protected - dnf

nineteen, pt. 2

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The Darkling Woods felt strangely motionless, like time hadn't actually passed within the forest for a long time. Even the air felt close-knit and still, almost oppressive. At first, the trio tried to keep up their lighthearted banter. But that quickly started to feel wrong, almost offensive, as though they were desecrating something sacred by disrupting the unearthly silence.

They moved slowly. There wasn't a cleared path, and their horses had to pick carefully over the forest foliage, gnarled roots and mossy stones. Clay kept getting hit by low-hanging branches, which made the other two snicker. George kept his map out the entire time, guiding them past milestones.

The forest quickly lived up to its dangerous reputation. Almost an hour in, the dense trees suddenly gave way to a ravine that was completely hidden until Sapnap's horse was faltering on the edge, scrambling on loose earth. George had to jerk his hand up, forcing the ground to stay still for a few seconds longer until Clay could grab the reins of Sapnap's horse and yank them back to solid ground, just as the edge of the cliff gave way into a rockslide.

"Thanks, Clay," Sapnap said, his eyes wide, and they continued on.

A little while later, Clay pulled them to a stop, holding out a hand in warning, as something crashed through the forest in front of them. The trio froze in their place as they saw an enormous wild boar push through the trees, its snout waving in the air. The boar was huge, nearly five feet tall and two hundred pounds, with long, sharp tusks.

It looked their way, and then it let out an awful squeal as it started to race directly towards George, crashing through the forest.

George pulled his horse back, but his sleep-deprived brain short-circuited – he had no idea how to stop the rampaging beast, and for a second he thought the thing might gore Daisy with its tusks until two arrows flew through the air and embedded themselves in the boar's side, making it rear back, crying in pain. Clay knocked back another arrow and let it fly, and the boar fled, running into the forest and disappearing from sight.

George looked at Clay with astonishment.

"You alright?" the prince asked, securing his bow on his back.

"Yeah," George breathed.

"Good thing we have Clay here to protect us, huh, George?" Sapnap said with a faint chuckle. George just swallowed.

A few hours later, George brought the group to a stop.

"Do you hear that?" he asked.

Through the muffled air, they could hear something that sounded faintly like rushing water. They followed the sound until they came across a wide, shallow river with a steady current, bubbling and frothing over a rocky riverbed.

George moved closer to Clay to show him the map. "We go south from here, and then west at the river's bend."

"Why are we trusting George with the map again?" Sapnap sniped from behind them. "He has a hard time navigating to his own room most days."

"That was one time," Clay jumped to George's defense. "And only because you kept giving him whiskey."

"Okay, fair," Sapnap snorted. "But if George gets us lost and we run out of food, I know who we're eating first."

"Gross, Sapnap."

The noise of the river broke the solemn tension a little bit, and as their horses plodded along the riverbank, the three of them fell into easy conversation to pass the time. George even found himself enjoying the ride, looking around at the thick forest around them as his horse plodded a little bit behind Clay and Sapnap's. Yet he thought that Clay was still a little quiet, a little serious. The prince seemed lost in his thoughts multiple times, staring at the running water like he was looking for something hidden in the river.