June woke up feeling sore.
Her back and neck were sore, as well as her arms and legs, for she was lying curled on her side, in a narrow bed with a thin cushion that made her whole body feel... yes, very sore.
Her right arm, particularly so.
She groaned and tried to stretch her legs, ending up kicking a wooden wall.
Suddenly, the whole room was shaking.
"Stupid woman! Why can't you just stay still!?" came an angry voice from the floor, followed by several expletives.
"Wha–?!"
June was so surprised that she sat bold upright.
The room began to sway even more.
"What did I just tell you?!" yelled the angry voice once more.
"Nell, please don't yell at her, you're just scaring her."
"Who... wha... where am I?!" June blurted out.
"It's just us, Prince Simon and my friend Nell the novice priest," Simon told her. "We found you hiding underneath the carriage seat yesterday. You were unconscious and bleeding, and we're currently in a carriage in the Eastern part of the Twilight forest."
"Twilight forest?" she asked, still feeling disoriented. "You mean... it wasn't all just a dream?!"
After some introductions and Nell healing Lady June's right arm once more, the three decided to have some breakfast before making plans for that day.
"So, Prince Simon, you're saying that you were betrayed by your treacherous brother, Juno, the first crown prince?" Lady June asked Simon who nodded solemnly. "And we were helped by one of the nights who probably died doing so, and now, we have fallen into the Twilight forest?"
"And the Twilight forest being a natural basin surrounded by steep cliffs, it would be hard to get out, unless we can reach one of the official gates guarded by soldiers from the empire," said Simon.
"If we can find one," June added. "The whole of Twilight forest is actually the massivecrater of an ancient volcano,and Twilight mountain in the middle is where the peak of the dormant volcano is located,"she continued. "They say the size of the forest can fit the whole capital inside it, six times over."
"Is that so?" Simon looked surprised. "I had no idea it was that vast!"
"We would have to look for the forest's edge and follow the cliff walls until we come to an official gate and climb back up to return to the Royal Highway," June said thoughtfully.
"Sounds good to me," said Nell, chewing on a piece of beef jerky.
"So, can you tell us why you were hiding underneath the seat, Lady June?" Simon asked her.
"I have always wanted to go to the Royal Academy," Lady June confessed, her cheeks reddening as she averting her eyes. "My father is adamant about me leaving our home, so I came up with this plan when you told me that you were leaving for the capital," she explained. "This is the only way I can go there."
"So, you run away from home and stuffed yourself inside our carriage, getting rid of my half of the luggage, just so that you can fit your big ass inside?" Nell asked her with irritation.
"Look, I'm sorry I got rid of your luggage, okay?" June frowned at him. "I promise to make it up to you, I have enough money with me, I'll just buy you new clothes when we get to the nearest town!"
"Well good fuckn' luck, gettin' there, then!" Nell snapped at her.
June stared at him with a pout, then faced Simon.
"Are you sure that's a healing priest in training?" she asked, pointing ar Nell with her thumb.
"Yes, well, he did heal your wounds, didn't he?" Simon replied with a nervous laugh.
"That's right, you may be a bratty kid with a foul mouth, but you're a decent healer," she frowned at Nell.
'I guess I can't blame him,' she told herself. 'I did get rid of his luggage.'
She watched as Simon tried to pacify the novice priest. He looked about 12 years old or so, with very fair skin and close cropped platinum blond hair. His honey brown eyes burned with anger and his face looked sour, but he still looked beautiful in his white robe, even though it was quite stained.
"So, what are our plans now?" she asked her companions.
"I noticed that the horses' reins are still connected to the carriage," said Simon. "We could use it to lower ourselves to the ground."
"Good, then why don't we–"
June stood up, causing the carriage to shake once again.
Nell was suddenly throwing curses at her again.
"The fuck! How many times do I need to tell you to keep still?! Why don't you just sit your big ass down before we all fall to our deaths?!" he yelled.
"Well excuse me for trying to help!" June snapped back.
"Why don't you two just stay still while I check out the reins?" Simon went between them.
"Yeah, you better do it, before this clumsy woman kills us all!" Nell retorted.
'Hold it in, June, hold it in!' June told herself while massaging her temples. 'Just be glad that you're alive and far away from your tyrant of a father.'
"Oh, good, we're not that far from the ground, after all," she heard Simon call from the driver's seat. "It seems that the carriage is wedged snugly between two thick branches, I'm sure it won't fall off that easily."
"See?!" she told Nell.
"Hmph."
The pouting kid simply left the carriage and held on the sides to follow Simon on the driver seat.
"You should go down with Nell, too, Lady June," Simon told her as he entered the carriage once more.
"What about you?"
"I'll take our bags first before leaving."
June made her way out the carriage.
