My Life as a Companion Ch. 6

Mathias and I both awoke to a girl's frightened screams.  Libellia sat a little ways away from us, her blond hair covering most of her face and she was clearly embarrassed.  "I... I'm sorry," she mumbled quietly.  Alarmed, the two of us said it was quite okay.

"Are you alright?"  Mathias asked and moved closer to her.  I rubbed sleep from my eyes and noted that the sun hadn't risen yet.
Libellia was nodding when I brought my gaze back to the pair.  "Yes.  I'm sorry to have awoken you two."
"Don't worry about it,"  Mathias and I said in unison, then looked at each other funnily.  That one expression caused the Princess to smile slightly.
"I really am sorry. I'm sure you must be tired." She brushed her hair out of her face and I saw she looked pale.
"Is there anything I can do?" Mathias asked gently.
She shook her head. "No. It was just a...nightmare. I'm really alright." She tried to look happy.  Mathias frowned, but actually let the subject drop.  The sky began to lighten.
"What would you like for breakfast, Princess?" Mathias asked after a few minutes.
"Oh. Um, I don't know. Anything is fine." She smiled.
"Rhett! What do we have for breakfast?"
I made a show of looking at our bags. "Nothing."
"What do you mean nothing?"
"Exactly what I said!"  Libellia's smile grew a little wider.
Mathias ran over to my side and snatched up the bag.  After a minute, he groaned and dropped the bag.
"Nothing!"  He exclaimed dramatically.  I glanced at the Princess and saw her stifling a giggle, a good sign.  "Rhett, we must go search for fruit!"
"We?" I asked, quirking an eyebrow.  "But-"
"I'll need to stand on you to reach the high stuff-- and the Princess might want to wash off."
I glanced between Libellia, who had a slightly confused look and Mathias who just looked eager.  Reluctantly, I agreed to go with him and be treated like a slave.

"There's nothing but grass. What were you hoping to find?" I asked quizzically after several minutes of fruitless searching.
"Oh, I'm sure there's something around here." He looked at me and frowned. "It would help if you actually looked."
I grimaced. I had let myself get lost in thought and hadn't really been much help. Of course I didn't expect to find anything and Mathias' hope of finding fruit of all things in these grasslands was laughable.
"What are you thinking about?" Mathias demanded.
"Libellia."
Mathias' eyes seemed to narrow ever so slightly. "What about her?"
"Doesn't she seem  a little odd? What kind of Princess uses a weapon... let alone a flail?"
Mathias looked puzzled.  I refrained from rolling my eyes. "The weapon does seem a bit strange..." He said after a few minutes. "But it's useful since she seems to have such skill with it!"
"I want to know why a Princess can use it though," I said, feeling slightly exasperated.
Mathias shrugged, "I'm sure we'll find out eventually."
"Aren't you curious?" I asked feeling a bit flustered.
"It doesn't matter. All that matters is we get her home safely." Mathias replied grandly.
"I don't think having to defend her is going to be an issue," I muttered.
"Nonsense! We still must keep her safe. It's a hero's duty!" We kept silent for a moment, then turned away to keep searching for food.

We arrived back at our camp with small handfuls of berries.  "I'm sorry there isn't more, Princess," Mathias flashed his charming smile.  "But I'm sure we'll be able to find something as we travel."
Libellia smiled slightly back, "I usually eat a small breakfast anyway, so don't worry." She looked at me and widened her smile, "Thank you both for gathering so much."
Mathias, of course, told her how welcome she was.  I, on the other hand, thought her manner was a bit different than before. I wasn't quite sure what to make of it.  

We ate our small breakfast and I silently vowed that we would buy food at the next town no matter how hard Mathias tried to drag us away. Libellia sat beside me much to both my and Mathias' surprise. She looked at my book with interest.

