Page 63 of The Princess Tied

his internal Glorious Pathway Sensing, Shades led them higher, into the path of lava, across thin ridges, over chasms, and not once did Po fear them losing their way. The heat from the volcano’s crater permeated the air, filled it with the stink of acid and sulfurous fumes, but they trekked onward, at times padding the horse’s hooves with dampened cloth. Ruff would hop into the saddle when his paws grew sore.

Her boots held up well.

For a man who feared the death of the battlefield, Shades bore the dangers as well as any—inscrutable would be the best description of him.

For over two days they trekked and passed the peak and began the descent. The lava streams were fewer, though they stopped to eat lunch where a steaming chasm loomed to the left.

Po was used to it, and whenever she was done with a bread crust or rind of fruit, she tossed it over the edge to watch it fall. Nearby, Ruth sat with her shop rucksack unloaded but not unfolded, behind her on a shelf of rock. Her bluebirds rested on it, preening and eating a handful of seed. Ruff was further along this plateau of rock, where John and Shades were playing catch with a leather ball Ruth had retrieved from her usual cache of everything ever needed to mankind.

While chewing a mouthful of dried tomato, Po decided to avail herself of Ruth’s advice. It couldn’t hurt, could it?

Grimacing, she spat out a bitter piece of the tomato and threw it. A bird swooped down, one of the many gray ones that existed up here, nesting on cliffs, and snatched the scrap from the air. It flew off squawking.

The one good thing about the Prince’s banquets had been eating normal food again. She couldn’t help pining for roast quail and salads comprised of the most delicate ingredients with piquant sauces drizzled over them, and cracked pepper, a fine dusting of gold and…

Po sighed.

“Ruth, what do you know of true love and what I like to call true lust?”

“Oh my!” Ruth chuckled. “You made up the last one. Most of us just call it lust. Let me see…”

John threw the ball again. Shades caught it, tossed it back with a bit of extra effort. It whistled as it spun, such was the speed. Her eyebrow cranked up. She’d forgotten his metal one was super strong. The aim was poor though, and it hurtled a few feet past John’s shoulder and out over the chasm. Ruff, watching avidly, judging from the swing of his poofy, floofy body, had decided it was his, and he launched…

Into space.

Over the chasm.

Heart instantly ascending into screaming mode, Po leaped to her feet, clutching nothing with her fist at her side, as if she could grab and rescue Ruff. “No, oh no.” That came out a frightful whisper.

Ruth had stood too; everyone was watching with their hearts in their mouths or in John’s case, with whatever was in his chest.

The floof machine plummeted and vanished from view, then she heard a faint squawk, and he bounced up the cliff face to land skidding beside John.

Shades saw them watching and raised an arm, waving it. “He’s okay! He rebounded off a bird flying by, then up the cliff!”

What the… It was ridiculous, but then Ruff was the most maniacal creature when he chose to be. He often sprinted ahead a half a mile then returned.

Relief flooding her, Po lowered herself into a cross-legged position again. “No more ball throwing, you two!”

They waved back at her.

“Tarnation.”

Ruth laughed again. “Gave me a start too. Now where were we. True love and lust? Hmmm. I believe true love often has a lot of lust too. Separating them is difficult. Where does one start and the other end? In young uns like you, it’s like sifting the air from smoke.”

“Go on.” She had the diary Ruth had given her at her side and wondered if this was like princess lessons, where she should be taking notes.

“Love has ingredients all mixed up, such as caring for them, wanting to help them do their best… worrying about them…”

Here, Po noticed how Ruth’s gaze had drifted to Shades. Hmmm. Telling.

“Being willing to sacrifice some of your happiness for them, and loving them because of and in spite of their flaws and weaknesses.”

“Damn. Knew I should’ve taken notes. That’s complicated.” She lay back, propped her head on the saddle bag she’d removed from Pearbottom. The mare was grazing around the corner on the small area of grass they’d found her and Rocky. They’d freed the other horse to return to the caravan. Water and grain were getting sparse. They needed to get out of these mountains soon.

“What is your weakness, Ruth, do you think?”

“Me. Ohhh, caring too much for others. Bad habit of mine.”