She found it quite hard to hold on to the reins hanging from the driver's seat, particularly since the carriage wobbled a bit while she was descending it, but like Simon said, it was wedged quite securely and was supported by several leafy branches on both sides. In fact, you could hardly see the carriage from the bottom since the foliage as so thick, only the hanging leather reins gave away its position.
"Need help?" Nell asked, picking his nose as he watched her dangling in mid air.
"I-I can manage," June said stubbornly before letting go and dropping butt first on the ground.
Good thing she used a cushioning buff on herself.
In fact, she could have easily lowered herself on the ground, but she chose not to do so.
She has no intention of showing these two men what she was capable of.
You see, June grew up under her overprotective father's supervision.
She lost her mother when she was only three and could hardly remember her, but she have known all her life how men treat women, especially in their backwater kingdom that was so caught up in its old ways, that going against tradition is considered a sin punishable by death.
"Have you gone down, Lady June?" Simon called out to her from above.
"Yes, your Highness," June replied.
"Can you please clear out from beneath the carriage so I can drop some of our stuff down?"
June stepped aside and stood beside the tree's huge trunk, while Nell decided to look around the place.
Simon then proceeded to drop their bags down, followed by folded blankets, and even the seat's cushions.
"Is that all of it?" asked June when nothing more seemed to be dropping from above.
"Wait... do you mind moving the bags to one side?"
June did just that and was surprised when a large sword dropped down flat on the ground.
"My goodness! What is that?!" June exclaimed. "Is that your sword?"
"Yes, it's my bastard sword, the royal blacksmith personally made it for me!" Simon said proudly as he landed on the ground next to his sword.
"That's a bastard sword?" June's brows furrowed. "A bastard sword is meant to be held in one hand with the aid of the other, that's why it's called a hand and a half sword!" she said in a lecturing voice. "It should measure about 45 inches, but that sword is aboutfive feet long and – " June suddenly stopped herself from talking. "Ehem... anyway... it looks more like a two-handedclaymore!"
"Well, I wanted to have a bastard sword like the Golden Hero of legend, so..."
"But isn't it too big for you?" June stared at Simon's thin arms.
"Don't worry, I'm used to it."
Upon saying that, Simon picked up the sword in one hand and made a straight downward slash.
"I've trained real hard to wield this sword," he said shyly, "as you can see, I can pick it up properly, now!"
Lady June felt her face redden.
Of course, Prince Simon would be able to wield his sword! Who was she to question the kingdom's hero?
She quickly bowed her head to apologized.
"I-I beg your pardon, Prince Simon," she said, "I have crossed the line by doubting your highness' capabilities..."
"Oh, you don't need to worry, I don't really mind, and please, just call me Simon, we're no longer in the Castle, after all..."
"Then, please simply address me as June," she replied with her head still bowed.
"Okay then, June, please raise your head."
"Yes, Simon..."
"Are you two finished flirting?"
Nell's voice called from behind them.
June felt her face burn.
She quickly faced the boy with an irritating look on her face.
"We're not flirting! I was simply–"
"Oh, wow, is that your bastard sword?!" Nell suddenly cut her off. "Can I see it?!"
"O-of course!" said Simon whose face have also turned red.
"Wow! How come you never showed me your sword before?" Nell asked him while fussing around the sword.
"I couldn't use it while I was injured," said he. "Also, the royal blacksmith had to fix it after my battle with the behemoth. It got quite chipped and cracked back then."
"Woah! It's just like the Golden Hero's sword!" exclaimed Nell who touched its hilt and tried to lift it with both hands.
It hardly moved an inch.
"Anyway, I think it's time we take a look around the area," said Simon as he lifted the bastard sword and placed it in a guard on his back.
"Are you taking the sword with you?" June asked him.
"We might encounter some wild animals along our way..."
"Also monsters and demons!" added Nell, "They say the old Demon king's men were forced to jump the cliffs of the south-western edge of the Twilight Forest 20 years ago. They've been in hiding here since then."
"But... it looks so heavy!" June looked at Simon's slim body once more. She just couldn't help but worry about the puny prince.
"Don't worry, I'm used to carrying my sword," replied Simon with a smile.
"What about the bags? There's three in total, since someone threw mine away," Nell said, glaring at June.
"I can carry my bag, can you carry the other one with supplies inside, Nell?" Simon looked at June. "I can carry your bag too if..."
"I can carry my own stuff, thank you!" June quickly said, raising her bag from the ground.
She has no plans of becoming a burden, just because she was a girl.
June's bag was quite heavy due to a couple of thick books hidden underneath her clothes. She looked sideways at her two companions and secretly whispered a quick spell to lighten her load.
'There much better,' she said to herself.
She looked at Simon again, thinking of helping him with his sword, but she mustn't blow her cover.
No one must know about her abilities before she reaches the Royal Academy.
============
Go to Part 59
============