As we left the tower, Forte stopped Avani. "Avani, are you ready for this? You know that they'll attack as soon as you approach. I want you to be sure you're well-prepared."

Avani put her hand on the knight's shoulder, saying with a smile, "Thank you, Forte, for your concern. You've trained me well, and I think I'm prepared for whatever they throw at me. I wish you could join me, but I know that you are essential to the defense of the town."

Forte looked down at the petite warrior as she turned to Arthur, and her usually harsh expression softened. "'And lo, the student shall become the master, and the master, the student,'" I heard her say in a low voice, speaking as though quoting someone, though I knew not whom. Then she saw me watching her, and she straightened up, turned on her heel, and strode away, once again stern in demeanor.

In the meantime, Arthur was discussing the situation with Avani. I walked up to her and put my arm around her as he was saying, "Well, whether they are attacking the city or not, they nevertheless have invaded our kingdom—the capitol must be warned about this. That must be the first priority; while I would defend Selphia even with my life, nevertheless, I would sooner see the city fall and the kingdom safe than lose everything. So I must report this development to the King immediately."

"But, Arthur—if they should attack! Can't you just... drop me off?" she exclaimed, obviously frustrated by the prince's caution.

"What, on my way to the capitol? No, Avani, I cannot. I will not send you there without the ability to provide you with adequate backup, should you need it."

She opened her mouth to protest again, but he raised his hand to silence her. "No, there's no use in further discussion. I've heard your arguments, and my mind is made up. I suggest you use this time to recover from your most recent battle and to make whatever preparations you deem necessary. I should only be a day or two—three at the most. When I return, you may launch your attack. But not until then. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Your Highness," she hissed through clenched teeth, then with a curt bow, she turned on her heel and stalked back towards the castle. I was surprised that Arthur was so... unperturbed by her insolence.

My face must have betrayed my thoughts, because he smiled when he turned and looked at me, saying, "You're wondering why I don't call her out for insubordination. Well, Leon, partly it's because I'm not as... imperious as most of my kinsmen are, and partly because she really is a fine warrior—though she'd make a terrible soldier. And, too—though I don't know why I'm inclined to tell you this, under the circumstances—it's partly because I'm so deeply attracted to her, despite knowing that she sees me as a prince, not as a mere man."

He turned to look towards the castle, a look of regret on his face. "It's funny, isn't it? Most women would be beside themselves to have a prince fall in love with them. But... not her."

I gave him a sympathetic smile. "But then, Avani isn't most women."

He sighed and smiled ruefully at me. "No. And, paradoxically, that is what I love most about her." He shrugged, then turned and walked back to his offices, leaving me staring thoughtfully after him.

************

I caught up to Avani in her fields a few minutes later. She had very recently expanded her property, and she was clearing her new land with a fury—pulverizing rocks and demolishing tree stumps. I knew the pattern well by now, of course; whenever she was angry or perturbed in spirit, she took out her emotions on inanimate objects. Usually she would hammer away at her forge, but apparently she decided this time to dispel her fury in a more useful manner, rather than simply smashing sword blanks.

I stood leaning against a tree, watching her as she worked out her frustration. Finally, she had cleared the field of every stone or scrap of timber. She flung the last of the dressed stone into her storage bin, then turned back to the bare patch of earth and hurled down her mallet, the force of her throw driving the head deep into the ground. She stood glaring at it, her chest heaving as she panted, gasping for air, wiping sweat from her brow with her grimy arm.

"Feel any better?" I called to her, then quickly sidestepped as she whirled and flung her axe at me, caught off guard and startled. I chuckled as the head of the axe embedded in the tree where I'd been standing a moment before. "As always, My Lady, your reflexes are impeccable. Though your temper perhaps could use a little... well, tempering." I grinned down at her as I strolled over to her.

"Ahh, Leon! You gave me quite a scare there," she said, looking past me at the quivering axe handle.

"The feeling is mutual, I assure you," I replied drily, stroking her hair. "Come on, let's get cleaned up and get some dinner. My treat?"

"Cleaning up, definitely. But I don't want to go to Porcoline's. I'm so mad at Arthur right now, I can hardly see straight—and I sure don't want to risk running into him at dinner."

"Hmmm, yes, I see your point. Well, then. How about we go have a bath and a bite to eat at the inn, then return home for some additional refreshments?" I said, running my hand down her back. "After all, that, too, is an excellent way to... expend excess energy." I leaned down and kissed her, savoring the saltiness of her mouth and neck. She stiffened in surprise at first, then relaxed as she began to respond to my caresses. I knew that by the end of the evening, she would be in a much better mood and no longer angry with the prince.

