The Bad Fairy (girlxgirlxgirl)

28. Conversations in the forest

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"We've crossed the border, your highness."

Costanzo looks out over the horizon, as a soldier talks to his brother in the background. The sounds of horses neighing and stomping around restlessly on the dry dirt path fill the nature around them. He can see a large part of the goblin kingdom from the top of this mountain. The large, vast forests, nothing but green treetops among a few blue, pink and yellow. A river that floats from the fairy kingdom over to the capital, wild and unruly over the land. It's flat. Way more flat than the mountainous western side of the continent that makes up the fairy kingdom.

The sundown is beautiful over the forests. They are days away from the capital, but those days will pass faster with determination and discipline. They are in a rush to avoid any possible guards and soldiers by the border, and so their horses have been running over the mountain pass, and will continue to run as far as they can manage. Cosmo looks over at his brother, who has rode up to him.

"Did you hear that, Cosmo? I'm surprised there aren't any goblin outposts here. We've passed without trouble."

Cosmo nods without looking at his brother. He has studied this border for five years now, day in and day night. Making up plans on how to infiltrate the kingdom and get Chepi back as smoothly and quickly as possible has been his hobby for as long as she's been gone.

Astro joins him every week in his little hobby. They draw up maps, listen to reports from soldiers stationed by the border, visit it and sometimes even cross the border to see what would happen. They train together, imagine all possible outcomes of such a dangerous mission, and imagine the relief they would feel when their sister is no longer in the clutches of those terrible goblins. Cosmo knew that there would be no soldiers at this mountain pass. He's been training for this for years.

"This forest is nearly completely unguarded. They think the ice mountain pass will keep us out."

Astro nods too, having been there when they drew up all those maps and hatched on their plans.

The soldiers behind them are getting ready to ride down the mountain. They've been travelling for two days, all the way from the capital towards the border, and up to this mountain pass that is divided between the two kingdoms. Now that they have reached the peak of the ice mountain, they've also crossed the border. Astro and Cosmo ride up front, while the six soldiers that they have taken with them ride in the back in three neat rows. Cosmo made sure to pick the best of the best.

Astro looks out over the green land of the goblin kingdom, and Cosmo glances at him. He sees the frown that has appeared on his twin's face. Astro glances at him, too, hesitating before he speaks.

"Do you think Nayan and Chepi will be in the capital? I'm worried we might be on the wrong path."

Cosmo is quick to glare at him, glancing back at the soldiers. He's worried about that too, but they shouldn't be too loud about it in front of the other fairies. They don't need to know how uncertain this mission is. Chances are they'll lose morale and become jumpy and unruly. He needs them to be as disciplined and strong-minded as they were when they left the fairy capital. "Don't speak of your worries in front of the soldiers, brother."

Astro is quick to give him an eye roll.

"Don't act like you're older than me, brother."