"You must have many spells," she said sounding fascinated.
I grimaced at the confounded book and her smile turned to a frown. "I'm sorry. Did I say something wrong?"
I shook my head quickly.  "Uh, no.  It's just... Um... Yeah," I laughed nervously.  "There are a whole bunch of spells!" Then I quickly added beneath my breath, "Or at least I hope there are..."
Mathias threw his empty bowl into the stream (literally) and clapped his hands. "We're losing daylight!  We should start journeying now." He grinned at Libellia, "Unless you're not ready to go, Princess?"
I was too busy scrambling to save the bowl to hear her reply. I turned back, my sleeve dripping with the icy water to see Libellia and Mathias waiting for me.
"Hurry up, Rhett!" Mathias said while I tried not to scowl too much. "We have a long way to go!" He added cheerfully.  I grabbed my pack and shoved the dripping bowl (along with the other dirty ones) into it, then stood sighing.
"Alright." Mathias grinned then charged off.

~

I stared, appalled. "No, Mathias!  We can't drag her through there!"

"It wasn't that bad the first time," Mathias said.  Libellia glanced back and forth between us.
"What is it?  What's in there?" She asked sounding a little frightened.
I answered with a shudder. "Swamplands."
"What are the swamplands like?" She asked with wide eyes.
"Awful," I replied with a groan.
Mathias glared at me. "Rhett! Stop frightening her," he scolded me. "You'll be perfectly safe, Your Highness! I promise."
"Are they truly so awful?" She asked. I believe there was actually a touch of curiosity in her voice.
"No." "Yes."  Mathias and I looked at each other.
"It smells awful, there are swarms of bugs and then there are these crazy lizard people that come out of nowhere!" I threw my hands up for effect.
Mathias rolled his eyes.  "There are pretty plants, soft ground to leap onto, and you get used to the smell after a while."
Libellia smiled slightly, "I think I'll be fine."
"See, Rhett?" Mathias said triumphantly. "You're just worrying too much." He started forward while we trailed behind.

Soon we were deep into the swamp traveling over soft muddy paths. Libellia walked beside me and Mathias was ahead as usual. Libellia occasionally gave the mud a look of distaste but didn't complain. Deep pools lay on every side. I frowned nervously. "Mathias. I don't think this the same route we took before."
"Nonsense!  I know exactly where I'm going!" At that point, he tripped and fell over a tree root.  Alarmed, Libellia and I ran to him. "Hey guys!" He called from beneath us in a network of roots.  "Isn't this cool?"
"I didn't realize the ground was so soft," Libellia commented quietly.
"Extraordinary things happen when Mathias is around," I said and shrugged.
"I see," Libellia said sounding a bit awed.
I stared at the roots. "What's down there, Mathias?"
"A bunch of dirt." I sighed. "Some roots." Obviously.  "Ooh, and there's a path!  With lanterns lighting the way!" I peered into the hole.
"What?"
"Yeah! You two have to come down here!"
"Mathias, you can't be serious!" I exclaimed. "We don't know what could be down there! We need to get through this! Not go exploring caves."
"Come on Rhett. When have I ever steered us wrong?"
I snorted and refrained from responding.  "Clearly someone..." Mathias added.
"Or something," I muttered.
Mathias ignored me and continued. "lives down here. Maybe they can help us."
"Or eat us.  What about those lizard creatures..."
Mathias was ignoring me. "Come, Your Highness. I'll help you down."
The Princess hesitated and Mathias grabbed her hand. "Trust me." Libellia looked at me for a second before she was 'helped' down.  "The idea of an underground passageway does seem a little interesting..." She mumbled while dusting her dress off.
I sighed in exasperation and clambered down.