************

The following morning, we learned that not only had Arthur left just a couple of hours after his interview with Avani, but also that he'd taken Doug with him to the capitol, to provide the King with as much information as he could regarding the Sechs' plans. However, Doug suddenly reappeared at the city gates mid-morning, looking worn and disheveled. It seemed that the airship had been attacked en route, and they had barely made it to the capitol in one piece. Arthur himself had been injured, though not seriously, and Doug had likewise sustained some minor injuries as well as reinjuring some of the barely healed wounds from his encounter with Ethelberd. Doug had been sent back to Selphia via magic spells, in order to warn Forte to be extra vigilant, and also to let Avani know that the airship would be delayed an additional few days for repairs.

She chafed at the additional delay, but finally gave in, knowing that there was nothing she could do about it. All in all, our delay last a week. And during that week, there were three noteworthy events.

First, I woke one morning a little later than usual, having been rather active throughout the night. Avani was already gone by then, so I went to grab some breakfast before settling down to work. In the kitchen, I found a covered platter of grilled squid, still warm, a note, and one of her white gauntlets on the counter. I picked up the glove and looked at it curiously, then sat down to eat the squid and read the note. The note said:

Dear Leo,

This week looks to be rather quiet, so I thought we might play a little game today. You will have already seen one of my gloves that I left with this note. I'm leaving you a hint for a location, where you will find another note and another article of my clothing. Keep following the clues, and eventually you will find me—without all the clothing that I've left with each note. I'll be waiting for you!

If to its lair your way you make,

These ancient bones will surely wake.

Nakedly,

Avani

That piqued my interest, to put it mildly. With a broad grin, I picked up the note and strolled out the door. "Easy," I muttered to myself as I reread the clue. I hopped onto the airship and took off for the revival cave—home of the ancient bone dragon.

As I entered the cave, I grinned—I'd been right. There on a large rock just inside the entrance was another slip of paper, and another white glove rested on top. I picked up the note and tucked the glove in my rucksack. This time I read:

If a pole and axe you bring,

You may be able to fish this spring.

I thought for a moment, drumming my fingertips on my cheek. After a few minutes of thought, I decided that she must mean either Silver Lake or the winter spring nearby. As I could take the airship to the former, I tried there first. However, a quick search of the lake shore revealed nothing, so I headed across the snowy terrain to the spring.

When I reached the spring, I saw it was indeed the correct location. Nailed to a tree next to the icy pond, I saw another note, and one of her sandals was on the ground below. I tucked the sandal into my sack, then pulled the note down to read it.

If from spring to Spring you flew,

In a cave, you'd find a clue.

I sat down on a rock by the spring and thought. "Spring to spring... whatever does she mean by that?" I wondered out loud. After several minutes it dawned up me that she had capitalized the second instance of spring. I snapped my fingers as I jumped up. "Sercerezo Hill!" I exclaimed. There were two caves there, I thought as I took off at a run. Chuckling to myself, I thought that she had indeed devised an amusing way to spend the day.

I took the airship to Idra cave first, the larger of the two cave systems in the region. Stepping inside the mouth of the cave, I grinned as I spotted the second sandal and another note:

Cross a bridge where water's falling.

Don't take too long—Avani's calling!

I smirked to myself, thinking that this was almost—not quite, but almost—as good as foreplay. I had a pretty good idea where the next clue must be. There were only two places I could think of where water might be falling, assuming it wasn't a terrible pun on the fall season: the water shrine ruins, or the waterfall in Yokmir Forest. And I couldn't think of anything you might properly call a bridge in the ruins.

I had to fight a few lesser monsters to get to the waterfall, but sure enough, there was a little bundle resting on the center of the bridge spanning the pool of water. I picked it up and found a blouse and another note.

Thinking of you, I'm getting so hot;

Go deeper and deeper if you want a shot.

I felt a surge of heat course through me reading that, thinking of her slowly stripping away her clothing at each place, neatly folding it to leave with each note.... I shook my head to clear it. Yes, this was indeed  an excellent diversion. And perhaps I was hasty when I thought it was not quite as good as foreplay....

There could be only one place that she meant by this note, so I eagerly made my way to the Delirium Lava Ruins. I looked inside the cave opening, but I found nothing. Frowning, I reread the note. "Deeper and deeper..." I mused aloud. On a whim, I tried one of the warp points, taking me to the stairs at the start of the lower level of chambers. Still nothing, so I returned to the beginning and tried the second warp point. That took me to the deepest chamber but one, the chamber just outside the rafflesia's lair. And sure enough, there on the floor in the center of the cavern was another small bundle. I picked it up, and her skirt unfolded in my hands, still redolent of her delightful fragrances. I felt my skin tingle as I picked up the note and read it.

