Free The Lord Son's Travels by Emma Mickley Page B

stepped to the farthest edge of the firelight.   Brendan and Adrien watched her in
concern.
    "I
can't even find the Big Dipper!" she exclaimed.   She whirled around as her eyes remained locked on the
display of lights above her.   She
raised her hand to her mouth, nervously biting at the tip of her thumb.  
    "My
Lady," Brendan eased behind her, worried that her anxious spinning might
cause her to fall.   He laid a
gentle hand on her shoulder.  
    Elenna
turned to face Brendan.   "Did
you ever notice the stars seem to make pictures?   Do your people do that?"   Brendan nodded as she pointed to the sky.   "So do my people.   If I was still in the same place, the
pictures would be the same.   But I
can't find anything familiar up there.   No Orion, or Cassiopeia, or Taurus.   I can't even find the Southern Cross."   She was babbling now, words flying out
at a frantic place.   "I don't
even know if I'm on Earth anymore!   But you speak English!"   Brendan tightened his hold on her shoulder as the full impact of her
dilemma hit Elenna.   She still
searched high, pulling away from his grasp and stepping even further out into
the dark.   Brendan turned to his
partner, his eyes dark with worry.   Adrien shrugged.
    "My
Lady," he called, stepping around the fire to come after her.   His voice seemed surprisingly gentle to
Elenna, who whirled around at the sound.   "We will help you seek your home.   I don't know how to return you, but we will find who
can.   Until then you must travel
with us." Elenna nodded slowly.   She took a deep breath and calmed herself.   Meekly she returned to her seat, a little embarrassed by her
emotional outburst.   She refused to
peer up again into the mysterious sky, but morosely gulped the rest of her cup
of water while staring into the fire.   Brendan returned to the clean-up process.   Adrien moved to a seat near the stranger.  
    "We
travel at night, my Lady," he said.   "Can you ride a horse well enough to manage for an evening?"
      She nodded.   "I've been on long rides before."   She searched around the camp to still
see only two mounts tethered to a tree.   He followed her eyes.  
    "You'll
ride with me on my horse.   He's a
good mount, willing and able to take a second rider.   If there is anything you will need from your bag as we ride
this evening, you should remove it now.”
    "Yes!"
said Elenna, brightening at the mention of her bag.   She grasped the pack and eagerly pawed through its contents.   She didn’t offer any view of the
objects inside.   What Adrien could
see over her shoulder was unrecognizable.   He watched her fondle the exotic objects from her bag, and the faraway
look that had entered her eyes.   His gaze narrowed suspiciously as a faint smile crossed her
lips.   Whatever was in that bag had
given her confidence.   He would
manage to slip it away from her and check its contents later, and maybe answer
some of the questions she posed.
    "Do
you have a change of clothes?" was all he asked now, replacing the
suspicious thoughts in his brain with more mundane concerns.   "Your current dress is not very...
warm."
    "No,
I didn't pack very well for this excursion," Elenna agreed, glancing down
at her clothes.   "And I'll go
out on a limb here and say you don't have any women's clothes with you,
either."   He shrugged.
    "We'll
find you appropriate wear in the village.   For now, keep the cloak.   I
have a spare."   Elenna
stretched her arms behind her back and yawned.   Adrien pulled his spare cloak from his saddlebag and pulled
it around his shoulders.   Elenna
handed him her bag to include with the rest of the baggage and waited patiently
for the men to finish their preparations.   Brendan doused the fire, plunging them into sudden darkness. Before her
eyes had a chance to adjust, Elenna could only hear her new companions as they
bantered ideas of the road ahead.   She could already recognize the friendly notes of Brendan's