The passage was dank, but well-lit with lanterns just as Mathias said. I frowned. "I really don't know about this, Mathias..."
"It'll be fine," Mathias said completely assured.
"We did seem lost. Maybe there will be something to aid us?" Libellia said tentatively.
I groaned. "Not you too," I muttered.
She looked downcast. "I'm sorry."
"No," I said feeling strangely aghast. "I didn't mean..." I stammered to a halt as Mathias overrode me.
"Rhett's just paranoid. Even if there is trouble, I will handle it!"
I rolled my eyes, "I'm not paranoid!  I'm cautious!"
"Whatever."
Libellia had wandered away from the two of us and was inspecting some type of mushroom. "Hey, what are these?" She asked, her voice laced with curiosity.
"I don't know, but be careful. Mushrooms are often poisonous," I told her.
Mathias walked up to them as well. "Look, Rhett. I've never seen mushrooms like these."
In spite of my better judgment I approached them and peered down. They were purple with large spotted caps.  They had an odd sheen to them.
"I think we should just leave them," I said giving the mushrooms a dubious look.
"Are they abnormal?" Libellia asked.
"They're probably just some sort of swamp mushroom," Mathias answered with a shrug. He nudged one with his foot.
"Mathias! Don't...!" I broke off coughing and reeled back as a cloud of spores blew into my face. I sat down hard trying to catch my breath. Libellia looked alarmed. Mathias gave me a hand up looking apologetic. "Sorry Rhett."
"Are you alright?" Libellia asked concernedly.
My eyes were burning and the lights from the lanterns seemed to cause the walls to waver. At least that's what I thought was causing it. I scowled at Mathias. Why was it that I always paid the price for his recklessness? He was the one who should have gotten a face full of spores or whatever they were.
"Damnit, Mathias," I growled. "I'm getting sick of this..." I broke off as the walls decided to start spinning.
"Rhett!" I vaguely heard Libellia say, alarm filling her voice. I realized that I was sitting on the ground again. Mathias' face swam in front of mine bringing me to the conclusion that he was kneeling in front of me.
"How come theshe thingsh never happen to youu...?" I slurred out. I felt sick and a little like I was drunk.
"Rhett, you sound funny." Mathias' face swam in front of mine, and I rubbed my forehead as a headache started forming. My vision began to dim.  I saw Mathias' shape turn to what I thought was Libellia and I heard vague rumbling.  It was then I passed out and hit the ground.

I don't know how long I was out, but I do remember waking up.  A vile liquid was splashed in my face and I sat up sputtering.  "Wh-what the hell?" My voice bounced off the walls and I then realized I had a terrible headache.
Libellia knelt beside me with a pitying look.  "Are you alright?"
My eyes watered as hammers seemed to be pounding my head. I groaned and glanced blearily around. "Where's Mathias? I'll kill him," I growled.
"He went a little ahead into the tunnel. He was worried that something might attack while you were out." Libellia answered quietly. She glanced at an empty bottle beside us then gave me an apologetic look. "Mathias gave me that to awaken you if you didn't wake up on your own soon. I'm sorry. It's rather...disgusting."
My head gave a particularly strong throb and I dropped my face into my hands. I felt Libellia's hand on my shoulder and a waterskin being pressed into my hands as I lifted my head. "It might help," Libellia said gently. My expression became one of gratefulness and I pressed it to my head.
We sat in silence for a little while, the pain ebbing away.  "What was in that bottle anyway?" I asked and shot a glare at the aforementioned object.
Libellia fidgeted a moment then sighed. "Swamp water--"
"What?!"
"Shh.  Please don't yell.  Your headache might return."  I sighed and tried to calm my breathing.  No wonder it was so awful... I grumbled nonsensical things.  "Rhett?"  The grumbling stopped.  "Do you think we should catch up to Mathias?  It's seems like it's starting to get dark above ground..."
I frowned. "Did he say if he'd come back or wait for us?"
Libellia shook her head. "He just gave me the, um, water," I shuddered again, "and then hurried into the tunnel."
I rolled my eyes at Mathias' typical lack of making anything vaguely resembling a plan and slowly stood up. I hesitated waiting to see if the walls would start spinning again. I nodded, satisfied when they remained still. Libellia also rose to her feet. "Well, let's go make sure he hasn't brought disaster on himself." I said turning to the tunnel.