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

You're almost to the source of your lust.

I thought that had to be the haunted manor house outside of town, and I figured that in her current state of undress, she wouldn't be leaving any notes at the back door just above Dragon Lake, on the edge of the village. So I went to the front door of the mansion, and there on the front steps I found a delicate, lacy, turquoise blue bra with a note on top. I picked it up and looked at it—I couldn't recall seeing it before, but I grinned as I thought that I couldn't wait to see it on her—not to mention to take it off her. Then I tucked it into my rucksack with her other clothing and read the note.

Come and search with all your might

Somewhere at the edge of light.

That one stumped me, and the thought that I was so near the end was more than a little distracting as I tried to focus on what she could possibly mean by that. I wondered if she might mean the lights of the town, so I returned to the village and searched all around the perimeter—but to no avail. A tower might be said to be on the edge of light, at least as far as sunrise and sunset went. But the only towers anywhere in the area were the observation tower and the ancient tower of Leon Karnak. I ruled them both out—the observation tower was in town, and I was fairly certain she wouldn't be running through the streets stark naked. And Leon Karnak was populated by fairly tough monsters—and so far the places she'd sent me had all been either isolated and unpopulated by monsters, or else had only a few very weak monsters.

Then suddenly I recalled a place somewhere between the haunted mansion and Leon Karnak where there was no light—all light there was absorbed by a peculiar ore known as shade stone. I made my way there from the manor house, again fighting a few lesser monsters to reach my goal. It was too dark to see much of anything, even with my enhanced vision. But after a moment, my sensitive nose detected her scent—our scent, the lingering fragrance of last night's lovemaking. I followed my nose to the source: a slip of silky, lace trimmed fabric into which was tucked a slip of paper. I carried them out to the light and examined them. The fabric was a tiny thong that matched the bra I'd retrieved a short while earlier and that was richly and enticingly scented.

Quivering in anticipation—this should be the final note, giving me the clue I needed to find my lover—I read the words on the slip of paper.

Sunny sky and soft, warm grass;

Here you'll find a piece of ___.

Although this could describe nearly any place in the Selphia plains, I had an inkling that she was referring to Keeno Lake, where we had whiled away a very enjoyable day some weeks ago. Making haste, I arrived at the lake and eagerly looked around.

Stretched out on the grass, luxuriating in the warm summer sun, was the object of my search. Lying on her back, one knee bent and her arm thrown over her eyes to block the bright sunlight, her long, pale green hair cascading across the grass around her, she made no acknowledgment of my arrival other than a slowly broadening smile.

Saying nothing myself, I crouched down next to her and leaned over, covering her mouth with mine as I hungrily kissed her. She reached up her arms around my neck, twining her delicate fingers through my hair and running her nails down my spine, making me shiver feverishly. I ran my hands down her sides and across her belly, slowly working my way to her breast. After the hours of anticipation, I couldn't get enough of her touch, of her taste, of her scent. She was like a feast, and I was starving for her.

Pushing me gently off her, she rose and stood naked before me. She reached down and gently stroked along my jaw line, then dropped her hand to her side as her lips curved into a luscious smile. Leaning slightly forward, she said in a low, husky voice, "There's just one more thing...."

"Yes, My Lady?" I said, looking up at her, radiant in the sunlight, dizzy with the intensity of my desire for her.

Her smile broadened into a wide grin and her eyes crinkled with mischief, and she cried out, "Escape!"—vanishing from sight in a flash.

************

I nearly toppled backwards from the shock. Stunned and dazed by this unexpected turn of events, I sat staring at the empty place where she'd been just a moment before, my mouth hanging open. Collecting myself and wondering if this was her way of prolonging the game, I stood and likewise cast Escape, rushing to her suite in the castle. However, there was no sign of her there. As I scanned the room, though, I spotted a parcel on the bed. Hurrying over, I saw that it was a book. It lay open, and my name was scrawled in the margin next to some of the text. I looked more closely and read the line:

Revenge is a dish best served cold.

Lying underneath the volume of proverbs was a rather familiar-looking pair of silky pink panties.

It took me several minutes, my mind clouded by frustrated lust as it was, to comprehend that Avani had at last taken her promised revenge for that prank I'd pulled at Idra Cave. I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the panties and the book. Then I began to chuckle. I laughed and laughed until I fell back on the bed, helpless and gasping for air. I had to admit, she'd really gotten me. And she'd done it so well, so cleverly, I didn't even mind the frustration very much. But I grinned wolfishly as I thought to myself that I was sure to catch up with her by nightfall—and I intended that I would take my time with her and not give in to her demands any too soon.