Lovers' Veil

"What's wrong?" she asked him.

"There's something I need to do and I can't put it off any longer." As he spoke, he gasped for breath.

She shaded her eyes from the sun and peered back in the direction they had come from. "What is it? We must keep moving."

He turned and stepped away, trying to relax enough to let the urine stream flow out. As it did, an idea occurred to him and he turned, spraying urine in every direction, as far as he could force the stream to travel. When he was finished he returned to her side and took up the supply packs, resuming the long walk to Saltlea.

"What was that all about?" she asked, glancing back.

He followed her gaze, grinning. The urine-damp soil he had left behind was already drying. "Partly, it was that I simply had to go. But you've told me that one of the methods the Ve'reor uses to track is scent."

"Yes," she said and he saw understanding light her eyes.

He nodded, saying, "I made scent trails going off in a lot of directions back there. They aren't long, but it might distract the Ve'reor for a few seconds at least while it checks them out. If nothing else it might buy us that little bit of time for all the good it'll do us."

Touching his hand, she said, "No, it was a good idea. Every second we're ahead of the Ve'reor helps us. Even if it stops back there for a few moments it's something in our favor. Good thinking."

Not long after, the sky began to darken, forcing them to slow so as not to trip on unseen rocks. Both kept careful watch behind them, not speaking, alert for the slightest bit of noise or motion in the night.

Finally, during what he judged to be the early morning hours, Rhyannon leaned close and whispered to him that they should be through the tazelwurm hunting grounds. He only nodded, too exhausted to do more than put one foot before the other.

Not long after, she whispered to him again, telling him that she needed to stop to urinate. Her words made him aware of the fact that he needed to stop for the same thing again.

They moved only a short distance apart, not wanting to lose sight of each other in the darkness for the sake of safety. As he repeated his earlier trick of spraying streams in every direction as far as he could, he saw that Rhyannon forced herself to stop several times, moving to a new location before squatting again to continue. When both had finished, they resumed their trek across the now-cool plains.

"My body is designed differently than yours," she said softly. "I wasn't able to cover as much ground as you did, but I did what I could."

"I saw," he said, nodding approval. "Like you said before, anything that distracts the Ve'reor at all helps us."

The rest of the night passed by quietly. Throughout the night the air grew colder but the exertion they put forth maintaining the quickest possible pace kept them warm and perspiring.

By the time the sun rose above the horizon, Leofrick's head was pounding from tension, exhaustion and the physical exertion and he was barely able to stay on his feet, much less walk. A few quick words with Rhyannon and he knew she was feeling just as poorly.

"How much further to Saltlea?" he asked.

She squinted against the growing glare of light. "We've slowed down a lot. I don't think we'll reach the village now until sometime in the late afternoon at this pace."

"We're slowing with every step," he pointed out. "We need to stop and rest or we won't be able to go on at all."

"I know. But we need cover and shade. The sun's rising; before long these plains will be an oven again. We have to keep going until we find a place with shade."

"We have to stop now before we fall over."

"We need shade," she repeated. "And regardless of where we do it, when we stop we're only giving the Ve'reor time to catch us."

He stopped walking and simply sank to the ground where he was. "I have my sword. We need to rest so we'll be able to defend ourselves when that thing finds us. Let's just stop here, rest and eat before the sun rises all the way."

She hesitated, then sat with him, frowning and unhappy with the choice.

He opened the packs, taking out food and drink, rationing the supplies. They sat quietly as they are, looking back the way they had come, neither trying to hide their respective dread of what was pursuing them. Finished eating, he reached out and took her hand, squeezing tightly, wanting to wait a few more moments before continuing on again, knowing they both needed far more rest but couldn't afford the time.

After a minute, she stood, saying they needed to be on their way.

"I don't think I can even stand again yet, much less walk," he told her.

She reached for him. He took her hand but made no move to rise. As he held her hand he looked at her slim, dainty fingers, following the contours of the digits themselves and her fingernails with his eyes. And idea began to form.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"You told me before that your talents with magick lie in healing and making things grow."

"Yes," she said, voice uncertain.

