Princess of Dragons Bane Chapter 6

In Which a Conversation is Held

Traitors.

Both mori neko were traitors. What were they thinking, bringing her here? What were they thinking, exposing his cave like this.

The two kittens were prone to helping wayward travellers, as were a number of other mori neko. But this woman wasn't just a traveler. She was his arch nemesis, and they both knew that.

Garreth wanted to turn the woman away, he really did. But it was obvious that she was tired and had nowhere else to go. She'd also passed Solus-de's judgement. Which meant for now, she wouldn't attempt to cause him harm.

Gareth didn't care that he'd offered her shelter for the night. Having the Huntress invade his space made him feel uncomfortable. If he had his way, he would have turned her out into the forest. But both the Crystal and the mori neko made it abundantly clear how they would react if he did that.

The most he could do to show his disgust was ignore the maiden. But to his irritation, that didn't work either. Once they got situated in his cavern, she tried to strike up some mundane conversation.

“So, read any good books lately?”

The woman stretched out her legs, hissing as she took off her slippers. He looked away before he could see whatever damage she'd done to her feet. Because if he saw her pain, he knew he'd grow sympathetic.

“Do you have books around here?” she cast a glance around the dimly lit cave. “No, I suppose not. I don't see any bookshelves around here. But then again, these were boulders before, right?”She placed a hand on the stool she was sitting on. “And you turned these into seats. So it stands to reason that you could also carve a bookshelf into the cave wall if you wanted to.”

Garreth ground his teeth together with a grunt, hoping that would make her go quiet.

“This fire pit is impressive too,” her eyes gleamed with interest as she focused on the blaze between them. “Another thing you would need carving experience to muster. Are you a stone smith?”

“No,” he bit out. “I'm not a stone smith.”

“Did you hire one?”

“No.”

“Then how did all of this get here?”

“Will you please be quiet?” Garreth rubbed his forehead. Feeling the steady throb of a headache forming. “I'm letting you sleep here, but that doesn't mean we have to talk.”

Garreth pulled the rabbit meat off the fire, smelling it to make sure it was done. Reaching into a pouch on his belt, he pulled out a small bag of seasonings to sprinkle on the meal before biting a huge hunk out of the meat and chewing slowly.

“Here,” he offered the stranger the rest of the meat. “Eat.”

The maiden grimaced before standing and joining Garreth on his side of the fire. Tentatively, she took the spit of meat. Nibbling off a small portion from the side he hadn't bitten into.

“It actually isn't half bad,” she said after swallowing. “This is seasoned with sage and parsley, isn't it?”

Garreth nodded. “Some salt and pepper as well.”

“All of that was in that little pouch you just used?” she examined the other pouches on his belt, impressed. “I never thought of bringing seasonings along when I'm tracking in the forest. I'll have to remember that little trick.”

You've got enough tricks up your sleeve already.

Garreth had never seen the woman this close before. To his dismay, she was far more beautiful than a huntress ought to be. Usually her hair was braided and she wore a tunic. But for some reason, today she wore a sky blue gown with a river of red hair flowing down her back.

The Guardian took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself. That was a mistake. Because with the woman so close, he caught a whiff of her woodsy scent. And that was enough to send the dragon into a frenzy.

“Are you alright?” the maiden asked when Garreth flinched back.“If I stumbled onto you at a bad time–”

“I'm fine,” his answer came out rougher than he wanted. “It's not like you can wander around the forest all night anyway. It wouldn't care for that.”

The woman smirked. “No, I suppose it wouldn't. It barely cares for my wandering during the day sometimes.”

Hearing Eiemar had given her trouble filled Garreth with a smug satisfaction. Even in his dragon form, the forest treated him well. Sometimes it ignored him, but it had never led him in circles, or attacked him. If it had done either of those things to the Huntress, then it meant it was protecting something or someone from her.

“Why are you bothering Eimear so much that it bothers you?” Garreth narrowed his eyes. “What do you do when you enter the forest exactly?”

