Chapter 14: 14_Stolen Princess

Amie couldn’t hold on anymore. Her muscles were aching, her joints shaking. She had nothing but sheer willpower left. There was a familiar scent playing on her senses, but she didn’t have the strength to pay attention to it.

To her utter relief, the carriage slowed down and then came to a stop. The place was completely surrounded by trees, the air filled with the eery call of owls.

“We abandon the carriage here,” someone said. “It won’t take long to reach the inn.”

Another voice responded in low murmurs.

Wincing, Amethyst slowly peeled herself off the vehicle and landed on numb feet. Her legs instantly buckled and with a low yelp, she crumbled to her knees.

The voices went silent.

Groaning, she felt her trembling limbs weaken even more and gripped handfuls of sand into her palms, trying to gather her wits about her.

The sound of slow, heavy footsteps was the catalyst she needed. Clumsily searching her boots, she dug out a short knife and staggered to her feet.

Two big men appeared on either side of the vehicle and the scent she'd picked up on got stronger.

“Get back!” she shouted, lurching about on wobbly legs. “I… I’m… I’m armed…” *Oh, God, this was bad.*

Standing beside the carriage, Thoran’s eyes widened the moment he laid sight on the girl. No way in hell. She’d followed him *again?!*

“Oh…” Gunnar blinked, frowning in surprise at the strange girl as she swayed drunkenly about. What on earth was a girl doing in the middle of the woods alone?

Thoran could only stare at her in horrid shock, seeing the exact moment she realized who she was looking at.

A huge gasp morphed her angelic face into a mask of horrified outrage. “Y… you!”

Gunn suddenly recognized her and was hit with double the shock. “Wait. It can’t be. Isn’t she the girl from the campsite?”

Sighing, Thoran slowly rolled up his shirt sleeves. “She’s more persistent than bloodhounds on a fresh scent.”

Amie’s head was swimming but she was blinking hard to stay conscious. She couldn’t believe it. The Barbarian. Again. What was this? Was it the universe giving her a sign?

Wait, of course. It had to be. This was a sign that she couldn’t give up! She had to defend her kingdom, no matter what!

“She’s trembling harden than a leaf in the wind,” Gunn commented.

Groaning, she took an unsteady step forward, fully recognizing the scent of his blood now. “Thoran Steel.”

Gunnar looked at him with mild interest. “Steel, she knows your full name.”

Amie pointed her little knife at Thoran. “I challenge you… to battle.”

Thoran blinked, his flat expression tinged with a look of grudging admiration. It was hard to be completely nonchalant when you were faced with someone as relentless as her. This was the third time she was showing up, for goodness’ sake. It was highly frustrating, but her persistence was admirable.

Gunn carefully approached her. “Look, girl. Clearly, you’ve been spared for long enough to be cheeky twice, that’s more than others can say. I suggest you go home now.”

“Silence.” She glared at him with unfocused eyes. “Criminal. Criminal’s sidekick.”

Staring at her, he touched his chest. “Criminal’s… sidekick?” It was one thing to call him a criminal, but a sidekick?

“This is…” Amie took one exhausting step toward the Barbarian she sought to defeat. Why was walking suddenly so hard? “…between me and…”

Swinging her arm, she took a huge swipe at him and missed entirely. Without moving a muscle, Thoran watched her twirl gracefully on her heel. He stepped forward just in time to catch her as she lost consciousness, falling dramatically into his arms like she was performing a complicated ballet move. Her skin was ice against his palms.

In silence they stood there, looking down at her.

“Care… care to explain?” Gunnar asked.

Thoran’s only response was a long exhale of exhaustion. He hadn’t had any sleep for the past three days. Having to deal with the brat was further exhausting him. What did he do with her now? Hell, he couldn't leave her here, she'd made such a scene at Lady Hadgar's that if they found her, they could link her to him.

Clenching his jaw, he angrily realized he had no choice left. She'd brought this on herself, she'd practically begged for it.

Silently, he lifted her into his arms. He'd take her with him. Turning, he paused, spotting something stuck in the metal framework of the carriage.

“The jewels, Gunn.”

