Nellija blinked, trying to focus on the situation at hand when the Kingdom's guards came to take her attacker away. So, it had been the woman who had attacked her? That seemed logical now that Nellija could see the emblem on Fenway's sleeve. He looked the part of a knight, too. Tall and valiantâ€"how could she have confused her attacker for her defender?
Easily. Her head was pounding. She was almost as thirsty as her horse had been and, after the previous night's events, she was worn out and tired both mentally and physically. Her emotions always suffered the worst, but last night had been routine and she learned to deal with her fate. Which reminded her... Quinn. She had to visit him in her homeland.. was it tonight? No... Tomorrow night? How much time did she have? She could not forget his orders.
Nellija became anxious. She refused Fenway's help, her hand shaking as she reached for the loose reins that strung from her horse's neck to the water barrel it had visited to take a drink. She slowly pulled herself up, her horse amazingly patient with her. He was an old friend. He was the horse she had left her native country with and had yet to fail her.
"I'm fine," she said rather bitterly, but there was a scared tone in her voice as well. It almost shook as her hand had. She paused, leaning against her horse for a moment to stop her head from spinning. The sun was so bright, and it was attracted to her dark features. She brought her wrist to her forehead and leaning on it for a moment, her other hand holding the side of her horse for stability. She tried to calm her breathing.
"I thank you for your concern, good knight, but I was not harmed." She added, taking her arm away from her face. She hoped it wouldn't be obvious that she did not like the company of men--except Owen, of course--and she tried to be as polite as possible without seeming too inviting.
Nellija slowly let her foot find the stirrup and tried to pull herself up onto her saddle but when she tried, her arms began to shake and she was forced down, almost falling again...