Forty Five

The next two days, Gwenn was off to Northshore, she and her party were riding as if the hounds of hell was chasing after them, she wanted to be back to us as soon as possible but Orel already made plans of the war without her and she was determined not to allow those plans come to fruition. The attack by Erisea seems to have reduced but I actually knew better than to hope that Erisea will soon wave a flag of surrender. I moved around town under the watchful eyes of my husband warriors and the hateful eyes of my tribe. I tried to shake off the feeling of dread that stabs at my spine, my tribe were harmless. They have no way of fighting against the thousands of warriors to get to me. The warriors who were putting a strain on the land, even with the additional food rations which all parts of Dar usually contribute to the army being directed here, the strain was still noticed. This was not like the army plains where they normally resides, where my husband calls home, this land was not meant to be inhabited by too much people. I was bothered about my tribe not getting enough to eat because majority of the food supply went to the army and what was left is barely enough for them, they might hate me and so don’t deserve my worry according to Orel but that didn’t stop me from feeling loyal to them even though they made me a leper, I grew up with them sometimes those bonds are impossible to break. And I could not even blame them for their hatred because I understood it. Difference was shunned, I am different from them so I am shunned.

“Lady Themis, what is going through your mind?” Dyane asked looking around me.

“A lot of things, you have better things to do than babysit me.” I told her as her cheeks went red under my gaze.

“It is my job to accompany you.” Dyane voiced out uncertain about the way to voice the question, an uncertainty that I caught.

“Yes but not to suffocate me, for the last few days you always appear at my side the moment Orel is not with me. You were never like that in the army home camp.” I corrected as she averted her eyes from me.

“Healer.” I called then simply waited for her to look me in the eyes before saying anything else, it took her a long time to look at me but when she did I continued. “Something is on your mind, something is troubling you. What is it?”

Dyane seemed to be steeling herself for the news which she was about to impact. “There is no remorse nor anger in their eyes my lady.”

“Who.” I asked

“The people who were whipped, they don’t regret their decision neither are they angry at what was done to them.” Dyane said.

“No, they are too busy hating me.” I stated but Dyane shook her head “That isn’t it, they have always hated you but now they should try to kill you for making them experience pain but they are doing no such thing which is making everything even more strange.”

“So you are worried that there aren’t attempts on my life.” Confusedly I paused and looked at my maid, worried if she is alright in her senses.

“Yes, exactly.” Her eyes light up as if she had finally got me to understand things from her point which weren’t true because I was very much confused and if not for the fact that she still acts the same way and her speech hasn’t changed, I would have been worried that she was slowly losing her mind. “If there is no attempt on your life it simply means that they are just being more calculative about how they attack you which is worse because a calculated attack will cause more harm.”

“Dyane, ever thought that they are just scared of the army might and so they know that they will die if anything happens to me.” I asked her tiredly but Dyane shook her head, as a desperate light entered her eyes as she tried to make me understand better.

“If they are, the hatred will not be in their eyes, they will be defeated or scared neither of which they are.” Dyane said but her reasoning was giving me a headache.

“As much as I would like to believe your theory but I cannot, it seems too much for me to think about right now, Sagedge might want me dead but they are not stupid enough to try again.”

“My lady…” Dyane started

“Why do you even suspect this?”

“Because it was how I found myself sold to the capital.” Dyane said with a bow to me as walked off with her body taut. She believed and sincerely warned me. I know I will be a fool to abandon the warnings of a woman who was gifted by the gods even though it wasn’t in visions like me.

Still I could not wrap my head around what she said. Her people were cruel, gave her to a man to break her spirit and when that didn’t happen, they traded her off. Mine might be scared of me and tried to kill me but they were chastised and didn’t try to pull any more trickery. I will give them the benefit of doubt.


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“I can see your excitement to show me the reasons you love this place, wife.” Orel drawled as I glared at him. He just picked a wrong day to ask this, especially since Dyane foreboding message refused to leave my head. I actually feel like it would be best to hide in the warrior camp, at least then I know that thousands of bodies will choose to protect us from any evil plans of people that I called my own.

“I am not feeling up to it.” I lied but Orel just shook his head.

“You know that you cannot lie to me my dear. What do you even bother?”

“I really am not…”I say but Orel eyes went hard.

“Are people disturbing you? Are you scared of any one?” Orel asked in a hard voice.

I scoff at what he said, the idea of anybody scaring me when the scariest person that I have ever seen -and some people will actually agree with me on this- was my husband and any other person scaring me was ludicrous. “No.” I gave Orel a verbal answer when he didn’t seem to understand the sound a made or its reference to the situation.

“Then should I be worried about you hiding someone from me, like a lover?” Orel asked as I could not control myself as I started laughing.
When I could get myself under control to look at the face of my husband, his put out expression just made my gales of laughter to be renewed.” I am glad you find my serious question funny wife.” Orel said drily.

“I am sorry.” I tried my best to sniffle my laughter. “You sounded just like a normal man with your words and not like the fierce warlord whom I married. Who declared his intention to marry me while wearing a scowl on his face that didn’t allow any dare to question his decision?” Orel face softened at my words.

“Estrid protested.” Orel voice came out gruff.

“Estrid has no instinct of survival in her, she has proved that countless times without number.” I informed him with a roll of my eyes.

“Why don’t you want to show me your world Themis?” Orel asked.

“My world is yours Orel, you know this.” I breathed as I cupped his jaw in silent wonder of how I got so lucky with him.

“I know but you also know what I mean and you are trying to change it this topic.”

“I am not certain if we should leave the camp.” I said hesitantly.

“Your intuition.” Orel asked sitting up straighter now with his focus pinned on me and his eyes being alert.

“Not mine, Dyane.” I replied as Orel studied me with an intense look on his face.

“And you don’t feel what she is trying to warn you of?” Orel asked.

“No, I don’t but I know better than not to trust the things which my gut tells me.”

“Okay. But you are actually a seer, not Dyane so your gut feelings are understandable.” Orel stated.

“Orel…” I started to protest knowing what conclusion he has arrived at. Sometimes the way which I could see the changes and decisions made in Orel eyes scared me, I knew him in a special way, a way which I am sure that no other man knew him with the exception of Gwenn and Elison. And he knows me that same way too.

“I want to be alone with you, we cannot be alone with tens of thousands surrounding us and all that is separating us is a tent flap.” Orel stated.

“But…” I started to protest.

“Do you feel that we will be in danger?” Orel asked me and I shook my head.

“Good because I don’t feel that way too, I am antsy from waiting for Erisea to make an aggressive move, if I don’t have some kind of release, I will attack first and make mistakes that could end up in the lives of my warriors taken.”

I swallowed my doubts as I nodded my head, giving Orel the permission to start planning our little outing. If I had just an inkling of what was going to happen, I would have tied him to the camp.