Eden-South (9 page)

“Don’t say it,” he interrupted, holding up
his hand. “I don’t want to hear it. Thankfully, she has a job to do
tonight, so she won’t be walking the streets for too long.”

“How convenient,” Jameson noted. Turk only
smiled back at him.

The streets were overflowing with people.
Everyone laughed and shouted, filled with excitement and
anticipation of what the night would bring. Every tavern in the
city was full of patrons and music. The women were all dressed in
their best gowns, their faces hidden by extravagant masks. Elisa’s
mask wasn’t anything too special—she wasn’t one to be overly
flashy. She was also wearing a dress that night, realizing that had
she worn her usual pants and shirt, the people around her would
know exactly who she was. Nobody would expect her to wear a gown
like the other girls. It was tight and uncomfortable, and was quite
an embarrassing exercise just to get into, but it seemed to be
worth it. Her maid had laughed at her cursing while she tied her
into it, but exclaimed at how good it looked on her when they were
done. The best part was that no one seemed to know her! The dress
was a deep green, which caused her eyes to look greener than they
usually did. Her maid also helped to paint her face a little, but
not too much. Her long golden hair was braided and pinned at the
base of her head, a strand of pearls woven through the braid.

Elisa wandered, enjoying the energy she
could feel from the people. Everyone was carefree, if only for one
night, and she loved that. Numerous men, and girls, had kissed her
already, although just small pecks on the cheek, and one man had
asked for her hand in marriage. He was in his sixties and stank of
alcohol, so she had no choice but to refuse. He had no idea who she
was, and clearly had not cared. Tonight was the night everyone was
free to love whomever they wanted. Interestingly, she hadn’t seen
Wolf around, not that she cared, but she had figured he would be
using this night to its full advantage. Actually, now that she
thought about it, that was probably exactly why she hadn’t seen him
yet.

She came upon a large group of people, all
of them singing a song at the top of their lungs. They looked like
a rowdy group, so Elisa quickly ducked into the nearest tavern to
avoid passing them. The place was full, and smelled of alcohol and
sweat. Three men were on a makeshift stage, playing a song for the
crowd, which was cheering them on in return. One sat playing a
small stringed instrument, while the other blew expertly into a
flute. The singer’s voice wove through the notes as if they had
been written for each other. Clearly, they were a well-established
trio, probably in town only for the festival, since she had never
seen them before.

Waitresses weaved their way through the
crowd, carrying trays of drinks expertly over their heads. Elisa
had never had a drink before, and wasn’t about to that night. She
still needed to go to the witch’s house. Her mind had to be clear
and alert. Instead, she decided to stay simply to enjoy the music,
even without alcohol.

Walking around the bar, she observed
everyone silently, taking in the frenzy that was the spring
festival. It was the first one her father had allowed her to go out
for … well, that she had insisted she go out for. He had originally
refused, but gave up. He knew better than to argue with her for
long—she always won. Besides, many girls her age went out for
spring festival, so it hadn’t made sense that she wouldn’t be
allowed. The only thing she prayed for, was that she wouldn’t run
into him that night. The amount of embarrassment that would cause
them both would be immense, especially if her father was with a
woman. He hadn’t dated anyone she knew of after her mother died,
but she assumed he must behind her back. Normally, she hated
secrets, but that one didn’t bother her. As she thought about him,
her eyes scanned the crowd just to make sure her father wasn’t
there. Thankfully, he wasn’t.

As her eyes swept back across the room, she
saw
him
, sitting at a large table in the back corner,
surrounded by three women and his sidekick, Logan. Both boys looked
like they had been drinking for a long time already, their cheeks
red from the heat of the place and the alcohol in their blood.
Logan was busy talking to a vibrant redhead, who was wearing a
dress that revealed almost everything she had to offer. Elisa
scoffed inwardly at the woman. Had she no respect for herself, she
thought angrily. Wolf was busy with
three
women, all blonde,
all pretty. Figures, she thought, and this was the man her father
had suggested she marry. It was clear neither of them wanted to
marry the other, as she noted his intense interest in the ladies
around him. She would have to speak to her father about it when the
time came, she thought again, for the millionth time.

