Alina

Alina walked excitedly towards the stables. Bernard had left for the East early in the morning, along with Mikal, Hilda, Frederik, and Vilfred. With only a powerless Lucian and a harmless Lady Greta left behind to rule the castle, along with a few council members, Alina knew this would be her only opportunity to enjoy a few days of freedom. 

Her smile widened as she found Julian already outside, bathing the Pegasi, and her heart thumped at the sight of his lean shirtless form. It was a clear morning, and his dark locks shone in a deep reddish brown beneath the sun, swinging and teasing his bare shoulders. He was a dark angel, she thought, except that he did not have wings.

She smiled as she heard him talking to Nina, Lucian's black mare. His back was still turned to her and he seemed quite absorbed in his task, unaware of her presence. She approached him, her eyes admiring the taut muscles as his arms moved back and forth scrubbing Nina. But she stopped in her tracks as she spotted the whiplash scars on his back, and her heart twisted. That was her doing. Pangs of guilt came back to haunt her, and she longed to stretch out her hand and erase those scars. 

Julian must have sensed her presence, for he stopped moving and turned around, their eyes finally meeting.

"Hello Julian," she attempted a sweet smile as she walked up to him.

"My Lady," he smiled back.

"A perfect day to fly today, isn't it?" she said as she looked up towards the sun and closed her eyes, indulging in the warmth that bathed her face. She turned back to Julian with another sweet smile. "Will you bring me Achilles, please?"

Julian frowned at her unexpected request and remained still, apparently not willing to do as she told him.

"Don't worry. I will not let him escape again," she assured him.

"I'm sorry my lady. But I can't," he said as he turned back to Nina.

"Don't worry. Bernard will not find out," she said, knowing what he was thinking. "He is going to be thousands of miles away beyond the Eastern Demon Sea."

"I do know where Lord Bernard is going to be," Julian said as he stood in his place, not willing to comply. "That will still not change anything."

"Don't be so scared Julian."

"I am not scared!" Julian defended quickly. "Besides, you don't have an escort." 

"Then you be my escort," she beamed.

"Yes sure, why not!" he mocked, taking her words for a joke.

"But I'm serious. Fly with me."

"No."

"Then fetch me Achilles."

"No."

"You can't disobey me, I am your Mistress!" she teased.

"No."

"Fine, I will go fetch Achilles myself. Thank you very much," she said sulkily before she walked determinedly into the stable.

When Alina came back outside atop Achilles, Julian was still standing in his place. He frowned at her, yet he didn't seem to show any intention of stopping her. She smirked at him and raised her head high.

"See you Julian," she teased, before she nudged Achilles who instantly spread his wings and took to the sky.

Leaving the castle behind, she flew across the fields towards the eastern mountains where the winds whipped against her face and through her hair. She breathed deeply as the fresh morning air filled her chest, chasing away much of the bleakness it held. The fields beneath her started rising and falling into small hills where scattered small houses could be spotted, before a long uneven slope announced the approach of the main valley below. It was Alina's favorite place. The silver river sparkled beneath her as it cut through the valley snaking towards the north. A thick forest of pine trees lay across at the eastern bank, covering the other side of the valley in dense green and rising towards the great high mountains that stretched along the horizon, an endless dark wall with sharp white peaks.

Alina flew high above the valley, following Nordenriver north before she dived and glided right above the silver waters. She flew silently, awed by the breathtaking scenery. She bent down and stretched her hand to touch the inviting river surface, but she knew she could not reach it. She only remained leaning low over Achilles and stretching her hands in vain. Achilles sensing her attempts started gliding lower. She gasped as his hoofs broke the surface, and the water splashed around them, showering them both. She squealed in excitement. The water was ice cold, even though autumn had only just started. Alina shivered at the thought of accidentally falling in it and she laughed out.

But it was as if her thoughts invited bad luck. The next moment she had barely moved to reposition herself atop Achilles when she found herself slipping off him, her heart sinking along with her falling body. She had only enough time to gasp before her body hit the ice cold river. And she suddenly found herself below the surface, her body being pulled to the bottom.

Her heart stopped in horror. She kicked and writhed, struggling to rise back to the surface, but the weight of her heavy wing chains only dragged her further below. She was sinking. And the more she struggled the more she sank! She would sink to the bottom in a matter of seconds and no one would find her. She struggled further, fighting the cold dense water that pulled her down. She attempted to scream, only to find the water rushing in through her throat, choking her.

Her heart was racing madly. She was going to die! She raised her arms and kicked her legs, moaning and choking as she used the last bit of her energy to push herself upwards. But she realized she was only sinking further and the light that shone through the surface above her was quickly fading. Her eyes started to close. Her fervent struggles subsided. Her mind started to slip. Her body stopped moving. It turned dark. When something suddenly grabbed her.

