Sam always enjoyed herself on watch.
She was a naturally early riser, always had been. Like her father in that regard, as in most others apart from the nature of her sex. Up just before the sun, even when night was at its shortest, it hadn't taken much to train her body to wake earlier, allowing her to easily and comfortably take the last watch of the night. Usually she would be the one to relieve Heather, only rarely needing to be woken for her turn.
Heather was now asleep, a quick walk around the camp told her. She was settled next to Cathy, sword at her side. She took her role as protector seriously. More seriously than she should at times, it seemed to Sam. Life was pointless if you did not allow yourself a moment's joy, or pleasure. She was good in a fight, though. Damned good. More hacking and slashing than finesse, but whatever got the job done. That's what her Dad had said. Style points matter little to the dead.
She completed her circuit of the camp. The horses were asleep, two on the ground and one standing. They obviously sensed no danger. The fire was just embers. She'd stir it up in an hour, have some hot coffee ready for them as they woke up. The fairies were somewhere, up in a tree probably. They always took first watch, Sam suspecting that was when they got romantic. Then again, she could just be projecting her actions onto them.
With a sigh, Sam found a comfortable tree and moved around it. Hidden, mostly, from view of human eyes, she slid down the bark and sat herself on the hard ground. Her sword got stuck, awkwardly, so she paused to remove it from her belt, placing it at her side as she wiggled to get comfortable.
A slight breeze rippled through the spring leaves. At least, she thought it was spring. Sam had heard the seasons were different in some parts of the world, which had always confused her. Had they meant the seasons happened at different times? In different orders? Or, hell, new seasons she had never considered? This, though, had the feel of spring. Spring... the beginning of life. Of romance.
She closed her eyes. Jack. Jack, her love. Husband. He might not consider himself such, she accepted. Only one night together, and a year apart, she might find him married somewhere, or, worse, his memory gone through some evil of The Witch. She thought not, though. Jack... Jack was...
Nimble fingers undid the buttons on the front of her pants. She didn't bother undoing the belt. That, when the danger was unknown, was unwise. And, unneeded. An opening created, she slipped thin fingers inside, moving aside her undergarment. With a shudder, Sam touched herself.
Pleasure. Life was nothing without pleasure. It could not rule you, no. But, it was part of being human. Of being sane. Slowly, her forefinger moved over her lower lips. She remembered Jack. He had touched her. Fingers, gently, tracing letters on her bare skin. His eyes, so full of sorrow. She remembered that first kiss, standing under the night sky. Raising herself to place her lips on his, hands gently touching his bare arm...
Sam, rarely, brought herself to completion. It wasn't about that. Wasn't about the release. Jack had been the first, the only, to take her there, to that place where love and pleasure and beauty reside. She wanted him again. Wanted the next first time, to be as her first time. Wanted to save herself, not just from others, but from herself. She did indulge at times. When the need to feel became too great, or when the moment overcame her. It was never the goal, though. Tonight, she would just ride the line. Finger wet, she slid it around her slit, over the bump that brought so much joy. Nothing would enter her but Jack. Jack...
A fluttering broke her mood.
She didn't have to look to know who it was. Kik's wings beat with a much stronger sound. This was Lil. There was always the chance, naturally, that she had guessed wrong, and that some stranger had landed beside her. With a groan, Sam opened her eyes.
Lil stood in the faint moonlight on Sam's sword. Her bare black feet blended in with the black grip, eyes staring at the now still human hand with amused interest.
"Wouldn't it be easier to do that without the silly clothing?"
"It's a human thing." Sighing, knowing she was now done for the day, she removed her hand. Sam regarded the wet fingertips for a moment. She sometimes had the urge to taste them, or at least smell them. That was... weird, though. She especially wasn't going to try that with someone watching. Which, reminded her. "Why are you bothering me?"
"I wanted to watch."
"Couldn't you do that from a distance?" Sam wiped her fingers on a patch of grass next to her sword. Lil's eyes followed.
"So... spying on you is better than this?"
"No, but... ah, whatever." She buttoned herself back up, but stayed sitting. She was too comfortable to move at the moment, and what pleasure she had gotten still soothed her.