"What we've tried with our urine, laying some false trails, could you do something like that with your magick? Sending our false trails for the Ve'reor to follow, I mean. You've said it can track by sensing magick. Could you confuse it with your magick?"

She stared down at him for a long time without moving or speaking. Eventually a sly grin spread over her face and she said, "I have no idea but it's certainly worth trying. I don't know why I didn't think of it myself. Let's find out. Keep watch."

Sinking to her hands and knees, she placed her the palms of her hands flat on the tan soil beside her.

Leofrick forced himself to ignore what she was doing and struggled to his aching feet, grasping the hilt of his sword, but not drawing the weapon. He stared at the horizon, checking in each direction repeatedly, wanting to be sure that nothing was circling toward them, trying to catch them unawares. The increasing glare of the rising sun forced him to squint more and more. The air was rapidly growing warmer as well.

She's right. It won't be long until these plains are a baking furnace again.

As he kept watch, he moved slightly, putting himself directly at Rhyannon's back, wanting to be closer to her. After long minutes had passed he heard her take in a deep breath and felt her lean back against his legs for support. He turned around slowly, letting her lean against him. Her soft golden hair brushed his cock and he struggled against his growing arousal.

Now isn't the time or place.

"What did you do?" he asked, as much out of genuine curiosity as to take his mind of the tickle of her hair on his bare genitals.

She took a series of deep breaths before standing and picking up their supply packs, telling him they needed to be moving on. She set a quicker pace, both of them being at least a little rested after their breakfast break. He fell into step with her and repeated his question as he gently took both packs from her despite her silent protests.

"I sent out tendrils of magick," she said. "I reached as far out as I could in every direction. I reached so far that I could feel the Ve'reor."

"You felt it through your magick?"

"Yes. And I have good news. Somehow, I can't imagine how, but somehow, its handlers recaptured it. They can't and won't move as quickly as it does, so it's forced to move more slowly."

"Where are they?"

"Only a few miles on this side of the ridge they nearly caught us in. They haven't even quite made it to the first place you scent marked the false trails with your urine yet. Even though we're leaving a trail of footprints, the Ve'reor will check out the scent markings and false magick trails just to be sure it's still on the right track."

He felt as if a weight lifted from his chest. "You're saying we should reach Saltlea well ahead of them."

"If the Attorcroppes can keep control of the Ve'reor, yes. But if it gets free, it'll charge on head of them and come after us like lightning. We still need to keep moving as fast as we can manage."

He nodded and they walked a ways in silence. Finally he broke the morning quiet by saying, "I still can't believe your own father would allow that thing to be used to track you."

Her expression grew very sad. "Before, he wouldn't have," she told him. "He'd have been outraged at the very suggestion had someone posed it to him. But now, Leurre controls him. My hope is that when this is all over, I can find a way to return Father's mind and will to him once more, to somehow break the control the changeling has over him."

Leofrick, relaxing a bit with the knowledge of the gap between themselves and their pursuers, placed a comforting arm around Rhyannon's waist, drawing her against him as they walked. He was careful to keep her well away from the sword sheathed at his other side.

"If there's a way to free your father," he promised, "we'll find it and use it."

"Thank you, beloved," she said and kissed him while they walked.

Chapter 26

Princess Rhyannon Ensorcelledlight felt a great, invisible weight vanish from her as the scattered, single-story buildings of Saltlea appeared on the horizon at long last. Without a word being spoken between them, both she and Leofrick lengthened their strides, quickly covering the last of the distance to the small coastal town.

"We need to find a tailor," she said when they were within the limits of the village. "We need clothing now."

He frowned, glancing down at himself, his face flushing. "I'd gotten so used to being naked that I'd almost forgotten that I am."

"Good," she said, grinning at him, taking in the sight of his reddened flesh, legacy of their time on the open plains. That's going to sting, but he'll have a wondrous tan afterward. "But I think it best if we wore clothing while we're here. It'll help disguise who we are."

Nodding, he said, "I'm surprised to find that there are those in Faerie who specialize in making clothing. It seems that not many bother to put anything on here."