A sudden force of air filled her lungs as she gasped sharply, and her eyes flew open. She could see a handsome face with deep brown eyes. Julian. How did he come here? Or was she already dead and dreaming? But do the dead even dream?

"My lady!" She could hear his anxious voice. Could the dead hear as well? It seemed they did. She could even hear her own panting breath. But how could the dead breathe? No, she was not dead. Her mind came back and she started to scream and writhe, coughing out water and gasping for breath.

"Stop struggling! This will only make you sink further," Julian said as he held her by the arms, but she did not listen.

"Listen to me!" Julian said as he still held to her. "Stop moving. Let yourself float."

"I can't!" she gasped as she tried to keep her head above the surface. "The chains! They're pulling me down!" She screamed and water rushed into her mouth again. 

The next moment, she found Julian taking a deep breath and disappearing below the surface. She panicked. She started to sink again, before she found herself being raised back to the surface and pushed forward. She coughed again, water bursting out of her mouth. But she was finally able to breathe and remain above the surface. She realized that Julian was fully submerged beneath her in order to keep her afloat, while he held on to her wings and pushed her towards the eastern bank, fighting the freezing cold current that drifted them north.

She looked upwards where she could see Achilles and Nina flying above them in circles, like two heavenly guardians watching over them protectively. She looked ahead and saw the bank approaching quite slowly, and she couldn't help but feel concerned for Julian who still swam underwater without rising for a single breath.

Julian knelt over the ground and gasped for breath as they reached the land. Alina sat at the bank next to him, staring at the river in shock. She couldn't believe she was still alive. How did Julian find her? How did he know? Had he followed her from the start? No, this must be a dream. She turned to look at him. No, it was not a dream. He was now lying by her side, as real as ever, stretching onto the ground, and still panting.

His body was traced by his wet clinging clothes, and his dark eyes were half closed as if in a dream. His chest was rising and falling heavily, and his lips were slightly parted as if inviting a lover's kiss. Alina felt a strange warmth spreading inside her despite their cold soaked garments. Her hands reached to a dark lock of hair that stuck to Julian's forehead and gently smoothed it away. His eyes turned to her at once, and he stopped panting, as if he had held his breath.

"Thank you," she whispered shyly.

"You are welcome," Julian said, sitting up and lowering his eyes.

"What made you follow me?" she asked.

"I think we should get back to the castle," he said curtly as he got up to his feet.

"In these wet clothes?"

"Do you have any other suggestions?"

"We could wait here until we dry."

"It would take ages to get dry," he said impatiently. "And we would definitely catch a cold."

"Oh, Julian, why are you so serious?" she said as she turned to face him, her lips pouting. He frowned back at her.

"You have just... You almost died!" he snapped. She looked up at him with wondering eyes.

"Were you worried about me? Or of what Bernard would do when -"

"To hell with Bernard!" he snapped again. She blinked at him for a moment, before she burst into giggles and her body shook with laughter. 

"Come with me," he ordered, grabbing her hand. She stared at him in shock as he led her to Achilles in such a daring and dominating manner. Her heart thumped as she found him carrying her up in his arms and landing her onto Achilles's back, before he turned to mount Nina himself.

"Where are you taking me?" Alina called as the Pegasi took off to the sky.

"Just trust me!" he shouted over the sound of Nina's flapping wings as they flew further north following the river downstream. Alina only followed him silently as she flew Achilles, and she tensed as she found they were flying quite too far from the castle.

"Julian, where are you taking me?" she asked him again, but he didn't answer. She had no option but to follow him.

They landed in a deserted hillside at Nordenvania's outskirts, where a lone tattered house stood and stray dogs sniffed at the dirt road before it. Alina cowered and whimpered at the sight of dogs. Engelmen and dogs never agreed. Apart from being aggressive wild creatures, dogs were believed to be dirty and impure. Alina's heart sank as she found a fierce black dog leaping towards her and barking viciously. She cried out, only to find Julian simply scaring the dog away with a single wave.

"Come with me," Julian said, taking her hand. She walked with him cautiously as he led her towards the house. She could hear the sound of clanking metal coming from inside. Her heart hammered as they stood at the door. Julian entered. But she didn't, wondering if she should really trust him.

"Come," he encouraged her.

"No. I'm scared," she said timidly as she still stood at the door. Julian chuckled. The clanking sounds stopped and a middle aged man with thinning brown hair appeared before them. Alina gasped.

"Julian," the man said before he turned to Alina with narrowing green eyes. "Oh my! What have you brought here?"

"Come Alina," Julian said as he turned to Alina with a faint smile. "This is Liam the blacksmith." 

Alina stared back at the wingless man with fearful eyes. Why did Julian bring her to a blacksmith? And her heart almost stopped as the most horrible ideas came to her mind...

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