A Price for a Princess by R.E. Butler

mates are things of legend.  There haven't been any for centuries."  Perseus said.
    "And fated mates are only one for one, there is no sharing no matter the species."  Ekho said.
    "Do they dream share?"
    "No idea."  Ekho answered.  I reached for their hands that were both resting on my stomach.
    Perseus tipped my chin so that I was looking at him.  "The connection between the three of us is complete.  None of us ever dreamed about four, just us three.  It doesn't matter what he believes about you.  You can't fake being a truemate; either you are or you aren't." 
    Ekho kissed my shoulder.  "And you can't be his fated one-and-only, because you already have two very possessive husbands."
    Sufficiently dry and wanting to escape the heavy conversation on something I had no control over, I suggested we head inside and get something to eat before heading out again.  Perseus stayed in his human form so he could eat with us at the table, and the man and his family, who didn't introduce themselves to us, served us a meal of a thick, meaty stew and flat bread.  Jandor told us that in a few hours we would approach the area where camps would line the dirt road like tiny tent cities.  Some of the camps would be friendly, but we wouldn't be taking any chances.
    After the meal was ended, Perseus shifted to his horse form and Ekho added a thick folded blanket for me to sit on, which helped a great deal.
    As we approached the first of the tent cities, the Dire Wolves made a large circle around us, all of them in their large wolf shifted form.  Tyrant walked in front and Rysk behind, and the cat-men tightened around us.  Ekho rode on Finn's back to my left so we could stay tighter together, and Odin was to my right.  My bear prowled in my mind, worry forming a tight ball in my gut.
    The first tent city had a dozen hide tents arranged like lean-tos.  Campfires glowed brightly and there were women and children among the men, who were dark skinned with silver hair.
    "Those are night elves."  Odin said.  "They draw magic from the full moon."
    "Why are they out here instead of in a city like Netic Springs?"  I asked, watching a young boy whose silver hair reached his knees play with a small furry white creature.
    "A lot of those that choose to live along this stretch of road don't trust outsiders.  Even a place like Netic Springs requires a certain amount of interaction with other creatures."  Finn answered.  "Night Elves are like the gypsies of your realm.  They only want to be with their own kind."
    The tent cities were miles apart from each other, each group choosing to stay with their own people.  We stopped an hour before dusk, between tent cities, with a few more hours to go.  I was heartened that we would soon be in Lorence and could stop for the night.  My body ached in new and unpleasant ways and I wondered how cowboys could stand it.
    After cleaning up in a small stream and resting for only long enough to eat some fruit and cheese to tide us over, we returned to the road and began again.  As Lorence came into view under the setting sun, the hissing sound of blades being unsheathed was like a thousand serpents in the grass and we were suddenly surrounded.
    Rysk and Tyrant barked orders to the Dire Wolves and the cat-men flexed their claws while Perseus, Odin and Finn drew swords.  Around us came tall men that looked like pirates.  Their shirts were open at the neck with billowing sleeves, their trousers were dark and their knee boots were folded over at the top.  They were rough looking, with long, scraggly beards and unkempt hair.  Our procession had stopped and drawn in closer, and the Raiders, dozens of them, had moved around us like a black tide.  Some carried torches, lighting their faces in a menacing way.
    "We've come for the girl," one of them said, stepping forward towards Rysk who was at the head of our group.  "Give her to us and you can all go about your business."
    My hands gripped Perseus