Gunnar nodded, understanding that there would be no explaining why the girl had appeared before them like some forest genie. “I’ll get the bag.”

As Gunn left to get their booty, Thoran reached for the gleaming item he could see against the carriage. When it came free and sat in his palm, he frowned in disapproval.

How irresponsible. She needed the gem, she’d said. It kept her safe, she’d said. And yet she carelessly left it tied up in the carriage framework and then proceeded to faint. Clearly, the damned thing wasn’t as important as she made it seem.

Cursing his luck, he set one foot on the bottom ledge of the carriage and, balancing her on his thigh with her head resting on his shoulder, he managed to tie the necklace back around her neck.

“Got it,” Gunn called.

Picking Amethyst up, Thoran opted to carry her in his arms over tossing her onto his shoulder, even if the latter was easier. There was the risk of her necklace falling off to the ground whilst they walked and he would reach his destination only to realize he’d lost the damn thing.

He could already hear her accusing him of stealing it and he fully intended to avoid such dramatics.

“Are we taking her?” Gunnar asked.

“Have to,” Thoran said. “Maybe it’ll teach the stubborn chit to listen.”

**********

“You’re acting like you’ve never seen a girl before, you lot of virgins,” Ivar said dryly.

Harald took particular offence to the insult. “Who’re you calling a virgin?”

“You, especially,” said Bjorn, watching from near the fireplace.

Harald glared. “Why, and you’re as old as my ancestors, Bjorn. I bet you watched the first ever dinosaur hatch out its egg, I’d thank you to teach me the first pick-up line ever made—” A shoe hit him in the face.

That did it. An entire ruckus ensued then, filling the room with chaos as Harald went on a rant about his human rights and how he absolutely was not a virgin. Why, as a pirate, he’d had women from across all seven seas! They knew nothing about him!

It was one man against the world, however, as everyone else took it upon themselves to, firstly, make absolute dung of Harald’s human rights and, secondly, tease him to high heaven about being a virgin. Poor Harald was close to tears and the men shared eye-watering laughter at the fun of teasing their youngest member.

The room was getting loud but, to the rowdy men, there was bliss in the chaos. At the inn, they had rented half of the fifty rooms to fit all the men and yet, over ten of those people were scattered about Thoran’s room, tormenting Harald.

Thoran, himself, was nowhere in sight and had left Ivar to look after the unconscious girl in his bed with special orders to not let anyone prey on the jewel hanging around her neck.

Seated at the table in one corner, Ivar kept a careful eye on the girl’s gem. He would follow Thoran’s order, even if he personally didn’t like the girl because of how she’d openly challenged Thoran last time.

For her to have been brought back to be taken care of this way, Ivar was sure she’d changed her ways and apologized to Thoran. He’d never tolerate her attitude otherwise.

Completely ignoring the noise around him, Frank sat dutifully by the bedside. The poor gal. Gunnar said she was so frail, she’d fainted. Well, according to the morning’s newspaper which Ivar had read to them all, it seemed Frank had been wrong. The girlie wasn’t a spy sent by Gorden!

Sighing, he vowed to atone for his harsh treatment of her as soon as she woke up.

At that moment, Frank saw a flutter in the long lashes that rested against her fair cheek. Straightening, he stared at her with wide eyes.

Her lashes fluttered once more and then she slowly opened her eyes.

“She’s awake!” Frank shot to his feet.

The entire room was around her bed in seconds, faces peering down at her like they’d expected her to die.

She was quite a picture. A beauty fit to be painted by the most skilled artist of their time. Slowly blinking, Amethyst stared at the blurry jumble of features above her.

Her vision suddenly focused and their bulging eyes scared the life out of her. With a sharp shriek, she jerked away.

“Christ,” said Bjorn, holding his ear. “What’s she, a banshee?”

“It’s okay!” Frank shouted urgently, leaning into her face in an unskilled attempt at calming her. “You’re a’right, you’re safe!”

The poor girl only screamed again and, in the next moment, went limp, fainting once more.

Frank gasped in horror. “Oh, no!”

Harald’s mouth fell open in shock. “Can’t believe it. Your ugly mug made her faint.”