Masquerading

10. Speaking of the Princess...

MASSIVE trees, with trunks the size of buildings he'd seen in the city below the palace rose like spires out of the ground. They'd had to move through bandy trees carefully, because the spaces between the large stalks were filled with thick vines that hung down and rooted into the ground and trees.

Gwree had eyed the vines with utmost distaste and warned them that the vines were bloodsuckers that fed on the bandy trees when there was nothing else available. Nothing else, meaning no humans or animals. Kyden wished Gwree had opened their mouth about it before they'd all become a walking meal for the vines. When they finally passed the trees and made camp on the edge of the river, he was relieved.

Reclining against the roots of a bandy tree, Kyden swallowed down the last bit of his interesting dinner the pecks and Tavis had foraged. He watched the light dimming over the river and the brightly coloured leaves on the other side. By his measure, some of the croton plants would be taller than him on his horse.

"It's dense on the other side," he commented. "It will be difficult to navigate."

Sitting cradled in a knot of roots nearby, Leif tilted his head back to examine the other side of the river. The waning light caught the worry on his face, and Kyden playfully nudged his thigh with the toe of his boot. 

"It looks better from here."

"I'm comfortable here." Leif retorted, but still relocated himself to sit on the large root beside Kyden. "It is a sight isn't it?"

"It is." Killi plunked down beside Kyden and watched the light fade over the crotons with them. "And we never would have seen it had we not come after the Princess."

"Speaking of the Princess," Tavis said as he and the pecks joined. "Why did you all run after her? We know Leif's reason, though I still don't believe it much."

"You first then, Tave." Leif raised an eyebrow as the pecks eyed him with hands over their mouths doing nothing to conceal the grins they wore.

"Nothing I do will ever garner the Princess' attention, and I wasn't so deluded as to think so. I was at the ball for the fun! Why I was dragged into the tunnels to rescue her, I still don't know." He looked at Killi pointedly.

"You needed to prove yourself as Lord of Miah. The chance fell at your feet, Tave. I just made sure you took it."

"And you, Killi?" Kyden asked, laughing as the pecks did.

"Me? The Princess was taken and Leif had need of assistance. Do I need more reason?"

"So," Leif chuckled. "No hope of a betrothal then?"

Killi shook his head, "I would never be husband to any Aradane woman, much less the Princess."

Leif frowned as if irked, "And why?"

"My brothers and I are merely a novelty in Aradane court; look at the big strong tattooed men!" Killi scoffed. "The only thing worse than Aradane court, is being anywhere near Atora where they fight over Themians like prized oxen."

Kyden watched as Leif nodded seemingly satisfied and then threw his head back with a laugh. "Do you remember the crowd of girlies you gathered when we fought behind the stables? I'd never seen so many Ladies that excited to stand in the muck before!"

The worry that Kyden had lamented at seeing on Leif's face, was replaced by a mirth that made it hard not to watch him. His blue eyes sparkled with the joy of reminiscence as he pretended at fighting Killi, ducking his long armed reaches and dancing around him with an elegant sort of grace. Kyden couldn't help but trace his movements around their small camp until Leif laughingly jumped back to where he sat.