slid around the barely contained insult. "I pray you will appreciate such things as the day grows to an end."

"To be sure," the princess said with a falsely modest curtsy and then a smirk which the captain had seen too many times.

"My lady," the prince spoke coyly as he held out his hand toward the princess. She held her hand forward, palm down, and the prince bent modestly and placed a kiss upon the back of it. "Princess Alessa, surely you must be uncomfortably bored from your journey. Would you ride with me to our camp?"

"That would be a lovely change of pace," she agreed with a slightly more genuine smile and then she allowed herself to be helped up onto the horse. The prince slipped up behind her and the pair of them soon cantered ahead.

Captain William watched them go, and though he moved his horse into position farther back in the caravan, his eyes did not waiver. I know her ... I know she only plays the blushing maiden when she wants something. It is how she manipulates people into a false sense of security. It is how she weaves her web of lies and lures in delectable prey.

The rest of the men fell into formation, at their captain's signal. Fatigue was apparent upon their features, but they were too proud to let the newcomers see them as weak. The bowmen had disappeared back into the trees and the prince's spearmen were far too nimble to have been out in the woods for very long. Some of them moved a little too freely, as if their prince was not within a hundred feet of them.

Is their discipline so poor that they do not know proper customs ... or is their prince too familiar with them? The reputation of the prince played through the captain's mind. Does he sleep with his honor guard? Has the noble dallied and broken their fear of him?

"Sir," William spoke to one of the knights who rode near him, "why are these men so ... carefree?"

"It is in their nature," the other knight spoke in an almost casual tone. "If we constrained them too much then they would not be as good at their job."

"I see," Captain William said as he nodded politely, but he did not agree with the assessment. It was alright to allow the scouts a certain amount of extra freedom, but the men who might need to stand in front of an oncoming cavalry charge with nothing but their spears and their courage needed greater discipline and a firm hand.

The journey continued. Well-traveled men and horses made noises of excursion but the newcomers were as spry as children. Princess Alessa let out some unladylike laughter which lit Sir William's senses and drew his gaze. The prince was riding with a hand upon her flank and his head was stooped to whisper something in her hear. The look on Alessa's face told the knight that they were planning something before they pulled the reigns of their animal to one side and the head of the column began traveling off of the regular path.

"Through the brie path, men!" the prince and his second shouted, as the princess's face drew back in a wicked grin. A roar went up from the local escort and the all began to rush off of the beaten path.

Captain William watched it happen and shouted for his men to form up before the surge of running began. The men responded in good order, setting up a defensive formation around the carriages of vulnerable maidens, but they were far too tired to dash off in pursuit of the princess.

The captain studied a group of foreign soldiers as they dashed up a rocky slope and then leaped off of the crest like children rushing away from their chores. Their jumps propelled them a little too high in the air, though, and a moment later ... something horrible occurred to him.

"Oh ... pixies," swore the lieutenant. "Sir! Faeries!"

"Footmen stay with the ladies!" Captain William bellowed. "Horsemen, with me!"

A unified shout of acknowledgement signaled the charge, and a dozen men and beasts launched themselves into the unbroken forest. Every one of them knew the madness of this maneuver. Fallen logs, sinkholes, and roots could break a horse's legs at full gallop ... but they were men of action, and their princess had been taken.

They rushed forward through terrain which quickly overwhelmed many of the more tired mounts and their riders. From the far side of the line, the scream of panicked horses was quickly cutoff by a mighty splash. Then there was cursing, cries of confusion, and the child-like laughter through the throats of adults.

"Watch for traps and-" the scout's warning stopped suddenly as he and his horse were suddenly gobbled up by a ridiculously oversized net. Snares snatched men and mount while rocks pinged off of armor and send bodies tumbling to the ground. All around them was noise and confusion as rough men were felled by a field of things that resembled the toys of rebellious children.

"Spread out!" the captain ordered, and his men moved to comply. "Fall back to the carriage if you lose the prize!" A roar of understanding sounded from the other three men who still rode with him, but they sounded tired as they replied. Horses huffed as their hooved tore the land to pieces and soon they could only see vague shapes in the edges of the trees. A circle of fresh pines loomed together and William put one fist in front of his face to shield his eyes as he burst through.

More ground stretched before him and then a grim fog rolled in to cover his vision. The knight leaned forward as his mount grunted and he tried to ignore the unhealthy noises which the animal made. Then the ground shifted suddenly downward ... and he felt himself falling through the open air.

[If you would like to see where he lands then you can buy the book here]