The spit of meat hovered in front of her mouth as she stopped herself from taking a bite. “I don't bother the forest at all,” she defended. “Unless hunting that dragon is cause for concern to Eimear. But since that monster is the cause of most of its problems, I highly doubt that.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Surely you've seen it,” she handed the dinner back to him. “The dragon that flies around during the day. “Huge, golden, ferocious?”

His hand clenched so tightly around the stick of the spit that Garreth felt it cracking. “I have. What does that have to do with Solus-de or Eimear?”

She huffed out a breath. “You can't be serious. The dragon is the cause of the blight. I've been hunting it to stop the blight, since none of the Temple Dwellers are stepping in.”

She startled when the twig snapped, and the rest of their dinner fell on the floor.

Garreth stood, looking down at the woman with a glare he used to intimidate as the dragon. His scare tactic worked. The woman stepped back, withering under his towering form.

A spike of triumph flared in his chest, along with a shock of pain. A slither of claws raked across his heart. Flaring with even more vitrial than he intended to level the woman's way.

“Don't speak of things you know little about,” Garreth cringed at the growl underlying his words. 'The dragon isn't involved in anything that could hurt Eimear. You're a fool if you think otherwise.”

Garreth visited the Temple Complex immediately after he'd been cursed, hoping someone could reverse the magic. Unfortunately the Elders only confirmed what he'd suspected. A curse of such magnitude couldn't be reversed with a counter spell outside of the scroll that cast it. He would need to find the original scroll to discover the counter measure. And since Elrick was in possession of that scroll, Garreth's hope of doing so was slim.

The Elders gave their blessing. Even gave him supplies. But the warning in their words as he left was clear. If Garreth returned, and the curse wasn't broken, they would take matters into their own hands.

He didn't blame them for their caution. If it were Garreth, he probably would have been less merciful. Because as long as he was still alive, the forest wouldn't choose another Guardian. Leaving both Eimear and solus-de vulnerable to the onslaughts they'd been suffering over the past three years.

“I'm a fool?” the maiden spat, regaining some of her fire. “It makes the most sense though, doesn't it? Three years ago Solus-de's magic went ballistic. Three years ago, the dragon appeared. Ever since then Eimear, Solus-de,, and Fianna have all been suffering. The only constant has been that blasted dragon in the sky during the day.”

A snarl rumbled across the space, making both of them jump. Garreth looked around for the source of the sound, until he realized it had come from his throat.

“I, um, we should get some sleep,” she swallowed nervously, taking another step back. “I can sleep on the floor. You can take that bedroll, since uh, it's yours.”

Her attempt to walk quickly ended with her wincing in pain and stumbling to keep her balance. She was so focused on taking her next step that she didn't notice that she'd tread on the hem of her skirt.

Garreth was grateful for the reflexes the curse provided him in that instant. Because it allowed him to move fast enough to catch the woman as she tripped. Preventing her from crashing onto the floor or into the bonfire.

“Careful,” he adjusted his arms so they wrapped around her waist. “If you can't walk, just say so.”

She glared up at him with a challenge. “Who says I can't walk?”

Garreth scoffed. “Please. I noticed you're limping as soon as we got in here. May I?”

The maiden chewed on her lower lip in an endearing show of anxiety. Eventually, she nodded. Allowing Garreth to gingerly lower her back into her seat.

“lift this a little,” he motioned to the skirt of her dress. “It's your feet giving you trouble, isn't it?”

“Yes” she slowly did as instructed. “It turns out slippers aren't the best footwear to walk around in.”

“I could have told you that,” Garreth examined the soles of her feet. Wincing at the blisters infesting her skin. “And here's proof that your feet protested such poor treatment as well. Why were you wandering the forest anyway?”

A shadow fell over her face. “It's a long story.”

He shrugged. “Well, we'll be here all night. Perhaps I'm in the mood for a long story.”

She blew out a long breath as Garreth gently lowered her foot to the ground.

“I have some bandages and ointment you can wear overnight,” he said when the silence went on for too long. “By morning they won't be completely healed. But you should be able to walk again, at least.”

“You shouldn't waste your supplies on me.”

Garreth shrugged again. “I’m always overstocked. I have to be.”

