A Better Tomorrow

Chapter Two: On The Road Again

By: Queen Beryl

Armida opened her eyes slowly. Everything was still blurry. She reached down to pull her blankets up, only to end up grabbing someone’s arm. Her eyes shot open and she turned her head to discover Wavy lying right next to her, his face inches from hers.

“Get off me!” Armida screeched, shoving him away from her. Wavy woke with a start.

“I didn’t do it!” He cried, sitting up and looking around. “Oh, it’s you.”

“You touched me!” Armida spat, pointing an accusatory finger at him. Wavy shrugged.

“Lucky.” Prince Aynaire said, hopping out of the loot bag. Armida shot him a dirty look.

“Well, it’s morning. No better time to travel.” Wavy announced as he stood up, stretching. “We need to head far away from the castle.”

“I’m starving.” Armida announced, her stomach rumbling. “Didn’t you steal any food?”

“Sorry, Princess, but I’m afraid the kitchen silverware wasn’t as important as the golden figurines.” Wavy picked up his bag of loot and started walking in the direction they’d been going the night before Armida had complained she couldn’t take another step.

“It cost almost as much, actually.” Aynaire muttered, hopping into Armida’s hand. Startled, she picked him up, stood up, and followed after Wavy. She started to wonder what eating utensils would have anything to do with food, but then it hit her.

“Well, I don’t think I would have stolen any food anyway. Not much value in that.” Wavy nodded superiorly. Armida wanted to hit him.

“Except to sustain bodily nourishment, you scallywag!” Armida sighed, her stomach rumbling.

“Look, you look as though you can skip a meal, Princess. Give it up.” Wavy retorted. Armida scowled, but didn’t say anything after that. He was right; she was overweight.

“Don’t get depressed, Armida.” Aynaire tried to cheer Armida up after a long while of silence. “By the time we get out of this forest, you’ll be so skinny, nobody will recognize you.”

Apparently, this tactic didn’t work. Armida squeezed the little green amphibian in her hand for a moment before dropping him into the dirt, where he landed with a thud.

“Look, we’ll be out of the forest in a few hours, Princess. Then we’ll stop at some tavern and steal some nourishment before we go. Is that a deal?” Wavy conceded irritably. This princess was far more trouble than she was worth. He had half a mind to tie her to a tree and just leave her there. Too bad he didn’t think to bring a long rope.

“Great.” Armida rolled her eyes. “Even more stealing.”

“You act like I’m a moral person to begin with, Princess.”

“I still don’t like associating with your kind.” Armida sniffed airily. Wavy chortled cruelly.

“”My kind’?” He demanded. “You mean human or a commoner? Don’t get all high-and-mighty with me, Princess. I could slit your throat at any moment and be done with you.”

“I could simply run away in the night.” Armida pointed out.

“Look, I’m a very light sleeper, who happens to sleep with a knife, and any disturbance could force me to attack you in the middle of the night.” Wavy threatened.

“You’re dirty.” Prince Aynaire commented from the ground. Wavy deadpanned.

“I meant with the knife, you green atrocity.” Wavy clarified, stomping his boot and startling Aynaire into hopping aside. Armida picked up Aynaire and held him to her stomach.

“Don’t pick on him.” She glared. Wavy, of course, was unfazed. He rolled his eyes and continued on.

“Let’s get going. You’re hungry, aren’t you?” Wavy raised his eyebrows and stalked off. Armida sighed and reluctantly followed.

“Your stomach sounds like me.” Aynaire pointed out as they were walking. They meaning Wavy and Armida; the frog prince got the free ride.

“That’s what I sound like when I haven’t had a shred of anything to eat since a very early supper yesterday.” Armida snapped. Then she patted Aynaire with her other hand. “Sorry. I get really grouchy when I haven’t eaten.

“It’s amazing you’re not chubbier.” Aynaire stated innocently. Wavy burst into laughter, and Armida cringed slightly. She refrained from causing injury to the frog, but remained silent until they’d reached a small pond about two hours later.

“Finally!” She exclaimed, startling her traveling companions. “I’m dying of thirst!”

“You don’t even know if it’s safe.” Aynaire pointed out before Armida dropped him onto the ground as she rushed for the pond. “Oof! It could be contaminated!”

Armida knelt down by the body of water and was about to dip her hand in when Aynaire jumped onto her head.

“Get off me!”

“Wait, Armida. You don’t want to just dip your hand into anything or drink from anything before you know its properties!” Aynaire croaked. Wavy stepped up behind the two.

“He’s right, you know. You can never tell what you’ll find in a forest.”

“And how are we supposed to find out if it’s okay or not?” Armida demanded crossly, gazing longingly at the water.

“We could throw the frog in.” Wavy suggested with a sneer. Aynaire turned on Armida’s head and glared daggers at him.

“Grab one of those leaves that look like a bowl, dip it carefully in the water and see if it does anything to the leaf.” Aynaire authorized with a small “ribbit” at the end.

“Why the bowl?” Wavy asked as Armida jumped up to do just as she was told. There were a few leaves on the ground a few yards from the pond.

“That tree has magical properties to distinguish the safety of several earthly components as well as make an excellent container.” Aynaire sounded quite proud of himself. Wavy rolled his eyes and watched Armida dip the bowl in. The leaf turned red and shriveled up.

“What does that mean?” Armida inquired, watching thin streams of smoke come up from the leaf carcass.

“If you had stuck your hand in there-or any other part of you-you would have burst into flames.” Aynaire stated solemnly.

“Spontaneous combustion.” Wavy nodded darkly. “There’d be no way to put the flames out.”

“I’m starving! I need some kind of nourishment!” Armida complained, holding her stomach.

“Well, let’s keep moving. Just another few hours until the edge of the forest.” Wavy turned away from the pond and continued on the path that only he could see. Armida yanked Aynaire from the top of her head and trudged after Wavy.

“I’m sorry, Armida.” Aynaire apologized.

“It’s okay. You saved my life.” Armida sighed regrettably. “What I wouldn’t give for watermelon right now.”

“Watermelon is yum.” Aynaire agreed, shooting his long thin tongue out into the air. Armida laughed and rolled her eyes.

“You know, if you keep me entertained, I won’t be so grouchy.”

“For the love of sanity, keep her entertained!” Wavy called out. Armida stuck her tongue out at him. Then, she had the bright idea of throwing Aynaire at the back of Wavy’s head. Aynaire hit the target with a slimy thump and plopped onto the earth.

Armida chuckled before Wavy grabbed a rock from the floor and threw it at Armida. It whizzed past her hear and thudded against a tree. Pretty soon, it turned into an all out battle. Armida and Wavy threw whatever they could find that would move quickly through the air, at each other. Aynaire stayed tactfully out of it, but goaded each of them on in turn.

A/N:

Über thanks to my reviewers: and Cherise! This is a response to a challenge from the Ficathon I’m taking part in. I hope you all liked this chapter. Please tell me what you think!