Part 12 (1/2)
Max grabbed the handle of his sword, sliding it partway out of the sheath one of the other guards had loaned him. He had taken to wearing it rather than packing it on the horse. He wouldn't be caught weaponless again.
Sergeant Kallis snickered. ”Maxwell, my boy, you don't want to mess...” He tilted his head up to look past Max. ”What the...?”
Max felt insulted that the Sergeant lost attention in his threat, until he heard what the Sergeant saw.
”Maaax.x.xyyy.”
Max re-sheathed his sword, a grin appearing on his face. Eve could distract anyone. He turned to face her, relaxing his body as he did so, waiting for the inevitable impact from her pounce. Eve ran straight for him, but to his surprise, she didn't leap into the air. Instead, she smacked right into him, wrapping her arms and legs around him in the process. However, the result was still the same; Max fell backwards, flat on the ground. He grinned from ear to ear.
”Hi, Eve.”
Eve's face was buried in his chest, m.u.f.fling her voice. ”Hi, Maxy.” She gave him a brief squeeze then popped her head up, cheerful as ever.
”Well, I guess you can leave now that I'm here. Let's go.”
Max had an incredulous look on his face. ”What? Don't you even want to know what happened after I left you guys?”
Eve hopped to her feet, waving a dismissive hand at Max. ”Oh, I'm sure you got into some sort of trouble. How you got out of it without me I don't know, but you can tell me about it along the way. Besides, Mr. Grumpy behind you looks like he'll throw a tantrum if we don't get moving.”
Max tried desperately not to laugh, but a snort still managed to escape. He made sure not to face the Sergeant as he got to his feet.
”Mr. Grumpy there would be Sergeant Kallis. He happened to rescue Melody and I the other night.”
Eve turned her nose up. ”Humph, must have gotten lucky. I bet he had lots of help.”
Max thought he heard the vein on Kallis's forehead pop. ”Alright, that's enough! Get on your horses and get moving!”
Without another word, Sergeant Kallis and the two guards he had selected to escort Max and Melody mounted their horses and started out of the camp. Max walked over to where Mr. Penna, who seemed rather amused by the whole scene, held Starlight's reins. Max patted her on the side, receiving a gentle nip at his shoulder in return.
”I missed you too, Starlight.”
Max swung himself onto the saddle while Eve took her place beside them. Mr. Penna turned to Melody, who was mounting her horse.
”You should have spent the last eleven years with the two of them.”
Melody, who had kept quiet so as not to draw any more of Sergeant Kallis's anger, laughed joyfully. ”I can only imagine. I needed the laugh though, as I take it that you haven't seen either Bastiann or Zeth.”
Mr. Penna shook his head as he climbed onto the horse loaned to Max. ”Perhaps they await you, safe and sound, in Moenia.”
”I can only hope.”
The four set out after Sergeant Kallis and the guards for the final leg of their trip. Earlier, Max had learned from one of the guards that the distance between the final camp and Moneia was half that of the other camps. Max's excitement at seeing the city came back in full force now that everyone was back together. To help distract himself, he recounted everything that had happened since he left Eve, finis.h.i.+ng with the argument that had erupted between him and Sergeant Kallis. He waited anxiously for Eve's response only to be disappointed when she said nothing, but, instead, let out a big, long yawn. With Max starring at her, she realized her mistake.
”Sorry, I haven't slept since yesterday morning.”
”Were you even listening?”
”Of course I was. It was very exciting”.
Max snorted, shaking his head slowly. ”You have always been a lot more adventurous than me.”
Eve smiled. ”Only because I had to get you out of trouble.”
Max started to argue, but a concerned look came over Eve's face.
”What's wrong, Eve?”
”Well, you said the horse you were riding ran off, right?”
”Yes, that idiot of a bandit sent him running.”
”And it had all your stuff on it?
”Yeah, but I can replace everything before we leave Moenia again.”
Eve stopped in her tracks. ”So the horse never showed up at the camp?”
Max signaled Starlight to stop. ”No, it never came to our camp.”
Eve grabbed her tail, twisting it so hard Max thought she would break it. ”Max, my papers, they were with all your things.”
Max's stomach dropped. He had forgotten all about the papers. ”Oh no!”
”What's wrong with you two?”
Eve and Max jumped, startled by Mr. Penna's voice. Neither had heard him or Melody catch up to them. Max dreaded telling Mr. Penna what had happened. Mr. Penna had, after all, specifically warned Max about losing the papers. Max knew; however, that if anyone could find a solution it would be Mr. Penna.
”Mr. Penna I don't have Eve's papers. They were on the horse I lost when I went after Melody.”
Melody tensed. ”That's going to be a big problem at the gate. They will want to do an inspection.”
An inspection, that doesn't sound good. ”I'm going back to find the horse.”
Mr. Penna held up his hand. ”Now wait a minute, Maxwell.”
Max twisted the reins in his hands. ”But, Mr. Penna, you yourself said they won't let her through the gates without owners.h.i.+p papers.”
”Settle down, Maxwell. You know as well as I that going back is not an option. Our escorts ahead have already noticed that we have stopped. They are not about to let us go back. Besides, I doubt the horse made it back to camp. There are a lot of things out there that would have long since made a meal out of it.”
Eve gave her tail another twist, pulling a few strands of fur lose as she did so. ”Then what are we going to do?”
”Well, as it happens, I had noticed when arriving this morning that you were missing your things. I a.s.sumed that included Eve's papers. I have since formulated a plan that should take care of any problems we may face.”
Max and Eve leaned in toward Mr. Penna. ”Well, what is it?”
Melody eyed Mr. Penna suspiciously. ”Yes, what is it? Our order has tried several times to get undoc.u.mented lacarna in to the city with little luck. What do you have in mind?”