Chapter 24
"Ariene?"
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Later that day, near a farmhouse located a few blocks away from the market, a young woman held a jar of water on her head. She had gone to the river to stock up on the water supply for the day. Ever since she deemed herself old enough, she took over this task from her mother after the well they had in their farm dried up years ago.
As she emerged from the edge of the trees that stood between the river and their farm, a young man jogged up to her.
"Let me help you," he said.
The young woman's eyes looked up at the young man's face. Strays of light bronze hair stuck out around her face. Despite her disheveled look, the young man smiled at her, a dimple appearing on his cheek. His soft blue eyes as inviting as the sky and his hands posed ready to reach for the jar.
When she hadn't said a word, he gestured to take the jar. She stepped back on reflex. The smile on the young man's face dropped.
"I… I…" She stammered, feeling her cheeks heat up, "I'm alright. I can handle this. There is no need to help me."
Then, she stepped around him, continuing on her journey but at a much faster pace.
"Please, I insist" the young man caught up to her side. He walked sideways to keep his eyes on her, "It's the least I could do."
"Your friends have helped us quite enough. We simply returned their kindness. It was the least thing we could do" the young woman answered, her gaze on the flock of sheep their dog chased around. Her father guarded the door of the pen, ready to close it once all the sheep went inside.
"They might have showed you kindness but I haven't had the chance quite yet" the young man immediately countered, "Please give me that chance?"
His tone of voice startled her that she whipped her head too fast. The jar of water on her head began to tip. The young man reached out and grabbed it, rebalancing it on her head.
"That was close" he whispered in relief. He glanced at the young woman's face. Her wide yellowish copper tint eyes stared at nothing while her face flushed beet red.
The young man blinked at the sight, letting his hands stay on the jar. He'd seen other women blush before but the one in front him seemed different. He couldn't place his finger on it but there was an innocence to her that the others didn't have.
A few meters from them, Cleon sat under a tree. He munched on an apple. It had only been a few hours since Tylen regained consciousness. He heard what Tylen called her and since then, he had seen the Prince scramble here and there, following Lily. He probably
"Thank you" Lily kept her face bowed as she attempted to walk once more. Tylen reluctantly let go of the jar. His hands closed into fists, resisting the urge to take it.
Cleon wished to barf.
But that would waste a perfectly good apple.
"Well, you don't see that everyday," a newcomer said beside him. She leaned a shoulder against Cleon's tree trunk, crossing her arms over her chest. The shadows that the forest provided concealed her presence. Her eyes followed the young woman as she tried to escape the young man's attention.
"That idiot has been infatuated with her ever since he woke up" the blue-haired pirate grumbled, "I have a feeling it's because of the way she looks."
Cleon admitted that he too had thought about the possibility. He'd known Lily from a previous they had. Their sheep had been stolen by rogues. They planned to sell half while eating the rest. Luckily, he and the others had been nearby. They saved every last sheep from such a fate. As compensation, Lily's mother offered her medical services and hospitality if they happened to be in need of it.
"At least, he acts like a gentleman around her unlike some people" another voice joined in. This time it came from Cleon's other side. Unlike her companion, she crouched low on the ground and waited for the blue-haired pirate to notice her.
Cleon snorted, "Any guy would be around the person they like."
"Who do you like then? So we could verify this" the second voice teased him.
Raz drew in a sharp breath, "Be careful, Maia. You might scare away Cleon."
"How would that—Maia?!" Cleon snapped his gaze towards his right. He found a grinning Maia who returned his wide stare with a crumpled nose. He fell off the tree root he sat on and landed on the ground. His apple flew as his hands and arms stabilized his new position.
"Did you miss me?" The redhead pirate giggled.
Raz hid a smirk behind a fist. She cleared her throat and said, "You need to work on your perception."
They recognized Cleon on their way through the forest. He did have a hard to miss ponytail of blue hair. Instead of calling out to him, Maia devised a grand idea of sneaking up on him. She thought about jumping off a tree but that ended the fun easily. When she noticed how distracted he seemed, she chose a more casual route instead of a dramatic one.
Not one to dampen her mood, Raz agreed to it.
Cleon hung his head until his eyes glimpsed Raz's criticizing coal ones.
"That's because you're practically a ghost whenever you're in stealth mode," he defended.
His leader frowned, c.o.c.king her head, "Isn't that the point of stealth?"
"We are the 'Phantom' Pirates, you know" Maia backed up, nodding.
Cleon growled. His time had been quite peaceful when his companions were missing in action. Now that they came back, he expected a future full of his b.u.m on the ground, annoyance in his ears and stony expressions aimed his way.
Ah, the bliss of his normal everyday life.
"Hey, you, strawberry shortcake" he snarled at Maia, "You're okay, right? They didn't do anything to you?"
"Aw, Cleon. I didn't know you cared so much" she cooed in return. The redhead straightened her legs and held out a hand, "Come on, get up. We have things to discuss."
Cleon took her offer and pulled himself up, "I bet you tricked someone into spilling all their plans."
"Kind of" Maia shrugged, "Raz already figured out most of them. Wait, where is Raz?"
Both pirates turned their heads around, searching for a familiar figure. Cleon strongly wanted to grumble about how Maia didn't notice their leader's absence and how Raz never scolded her for it. Why did he have to receive unfair treatment?
They immediately spotted their leader walking up towards the odd pair. When Tylen raised his hand once more, Raz intercepted it by grasping his wrist. Both parties jumped in surprised. The jar of water toppled over Lily's head again.
This time, Raz caught it with one hand. She nudged it a bit so Lily could reposition it. A gentle smile bloomed on her lips, "Do you mind if I borrow our companion for a while?"
Lily gulped. Her memories of the pirate protecting her when she snuck off to follow them resurfaced in her mind. Never had she seen someone move with grace in the midst of battle. All the males she had witnessed before moved brashly and aggressively. The swift maneuvers that the Rash of the Sea made became embedded in her mind.
"I don't mind at all," she squeaked. Even in broad daylight, the pirate commanded a powerful demeanor. Albeit, a bit quiet.
"Thank you. Be careful" Raz yanked Tylen back to the clearing.
To say the Prince had been astonished at the sight of her would be putting it mildly. He had asked Cleon how long they should expect before she and Maia came back. In return, the blue-haired only grunted for him to wait patiently. Tylen felt at a loss on what to antic.i.p.ate. Broken bones? Bleeding wounds? Swollen injuries? Yet, the la.s.s moved as fit as a fiddle.
She let go of his wrist, still walking towards the middle of the farmland.
When Raz stopped, so did Tylen.
Then, she spoke to him, the first word for her to utter since she materialized before him,
"Duck."
A rapier sword emerged before the Prince, ready to slice off his head.