Heart of Fire

Chapter Eighteen

"My god, how much longer do we have to go? We've been walking for an entire hour already!" Amelia complains.

Currently, the trio, Hudson, Kenton, and myself are walking to what seems to be the middle of nowhere. Instead of training in the castle like normal, Kenton instructed us to pack bags for a few nights, claiming that we were going to be on a 'training retreat'. How he managed to get all of us to agree to living in the wilderness for three days, I do not know.

We have brought enough food to supply the six of us, along with tents, clothing, and an aid kit. I am not particularly happy about spending this much time in the wilderness, but it's nothing I haven't been through before. Kenton has not told us much about the training that is going to be involved, only that we needed the space away from the castle. Though I can imagine that it is going to be hell.

Hudson still has yet to speak to me directly, along with Kenton. Both of them have promptly been ignoring me. I have been doing the same, having no wish to speak to either of them. I haven't said a word in the past hour, quietly walking with the group. I know I will have to speak to them eventually, but the conversations needed are ones I do not particularly want to have.

"We are almost there, you can stop complaining every five seconds." Kenton grunts, leading the pack.

We trail along behind him, sluggishly dragging our feet. With all of our baggage, each of us has more than one heavy bag resting upon our shoulders, making the journey that much harder.

"Do you think he brought us out here to kill us?" Brooks asks the group, not bothered by the fact that Kenton can very well hear what he is saying.

"Yes." Kenton replies, not a hint of sarcasm lacing his voice. Brooks whips his head towards Kenton, staring at him wide eyed.

"You know, I actually think he's being serious." He whispers, only to me this time. I laugh at his foolishness, pushing him away from me.

After a few minutes, it seems that we have reached our destination. Surprise, it's still in the woods. Kenton throws his bag down in the small clearing, where I assume we will be setting up our base. The rest of us follow suit, relieving ourselves of the heavy baggage. Brooks falls to the ground next to his bag, groaning in annoyance. If there's one thing I've learned about Brooks, it's the fact that he prefers luxury. I can imagine he will be grumpy the entire trip, ripped from the comfort of the castle.

"Alright, before we get started, we will set up our tents and belongings here. We will have to discuss sleeping arrangements, seeing as though we only have four tents." Kenton announces.

I look around the group, waiting to hear their inputs on the tents. I could care less about where I have to sleep, as long as I don't have to be trapped with the princes. Then all at once, chaos breaks out, everyone arguing over who is sleeping with who. I cross my arms, raising a brow at the mayhem before me.

After a great deal of bickering, we finally reach an agreement. Hudson and Kenton in a tent, Brooks and Fyn in another, Amelia and I in separate ones. I get right to work, setting up my tent by myself, the others following suit. It doesn't take me long to get my own tent placed, so I offer to help Brooks and Fyn, who seem to be struggling with the task.

Soon enough, all the tents are sturdy and ready for us once night falls. It's only late afternoon currently, which means Kenton will likely still make us train today. He still has not told us what he plans to do with us all the way out here. For all I know, this could be his master plan to murder and get rid of us.

Kenton calls us over to where him and Hudson stand. We indulge, walking over to where the brothers wait for us. Tension is thick in the air, leaving awkwardness to spread over us. With Hudson being upset with pretty much all of us, Kenton's words playing over and over in my mind, the princes having a mental battle with each other, and Brooks secretly knowing everything going on between me and the princes, we were doomed from the beginning to be stuck in this position.