Unexpectedly, Wolf looked up from his three
lady friends, and stared across the whole bar, over all the heads,
right at her. She instinctively looked away, pretending to have not
been looking at him. Her mask was still covering the upper portion
of her face, and the dress was so uncharacteristic that there was
no way he recognized her.

Waiting another minute, she peeked out the
corner of her eye in his direction, and saw he was speaking with
the blondes again. She let out a sigh of relief.
Time to move
on
, she thought. Weaving back through the crowd, Elisa headed
out into the crowded streets. The fresh air was welcoming after the
atmosphere in the stuffy tavern. She moved through the herds of
people, accepting a few more kisses on the cheek from rambunctious
men. It was all in good fun, she thought, smiling to herself.

“Now, what could such a beautiful lady be
thinking, to make her smile so?” she heard a voice say. Looking
behind her, she saw Wolf, two blondes on one arm, and one on the
other. Logan trailed behind with his fiery redhead. There was no
way he could tell who she was, so she didn’t want to speak. There
was a chance he might know her voice if she did. Turning around,
she tried to walk away again, not replying to his small
comment.

A hand reached out and grabbed her arm. She
looked back in panic, wishing he would just leave her alone. The
three blondes stood behind him, each with a distinct pout on her
face. Now that Elisa could see them up close, she realized that
they must all be at least five or six years older than Wolf.
Women
. She mentally rolled her eyes and gritted her
teeth—not in jealousy.

“Where are you going?” he asked in a quieter
voice, so the three behind him couldn’t hear. Elisa could see them
stretching to find out what was happening. He stepped closer to
her, so their bodies were only inches apart. “Will you not speak to
me?” he asked, smiling down at her.

She looked hesitantly up at him, knowing
there was no way she could respond. She didn’t want anyone to know
who she was; otherwise, no one would leave her alone. Elisa knew
exactly how most of the men in the army viewed her, and knew there
were probably quite a few who’d be searching for her that night.
Even though that was the case, she wasn’t interested in any of
them, making secrecy very important. As she tried to think of a way
out of the current situation, Wolf looked down, searching her eyes
with his through her mask. She tried to pull away, but he kept a
firm hand on her.

“Have I done something to offend you?” he
asked, narrowing his eyes. She shook her head no. “Do we know each
other?” Again, she shook her head. His eyes narrowed more as he
looked at her. Slowly, his eyes wandered down her whole frame, then
back up to her eyes. Her face burned with anger and embarrassment.
Who does he think he is?
she thought angrily. It was as if
he thought every girl in the whole town was just waiting to throw
herself at him.
Well, not me
, she shouted in her mind.
Wrenching her arm from his grasp successfully, she stepped away
from him to give them some room.

“I have to go,” she said quietly, hoping the
noise around them would help disguise her voice a little. She
turned and started to walk away as quickly as she could in the
God-awful dress she wore. She couldn’t wait to put her pants back
on. Before she turned the corner, she felt another hand grab her
arm.

“Oh, for God’s sake—” she started, but
stopped as the person’s mouth found hers. He held her tight as the
warmth from his lips covered hers. She had never been kissed like
this before—technically, she hadn’t been kissed before, period, for
that matter, and was so frazzled that she didn’t have the mind
enough to push him away. It lasted what felt like hours, before he
finally broke away from her. Her mind was still spinning as she
tried to catch her balance again.
Who kisses a stranger like
that?
she thought, feeling somewhat violated. Looking up, she
saw Wolf’s face smiling down at her.

“Now you can go,” he said, turning without
waiting for a response, and rejoining his entourage. Elisa watched
him in shock as the group walked away. Wolf never looked back.

“I hate that man,” she said out loud.

The hour was getting late, and she didn’t
want the witch to wait too long. Rushing through the streets, she
reached the dormitory in no time. She greeted the guards, and then
headed up to her room quickly before anyone could see her. Inside,
she finally removed her mask and called out for her maid.

“Franca?” she called.

The little old lady appeared out of the door
that led to her room. Franca had been her maid since she was young.
She was now in her sixties, but still had all the energy she had
when she was young. She was very short, not reaching above five
feet, and just as round. Her hair was now completely grey, and she
wore it constantly in a tight bun. Her face was wrinkled, her lips
only two thin lines, and her eyes just tiny beads of dark brown.
Elisa had always loved her like a mother, having lost her own
during her birth.

