The Lost Knight (Volume IV) The Lost Prince

Chapter 31: Floating Away

Dathid wakes me in time to make camp. It's nice traveling with a wizard. He cleans the ground of sticks, stones, and most importantly, bugs. He digs a fire pit and puts five nice-sized boulders around. Then asks if we require a roof.

In Ashra, if you live in an area where it rains, then it rains all the time. Clouds don't move in Ashra. So if it's not raining, we don't need a roof.

"What are you up to?" Qince asks when I walk toward the woods.

"I'm going in search of food."

"Don't we have food?"

A flash of irritation shoots through me. I remind myself to be more patient. "We ate most of it."

"I'll help you."

"That's nice, but have you ever hunted before?"

"Listen, I know what my uncle thinks of me, but you shouldn't form an opinion until you get to know me. I've never hunted for food, but I have for fun. I may not be as practiced as you, but I'm good with a bow, and I can carry my own weight."

I shrug my shoulders. "Good enough. Jonah eats berries and fruit, but he'll eat tubers and leaves if we can't find any. Goutadge has been snacking this entire time, so she's good. You and Dathid need meat, and Solara and I eat both."

That's the last we speak for a long time. I shouldn't have been so quick to judge. Qince is a good hunter, and he was right about his bow skills. We each have a nice rack of large rodents when I spot a six-legged furry animal clinging to the side of a tree. Qince kills it with one arrow.

We also find an assortment of berries and a variety of edible leaves. Faeries are knowledgeable about plants, and he educates me on a bunch of them. I have to speak with Dathid before eating any because he'll know which ones are safe for humans.

We clean the furry thing and a few rodents and head back. "So other than letting the Chimnocki go, why is Dathid mad at you?"

"Because I'm not my brother." His jaw locks together. I wait to hear his teeth grind, but he relaxes and takes a deep breath. He might be calmer than Dathid.

"I don't think he cared for your brother either."

"He doesn't like anyone. He's just angry all of the time. He likes these elves, though."

I can feel the disgust when he spits out the word elves. I'm sorry I asked. "Is Faphee your sister?"

"No, my cousin."

I think I've figured out what's going on. Qince took his brother's place in line to the throne. Because one day he'll be King, he was brought to Cromsmead in order to foster better relations with the elves. Which means he shouldn't be out here. He should be in the castle with Princess Elaeria. Now Dathid needs to protect the future King and me. I get why he's angry now.

We return to camp. Qince doesn't want to be here as much as Dathid doesn't want him here, and the two of them are radiating so much anger I don't want to be around either of them. So leave to cook the food while Kyrbast makes me the nicest moss and leaf beds.

"You can travel with me anytime," I say with a smile at Kybast.

"That's quite alright. The sooner I get back to the lab, the better I will feel." He lies down on the moss bed next to mine.

"Why is Kyrbast here?" I whisper to Jonah.

"The council decided that a wizard must travel with you when you leave the castle. They believe the Salt Demons wouldn't have been able to encase you had an experienced wizard been with us."