The Guardian reached for a slightly larger pouch on his belt, opening it to reveal a roll of bandages and a vile of medicine. Kneeling down, he took the maiden's foot again. Slathering the promised ointment over her blisters.

“Oh my, that feels so much better,” the tension in her body eased. “What type of medicine is this? I've never used something so fast acting before.”

The ointment was an herbal mixture infused with some of the Solus-de Crystals magic. But he wasn't going to tell her that. The Huntress was already pointing fingers where they didn't belong. The last thing he needed was to tell her the Crystal's energy was being harnessed to heal her wounds..

“My name is Maeve by the way,” she announced when Garreth moved on to her second foot. “I figured you might as well know, since you're getting so well acquainted with my feet.”

Garreth snorted a laugh. “Not willingly, I assure you.”

She flexed her free foot with a grin. “Is that so? I don't remember asking you to do any of this.”

“So I should stop my ministrations and throw you out. Is that what I'm hearing?”

She rested her chin in her hands like she was seriously considering his suggestion. “No, I don't think so. But I'm a bit biased when it comes to my welfare.”

Gareth spared a glance at the destroyed set of slippers before moving on to the bandages. The maiden caught the movement. Unable to hide the smile that lit up her face.

“Thos are torture devices,” she laughed. “Usually, I wear boots in Eimear. This was, um, a special case.”

The memory of the maiden collapsed in the wood, her body wracked with sobs flashed through Garreth's mind. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop himself from feeling sympathy for the Huntress. She was usually much more put together. Much stronger than the fragile woman who's injuries he was treating.

Take care of her now so you can take her by surprise later.

“You're winding those a little tight sir.”

The woman's words snapped Garreth back to his senses. For once, he was grateful for her intervention. Because the longer he let the malicious thought linger, the more it seemed like the perfect solution to his problems.

“Maeve,” he tested the sound of the name on his tongue. “It suits you. Nice to meet you Maeve. I'm–”

Maeve looked at him expectantly, but he couldn't bring himself to disclose his name. Giving her that little felt like a risk he couldn't take. Because if she knew his name, it was only a matter of time before she'd start digging deeper into his past. Forming the same misconceptions she'd made about the dragon.

“I'm…glad to meet you.””

“Oh,” her face fell. “Nice to meet you too.”

“Are the bandages still too tight?”

She flexed her foot experimentally. “No, it's fine now. Thank you so much for your assistance. I really do appreciate it.”

He nodded curtly. Stepping away from Maeve as soon as he was finished with his work. Silence rested over them like a thick cloak. Both of their minds reeling with tumultuous thoughts that wouldn't leave them alone.

“My Father arranged a marriage contract,” Maeve uttered. “I met the man today, couldn't stand him and…hid in Eimear to avoid him,” she blushed. “It felt wonderfully freeing at the time. But in hindsight, it was probably a stupid thing to do.”

He rolled his eyes. “It was an incredibly stupid thing to do. Especially wearing those shoes.”

“I just needed to get out,” she clenched the fabric of her skirt. “I, he was this pompous, self serving oaf! I couldn't stand him for another minute.”

“So you storm off without a plan? Without any idea of where to shelter for the night?”

Maeve's vulnerability vanished as she crossed her arms, her nostrils flaring. “Originally I wasn't planning on staying overnight.”

“You're even more stupid than I thought,” the dragon purred its approval. “You were just…going to roam the forest at night? Do you know how dangerous that is?”

“The mori neko wouldn't have let me get hurt.”

“Idiot,” Garreth bit the inside of his cheek to stop a worse insult from flying out of his mouth. “You are such an idiot.”

Years of facing off against this woman. Years of skirting around her traps, avoiding her foot prints and hiding in the outskirts of Eimear until Solus-de or the mori neko gave him the all clear.

He'd thought finally speaking to the Huntress, Maeve would show him she was a true force of nature. That she was a true warrior. A strategist that he could try and covertly interrogate for her battle plan. Instead, Garreth was met with a brash, clueless woman. And it took all of his willpower to not sick the dragon on her then and now to save her from her lack of foresight.

“I'm not an idiot,” were those tears he heard caught in her throat? “I just want to save Fianna. Save Solus-de. I have to slay the dragon to do that, and no one is willing to help me.”