Lil walked down the sheath of the sword. She was graceful, Sam had to give her that. Be it in the air or on the ground, the fairy moved with inhuman beauty. Her mate, too, although there was a difference between male and female grace. Coming to where Sam had wiped her hands, Lil jumped off onto the ground. She leaned over, sniffing. Sam raised an eyebrow.
"You are doing... what, exactly?"
"Smelling." Lil looked up, surprise clear on her small face. "You smell good!"
"Um... thanks?" The question of if she should feel complemented or just weirded out battled in her mind. Lil took another sniff.
"You're welcome. It... it's an interesting scent. Full, yet delicate. Feminine, definitely." She looked up, eyes sparkling. "I think Kik would like it. I may have to use it as a perfume sometime!" A thought seemed to come to the small woman, and her expression became the frown they all knew and loved. Sensing what the problem was, Sam let out a soft laugh.
"Worry not, my friend. If your husband comes by and becomes entranced by my bewitching scent, I shall turn him away. He may be the only male, but I can resist his charms. Nobody in this camp interests me that way, just as I interest none of them."
The fairy's wings fluttered, the creature lifting off the ground. She came to hover before Sam's face.
"Really..." A slight smile touched her pink lips. "I shall keep that in mind."
****
Cathy was worried.
They had been traveling for almost a week, since leaving the port. The path, as defined by the magic arrow, had been due west. This had not changed. The land they traveled through, though, was changing. Gone were the small towns, built up at crossroads or where bridges crossed small rivers. Villages were now becoming sparse. In their place, far from the road, were what she could only describe as fortified farms. A main farmhouse, barns, surrounded by a wooden stockade. Workers in the fields were always accompanied by at least one male armed with a bow.
The girl didn't know, or want to know, what they were afraid of.
Her friends were armed, at least. Both had bows of their own, along with swords. Her Knight had the bow that belonged to Sam's father. It was a bit too big for her, true, but she could draw it, and practice had made her rather good to Cathy's eye. Sam was better, but had the advantage of a smaller bow she had made herself, fitting her perfectly. The fairies, naturally, were also armed.
She wished she could help. That was the main thing. Cathy hated being helpless. That was the whole point of this quest. Yet, when danger struck, all she could do was grab the horse's reins and run away. She had asked to be trained with a sword, but Sam had nixed that. Any blade she could use from the horse would be so short, anything she could reach with it would have already killed her mount. A bow was a possibility, but Sam had yet to make her one. Something about not having the right wood.
Sam's horse slowed, the dark form of Kik flying off down the road. Cathy and Heather rode side by side, Sam falling in on the other side of Heather. The girl nodded up ahead.
"Our scout reports a crossroad up ahead. We'll stop, rest the horses."
"Sounds good. I need to stretch my legs." Cathy felt no slight at Heather's remark. Not after all this time. Besides, she, too, needed to get off the horse for awhile. Pee. She had tried doing that on the horse, once, when stopping had not really been an option. Never again.
****
It was not so much a crossroad, as a cross path. Their road, well traveled and built up with stones and dirt, intersected a similar road traveling north to south (and south to north). On the other side, however, the way west appeared to be by way of two ruts in the grass, old and overgrown. In the distance, forested hills rose up, with snow covered mountains beyond. It was as if this, here, was the end of civilization. Beyond, travelers would be on their own.
Cathy bit her lip. She was not the pampered girl who had fled the palace. She slept on the ground, had gone hungry. Still, always another town had been no more than a day away, always travelers had passed them traveling back where they had been. This...
"Heather," Sam said, dismounting, "let's go over the supplies before we move on." That sounded like a good idea to Cathy.
****
They came upon the boy in the early afternoon.
Sam gently pulled back on Brownie's reins. The mare came to a stop at the top of the slight rise, the wagon trail continuing on through the spring grass. Putting her hand up, trying to get some of the lowering sun's glare out of her eyes, she peered ahead. Someone was walking up ahead, maybe a hundred yards, maybe less. Depended on their size. They had seen no one that day, nor evidence that the current "road" had been used recently. She had not looked hard, true, as it really didn't matter. This was still a surprise.
