After a few minutes, the group set off down the track towards a large corps of trees. Inside the trees there were horses tethered and looking annoyed.
She immediately went still at the sight of the horses and one rolled an eye in her direction, the whites beginning to show.
She took a quick step back and Epharis stopped, looking at her curiously.
"Horses don't like me," she said as a way of explanation. She wasn't lying, the horses were getting anxious the longer she stood nearby.
"What? Why not?" he asked, looking baffled.
"Same reason I expect Catherine isn't here. They can smell predator."
The further back she moved, the calmer the horses became but they were all watching her now.
"I'll run, you go."
Epharis looked doubtful and a little annoyed at the speed loss, but that only amused her. Removing her boots, she threw them at him and grinned, then set off at a sprint in the direction of Ayathian.
The group had to try and keep up, only Catherine able to keep pace with her.
The two bounded ahead, leaping from boulders and fallen trees as they raced.
She felt every muscle in her body singing in joy at the freedom and she laughed when Catherine began to howl her own pleasure at the run.
They had to backtrack a bit when the group decided to stop for the night, finding a place to set up camp with the horses far enough away that she and Catherine wouldn't spook them.
Skidding to a stop, she turned on Catherine with a wild grin.
"Beat you, fur face."
Catherine snapped at her, but there was no actual malice in the move, instead she sulked by the fire.
Epharis had made a place for Etani, and she moved automatically to sit beside him, his arm protective around her.
"What happened at Weorene?" Alaric asked and she looked up.
"Everything seemed fine at first, They were celebrating Yish, but then he said that I should stay as it would be safer, that war would be coming to Ayathian. He said we would be his honoured guest and they tried to capture us. We were only there for two days and we fled. We didn't get the chance to have any talks, nothing."
Alaric hung on her every word, Epharis's hand had crept down and was resting against her stomach, stroking her swelling belly through her vest.
Aelen was listening, but his focus was on the fire. The second elf had decided to leave them halfway along the day and the vampire was sitting alone, staring into the distance at nothing.
When everyone had eaten except Etani and Epharis, they settled down to sleep.
At his request, she lowered herself down onto Epharis's cloak and fell asleep quickly, before everyone else. The vampire offering to stay awake and watch over the group as a guard.
***
The sun woke them early the next day and they quickly packed everything up and headed off again, this time she and Catherine stuck nearby to the group, circling around and around as a lookout for the king and prince.
Really, it had been stupid for them both to come looking for her, a risk she wasn't worth, but she was glad they had saved her. She didn't think for even a second that it was over between her and Winter, but for now she was safe.
They reached Ayathian late that night, deciding to slow down to a walk and continue by moonlight rather than sleeping again when they were so close. She estimated it was past midnight, but not yet near dawn.
Coming to a stop at the outcropping she had stood on that very first day, she studied the city and then the group, realising how different things were between now and then.
She had been so empty, lonely and hungry.
She was still all those things, but she also had those people who were approaching. And she had the tiny life that was growing inside her.
Shaking off her thoughts, she dropped down off the outcropping and started down the path, Catherine joining her only a minute later.
"I enjoyed our run. Perhaps we could do it more often," she said to the giant canine.
Catherine huffed and her head nodded, giving Etani a hard shoulder bump that sent her crashing into a bush. It was on and she was after the wolf in a second.
Catching up, she slapped the wolf on the shoulder and bolted in the other direction, changing course when the group got near.
Coming to a stop, she thought she had seen something, or rather someone standing on the outcropping above them, but when she looked again there was nothing.
Heading back up the hill, she paused and looked around but there seemed to be no hint of anyone or anything around, not even a footprint in the dirt.
'You see?' she thought to Letari.
'Stranger, not threatening,' the other voice thought back vaguely, evidently more interested in something else.
Shrugging it off, she headed back down and joined the group who were dismounting.
As soon as he was off his horse, Epharis was on her with concern.
"Did you get hurt? I'll skin her alive," he snarled. She assumed he was referring to Catherine and she shook her head in frustration.
"I'm fine, I'm a capable person, Epharis. I don't need to be treated like a delicate doll."
Turning back to the hill, she saw it then, the man standing there with faintly glowing blue eyes. He was watching them and when he saw her attention on him, he quickly turned away and vanished.
She didn't feel malice coming from him, but she couldn't be entirely sure.
Allowing Epharis to pull her along, she watched the spot but the man didn't appear again.
Approaching the castle, she allowed the men to lead the way inside, Epharis only lingering long enough to kiss her hard on the mouth, causing her to jerk back. His fingers were tangled in her hair, keeping her from escaping but he released her quickly, leaving for his room.
Staring after him, she shook her head and turned back to see Alaric and the vampire both watching her.
Deciding to ignore them both, she headed in the direction of her rooms, just glad to be back where she belonged.
She was most of the way to her rooms when the vampire caught up to her and she spun on him.
He jerked back with reflexes on par with her own and looked first irritated then amused.
"My apologies, I only wished to speak with you," he said.
It was the first time she had heard him speak above more than a whisper. His voice was a low purr that fitted him, his voice sounding equal parts sexual and dangerous. The pros of being a vampire.
"I heard from the twins about you."
"What did you hear?" she asked warily.
"You are an assassin by trade, skilled in fighting, potions and arcane magic?"
She nodded once, not sure what he was getting at.
"I wish you to train me," he said simply and her eyebrows rose. "I need to know how to defend myself, you see, I'm the Vampire King."