Maeve covered her face with her hands, her body shuddering with the gesture. Soft sobs echoed through the cavernous space. Filling Garreth with guilt, and the dragon with cunning.

The Guardian's eyes narrowed into slits as he watched Maeve like a lion cornering his prey. It would be so easy to sneak up on her while she was breaking down. One strike was all it would take. Then, he could leave the body somewhere in this cave to hide any evidence. After that Garreth could–

Stop it. Stop it now.

Garreth dug his fingernails into his palms, letting the pain bring him back to his senses.

This isn't you. This isn't you. You would never do something like this. It isn't you.

Swallowing nervously, Garreth approached the distraught woman. “Listen, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have been so harsh.”

“You're just being honest,” there was no mistaking that Maeve was crying now. “I am an idiot. I do have no real plan. I just…there's just no one else willing to fight back. No one else is willing to try…”

Sighing, he rested a hand on Maeve's shoulder. His touch made her bolt upright so swiftly that she lost her balance and toppled out of her seat.

“Easy,” he gripped her shoulder more tightly. “Don't fall. It won't be good for those feet of yours if you bruise the rest of your body.”

Maeve let loose a watery laugh as she placed a hand on his chest to center herself. Garreth clenched his free hand into a fist, eventually deciding to rest it on her other shoulder.

“If it makes you feel better, I don't know what to do either. Solus-de is starting to fade fast. I have a feeling all of its magic will be gone within the year.”

Maeve took in a sharp breath. “No, you can't be right,” her eyes narrowed. “What proof do you have of that?”

The Guardian pursed his lips. He'd already said too much. Telling Maeve his connection to the Crystal allowed him to feel its power would be a step too far.

“Are youa Temple Dweller? Is that how you know?”

He nodded quickly. “Yes. That's why.”

“Then you can help me,” the hope that glistened in Maeve's eyes was too much. “If you know more about Eimear, then–”

“We should get some sleep.”

Maeve squeaked when Garreth lifted her into his arms, carrying her over to his bedroll. He ignored her protestations as he nestled her underneath the blankets, retreating all the way across the cavern before she could say anything more.

Maeve was dangerous when she was a nameless, persistent Huntress. But now that he'd gotten a glimpse of the woman underneath the warrior, he couldn't deny a seed of interest had been sewn.

You're going to be the death of me one way or another, aren't you.

He glanced over to Maeve, smiling softly when he saw she was already sound asleep.

It was good to hear her heart was in the right place. That she wasn't tracking him for the thrill of the hunt, or some other nonsense. But Mave was hunting Garreth based on false information. And that helped no one.

Perhaps Garreth could use this meeting to his advantage. Stealthily drop a thread of knowledge she'd desperately been seeking. Tell her to return for more. Once she trusted his word , he could point her in the right direction. Use her to find out how to break the curse. Save Solus-de. Save himself.

A part of him recoiled at such blatant manipulation. But he wasn't exaggerating when he said the Crystal was nearing the end of its power. If she wanted to save it, and he wanted to save it, then they were working towards the same goal. They just needed to both get on the same page so they could pool their collective resources instead of using them to destroy one another.

Garreth sat against the wall, resting his head on the coolstone. As he drifted off he continued to ponder his new plan. Liking it the more he thought it through.

he could wake up Maeve a few hours early. Have a polite conversation, drop subtle hints about what he knew. When Maeve showed the interest he knew she would, Garreth could tell her to meet him back at the cave that night so he could feed her enough information to start searching for answers.

Breaking the curse wouldn't solve the problem entirely, Garreth knew that. But he also knew staving off the curse was a huge drain on Solus-de's resources. If they broke it, then he could figure out how to stop Elrick from stealing the Crystal's power. When all of that was through, he could funnel the first burst of energy to Fianna, so Maeve wouldn't have to worry anymore.

When he was a dragon, they were enemies. But now that they'd met face to face, they could become allies, maybe even friends. Garreth fell asleep with that hope gently flickering in his heart. The dragon recoiling as light dimmed its shadow.

~*~*~

Writingg Clean Fantasy Romance with a Dash of Humor on the Side