"Who is it?" Heather drew her mount Xena up next to Sam's, Cathy stopping just behind them. Glancing back, Sam saw the two fairies resting on the girl's shoulders. Obviously, their last forward patrol had stopped just short of seeing the stranger. She looked ahead again.
"If we know whoever that is," Sam replied, chucking, "I'd say it would be the coincidence of a lifetime." She undid the strap on her sword. "Let's take a look."
****
The boy stopped in the center of the road as Sam rode up behind him. He was young, perhaps ten, somewhere around there. Thin, with curly brown hair. His dress was simple, tan pants tied with a cord, a pull over white shirt, both worn but in good repair. His dirty feet were bare. In his hands, he held a wooden staff as tall as him. He did not turn to greet them, but held his ground. Sam pulled up five feet behind him.
"Hello, traveler." Sam kept her voice light. She always expected the worst from these situations, but that didn't mean she shouldn't be cheerful at the start. "Hope we didn't startle you, coming up behind like that."
There was a pause. From her high vantage point, she saw his young hands grip the staff tightly, before his body seemed to relax slightly.
"No, no. I'm... used to be taken by surprise."
"Well that's not good," Sam replied. His voice had been a bit high, although not enough for her to suspect this was not in fact a boy. She was good at determining those things. "We, personally, like knowing who's around us. Could you turn around, so I can get a good look at you?"
There was another moment's hesitation. Slowly, he turned to face them.
Sam heard both Cathy and Heather gasp. She kept her own reaction in check, eyes making sure she was seeing everything clearly. The boy was blind. A white film covered his eyes. Beyond that, he was handsome, well nourished with tan skin. He leaned forward on his staff, head moving back and forth.
"I hear horses, and assume you're on one of them. Either that, or you are very, very tall."
"I could be a centaur," Sam said cheerfully. "You can't rule that out." His eyebrows raised in a very cute manor.
"The female part is supposed to be nude! Wow! Can I pretend you're one? It will make this conversation much more fun!"
"Ha!" Sam turned to the others. Heather was grinning, hand coming off her sword hilt. Cathy seemed to be... blushing. Knowing it would remain secret, unless the boy was tricking them, Sam gestured to Lil and Kik. The two nodded, refastened their swords, and flew off to patrol either side of the road. Returning her attention to the boy, she leaned forward, hands resting on the saddle pommel.
"You can picture me however you like, although any attempt to confirm your image will get you a sword through your throat. I'm Sam. Short for Samantha," she added, before he could question her gender. He nodded.
"I'm Ben."
Sam started to nod, then realized how foolish that was. Just like with Jack, she had to adjust her actions. The thought of him, as always, sobered her. She sat up in the saddle.
"So, is there a reason you're alone in the middle of the road, blocking honest, for the most part, travelers?"
"Are you lost?"
Sam looked back at Cathy, frowning. The girl had the good grace to blush at her outburst. Shaking her head at the folly of youth, Sam again turned to the boy.
"That was one of my two horse borne companions, Cathy. The other is Heather." Ben nodded to them.
"No, I'm not lost. Well..." His smile became rueful. "I know where I'm going, if not where I am. Or," he corrected, "I know the direction I'm going in is the right one, even if I'm unsure about the destination."
"I think he's hit his head a few times," Heather commented. She looked at Sam. "We should go. There's still light, and we can still get a few miles in before camping."
The boy nodded in agreement.
"Yes, please, go on your way. I am of no interest to you."
Sam frowned. This... made no sense. A blind boy, wandering on his own down an abandoned road, with no apparent supplies. She didn't like it. But, then again, she wouldn't like it if the stranger was begging to come with them. If he wanted to be left alone... well, she would be happy to oblige.
"We'll do just that." Sam turned to Cathy, hand held up to stop the protest already forming on the girl's upset face. "We have our own path, and he wants to be left alone. Let's go." Kicking the side of Brownie, she maneuvered her mount around the boy. Heather turned to her Mistress, face patient. It took a few moments, but with a disgruntled sigh Cathy started forward herself. Her eyes stayed on the boy for as long as possible.
