Echoes of the men's screams still rang in Ambrosia's ears as her sword clattered to the floor, her numb fingers no longer able to grip it. She stumbled to the prince and fell to her knees in front of him. Grabbing his upper arms, she gently shook him.
"What have you done?" Ambrosia asked, her voice pitched high. Panic began to take hold when he didn't respond. "Welcheren! You must tell me. What. have. you. done?"
There was no answer from within the hood that hid the prince's face from her view. Fear like a knife twisted deep in her gut. They were safe from the bandits, but there were worse things than dying on the end of a blade. Had he in his efforts to save her doomed them all? She couldn't fix the unknown. And the one who could tell her what to do was silent as the tomb. Was he alive? She ran her hands down his arms and pulled his frigid hands into hers. He was cold, yes. But he was alive. She massaged his hands until both his hands and hers were warm again. Tears she didn't know were falling from her eyes splashed on the back of her hand and she swiped them away.
Think, Ambrosia! You are better than this. Think! Her heart pounded as she considered and discarded every plan that came to her for getting the alchemist quickly back to the castle. They were just too far away. Without her magic there was no quick way home.
Or was there? She gently set the alchemist's hands onto his lap and rose. Hurrying to the window, she looked for the carpet he had arrived on. There! Resting on the barn roof, the magic carpet appeared to be just a mundane carpet someone had rolled out in an unlikely place. She raced to the bed and dresser in front of the door and started clearing the furniture away. Once she had the opening clear, she returned to the prince.
"I must arrange transport for us back to the castle. I have to get you help. I will be back soon. Please stay here until I return. I won't be long," she said. She waited a moment for a response. When none came she sighed and left the room.
Other guests and the innkeeper's sons had come to the innkeeper's aid and cleared the doorway. People were huddled in groups whispering about the night's events. Seeing Ambrosia enter the hallway, the innkeeper's wife, Mary, rushed to her.
"Are you alright, m'lady? Those brigands didn't harm you, did they? Henry tried to come to you but the door was blocked. He couldn't get out!" Mary stood wringing her hands, worry etched in her face.
"I'm fine, really. I need to go down and check on my horse. I'll be back soon."
"Oh! M'lady, you can't go outside! What if those horrid men are out there, waiting?" She grabbed Ambrosia's sleeve and held tight.
Ambrosia turned ducal in an instant, looked down at the hand restraining her and slowly looked up into the woman's eyes, raising her eyebrow as she did so. The woman immediately released her.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean..."
"No, Mary. It is quite alright. We are all a little strained from the night's events. The men are long gone, there is no danger in the night at the moment. I shall return shortly. You stay here and help your husband get the guests back to bed. There's a dear."
Ambrosia shoo'd the woman toward her husband, who stood several feet away talking with his sons. Once she was free, Ambrosia hurried down the stairs and out the doors which stood wide open, evidence the brigands had fled in haste and no one had recovered enough to re-secure the inn. Once she reached the stables, she took a minute to find the stable boy. He was hiding in one of the stalls behind a water barrel.
"You can come out now," she said, using the voice she chose when dealing with skittish animals. "The bandits are gone. There is no more danger."
She waited as patiently as she could for the lad to believe her and cautiously appear from behind the barrel. When he did, she casually leaned against the side of the stall. "Do you remember me?"
"Yes'm. You own that white beauty there. You gave me a coin to take good care of 'im. I gave 'im grain."
Ambrosia smiled. "I'm pleased to hear it. You have done well. Would you like to earn another coin?"
She could see the calculation spread across the lad's face as he considered her proposal. Finally he nodded.
"You want I should give him more grain? I can ride if you need me to exercise 'im tomorrow."
"Actually, I want you to set him free once I'm gone. No, no questions yet. I am looking for another transport back home. If I can find it, I will need him to return on his own to me because I won't be able to take him. All you have to do to get this coin is release him without bridle or saddle once you are sure I am no longer here." Ambrosia held up a silver and twirled it in her fingers.
Huge eyes on the coin, he agreed. "What do you want me to do with his tack?"
"Keep it. You may need it someday for a horse of your own."
"You mean it? You will give me the tack and the coin both?"
"Yes, I mean it. Here, catch."
The coin was snatched from the air by the stable lad and it quickly disappeared in a pocket.
"What's your name, boy?"
"Jeffrey, miss."
"Jeffrey. It's a good name. Remember, release him once I'm gone."
"I will, miss. I never shirk my duties."
"Good lad."
Ambrosia left the stall and looked around the stable. Once she found the ladder to the hayloft, she began climbing. Reaching the hayloft was a breeze. Shimmying up to the rooftop was a bit more of a challenge for someone who was drained by the night's events. She was panting hard by the time she reached the summit. She sensed the carpet appraising her and she brought her breathing back under control. She hated sentient floor coverings. They always had such an attitude.
"I need your services," she said to the rug. She got the distinct impression it shook it's head no. Or would have if it had a head. Which, of course, it didn't.
"Do you know who I am?" The silence reminded her of the incident with Welcheren and she shuddered.
"You can stop pretending. I know you know who I am. And, more importantly, I know who you are and can find you anywhere on the face of the planet if I choose to look. You have a contract with the alchemist."
She gave the carpet a moment to consider what she had said before continuing. The air was positively hostile.
"Don't try to deny it. Your contract includes return delivery. He may not know it, but I do. I'm holding you to it. I will be accompanying him on this return trip. You will carry us, both of us, without incident back to the castle. You will not dump us, you will not leave us, you will not do anything to bring harm to either Prince Welcheren or myself. You will progress as quickly as it is safe to fly. If you do not abide by these terms of your contract, I'll assure you never fly again. Understand?"
Ambrosia felt the moment the flying carpet gave in. Climbing aboard, she directed it to the bedroom window. She climbed through the window and crossed the room quickly, gathered her bag, then helped the alchemist to his feet. Escorting him to the window, she urged him despite his reluctance onto the carpet. Once he was securely seated, she left a quick note on the dresser for the innkeep and his wife, then climbed through the window to take her place beside him. The rug jostled her and she fell prone atop it. The air whizzed through her hair by the time she managed to sit upright.
Ever so carefully so as not to startle him, Ambrosia took the prince's hand in hers and patted it. "We'll be home soon, dear prince. It won't be long now." The wind whistling in her ears was the only answer.