She took his hand and led him down a narrow street, aiming for the more densely gathered buildings that formed the center of the village.

In answer to his comment, she said, "Most don't wear clothing in Faerie. But in places like this, they're needed at times. During the winter, with the wind howling in off the sea, it's bitterly cold here. In places like this you'll find lots of clothing and at least a couple who are skilled at making and repairing clothes."

"Makes sense," he said. "Luckily. As you said, we should hide our identities since your father put the bounty out on us. The fewer who recognize us the better off we'll be."

She frowned at the thought of wrapping herself in clothing, relishing the last few minutes of nudity she would likely enjoy for a while. Even loose-fitting apparel held no appeal to her.

As she led him deeper into the coastal town they passed a mixture of beings that left Leofrick bewildered and ill at ease. She whispered a commentary as they walked, telling him the races of the beings they passed by.

"You know the elves and dwarves over there. Not personally, but you know their races by sight. And over there, those are pixies; you've met one of them already. The wee man standing atop the wagon over there, the one dressed in the dark clothing with the long, braided hair, that's a brownie. I see a few gnomes over there, too. You've met gnomes. That man over there that looks so much like the clurichaun we met, only cleaner, better groomed and not drunk? He's a leprechaun. Over there, see that small being with the warty pale skin all hunched in his cloak? He's a hobgoblin. Stay away from him; they're nasty little creatures. He's so pale because his kind in live deep caves and usually avoid the sunlight. I'm surprised to even see one here. And that really thin, lean being standing in the doorway right there is a kobold."

As she spoke, quick glances told her that most of the same beings she was noticing and pointing out to Leofrick were taking notice of them, too. She whispered a comment about it to him.

"A naked faerie princess draws attention even here," he whispered back.

"Especially when she's in the company of a naked human," she said very softly in reply. "I think it's you who are drawing the attention. Remember, just as you've not seen some of these beings before, most, if any, of them have never seen a human before. You're a giant here, my love, which makes it easy to spot you wherever you go. And you have your sword. I'm sure everyone around us can sense the iron in it. We must be very careful and not stay long."

Before long she spotted what she was seeking and led him into the tailor's shop. The tailor turned out to be an elf. She suspected that Leofrick would think him far younger than she knew him to truly be due to his smooth, unlined skin.

The elven tailor stared up at Leofrick in abject shock for long moments until Rhyannon drew the proprietor's attention to herself.

The instant he really looked at her his eyes lit with recognition and he went to one knee, saying, "Princess!"

Slipping fully into the role, she silently motioned with one hand for him to rise. When he did, she spoke, keeping her voice level, lacing it with the tone of command, asking him not to advertise their presence. The tailor promised he would do as she bid him.

"Very good," she said, nodding approval. "We have come to you because we have need of clothing. Can you provide us with what we need and provide it quickly? You will be well compensated for your trouble as soon as I am able to do so."

"Yes, of course!" the tailor said excitedly, removing a cloth tape measure from around his neck.

He immediately began taking measurements from Rhyannon, pausing only long enough to scribble notations onto a scrap a paper with an ink quill. Once finished with her, he moved to Leofrick, requiring a step stool to reach high enough. The presence of Leofrick's sword brought a string of expressions of displeasure from the elf, but when Rhyannon informed him that Leofrick would not be removing the sword the tailor fell silent.

When the measurements were finished, Rhyannon inquired about a place for herself and Leofrick to rest and eat. She made it clear, without actually saying the words, that she would greatly prefer it if such a place could be found under the tailor's roof to prevent them from going back outside and thereby alerting more to their presence in Saltlea.

Her unspoken request was granted when the elf showed them to a small room upstairs. He apologized for the lack of space, but told them to make themselves at home and he would bring food and drink. On his way out the door, he paused, telling them he would close his shop and work only on their order until it was fished. She thanked him and he went off, leaving them alone.

She turned to Leofrick saying, "He'll work through the night on our clothing. I don't like the thought of him foregoing all else for our needs, but I won't tell him otherwise; we need to be on our way again soon as we can."

