heard.”
Slane’s wide-eyed gaze swung to her. “It’s not?” He saw a strange satisfaction in her eyes, a glow of mischief that gleamed from them tauntingly.
“I heard you left the castle to seek your own destiny. You traveled through many towns looking for a way to prove your valor. Finally, you came upon a town besieged by a dragon. You slew him quite completely and became a hero to that town. And in subsequent towns you wrestled a giant, slew an evil wizard, rescued a maiden, perhaps a princess, from being kidnapped. One story even had you finding the Holy Grail.”
He felt the laughter churning in his throat.
“Very impressive work for someone who just attended tournaments and fought in some little wars, don’t you think?” she commented.
“And what about you?” Slane taunted. “Slain any dragons yourself?”
She shook her head, her lips curling up in amusement. “Only the human kind,” she answered. “You know very well that I don’t do heroic things.”
“Then tell me what you did after you left the castle. Where did you go? What did you do?”
Slane watched her look change from one of mild mirth to painful reminiscing. “Jared...” she said, then immediately stopped. The mere mention of his name seemed to bring a tightness to her throat. She closed her eyes for a moment and Slane could see her fighting back the sadness threatening to reach all the way to those eyes. She looked at Slane and continued. “Jared didn’t know what to do with me. I’m not really sure why he stayed with me at all, but I’m glad he did. I was horrible at first. Headstrong, willful, defiant. I had no respect for authority.”
Slane chuckled. “And what’s changed?”
Taylor cast him a startled look, then grinned. She continued as if he hadn’t interrupted. “Finally, we ran into an old friend of Jared’s. He lived out of an old gypsy wagon in Grey’s Woods. That was home for a while. Jared taught me there. And Alexander... Well, let’s just say that I was young then. And very impressionable. I became totally enamored of Alexander.”
Slane felt a stiffness creeping across his shoulders. His hand tightened convulsively around his mug. “And this Alexander… did he return your affection?”
The moment of silence stretched and Slane finally lifted his gaze to Taylor’s. She was staring at him with a strange look on her face. “I don’t see where that’s any of your concern.”
Slane relented with a nod. He didn’t like the feeling of anxiety racing through his body. He chose to end the conversation about her past then. There were things he shouldn’t know about. There were things he shouldn’t even want to know about.
“If you’ll excuse me,” Taylor said as she rose to her feet. “I’m tired. I’m very tired.”
Slane stood and nodded to her, bidding her good night. He watched her move up the stairs toward her room; then he lifted his mug to his lips, drinking deeply. It seemed she was affecting him far more than he cared to think about. That would have to change.
***
Taylor lay awake on her bed of straw, thinking about what Slane had said to her earlier that evening. “Face your past and put an end to it,” he had said. “Are you prepared to live your life like that? Constantly looking over your shoulder?” Yes, she had done it for eight years, but Jared had been with her those eight years. Watching out for her, caring for her. Could she do it alone?
Maybe it was the fatigue of eight years of traveling finally catching up to her, the scrounging for work, the struggle for every meal. Maybe it was the fact that she was finally accepting the reality of Jared’s death -- the horrible reality that Jared would never fight at her side again, would never share another secret smile or tender embrace. She missed him
Slane’s wide-eyed gaze swung to her. “It’s not?” He saw a strange satisfaction in her eyes, a glow of mischief that gleamed from them tauntingly.
“I heard you left the castle to seek your own destiny. You traveled through many towns looking for a way to prove your valor. Finally, you came upon a town besieged by a dragon. You slew him quite completely and became a hero to that town. And in subsequent towns you wrestled a giant, slew an evil wizard, rescued a maiden, perhaps a princess, from being kidnapped. One story even had you finding the Holy Grail.”
He felt the laughter churning in his throat.
“Very impressive work for someone who just attended tournaments and fought in some little wars, don’t you think?” she commented.
“And what about you?” Slane taunted. “Slain any dragons yourself?”
She shook her head, her lips curling up in amusement. “Only the human kind,” she answered. “You know very well that I don’t do heroic things.”
“Then tell me what you did after you left the castle. Where did you go? What did you do?”
Slane watched her look change from one of mild mirth to painful reminiscing. “Jared...” she said, then immediately stopped. The mere mention of his name seemed to bring a tightness to her throat. She closed her eyes for a moment and Slane could see her fighting back the sadness threatening to reach all the way to those eyes. She looked at Slane and continued. “Jared didn’t know what to do with me. I’m not really sure why he stayed with me at all, but I’m glad he did. I was horrible at first. Headstrong, willful, defiant. I had no respect for authority.”
Slane chuckled. “And what’s changed?”
Taylor cast him a startled look, then grinned. She continued as if he hadn’t interrupted. “Finally, we ran into an old friend of Jared’s. He lived out of an old gypsy wagon in Grey’s Woods. That was home for a while. Jared taught me there. And Alexander... Well, let’s just say that I was young then. And very impressionable. I became totally enamored of Alexander.”
Slane felt a stiffness creeping across his shoulders. His hand tightened convulsively around his mug. “And this Alexander… did he return your affection?”
The moment of silence stretched and Slane finally lifted his gaze to Taylor’s. She was staring at him with a strange look on her face. “I don’t see where that’s any of your concern.”
Slane relented with a nod. He didn’t like the feeling of anxiety racing through his body. He chose to end the conversation about her past then. There were things he shouldn’t know about. There were things he shouldn’t even want to know about.
“If you’ll excuse me,” Taylor said as she rose to her feet. “I’m tired. I’m very tired.”
Slane stood and nodded to her, bidding her good night. He watched her move up the stairs toward her room; then he lifted his mug to his lips, drinking deeply. It seemed she was affecting him far more than he cared to think about. That would have to change.
***
Taylor lay awake on her bed of straw, thinking about what Slane had said to her earlier that evening. “Face your past and put an end to it,” he had said. “Are you prepared to live your life like that? Constantly looking over your shoulder?” Yes, she had done it for eight years, but Jared had been with her those eight years. Watching out for her, caring for her. Could she do it alone?
Maybe it was the fatigue of eight years of traveling finally catching up to her, the scrounging for work, the struggle for every meal. Maybe it was the fact that she was finally accepting the reality of Jared’s death -- the horrible reality that Jared would never fight at her side again, would never share another secret smile or tender embrace. She missed him
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