I yawned, trudging through the tunnel with Libellia behind me.  "How long was he gone before I woke up?"
"Um..." She tapped a finger to her chin.  "Not long... I think?"
I sighed.  She wasn't being very helpful.
"What if we called for him?"
I snorted. I couldn't help it.  The first image that came to my mind was a little dog that resembled Mathias. "Um... Hehe. No. We might attract monsters."
She stopped walking for a second with a worried expression then latched on to my sleeve.  "Would they be difficult to defeat?"  She asked, her eyes searching mine.
I was in shock.  She was so close-- I'd never really gotten the chance to be close to a woman before. Mathias had always been the one swarmed by the ladies.  My brain turned to mush and my tongue went dry.  I'm sure I looked like an idiot to her.  She looked at me questioningly, her brilliant blue eyes worried. "Rhett?"
"Yes...n-no, I mean...I don't, um, there could be anything...you..." I stumbled and stammered to a halt.
"Rhett, are you sure you're alright? Maybe we should have stayed a little longer. You might not be entirely recovered from those strange mushrooms," Libellia said. She seemed to studying me.
"No, I..." I realized my idiocy was continuing; here was a perfect excuse. I latched onto it. "I must still be a little out of it," I mumbled.
She nodded.  "We should rest for awhile.  If Mathias happens to turn around, he'll stumble onto us." I sank to the floor and she sat beside me.
"Uh-uhm, do... Is that... um..." I struggled to speak and I felt my cheeks grow hot.  I prayed she wouldn't notice.
"Are you getting a fever from those mushrooms, Rhett?" Libellia asked worriedly and dug the waterskin out of my pouch.  I shrugged feebly and she pressed it into my hand.  "We won't go any farther and just wait here for Mathias," She said decidedly.  I lowered my head into my hands. I couldn't remember the last time I'd felt so humiliated. I used to get a little embarrassed about Mathias' behaviour sometimes, but after so much time spent working and adventuring with him, I'd long grown past that. This, however, was a completely new experience. I suddenly realized Libelllia was speaking. "...should not have suggested looking for Mathias. I'm so sorry. I didn't realize how strong those mushrooms were. Are you sure you're going to be alright, Rhett?" I didn't raise my head-- my cheeks were probably scarlet. "Um..." I cleared my throat.  "I'll b-be fine.  Do-don't worry, Libellia."
Silence ensued.  My embarrassment never left, so we were stuck in that passageway for hours.

"Do you hear that?"
"Sounds like snoring..."
That and scuffling woke me up.  Libellia and I had fallen asleep waiting for Mathias, and monsters had found us. I startled and snapped my eyes open. I scrambled to my feet casting my gaze around the tunnel trying to find the monsters' location. Libellia also awoke and rose more slowly to her feet. "Rhett what is it?" she asked, puzzled.
"Shhh." I snatched my book up and found myself moving ever so slightly in front of Libellia. She kept silent and the creatures seemed to have stopped moving as well.
"I think they stopped."
"It might not have happened in the first place. C'mon, let's get back to the boss."
"Yeah.  I heard that a human specimen was captured."  A rock was kicked in our direction and they headed the opposite way.  A cold sweat had broken out on my forehead.  Did what they said mean they had Mathias? Libellia looked at me with wide eyes. "Surely they don't mean...Do you think they captured Mathias?" She asked in a hushed voice.
I gazed into the tunnel. I'd be surprised if that was the case. Mathias wasn't one to be captured, though he did get himself into a lot of trouble...and I couldn't forget our dungeon experience. I groaned. "That seems like the most likely possibility."
Libellia covered her mouth with her hand looking shocked and afraid. "We need to help him," she breathed out.  I nodded grimly and started leading Libellia into the tunnel.