He moved to her side, hugging her gently. "Too many saw us. And with the bounty..."

"Yes," she said, returning his embrace.

"You don't think the elf will turn us in for the reward?"

Laying her head on his bare chest, she said, "I don't think he will. But we can't know for sure. We'll just have to be on guard and move on the moment we can. We have to trust him for the moment."

Pulling away from him gently, she moved beyond the small bed to a dresser. Atop the dresser rested a pitcher of water an a basin.

"I need to clean up," she told him. "I'm covered in dust and sweat from the plains."

"Me, too. Let me bathe you."

She acquiesced and returned the favor when he had finished washing her, after he removed his sword and belt and placed them aside. However, both were too exhausted to turn the bath into anything more. By the time they had finished bathing, the tailor had returned with food and drink for them. They ate, then retired to the bed. Though small, it was soft and comfortable. While tiny for Leofrick, the bed fit Rhyannon well. She held him and soon realized that he was already sleeping. Smiling, at ease for the first time she could remember, she closed her eyes. The thought crossed her mind that she ought to remain awake and keep watch.

She was woken by the elven tailor's whispers. She struggled to wake fully, sitting up. Beside her, Leofrick still slept soundly.

"Milady," the tailor said softly, "it is approaching the evening of the day after you came into my shop. You and your mate have slept for nearly two days."

His words took long moments to sink into her sleep-fogged mind. When they at last did, the jolt of realization shocked her to full wakefulness.

"What?" she asked, not fully believing what she had just heard.

The elf nodded. The expression on his lean, angular features drove home the import of his words. She turned and shook Leofrick awake. Deep asleep still, he was difficult to rouse. Once he was coherent enough to realize what she was telling him he, too, was shocked awake.

"We need to get out of here," he said, sitting up and placing his feet on the floor. "We've stayed too long!"

Rhyannon agreed, standing and facing their host. "Have you competed our order?"

"Yes," he answered. "I let you sleep until then. That's why I woke you now."

"While we dress, can you refill our supply packs?" she asked. "I don't mean to impose, but we need to ask that of you."

He waved a hand in dismissal, saying, "I'll have your packs ready by the time you're dressed. Will you allow me to prepare something for you to eat and drink before you leave?"

"There isn't time," she said. "We've already lingered far too long."

"You're safe here," he assured her. "I know of the reward your father and his changeling offer for you. But I'll not turn you in; I've sent several away already with claims that you are no longer under my roof. You have my word that you are safe here, milady."

"Unless you can kill a Ve'reor, no, we're not safe here," she said.

The elf's eyes grew large in mute horror.

She nodded, saying, "I wanted to spare you this. But my father and Leurre, the changeling, are tracking us with a Ve'reor. They almost caught us once, in the plains. We got away, but they must be very close by now. I'm surprised they're not already here."

"A Ve'reor?" the elf gasped. "They still exist?"

"Sadly, yes," she said softly. "Now go, please, and get our clothing so we can be off."

"A Ve'reor!" the elf screamed, scurrying out the door. "You've doomed us all!" The sounds of his footsteps pounding down the stairs rang out, followed a moment later by the noise of the shop's door slamming hard.

Rhyannon grabbed Leofrick's hand and hauled him from the room. "Come on. He'll have the whole town in a panic in minutes."

She led him downstairs to the tailor's work area. Their new clothing lay atop a hand-made table with a smoothly finished top. She tossed Leofrick his set of clothes and pulled on her own. The dark leggings and white tunic fit her loosely, comfortably, and the supple boots fit her perfectly. Yet she blanched at having clothing on.

Leofrick dresses most of the time. How can he stand this?

"I can't believe we slept so long," Leofrick said as he finished dressing. His clothing matched her own in style and color.

"We needed the rest," she said. "We were both on the verge of collapse. Help me find the packs and the kitchen."

They found their supply packs in the kitchen, lying on a block counter. Working together, they quickly filled both packs with bread and cheese, tossing in a few nuts and pieces of fruit. Unable to find fresh water, they took what they had and left, racing through the shop for the door.