Through the Eyes of a Fae
chapter 12

Two weeks had passed since the incident at Kerr Village. The rumors had spread, and everyone now believed that the mysterious sorcerer Ludis had completed the task at the behest of their king. Ludis rode with Ben and Kora, laughing at the newest story to reach their ears.

“Apparently I am quite tall, and very handsome. One woman swore to me that she had never seen a more handsome man. Imagine if she knew who she was talking to!” The small group laughed. They were almost to the capital, and the caravan had decreased the closer they got home. Every village they visited received the same treatment that Kerr had, and the countryside glowed. It was new life, and everyone felt the positive energy. Kora herself had begun to glow. There was true happiness when she worked with the land. The stronger she got, the more the earth reacted to her. If she stood still too long, the grass would grow and curl around her feet, vines would reach for her, and the flowers turned their centers to her as if she were the sun. Her eyes bright with laughter, Ben knew then he wanted to see her this way forever. His feelings for her were growing quickly, and it frightened him. It turns out that there was a lot to Kora. She was fiercely intelligent, often staying up late to debate magical workings with Ludis and Stella. They learned much from her and now carried bags full of parchment notes, constantly referring and forth to one another. Royce finally found someone who could drink on par with him, and beat him at cards, much to his dismay and pleasure. Rickard, an avid archer, learned that Kora was much stronger, able to draw and shoot a bow too heavy even for him to pull with ease. She hardly ever missed her target. Her swordsmanship was beautiful, like a dancer. Kora was quick and hit hard, knowing how to replace every opening. It also became apparent that not everything about a Fae was natural. As her strength grew, they noticed she was faster than most. Stronger than most men. She could see further and hear better than the others. She knew the earth like she knew her name. Every shift, every blade of grass or pebble on the road. While she had opened herself up in many ways, Ben could feel that she was holding back. A clever wall built around her heart. While he made no attempts to reveal his feelings towards her, he also saw how carefully guarded she was with him. She was always polite, and whenever she felt she had revealed too much of herself he could see her withdraw, and a polite mask would fall into place. She would deftly change the subject to something she felt was safer. Kora was a nobility, but to what extent he was not sure. Stella had her pinned for old royalty of some sort and the more he watched Kora, the more Stella would look at him as if to say, See? I told you so. Kora was a natural-born rider, animals loved her too. Ludis said it was because animals possess magic, though obviously much different than their own. Theirs tethered them to the earth, and they could feel it the same way Kora did. Lately, they had found her disappearing into the woods nearby, animals swarming, and she was conversing with them. The one-time Ben had found her in a clearing surrounded by predator and prey alike, all waiting patiently to be touched by her and tell her their stories. As Ben was lost in thought, the sound of a much-juggled Stella approached, bouncing on her poor horse’s back like a sack of grain.

“Come now, Stella, you should know by now! Use your legs!” Ben called, laughing at the miserable look on Stella’s face. She hated the road more than most. She stuck her tongue out at him, and instantly regretted it. Her bottom connected with the saddle, and she bit it. Ben, Kora, and Ludis laughed as Stella howled. Royce came up beside her on his steed and grabbed her before she could fall from Atsila’s saddle, again. Scooping her onto his lap in an overdramatic rescue, he looked down at her, his eyes full of mirth.

" I could kiss that better for you Stells, just say the word.” Stella’s face instantly burned red, and she shoved at his big chest. Though his arms never moved an inch, she fumed.

" How dare you talk to me that way, I am your princess!” She struggled uselessly, and he laughed as he flopped her back into Atsila’s saddle.

“First you’re a mage, and can’t marry, now you’re a princess, and I am a lowly peasant. I don’t care if your skin turns purple and your teeth rot out, Stella, I’ll still kiss you silly.” He rode ahead towards their friends with a wink and a wave. She saw her friends looking at the approaching Royce with curious looks, and if possible, Stella turned redder. Changing the subject, Royce announced -

" Good news, we will be to the edge of Marr soon! It is the second-biggest city, next to the Capital, of course. Kora, dear talented horse-riding Kora. You need a good horse; Ben and I were discussing this yesterday. There happens to be an excellent breeder who lives a little further down this road. The King has agreed that since you work at the behest of the Kingdom, you should be paid for your services.” He tossed a bag, heavy with coins, and Kora snatched it out of the air with lighting precision. She frowned and opened the bag.

“This is all gold.” Pulling out a coin, she held it up to examine.

“Well, I wouldn’t give you fake gold, if that’s what you’re after.” Royce laughed at her indignant look. She smiled at his joke and shook her head.

" No, this is too much. I am not here for charity.” She went to hand the bag back, and Royce stopped her. Grabbing Kora’s reins, they all stopped with them.

“Kora, this isn’t a joke. Your value here cannot be measured. In one trip home, you have saved thousands of lives from the aftermath of war. From starvation, dehydration. You have cleaned water sources and given our people the ability to provide for themselves and start over. A good start. This is not an attempt to buy you off. You earned this. The King pays those who earn their wage.” It was rare to see Royce so serious. Kora swallowed and nodded, lowering the hand with the pouch. He nodded his approval, and looking around, she could see everyone there agreed. Ben looked proud, as did Ludis and Stella. Had she made … friends?

Royce continued about the breeder and his horses as they rode, while Kora mused about friends. How long had it been since she had a real friend?