Aura (10 page)

"I can do it for you if you wish."  Aura offered though her heart was not into the project.  She was tired, she realized, and she knew she was not quite up to it at the moment.
"You can write?"  Vernon asked in surprise.
"Of course, that is a silly question, that is the first thing they teach in school."  Her eyes widened, as she perceived the error in what she had said.  She corrected herself by asking a leading question.  "They do have schools to teach the people here, do they not?"
"Only the ones who can afford tutors learn to read and write, unless they are of a religious order.  In that case they learn how to read and write in the monasteries."
Aura shook her head, then said:  "I am afraid I have been very sheltered.  I have never considered what life as an illiterate might be like.  This Lord Thorn, which you seem to think so well of, can he read?"
"Yes.  He is well respected and honored.  He is a great warrior and leader of men.  I am proud to say I consider him a close friend.”  Vernon rambled on.  Then, as he rode in silence for a while, aware of her weight against him, he looked down, to find that she had fallen asleep.  He did not know when, but she must have been about ready to collapse when he had found her.  It took a lot to fall asleep on a horse, or, at least, it always had for him.  He rode into the camp and called to his aide.
"Get the Lady Aura's bedding from her horse, set it out then come and get her.  Place her where she would ordinarily sleep then call her wolf to her side.  That animal must be wondering what has happened to her to keep her from him so long.  I assume you know how to call him as she does."
“Yes Sire,” the aide replied.  He did as he was told and after putting her into her bed he called the wolf.  When Aura and the wolf settled he grabbed her knapsack to take it to Vernon, to show him the contents.
"Sire, I think you would be interested to see what she has in here."
"Indeed and why would I be interested in female clothing?"
"Just look sire, you will understand.  She has many interesting things.  Some familiar, some not."  The aide gave him the bag, then left.
Vernon was not pleased that the aide had gone through Aura’s things, but he could hardly fault the man’s curiosity.  He had wondered about her often enough himself.  During his search through her possessions Vernon came across undergarments and slacks.  He had seen her wear slacks before so they were nothing to be concerned with. 
He brought out a flat box that he eventually managed to open to reveal a necklace of diamonds and amethysts.  He did a detailed study of the craftsmanship that must have been used to make the jewels and his brows puckered in thought.  They were of a higher quality than any he had ever seen before.  That made him believe even more that she had to have come from a very wealthy and powerful family.  Why had they not come looking for her?  The question caused him a moment of concern, but not for long.  There were many families that had disappeared through war at one time or another, perhaps that is what happened to hers.  Maybe that was why she seemed so lost.
Vernon picked out another item from the bottom of the bag.  A dress.  The gown was pure white, which would have been startling before he had seen the jewels, or before he had gotten to meet her.  Knowing her, however, he no longer found anything surprising about her possessions, even when it came to a piece of clothing so white that it almost hurt the eyes to look at it.  The material, he noted, as he fingered it, was strange.  Pliant and soft to the touch, yet resisting wrinkling and crushing, it was unlike anything he had even seen before.  Could she be a princess from another land?  No, he decided, she had none of the airs of a Princess, but he resolved to keep her at court anyway.  Somehow.  He understood that his plans would not be well received by her.  That would cause problems, but nothing he couldn’t handle.
He gave her position more thought then decided that he would have to do some careful planning on whom he would choose for her to wed, especially if he was to keep her close.   Nor would just any man do.  First, he would have to get her to court, to see whom; amongst his peers, she would suit.  He refused to think of giving her to just anybody.  She deserved better than that.

Vernon was frustrated.
  He had wanted to leave for home a few days after the battle had ended. He also wanted Aura to go with him, which she had refused to do.  He had taken her refusal to do as he said as a challenge to his authority.  That made her an even greater problem than the advancing forces had been.  He was not impressed with how she had stubbornly decided that as she had stitched up so many men she would like to remain to see the sutures removed at the very least.  It took him almost two weeks to talk her into leaving. By then even the enemy had come to love and respect the girl who had saved their lives, and to fear the wolf that walked by her side as her protector.
Despite Vernon's own distrust of the wolf he silently blessed the beast every time he noticed a man watch Aura with a gleam in his eye that could have meant trouble.  He understood very well what was going through the minds of the men, for he could identify with it very well.  He was not immune to her charms himself.  The ride from the battlefield with her cradled against his body had proved that only too well and he had decided it was just as well that she had fallen asleep when she had.
Aura had proved stubborn beyond Vernon's every belief, as he had tried to break her resolve to see the last man on his way.  He felt she was forgetting who was in charge.  He put his foot down as he noted her exhausted return to the camp after a hard day and another of her famous disappearing acts, from which she always returned damp.
"Aura," Vernon snapped out his order.  "Tomorrow we ride for home whether this last man is able or not.  There are enough people here to see to his comfort.  I have work to do and can no longer wait for you to decide it is time to leave."
"Then go without me," Aura retorted, sounding petulant.  "I never said I wanted to travel with you for the rest of my life.  In fact, it is time, and more, that Wolf and I returned to our own home.  We have work to do there as well."
