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“This isn't quite what I had in mind for our holiday,” Romana mused as they crept though the damp, stony passages below the castle, having picked the lock on their cell with surprising ease. “It's not quite as restful as Davidia, is it?”
They turned a corner and Leela pounced on a guard, kicking him squarely in the middle and slitting his throat before he could make a sound. “Pah!” she spat, grinning. “You can keep your restful holidays. This is much more exciting!”
Romana smiled and shook her head. “I'll find it exciting when we get back to those woods where we left our TARDIS.”
Leela glanced back at her. “You do not enjoy it even a bit? The thrill of battle? The danger?”
“There's plenty of danger at home, thank you. I came here to get away from all that.”
“Politics,” Leela waved her hand dismissively. “Dry and dusty and all tangled up. That sort of fighting is not at all like this. This makes you feel truly alive!” She grabbed Romana around the waist, spun her around, and kissed her soundly.
Romana gave her a half-hearted push. “Leela! This really isn't the time! We still have to find where they've put the others and get them all past that dreadful man with the ridiculous mask...”
***
Romana leaned back against the tree and let out a contented sigh. For a rough-and-ready rebel camp site, hidden away in the woods at the back of beyond like this, they cooked a fantastic dinner.
She watched Leela riding a horse over some crude jumps that had been set up in the clearing.
“She rides very well, for someone who hadn't been on a horse before yesterday.” The blonde woman sitting next to her remarked.
“Doesn't she?” Romana smiled.
“Forgive me for prying,” the woman went on, “but you and she... you love each other very much, don't you?”
Romana started. “I... You... How did you...?”
“I notice these things, and it wasn't difficult. I don't meant anything by it,” she went on hurriedly. “There's not always enough time for love in Etheria, so it's a wonderful thing when you find it.”
They watched for a while longer.
“He's a very graceful horse,” Romana said, presently. “With or without the wings.”
She felt Adora stiffen. “All right. Turnabout is fair play. How did you guess?”
“It wasn't difficult.” Romana looked at her sideways. “You'll want to be a bit more careful when you sneak away with that sword. You wouldn't last any time at home before half the city was talking about your secret and trying to use it against you.”
“I don't know where it it, this city of yours, but all in all I think I'd rather live here and fight Hordak. At least I always know who the bad guy is.” She looked at Romana squarely. “If you want to stay, for a while, we could use your help.”
Romana thought about Narvin, and Darkel, and the whole horrible, political mess that would only be getting worse with every moment she was away. She looked at Leela again, jumping off Spirit's back and running towards them across the grass.
“Maybe we'll stay. Just for a while.”