11 ~Chapter 4: Going Home - Part:1 ~Nieka~

It was still dark out, but Nieka sat awake hugging her knees. Master Robin just woke her up from a nightmare several minutes ago having heard her screaming from the next room. It hadn't been the first time that night either. She felt guilty about waking him up, but it was nothing compared to the gut-wrenching remorse she felt over leaving her sister and everyone else behind. It twisted her stomach worse than the hunger she felt the first few days in captivity. Then an unexpected distraction barged through the door. It was Takal, with a cold, focused look in his dark eyes, but this is how he always looked, and she was starting to get used to it.

"Good, you're awake. Here's your breakfast and a Jacket, you're going home, fallow me" Takal said.

"Now, So Soon?" fear of the pain on her parent's faces twisted her stomach in a knot.

"Yes, now put it on." He held out the jacket and a bag.

"Why? It's not cold out. And it's way too big for me"

"Stop asking questions and just do as you're told."

She smirked, how many times had her parents said those same words? And she'd rarely listened to them so why should she listen to him? She barely knew him but she reached for the coat and bag he offered as she saw frustration rather than murder or scheming in his eyes. "Thank you, I'm starving. What is it?" she added to discreetly say I chose to accept these things but you don't control me... or scare me.

His jaw tightened and she knew he understood what she didn't say. "Put it on, we don't have all day." He grumbled.

Nieka grabbed the bag first and looked inside. It was a sandwich of some kind. She sniffed it and wrinkled her nose. She had no idea what it was but it stung her nostrils. It occurred to her suddenly that maybe the sandwich was drugged either so he could question her further or kill her to eliminate the paranoid delusion that she was a threat. Suddenly nervous she couldn't help but ramble out questions as was her habit to do in times of unease.

"What kind of sand witch is this? I don't mean to be rude, I am thankful for the food but… this won't kill me will it?" She said as she shrugged the jacket on. It was way too big and heavy. The worn sleeves fell past her fingertips making her feel like a small child; it didn't help that Takal pulled the hood over her head for her. The hood fell over her eyes obscuring her vision and it smelled of leather, trees, dirt, and sweat. She couldn't help but conjure up images of countless adventures. She slid it back a bit and glared at the offending individual. Unfazed he thrust the sandwich back into her hands.

Now he smirked "You don't have to eat it. But we do have to go, keep the hood up and fallow me." He turned and stepped towards the door.

"Is this meant to conceal my identity?"

"It won't work if you don't shut up."

"Why do you need to hide me?" he didn't answer so she just followed him through halls and doors eating her mystery sandwich that had a very strong and unfamiliar taste, her best guess would be sulfur and vinegar. They emerged outside a side door, past two guards that did not question them, and onto a dirt worn path in the shadowy fields that seemed to disappear into the inky blackness ahead of them. She looked up to a deep black sky with no moon and rapidly disappearing stars, it was just before dawn when the world was darkest. They arrived at a barn with a coral on either side. "Are we riding horses?"

"Yes."

"I've always wanted to ride a horse. What one will I be riding?"

"You will be riding with me blindfolded." He said saddling a horse.

"What? why? Then I can't see. And why do I have to ride with you?"

"That is the point of blindfolding someone and you can't ride blindfolded by yourself, especially if you don't know how to ride. You're riding with me because Torn wishes to respect your request not to be touched and I could care less what you want. And because I don't trust you with your own horse." Takal said with an edge of frustration.

This was the most he had spoken in one response, and even though his tone was a bit degrading she was pleased that she was getting answers. "Fine but that doesn't explain why I have to be blindfolded."

"I don't trust you, and don't want you to be able to find your way back. Therefore you cannot see the paths we travel." He was packing the saddlebags of a lovely brown horse with two white socks.

"Is this the horse we're going to ride?"

"No. This is Torns horse. He's going to carry all the supplies since he won't have the weight of an extra rider." Finished with the bags he walked over to a large black horse. And rubbed its neck and behind its ears. "This is my horse." There was both pride and love in his tone; he obviously cared a lot about the animal.

"What's his name?" She asked.

