Free Kethril by John H. Carroll Page A

conscious this
time, and it was really, really beautiful because you and the
flowers are beautiful and you work together.”
    Everyone stared at him and tried to digest
all of his words. He looked around and decided to clarify. “It was
like that one time, only different.”
    Tathan shook the confusion out of his head.
“So after that, the spirits were gone. It took us a minute to
realize it and Anilyia was yelling at you to wake up. She said you
did for a moment but passed out.” Tathan motioned toward the
princess. “After that, it was all quiet. We traveled through the
night even after leaving the Willden and didn’t stop until midday.
At night we traveled again until we got here.”
    “And it won’t be soon enough before we
leave.” Anilyia’s arms were crossed and it was evident she was mad.
She didn’t seem to be the only one with that sentiment.
    “What’s wrong?” Liselle asked.
    Tathan rubbed his face. “We’re in an
abandoned house away from town. The townspeople saw you were sick
after coming from the forest and they weren’t willing to take a
chance you might bring disease.” His jaw was set in anger. “Their
healer wouldn’t even come out, so she sent her assistant Ponella,
who couldn’t wait to get out of here. They asked us to leave as
soon as possible. A few wanted to try to force us out, but realized
that would be a bad idea when Sir Danth and I drew our swords.”
    “Tathan . . .” Liselle frowned at him
disapprovingly.
    “Don’t judge me, Cousin,” he replied with a
gentle smile. “You needed rest. This house has been abandoned for a
long time and it’s a good ways away from the forest. Sir Danth said
there are no spirits around and I believe him. It sounds like they
might be trapped in the Willden.”
    “That would account for the stories of the
forest being haunted.” Liselle felt better with the food in her
belly, but her body was exhausted. It was taking all her effort to
keep her eyelids open. “Can I at least sleep until morning? I’m so
tired.”
    “Yes, of course.” Tathan stood, kissed her
forehead and went outside, followed closely by the princess. Vevin
lay down next to her and fell asleep too. Sir Danth gave Tathan and
Anilyia a minute to leave before going outside as well. Liselle was
asleep by that time.
     

Chapter 6
     
    Anilyia had left Tathan sleeping and gone to
collect her thoughts for a while. She stopped by the murmuring
stream not far away from the cottage. Dim blue light was growing
above the forest in the chill morning air. A few leaves on the
trees she walked through were beginning to turn colors, their leafy
smell carried on a light breeze.
    She was irritated; irritated with the stupid
townsfolk of stupid Rethram, the stupid Willden Forest they had
just left, the stupid Rojuun for keeping her a prisoner, the stupid
agents of stupid Iynath that had kidnapped her, and with her stupid
father for not making her stupid wedding happen years ago.
    More importantly, she didn’t understand how
her companions couldn’t see that Vevin was an evil dragon. Purple
and black dragons were evil while white and orange dragons were
good. Anilyia was also irritated by how mad Vevin and Tathan were
with Sir Danth. It wasn’t his fault that his entire civilization
had died and was now haunting the stupid forest. How did they
expect him to react?
    Worst of all, Princess Anilyia was mad at
herself. She was in love with a thief. That didn’t bother her. It
was fun being with Tathan. What she didn’t like was how she turned
into a love-addled idiot whenever he was around. She couldn’t stop
holding his hand or staring into his eyes.
    Tathan made her feel good when he caressed
her arms, back, legs and . . . She was becoming warm and tingly
again, which irritated her even more. Anilyia was a twenty-year-old
princess adored by her people. Many considered her one of the most
beautiful women ever, yet here she was with an irreverent rogue and
his companions, romping