Home, Vernon sniffed as he remembered the cave she had told him about that had served as a home for her.
"If you think for a moment that I am about to leave you go back to your hole in the ground you are sadly mistaken.  You travel with me at dawn, by your own free will, or otherwise.  The choice is yours, but you will be with me when we leave."
Aura nodded and replied.  "I understand," and she did.  The choice was hers all right, she thought sarcastically.  She either rode beside him as she had while he had headed to battle, or he would take her along by putting her under guard.  She understood it was time for her to pack up her belongings and leave.  The mare had been given to her by Vernon, and she decided she would take the creature with her.
She decided she would leave in the middle of the night.
It was the first time Aura was to underestimate Vernon's powers of perception.  He had seen her reluctance to accompany him to court, and he resolved that she would not disappear into the countryside.
"Who goes there?" A voice quizzed her from the darkness.
She stopped moving, hoping the man would be deceived by the silence.  He was not.  He approached her with a torch held high in one hand, and a sword held in the other.
"Oh, it is you."  He commented as he sheathed his sword.  "Vernon told us that you might try to leave during the night.  He said you were not to be allowed to leave the camp."
"What!"  Aura feigned outrage, hoping to bluff her way through his guard.  "I am filthy and am not even allowed to find a private place to wash?"
The man was clearly not impressed.  He distinctly remembered her returning from bathing earlier in the evening.  "You bathe too much anyway.  Why anyone would want to wash one to two times a day is beyond me.  Besides, we have our orders."
Aura frowned then decided to make a break for it.  Wolf could catch up with her later.  He had gone roaming earlier and had not yet returned.  She could not afford to wait.  As the man was on foot and she probably would never get another chance like this she nudged her horse with her foot.  It took off at a gallop.  The guard let out a yell as she went past him and two other guards appeared to give chase.
It had to have been one of the shortest chases on record, Aura decided, as a mere five minutes later a hand reached out to pull her mount to a stop.  He had pursued her from the boundaries of the camp, as Vernon had instructed, and he now smiled with smug satisfaction as he took possession of her reigns.
Aura, in a determined effort to get away no matter the cost, threw her leg over the horse and dropped off of its back to attempt the rest of her escape on foot.  She did not get far that way either as she was scooped up to be placed in front of a second pursuer.  She twisted and slipped from the man's grasp, and landed on the ground to dart off again.
"I thought you could handle women Alex."  Edwin's taunt cut through the air, echoing his amusement.
Alex said nothing as he chased her down again then dropped from his horse to corner her.  "I have her Edwin."
Edwin came riding towards them with a smirk on his face and listened as she growled a warning at Alex, who stood directly before her.  "Touch me and you are a dead man."
"Leave you go and we are dead is what you mean.  We have been ordered to make sure that you do not go missing during the night.  Vernon thought you might try something like this.  Also, we all have noticed, your wolf went off somewhere on his own earlier, so you cannot count on him for protection.  Now, be a good girl and come along peacefully so we can go back and get some sleep tonight.  Tomorrow is going to be a long day."
He held out his hand to take hers and she glared at him then kicked out, her foot landing right on target.  She turned to run again, only to find herself being hoisted up onto Edwin's horse, laying stomach first over the beast’s back looking down at the ground below.
Edwin could hardly contain his laughter as he watched his friend doubled over on the ground and he taunted, reminding him of words spoken earlier.  "She should not cause any problems, after all, she is just a girl.  Is that not right Alex?"
"If she were not under Vernon's protection I would gladly kill her."  Alex growled back, his voice thick with pain.
Aura squirmed, hoping to get lucky and escape as she had earlier.  She found it impossible.  Edwin held on to her by the belt that held up her pants and her struggles only made his grasp tighten.  She tried, as a last resource, to exercise a little charm, hoping that, if nothing else, he would allow her a dignified form of surrender.
"If I promise to be good would you let me ride my own horse with some dignity?"
"You do not deserve dignity Aura and you are not about to get it from me right now.  You have cost me a half a night sleep, and this before we set out on a trip that should take a couple of days.  Do not expect any understanding from me."
Aura gave a metal sigh as she decided to accept her fate, at least for the moment.  She was in no position to argue.  Perhaps he would rethink his decision before he got back to camp.
Much to her humiliation he refused to allow her even a semblance of dignity, not even to sit upright before him as they rode through camp to her usual sleeping place.  When they reached their destination he further humiliated her by dumping her unceremoniously on the ground.  Alex threw her bedroll at her without dismounting then rode off, leading her mare behind him.  Edwin spoke to her from the back of his horse.
"Do I have your word that you will stay in place, or do I have to tie you up?"
"Wolf would never let you do it."  Aura snipped back as her pet returned from his travels.
Edwin's mouth formed a sneer as he growled back.  "I would not threaten me with your wolf if I were you.  It would hardly be the first time I have ever killed a wolf.  In fact, with the way I feel at the moment I might even welcome the opportunity to do away with the bothersome animal."
