Warprize

danger. He glanced at his partner. “That’s the Warprize?”
    Tant swung down from his horse, to stand beside me. “Warprize, what are you doing here? Where is your escort?”
    I walked past him. “I am returning to the Warlord’s side.” I kept moving. They followed, Tant leading his horse, the other remaining in the saddle.
    “Warprize, please mount, and we will take you to the Warlord.” Tant’s voice came over my shoulder. “
    There’s really no need for you to walk.”
    “She’s barefoot.” The other observed.
    I kept moving, looking forward. “My Warlord has claimed me. I will take nothing except from his hands.
    ”
    Tant came along side, and he gulped. “Warprize, the army will not rest for at least another two marks. It’
    ll be some time before you reach him, and I can’t allow…” I glared at him and he did not complete the sentence. He stopped dead, and I heard curses muttered behind me. I just kept walking, determined to continue on. There was an argument going on behind me.
    “You go tell the Warlord.”
    “No, I’ll stay with her, you go tell the Warlord.”
    The argument continued, then the same voice snarled. “Pluck hairs, then. Short hair goes.”
    After a moment there was a snort of triumph and then the mounted scout was galloping off toward the army. Tant caught up with me, his voice pleading. “Warprize, please, take my boots and cloak. You’re cold, and your feet are bleeding.”
    In point of fact, they burned like flames. “No.” I kept walking.
    Muttering something, Tant raised his hands to the sky as he walked beside me. I wasn’t sure if it was a prayer or curse, but I distinctly heard “Why me?” I was tired, my feet hurt, and I wasn’t going to listen to his whining on top of it all. “Return to your duties.”
    “With all due respect, Warprize, I will not.” Tant caught up again, his horse protesting at being jerked forward. “If you’ll not take my help, at the least, I’ll guard you.”
    “You disobey the Warprize?” I looked at him.
    “Yes, if that’s the choice.” He twisted the reins in his hands. “The way the Warlord’s been stomping around like a crazed ehat, snapping and snarling at any that come near, I’ll disobey you. Better a punishment at your hands then death at the Warlord’s.”
    I nodded, faced forward and kept walking. But my heart was a bit lighter. Snapping and snarling, was he? Like an ehat, eh?
    Of course, I still didn’t know what an ehat was.
    It seemed like hours before there was a commotion ahead of us. A cloud of dust betrayed the horsemen coming hard and fast up the road. My self-appointed guard faded back as Keir came thundering into view, galloping his horse, his scarlet cloak flaring behind him. There were a few more men behind him. I stopped and stood where I was, waiting.
    Keir reared his horse to a stop in front of me. The animal towered over me, and I could hear its harsh breathing. I kept my eyes down, on the road.
    “What in the name of all the elements do you think you are doing?”‘ Keir thundered.
    “Following my Warlord.” I kept my voice steady.
    “You have sworn fealty to me, to hold these lands.” He moved his horse, circling me. I could feel the heat of his gaze on my neck, and shivered at the bite in his words.
    “The queen may have so sworn, the warprize has not.” I lifted my eyes as his horse moved in front of me. His face was distorted with rage. I swallowed hard, but continued. “The warprize follows the warlord.”
    The horse moved to circle me again. “I’ll have you taken back to the castle.”
    “That just means that I will have to walk this all over again.”
    Keir brought the horse around again to face me. “Not if you’re chained to your throne,” he snarled. Joden coughed from the side of the road, where he sat on his horse. Marcus was beside him, mounted as well, wrapped in his familiar cloak. Keir whipped his head around. “What?”
    Joden shrugged. “Well, it occurs to me that the army is marching away from us as we speak.”
    Marcus piped up. “And when your high and mightiness is finished hollering, ya might notice that she is bleeding.”
    Keir’s head whipped around, and his nostrils flared as he raked me with his glance. I tried not to fidget under his glare. He cursed. “Ride with Marcus. We will see to your feet, and return you to the castle.”
    He turned his horse away from me.
    “No.”
    “What!” Keir jerked his horse’s head around, and the