****
Fast moving clouds came from over the distant mountains. Before an hour had passed, rain began falling. Gentle drops quickly threatened to be much more. With practiced speed, the travelers picked a high point just off the road and made camp. Heather and Sam unfolded a tarp, fastening one side to the ground while tying the other two corners to some trees to create a canvas lean-to. Both fairies zipped along the ground, gathering dry tinder and kindling, which were delivered to Cathy. The girl, now protected from the wind and rain, arranged stones into a fire pit and brought out her flint. A secondary tarp was set up quickly, providing some shelter for the three horses. Sam braved the now stinging rain to gather larger logs, guided by Kik who had scouted out the closest sources. Heather set up their tent, its entrance poking under the tarp. Within twenty minutes, they were settled in front of a roaring fire.
Lil loved fire. It was, really, the only thing Humans had contributed to the world at large. Standing on Cathy's outstretched arm, her drenched body quickly warmed, then dried. Lil turned, fluttering her wings in the heat. The girl giggled.
"Hey!" Sam looked over at the pair, scowling. "No giggling or being happy! It's not allowed!" Cathy's grin got even bigger, and not even Lil could resist joining her. OK, Humans also gave the world little girls.
Sam stood, moving around the fire to the edge of the tarp. She held her hand out, feeling the rain.
"It's pretty warm, actually." She paused, as if considering something of great import, then began removing her clothing. Lil's eyes immediately went to Heather. The older teen's eyes had doubled in size, every fiber of her being focused on the black haired youth. Lil smirked, as the human attempted to talk.
"Ah... what..." Heather's face reddened.
"I need to get clean," Sam said, pants dropping to the grass. Her underpants followed. Nude, she stepped out from the shelter.
She did, Lil had to admit, have a good body. Boyish, yes, compared to hers, or even Heather, but it fit her. She was strong, lean. Eyes going again to the blonde, her crush was so obvious it was painful. Or funny, depending on Lil's mood. Heather's eyes seemed to drink in Sam, lingering on first one feature, then another. When the girl bent over, bare milk filled breasts hanging down, Heather's eyes closed. What she was thinking, Lil could guess all too easily. Humans were so predictable when it came to simple things like sex. When Heather looked again, Kik was there before her.
"I think Jay needs changing." The baby began to cry a moment later. As the human quickly stood to go help the child, his gaze turned to meet Lil's. His expression was scolding... although, once she smiled and shrugged, it became rueful as he laughed.
Humans. They were so funny.
****
The rain was still coming down hard as evening turned to night. Lil sat on Cathy's right leg. The girl made a wonderful place to rest, all warm and comfortable, and never moved as much as the two older humans. The fairy looked at the slowly dying fire. Not much wood had been gathered, and finding anything dry would be hard. She'd have to look, though, scout so the humans could bring logs back. Not a pleasant thought...
Cathy's finder ran down her bare back. Lil purred. OK, three things humans were good for. She wiggled her shoulders, the large warm digit again traveling up and down between her wings. Mmmmm... Kik was getting a similar treatment on the other useless leg, straddling her pants covered limb as the girl rubbed his back. It was good he was getting all relaxed. Lil was going to be in a frisky mood come their turn for the evening watch.
The finger on her back stopped. She felt Cathy shift, sitting up.
"What's that?"
Lil looked out into the rain. Something was moving down by the road. She stood, wings fluttering. Sam and Heather followed suit, weapons moved to be within easy reach. Lil squinted... and pushed herself up into the air in surprise. She turned, hovering before Cathy, eyes wide.
"It's that boy!"
"What?!" Cathy leaned forward, Kik now in the air as well. Both teens came to the edge of the shelter. Sam frowned.
"You're kidding me."
They could now see him, though, in the last of the daylight. His head was down, staff held in both hands as he struggled against the wind and rain. His bare feet were slow to come out of the mud, each step an effort. Heather just shook her head.
"He's an idiot."
"Or in a hurry," Sam suggested. A tug on both teen's pants made them look down. Cathy's expression was pleading.