"I shall cause you no further trouble," Aura assured him in a subdued voice.  The last thing she needed was to lose her wolf.  He was her only true form of protection. 
"I am glad to hear it."  Edwin replied sounding sarcastic.  "Now, how long can I count on you to keep your promise?"  The woman was crafty, and Edwin was unsure whether to be amused or wary of this sudden change in her.  He had the feeling that she was capable of going back on her word, but for some reason he knew she would not.  He decided to give her the benefit of the doubt and call it a night, as he hoped for the best.
True to her word, Aura curled herself up into her makeshift bed, and woke with the breaking of camp.  She drowsily roused herself and packed her things before settling down with a brush to take care of her hair.  She let her hair down then began to brush it with long quick, practiced strokes.
Vernon, who had been busy with his own chores, stopped as he noticed her for the first time with her hair hanging loose about her and blinked twice as if to clear his vision.  She looked like a different woman, softer, even beautiful.  Why would she wish to hide such beauty?  Perhaps he should find a way to present her to his Lords as he viewed her now?  Perhaps he could even get her to wear a dress.  In the proper gown he was sure she would be one of the most beautiful women at court.  He would have no trouble finding her a husband willing to keep her close.  Of course to do this he would have to find her a man who preferred court life to his own home.  A man who would keep her occupied at night and give her a half a dozen children to serve as an anchor, that, he decided would be the easy part.  He did not like her bolting as she had done last night, when things were not to her liking.  The next time she ran he might not be so lucky in catching her.
Aura noticed Vernon watching her with a calculated glint in his eyes, and she quickly braided her hair with deft fingers.  She noted the disappointment written on his face, and guessing part of what was on his mind, asked.  "Is it time to go already?"
He nodded in silence then motioned for a boy to have her horse brought forward.  She took the reigns, mounted her horse and nodded her readiness to begin their journey.
"There are going to be a few changes for you to get used to when you get to court.  Aura, dresses are worn by ladies at all times.  You will be expected to conform.  You do have a dress I assume?"
"Only one, and it is not a dress anyone would wear for everyday.  Is there a place where I can purchase some clothing?"
"We will stop so you can buy some materials along the way.  Dresses can be made for you either in the city that we stop in, or at our destination.  There will be a banquet held in celebration of our victory.  That will give you an opportunity to wear that gown you think so special.  From what I understand we defeated the main forces of our enemies.  The clean up of the fields after battle is the responsibility of the Lords.  It is the duty of those men to keep their lands safe."
"What do you have in mind for me that you tell me of this in such a painstakingly detailed manner?  Or is that supposed to be a secret?"  Aura asked, hoping to catch him off guard with the directness of the question.
"How do you know I have anything in mind for you, or would even consider you worthy of schemes?"  Vernon replied evasively, refusing to be taken advantage of by a mere girl when he had just won a major battle.
"Vernon, do not insult my intelligence.  If you had no plans for me you would never have put me under guard.  You would have let me go home to my cave as I had wanted to do in the first place."
"What would you say if I told you that I had not made any firm decisions?"
"I would say that you were being evasive." Aura answered back.
"Evasive?"  Vernon repeated, he had never heard the word before and wondered what she meant.
"It means that you do not want to answer the question, so you just give a weak excuse, hoping to shut me up."  Aura answered with embarrassing perception.
Vernon, not willing to let her see how her speech affected him and how it made him feel inadequate, laughed then confessed.  "It might be a consideration with anyone else but you.  To be perfectly honest Aura, I would like to keep you close at hand.  You are intelligent and quick, I like that.  I think we could learn a lot from each other.  I must admit I have not yet figured out how to keep you near, not without locking you up.  You do not react as a normal woman would."
"So who said I was normal?"  Aura sniffed,
Vernon laughed and conceded.  "True, you are not like any other woman I have ever met."
Aura grew silent after that remark, and remained that way until the next day, when he led the troop into a small town.  After the entourage had settled he led her to a little shop full of a variety of materials.  He was recognized immediately and the owner rushed to his side to fall on his knees before him.
"Sire, we welcome your patronage."
"Rise Ephraim, I bring you a Lady who wishes to buy some cloth, it is she, rather than I, that you should be on your knees to."
The storekeeper rose and bowed to her.  "In what way might I be of service my lady?"
"I am looking for materials for some new dresses.  Vernon tells me that my state of attire is inappropriate for the company he keeps."
"Ladies do not dress in clothing meant for men." Ephraim informed her with a disgusted sniff.
"Where I come from they do, if they want to.  However, if nobody else does then I must not either."  Aura replied.
The man looked at Vernon in confusion.  He had thought Aura was Vernon's mistress, but her words gave him a different impression.  Knowing better than to pry any further, the man turned his attention back to his business as he asked.
"What would you like me to show you?"
"Your best."  Aura answered simply.  After all she was not about to walk about dressed in a shabby fashion.  It was just not her way.