"Her name is Shadow." He said and began saddling her. Nieka could see he was more comfortable and kind around this horse than any other time she'd seen him. She reached out to pet the horse's nose. "I wouldn't do that if I were you." And seeing how she was already touching the horse added "especially if I'm not right here."

"Why? She seems nice." The horse nodded and blew in her face making her laugh.

"She tends to bite and kick strangers." He said all matter of fact. Then in a more thoughtful tone, he added "Though I suppose she remembers you."

"How? I've never seen her before."

"You didn't see her because you were unconscious but she carried you here from where we found you."

You mean I've already ridden a horse and I didn't even know it." The minor disappointment was quickly replaced by crushing sadness. She and Cinna had planned to learn together; now her sister might never get the chance.

"I wouldn't call it riding, you were draped over her like a dead dear." Takal mocked with a slight laugh.

She didn't really hear what he was saying but the distraction of his words helped her to push away the hurt and focus on the present. "Oh, well thank you Shadow for getting me out of there." She said gently to the horse petting her face. Then turning to Takal she asked, "You're not going to make me ride like that this time are you?"

"Not unless you make it necessary for me to knock you out." He said as if it didn't matter to him either way.

Nieka scrunched her nose in displeasure but made no comment or promises.

The sky was just beginning to lighten on the eastern horizon as Takal led the horses out of the stable. Tornjak stumbled slightly down the hill, possibly still asleep to meet them. Takal mounted with an ease that said it was as natural as walking. In fact, it happened so swiftly that she had missed exactly how he'd done it. She stared at the horse and saddle a minute to contemplate how to climb on; the animal's back was taller than she was. But when she reached for the horse's neck two strong arms lifted her up with ease from under her armpits like she was a small child. "I could have done it." She complained as he seated her in front of him.

"As funny as it might be to watch you try, we don't have the time if we are to make it to the ghost village by nightfall," Takal muttered.

"Gods, how are you two so awake and already bickering?"

"Just hurry up and mount." Takal barked impatiently. Turning his horse to the trees he headed out without waiting to see if Tornjak followed. Nieka asked several questions about the horses, the 'ghost town', and the chances of running into demons. Takal stopped them once they were behind the tree line and out of sight of the castle and its guards. "You can take off that jacket now if you want." He said ripping a long strip off the bottom of his shirt. As happy as she was not to have to wear the too warm jacket she groaned at the recollection of having to be blindfolded. Takal tossed the jacket to Tornjak to stuff in his saddlebags and positioned the thick green cloth in front of her eyes. She tensed as she was robbed of the light and her surroundings.

To her surprise, Takal wasn't cruel about it. She said nothing at all as he loosely tied the knot over her now clean but still tangled mass of hair. Then he gently pulled her hair up over the blindfold and tightened it so it sat snug, but not painful at the base of her skull. His fingers sent her hair follicles to tingling as he moved the short hairs at the nape of her neck away from the cloth as he finished the square knot; a small thoughtfulness she wouldn't have expected from anyone blindfolding her.

"I feel like I'm intruding" Tornjak teased and they both stiffened a little. Nieka hadn't realized until then that she had relaxed.

Takal nudged his horse and they began to move again.

"Tell me again why I had to wake up before the Sun God to travel with you" Tornjak complained.

"In case I decide killing her would be best or there's a demon ambush, and because warriors of the wooded realm never travel alone." He started off sarcastic and ended in a bit of a scolding. "This is a mission like any other."

"I was just kidding. Relax, your prisoner is." Torn pointed to Nieka.

Unable to see she had leaned back against Takal' chest for support from the unfamiliar rocking motion of the horse. From there, his warmth had relaxed her exhausted still healing body. His sent and the deep yet soft rumble of his words added to the hypnotic daze; soothing the fears that kept her up at night and woke her screaming.

The fears weren't gone, just temporarily numbed. Sleep pulled but she fought it long enough to work through one nagging question. How could she relax around this terrifying stranger? She decided that it was because he was downright terrifying at times. He was skilled at killing dangerous and powerful demons. He never seemed to let his guard down, and at the moment he didn't plan on killing her, just the demons she feared even more than him. For now, she was as safe as she could get.