Of Shadows and Swords (Chiarra)

((Will be gone for about a week))


Melody wanted to cry out to him, but knew that wasn't a good idea. She started crying and she said, "Archer, we have to follow them, I have to save him. I can convince my parents he didn't kidnap me, I can convince them to let him go. Please let me go back," she said.
 
((Oh, all right. Have fun :) ))


Archer's fingers curled tight against his sides as he debated, not wanting to picture Lucius getting beaten like that - but he had strong ties to Lucius and not as much with Melody, even if he was coming to like her. He took her hand and started rushing back towards the horse. "Let's go. We'll go the long way and see if we can beat them there." If going back meant saving Lucius, he would do anything.
 
((It turns out that I am not going to be gone for a week and can now come back. And it wasn't fun, I was actually grounded from my computer and had to do some major sucking up to get it back.))


She nodded, glad he was letting her do this. She ran with him back to the horse and would get on if that would help with speed. She really hoped her parents would listen to her. She would do anything to keep them from hurting Lucius.
 
((Oo, that sucks :( I'm sorry))


Archer pulled himself up onto the horse and then her up behind him, and urged the mare into a quick trot out of the stables, then a steady walk because they had to let the soldiers get out of town before they started dashing about. In the meantime, he just headed for the backroads that would lead them off the main path and possibly get them back to the castle faster.
 
((It's fine, got it back so yeah lol))


She held onto him tightly as he urged the mare into a quick trot and she wondered why he was having her walk afterwards, but didn't question him. "I got it," she said. "I'll just tell them, that I was kidnapped by someone else and when he saw I was gone he went after me immediately. When he found me, he was on his way of bringing me back." She hoped that would be feasible.
 
Archer frowned a little, glancing back at her over his shoulder. "Then what's going to stop them from thinking it's me?" He couldn't very well be seen with her either. "I suppose we could dress me up as a peasant and claim you gave me your mother's necklace to take you back to the castle with my horse." He was reasonably sure the horse wouldn't be recognized, as they'd changed her saddle and she looked like any other mare. Thankfully, she wasn't even white, just a nice, common brown. "We'll need to make a stop along the way, then." That wouldn't make too much difference, he thought. They had a few days' journey ahead of them anyway.
 
"Right," she said. "I didn't think about that." Then he stated his idea and she smiled, "Great, they would believe that one." Her parents could be very gullible sometimes. "Wait...how am I to explain my hair?" She couldn't just say she cut it....unless she did it for money, but that wouldn't make sense, seeing as how she was kidnapped. "Maybe I should just tell them the truth, that I ran away and forced Lucius to come with me because I didn't want him getting into trouble for me being gone. Though you would still be the ride I hired to take me back in this story."
 
Acher frowned, considering. "The truth is generally the best option, but then Lucius would still be imprisoned for treason for helping you. Best we stick to the story. Say your kidnapper cut it to hide your identity, and Lucius had just killed the man and was looking for a way home when they found him. If they ask why he fought, just tell them 'who wouldn't fight when being surrounded and attacked'." There. In the time it took to get home, they would get their story straight.


((Not actually here and might not be til tomorrow. Sorry, bye!))
 
((It's fine, was outside painting a table anyways ^_^ ))


"Okay, that makes a lot more sense," she said. She tried to remember everything that they talked about to put in their story. "What about the kidnapper, if they ask about them. They may want a description. Maybe he's lithe and sneaky, yet very strong?"
 
Archer made a bit of a face though she couldn't see, thinking she was describing him again - but he would be in disguise so it wouldn't matter. "Whatever is clearest in your mind. You need to be able to ad lib. You can't just read a script in your head, or it's not believable."
 
After thinking about the description again, it did remind her of Archer and she said, "Well, we'll think of something else." She groaned a bit. "Maybe, a mage kidnapped me. That would explain why no one was seen coming in because he could have used magic, but when Lucius came to check on me, I called out to him, just as I disappeared? That's when he went after me?" she suggested.
 
Archer nodded. "That will have to do. We can think about it as we ride, but not too hard. No scripts, remember that." She had to be believable, and he had a feeling she wasn't a very good liar. She hadn't seemed to do it very much at all since the day they'd met.
 
"I'll remember that," she nodded. She held onto him tighter and sighed. "I really hope they haven't done anything to him yet." She wouldn't ever be able to live with herself. She was thinking she should have just stayed and married Brandon. Yes, he was terrifying, but...she was being selfish.
 