"Please! Invite him over! He can't stay out there like that!"
Lil didn't see why not. Sam was right, only an idiot would be out there in the rain, when all he had to do was stop and take shelter somewhere. Even behind a tree would do. Humans, though, at least some, were kind hearted to a fault. Shaking her head, Sam cupped her hands around her mouth.
"You! By the road! Come over here! We have shelter and a fire!"
The boy stopped, head cocked. His dark, blurry form turned in their direction.
"Following strange voices," he yelled, "tempting you off the path in a storm is rarely a good idea!" Lil's eyes widened. With an extra push of her wings, she fluttered onto Sam's shoulder.
"Oh, I like this one," she said. "He's smart for a human."
"You like him, you go get him," Sam replied. Lil nodded.
"I'll do just that. Kik, could you find some more wood for us?" She felt his strong hand on her arm as he hovered beside her. His expression was concerned.
"Be careful."
"Always." Her lips moved out to touch his, the briefest of kisses saying all. With a push of her legs, she was off, swiftly flying through the rain.
****
She couldn't take the direct path. Wind and hard pellets of water prevented that. She stayed low, using what trees and small plants as were available to thwart most of the elements. Lil came up on the boy from the side.
"Boy!"
His staff swung towards her, the strike delayed as mud held the end trapped for an extra second. Lil easily dodged, moving around behind him out of the wind.
"Boy! Ben! We're the people who passed you earlier!" He spun.
"You're not the centaur! I don't know your voice!"
"I didn't speak! I'm Lil! A fairy!"
Ben froze, both hands gripping his staff like a quarterstaff. White filmy eyes widened.
"You're kidding."
"Nope." She buzzed his head, swinging around close to his ears. "I'm a real, live, very wet fairy." Lil settled on his arm, wings continuing to beat in case a quick retreat was needed. The boy's shoulders slumped.
"Well I'll be... is the centaur real, too?"
****
Cathy almost couldn't breathe.
A boy.
A boy around her age.
She never had friends. Never. Visitor, sometimes. Sons and daughters of other nobles, or officials. But, never... He was cute. Very cute. And, helpless. Well, no, not that. He seemed to be able to take care of himself. Even sitting there by the fire, dressed in just a pair of drying undershorts as his clothing hung on a line, he seemed confident and sure. Yet... Cathy wanted to mother him. Take care of him. Help him...
She felt a touch on her shoulder. Heather slid down next to her, legs crossed. She didn't say anything. Instead, she handed a cup of hot broth to Cathy. The girl turned, holding it out with both hands.
"Here. It's a cup. It's hot."
His hand came out slowly. She moved the cup closer, until one of his fingers touched hers. Cathy bit her lip. Holding the cup still, she trembled as both his hands came over, sliding over hers to take the cup. He smiled.
"Thanks."
"Y-you're welcome." Her hands withdrew slowly. Looking around, she saw neither Sam nor Heather were laughing at her. Their eyes were... understanding. Sam sat down on the other side of Ben, a dagger on her belt. She waited for him to take a few sips, then spoke.
"OK. Something is going on here. You don't walk in a straight line blindfolded, so you damned well can't do it blind. Where are you from?"
"Home." He took another sip. Lil, perched on Cathy's shoulder, let out a groan.
"OK, Boy, Ben, whatever. I like your answer, and the fact it's pissing Cathy off, but that's because I still don't care if she carves you up for tomorrow's dinner. Now, it's magic, I assume, right?" She looked around, surprised at the looks she was getting. "What? Blind kid follows us, and you think there's any other answer? It's magic. We just have to know if the magic has anything to do with us."
"It has NOTHING to do with you," he said, voice cross. Ben put the cup down between his legs. "I'm following a sound, OK? A sound. It gets loud and painful if I go in the wrong direction, and soft and soothing if I go the right way. It tells me when to stop, and when to go. That's why I was walking in the rain like an idiot. OK?" His sightless eyes gazed around. "That good enough?"
"What's the sound?" Sam leaned forward. Something in her eyes made Cathy hold her breath. "What do you hear?"
"Bells…"