Ileus's expressions tightened, but he nodded. "Let's reach the tunnel and then you can tell me."
"Okay!" she replied with a grin and then trotted her horse where Guarhal was.
Anastasia watched her going away and when she was at a distance she thought was out of ear shot, she remarked, "You are pretty close to Darla."
His fingers brushed her hips and went back to the belly. "We've known each other since we were kids. She is a year younger to me," he said affectionately. "There are only a few friends who you can depend on in your life and she is one of them. She has been with me on all my journeys in and out of kingdoms and realms. So yes, she is an integral part of my life."
Anastasia cringed at those words. She knew she shouldn't have, but she wasn;t able to wrap her head around the possessiveness Darla was showing to Ileus. Did he have tenderness towards her that he didn't realize? The question pained her heart and she felt a lump rising in her throat, but there was no way she would reveal her worries to him, at least about this issue. Besides, she chided herself internally for thinking that she was close enough to him to have those thoughts. Perhaps this was just a fleeting period. Perhaps she was so devoid of love that she clung to the first person who showed her. A few while back, what started as a pleasure, dampened.
"When will we reach those mountains?" She changed the topic.
"We should reach them by evening, if not earlier."
The ground under them rumbled again.
"What is happening?" she said as she looked at the ground.
"Don't worry much. Sgiath Biò is a weird place. But it looks like a mild earthquake to me."
Anastasia's body stiffened at those words. "Are you sure?" Because if that was the case, there was no way they would go through the tunnel.
"Most likely…"
"We shouldn't go through the tunnel then."
He laughed. "Like I said, don't worry."
Once again they rode in silence and Anastasia's gaze went to the mountain peaks that were glistening orange and yellow in the bright sunlight. As clouds roiled around those distant peaks, she could hear gushes of wind howling, as if calling her, as if bidding her to open her wings and fly. Sgiath Biò called her—the mountains and snow and frost covered trees and the bright sun—they beckoned her.
Anastasia had a sudden urge to fly through the clouds and inadvertently she tried to spread her wings. Immediately bone shattering pain ran from her spine to her shoulders. "Arghh!" She doubled up and bent forward with closed eyes. Her breathing became shallow and her body was covered with sweat. She saw black stars in the periphery of her vision. Tears ran down.
"Anastasia!" Ileus called her with angst in his voice. He caught her in his arms before she could slip. "What is it?" He held her firmly and stopped the horse.
She slumped against his body not knowing what to do. She let those tears run. This wasn't the first time she experienced such natural instinct to open her wings. But at least there was someone holding her through this misery this time.
"Ana," Ileus called her again in a soft voice. His face was tilted on the side to see hers.
She loved when he called her Ana. She smiled and fluttered open her eyes. "It's nothing."
"Tell me what it is," he forced her.
She heard soft footfalls of a horse and looked to her left. Zlu was coming and behind him was Nyles, staring at her with wide eyes. "M'lady!" she cried. Her face was blanched.
"I am fine Nyles," she said in a reassuring voice.
But Nyles was already in a panic mode. "We need to find someplace to stop. She needs to rest."
Ileus nodded and they all stopped at the next thicket of trees. He pulled her down the horse carefully. She walked holding his hand to the nearest boulder on which someone had spread a fur. Ileus gave her a canteen to drink water. He knelt before her and asked again, "You have to tell me what happened back then. Did I hurt you?" He checked her thighs over the fabric for any injury. His concern was off the roof.
"No Ileus," she caught his hand. "It's not like that."
"Then?" his frown deepened.
She licked her dry lips and looked away. "I don't— I don't want to tell you…"
He stared into her eyes, and then with his sleeve wiped her sweat over her forehead. Anxiety was driving him crazy, but he didn't insist on her. "Okay," he said in a hoarse voice and pushed the bile back in his throat.
Nyles came carrying a glass of water. She gave a dirty glare to Ileus and sat near Anastasia. "M'lady, please have this. You need to be hydrated well." She opened her palm that had the green round medicine in its center. "Eat this. I am sorry that I forgot about it in the morning."
Before Anastasia could pick up the medicine, Ileus picked it up. He held it in his thumb and forefinger at his eye level, closed one eye and looked at it as if inspecting it. He twirled it around in his fingers. "I don't think Anastasia needs it."
"Please give it back. The princess is not feeling well and I don't have too many left!" Nyles said and snatched it from him. "And you don't know a damn about her condition."
Nyles turned to look at Anastasia and said, "M'lady, please have it. I can't see your condition. It has deteriorated." She extended the glass to her and gave her the medicine.
Anastasia ate it and drank the whole glass of water. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes, she found Ileus still knelt in front of her, his brows drawn tight. Others were casting a worried glance towards her. In order for them to continue the journey, she said, "I think I am fine. We can resume our trip."