“Back so soon?” she asked as Elisa came
in.

“I have some things I need to do tonight.
Can you please help me out of this contraption?” she asked, pulling
at the dress. Franca laughed, coming to her aid.

“At least you looked like a proper lady for
one night.” She sighed as she began to undo the ties at the back.
“Did you have fun?”

“It was—interesting,” she replied. Franca
raised her eyebrows when Elisa gave her a hesitant look, but didn’t
inquire further. After finally being freed from the confines of the
garment, Elisa walked over to her bed and quickly re-dressed into
her riding outfit. She let her hair loose and placed her headband
around her temples again.

“Would you like to wash your face?” Franca
asked, pointing at the light paint still there.

“I haven’t the time,” she replied. “We’ll
take it off when I get back.”

“Where are you going at such a time?” her
maid asked in a disapproving voice. “Does the Captain know about
this?”

Elisa looked over at her maid in
exasperation. She always thought Elisa was up to something she
shouldn’t be, which was usually true, but not this time. The poor
lady probably had multiple heart attacks because of her antics.

“Don’t worry, my father is the one who
instructed me to do this,” she reassured her. She still looked
doubtful, but didn’t argue. Saying a quick goodnight to the old
lady, and giving her a peck on the cheek, Elisa rushed out of her
room, knowing there was still a bit of a journey waiting for her
outside.

“Where are we off to?” she heard a familiar
voice say. Wolf stood in the hallway outside his room, only a
couple of doors down from hers. Elisa could hear girls laughing
from behind his door, and wondered why he was outside in the
hall.

“Sounds like you’re busy,” she pointed out.
“I won’t keep you.” She turned around and started to head away from
him.

“Elisa, wait,” he called out. She rolled her
eyes, before turning around to face him again. “I’m serious—where
are you going?”

Her defences immediately went up. “Why do
you care? It is the spring festival; everyone is out tonight.”

“True, but most girls are out with masks and
fancy clothes on, not like this,” he replied, motioning to her
current attire.

“I have to meet someone,” she quickly
explained. His eyebrows shot up, as he misunderstood her meaning,
but she didn’t correct him. If he wanted to believe she was meeting
a man in the way he thought, then she’d let him. She smiled
inwardly. “Have a good night,” she said as sweetly as she could,
before leaving him standing alone in the hall.

When she got outside, she couldn’t help but
laugh. His expression had been priceless. As she headed toward the
side wall where the secret exit was, she ran into her father and
the King.

“Good evening, Elisa.” The King smiled. The
King’s lady, Melaine, stood behind them.

“You are leaving?” her father asked. She
nodded her head. “How was your evening out?” Elisa could tell that
he didn’t really want to know, which made her laugh at how awkward
he sounded.

“It was fine, Father.” She smiled. “I just
walked around for a bit, before returning to my room.” He let out a
sigh of relief, which made the King laugh. Her father looked at him
accusingly, making the King hold up his hands in defence.

“Be safe,” he said to her, before kissing
her forehead.

“I will,” she assured him. She bowed to him
and the King, before continuing toward the exit. She couldn’t help
but wonder what this great warrior would be like, and as she made
her journey, her excitement at the unknown increased. He would have
to be a large, talented, and hopefully handsome man, she thought
with a smile.

“What are you doing?” Logan asked, drunkenly
sticking his head out of their room. Their night had started early,
beginning with the bottle of liquor they had snuck into his room
that afternoon. By the evening they were already drunk, and headed
out into the glory of the streets. Training had been postponed that
day because of the festival, so they were taking full advantage.
All of the older soldiers kept telling him and Logan how much they
reminded them of the Captain and the King when they were their age.
Apparently they, too, had been up to no good when they were
younger. For some odd reason, the comparison made Wolf proud, even
if the reason for the comparison wasn’t necessarily the best. The
first three taverns they visited were boring, but by the fourth
they had found their spot. It soon filled with other people, and
then the music started. It wasn’t long before women began visiting
their table.