Necromancer's Descent

42 - Dullahan

Nao/Rosalin's Point of View

I watch curiously, as Henrietta talks with sir Azzo, but all I catch is Azzo's final hostile glance towards Johannes.

Around us, the castle courtyard is already very busy, with merchants setting up shops for the day, and knights riding out.

Partiqularly the Troyfort knights seem to be leaving the fort in a hurry.

That said, some knights stay around, making a little squad next to Mia, Johannes, Prince Claudius, Asten, Wallis and Henrietta. Seeing their blue mantles, and the symbol on them, makes it pretty clear they're Claudius' own people.

Still, I guess I didn't expect other people were going with us. Or at least not that many. Then again, I didn't think we would be riding either, but I can see that everyone but Theodore and I, and Johannes, already have their horses, and have them saddled.

...I suppose, if the horse acts as nice as Alger, then it'll be fine... maybe... I still don't know how to ride though...

And more importantly...

I glance to Theodore.

Can zombies ride? If he can't, then am I screwed?

What if the horses hate him?

I don't even know if they can tell he is dead by his smell or instinct or something...

They usually can... can't they...

But wait- there's a lot of horses right now...

I look to the horses around us... but they don't seem to care.

...

..

.

What is wrong with this world?!

Not that I'm complaining!

But still!

I hold in a sigh.

No, there's something to be more worried about. Specifically Johannes and sir Azzo, if they recognize the way he fights or walks or something... and just about everyone that tries to talk with him.

Theodore can't talk after all. That's how he got caught down in the village.

What should I use as an excuse? Saying he's sleeping won't work anymore.

The problem is that Mia already 'healed him' so I can't count on injuries.

...but this is a magic world. Maybe I can take advantage of that?

Just that 'for some reason' he hasn't been able to talk well, so he doesn't talk a lot?

...

Let's try...

I look to Johannes cautiously. Feeling like he might be going 'what are you staring at' at me if he notices... but for the first time I actually see Johannes happy. Seemingly, genuinely happy.

I'll be honest, at this point I didn't think it was actually possible for that guy to actually be happy, or if he was happy, that it would be over the misery of something else...

But as Mia holds his hands, his hard expression softens, and it looks like he forgets everyone around them, just letting himself fill with a calm I've not seen him with. His eyes narrow softly, as Mia smiles at him, and maybe subconsciously he holds her hand a bit tighter.

I can't count how many times Jun looked at me like that when we were younger.

A gaze so genuinely filled with love, that for at least that moment, you know they think of nothing but you, and the love for you. No space in that gaze for suspicion or machinations.