Archer didn't comment on that, not wanting to upset her, and just shook his head. "Lucius can take care of himself. He's a big boy. Hold on now. We're going to run." They had made it past where the guards were, and when Melody had a good grip Archer eased the mare into a run and let her at it as long as he dared. When she tired, they would get off and walk, sleep for the night and being the cycle again in the morning.
 
"I know," she said. But she still felt incredibly guilty. She held on tighter as he started making the mare run.
 
((Sorry. Pinterest lol))


Archer kept the mare at a run for as long as he could, then they got off and walked, and finally stopped in a small village where they were able to find lodgings and sell one of his jewels in a more legitimate fashion so as to avoid attention. It would give them enough funds to continue on.
 
((It's fine, got off last night anyways))


When they were on the road again, she sighed softly. "Archer...what if, we do save Lucius, but I wouldn't be able to leave the palace again? She knew that Lucius would be reassigned to her if this worked as well as a few other guards and no doubt they would be posted in her room while she slept and there was no way for her to get Lucius alone.
 
Archer shook his head and just kept his eyes forward, not wanting to look at her because he was thinking and needed to be focused. "We'll figure something out. . . Worse comes to worse, Lu can pull you through his shadows." He smiled faintly. "Then you'll know why it's so creepy."
 
She chuckled a bit and smiled softly. She was curious what it was like to go through his shadows. She rested her cheek against his back as he continued to ride, being quiet now, so he could concentrate. She was just really worried.
 
((I'm so sorry -_- I keep disappearing on you. I was trying to finish making these really good cupcakes my dad likes before he gets home. If you could please do the skip I would be really grateful. I'm trying to finish a project for a friend))
 
((Okay then and it is fine ^_^ ))


Finally, the castle came in sight and Melody grew very nervous. She hoped she could really pull off lying to her parents. When they came to a stop, she rushed into the castle, into the throne room, making sure that Archer was allowed to follow her. When her parents caught sight of her, they ran to her and embraced her. "I'm so sorry that we entrusted your care to that...that..." her father seemed almost disgusted to say his name.


"What do you mean father?" she asked him.


"Oh, did he hurt you?" her mother asked. "And look at your hair!"


"No," she said. "Lucius saved me before the mage could do any harm," she said in a convincing tone.


"Mage?" her parents asked, astounded and confused. "What mage?"


Her father looked up and saw Archer standing there. "And who's he?"


"Well, when I couldn't find Lucius, I had to find someone else to give me a ride back and he was generous and kind enough to do so," she said.
 
Before arriving at the castle, Archer bought clothes appropriate for his role, and had slipped into the persona even before they'd reached the castle. When he played a part, he played it well, and his body language, expression and movements all suggested he was who he was supposed to be - a normal, everyday citizen, timid and nervous about being inside the castle. He let one of the guards take the mare, hoping they wouldn't recognize her since she wasn't branded, and followed a few steps behind Melody on the way in.


When she spoke to her parents, he stayed back, shuffling his feet and fiddling with a sleeve as if he didn't know what to do with his hands. He flinched when attention was brought to him, but took off his hat respectfully in both hands, wringing it a bit with 'nerves'. "Y-Your highness. . ." He greeted, giving a small, uncertain bow. He'd been paid to bring her here after all, the necklace in his bag though he had hidden his jewels away at the outskirts of town, so he couldn't act too confident or too righteous about helping her.
 
Archer was a much better actor than she was, but at least her parents were believing it. "What mage?" her mother asked again.


"Well," she started. "The night I was kidnapped, I had stepped to the window to look out and the next thing I knew, this aura was surrounding me. I called out for help and Lucius grabbed onto me and the next thing I knew, we were...somewhere else, like a dungeon....or a cave...I can't really describe it. It was just really dark and there was hardly any light. I was scared to death," she said and she made herself shake a bit too, as if remembering was the most horrible thing in the world.


"I don't know how he did it, but he got us out of there. Then, when we made it to this town that was on the way back home, he went in look for work so he could get some money to make it the rest of the way. I was staying in the inn when I saw the palace guards and when I went to go and find and greet them, I saw them taking Lucius away and I grew scared and frightened. That's when I hired him to bring me home because I wanted to tell you that Lucius did nothing wrong," she said.
 
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