Chapter 9, part 3

Keeping a slow pace was almost more than she could manage as the rider behind her came closer and closer. Only the thought of an arrow protruding from her back made her slow down.

Finally he reached her.

"Halt," he ordered in a strong accent.

She did not ask any questions but did as he said. He jumped off his horse and went to her, studying her face. He was tall and blonde, and looked weirdly appealing. His face was almost angelic. Catherine took a deep breath and greeted him.

"Can I help you, sir?"

"I am looking for someone," he said. His voice was harsher than she would have imagined.

"Not me, I assume?"

He narrowed his eyes.

"No. Not you. But it is very strange that you should be here. Who are you?"

"My name is Ca - Camille."

"Well, Camille. Why are you here at this time? What are you doing?"

"I don't see how that is any of you business," she said, fighting down her rising panic.

It was the wrong reaction. She was pulled off Pello with a scream of fear and found herself held close up between the sweating horse and the assassin.

"It IS my business."

"I'm just travelling. I'm staying in the woods. Please!"

"Alone and unharmed? I find that hard to believe. You are not a fighter, I can tell. If I wanted you right now, you would not be able to stop me." He grinned.

Something happened in Catherine at that. The panic disappeared like a thin fog. Without hesitation she used her free arm to drag her knife and push it towards the man's neck. He did not seem to be afraid when he saw what she had done. He grinned at her again then stepped back to allow her to breathe. She stared at him.

"You stay away from me."

"You're not the one I was looking for. Have you met any travellers?"

She shook her head.

"I've been going this way for most of the day and I have seen no one."

"He went back on his horse, nodded at her and went back the way he had come. Catherine watched him go, sheathed her knife and went to vomit in the grass. She sobbed again and tried to wipe herself clean. The feeling of the man on her was still there. It felt as if he was still looking at her.

She cried a little, then wiped her face and went to get Pello who had been wandering slowly down the road. She took off as well, this time daring to g a little faster. Her arm was no longer hurting as badly as before and she began hoping that it might not be broken at all. Perhaps it was just a bad bruise.

It took her a few hours to reach the river. When she did, she stopped. They had been travelling to the west of the city and their route today had been slightly to the right of the route from the previous days. She hoped she was correct in assuming that she had to go to the right in order to travel north. There were a few stars out, but she did not know which one to follow. taking a chance, she went to the right.

The water was very calm, and it proved to be no problem to go through the shallow water at one side of the river.

Less than 500 meters down the stream, there was a loud whistle. She went towards the sound. Prince Alexander came out to meet her on the uneven bank of the river.

He looked furious.

"Catherine!"

"Sir, I'm sorry for what I did. But it worked. He went back. I'm fine."

There was a pause.

"You will not disobey me again, girl!"

"No, sir."

He made a sign for her to follow him into the trees that were in front of them and she found his horse waiting there. She allowed Pello to grass next to it and turned towards prince Alexander who seemed to have something he wanted to say if his impatient stance was anything to go by.

"Did you really make him turn back?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well then... We cannot stay here either way. But I need to see something. We are leaving here in a moment, you might as well get ready."

Catherine followed his advice and went to have a drink of water. She washed her face as well and hurried to have a bite to eat. The small, fiery glows emitting from under the princes cloak where he was hiding on the ground made her uneasy, but she did not want to show it. She would need to get used to magic now. There was little doubt in her mind that the prince would somehow make sure that they survived. After all, he had fought a war. She could not imagine that assassins could get him. He would stop them.

More and more, she had come to think of him as a hero. He clearly had the best interest of the people on his mind, even if that meant not expending the lands further as long as that meant bloodshed. He got angry often and easily, but it was usually over quick. Sometimes, like tonight, he even had a quite good reason. Not that she appreciated the many outbursts at her inability to be something she was not.

With that in mind, she carefully stepped across the stones towards her horse. She moved with all the grace of a princess. She smiled in the middle of all the danger and haste. She knew how to do it now. And she had practised her hand writing. It was no longer ugly. She just needed to learn how to spell some more words.

"Catherine!"

The shout ripped her from her thoughts and she ran to the prince who had slumped against a tree trunk.

"You. You are incredible. Stupid, yes. But What you have done tonight..."

"Sir?"

"You changed it. We're not in danger any more. Somehow you changed what ever magic or coincidence that was going to get me killed. I will not die if we go back to the city now."