My Throne of Light (Seven Knights Fanfiction)

Chapter 14: Through the Woods

The day came, and the two Knights were outside the gates of Terra. Kris' parents were there with them, silently watching their son go and fight for the glory of the Goddess. Aragon's wife and Evan were talking to Rudy, reminding him about the what-do and what-not-to-do. The Commander was confirming briefing about the mission with Kris by the corner.

"It sounds quite a long journey." He sighed with a smile. "I trust all that I had taught you will help you go through this without doubt." He placed a hand on Kris' shoulder. "The world is less forgiving outside the Mystic Woods. Please take care of yourself and Rudy. Perhaps it would be good to forget about the Throne for now. Out there" -he glanced at the horizon of the setting sun- "you only have each other."

"I have no intentions of leaving Rudy behind." The noble nodded before looking over his other shoulder to find Rudy patting Evan's head. He also watched other people join them in saying goodbye to Rudy. He could hear Aragon speaking, but he could not help but to stare.

From his place, Rudy felt the weight of Kris' stare. He excused himself to everyone before jogging to join Kris and Aragon. He smiled at both before turning to Kris. "Are you ready?"

"Are you?" Kris almost chuckled.

The two left the post soon enough, riding horses through the supposed peaceful woods. Bringing a horse would not be a good idea, but they had to conserve energy for such a long journey around Asgar. Also, it was really bad because- Rudy never had the chance to get the hang of it. They did practice horseback riding, but he would end up on the ground one way or another. He was very thankful Eileene had them ride a carriage instead.

"Is this what you meant by 'are you', Kris?" Rudy laughed out at himself, trying to get the horse walk in a straight path. He turned to the blond who was just fascinated by how drunk the horse seemed by the way it swerved. "No one told me about the horse."

"Should we go back and ask for a carriage instead?" The fascinated Kris only chuckled and shook his head. Being a noble, he was trained to ride a horse at a very young age. He was eight when he started riding his pony along the city unguided. "Come on, Rudy, you can do it. The horse can feel you can't guide it well so it strays."

Rudy laughed again. Before he could speak, the horse suddenly reared in refusal. Kris grabbed the reins by the head and stopped the two horses altogether. He kicked his horse at the side gently, walking his horse first before Rudy's started to follow. They won't get far at that pace, but Kris could not afford letting Rudy fall off multiple times.

"I feel stupid having someone else walk my horse." The brunet ran his hand on the horse's head. His fingers work smoothly through the mane until he felt the horse walking faster. He looked at Kris who raised a vacant hand- aside from the one holding his horse's reins. He was on his own with the horse again; however, he did not see it swerve at all.

Kris made his horse walk faster before turning to Rudy. "We have to quicken the pace so we could get through the woods before the sun sets. Can you handle steering her completely?"

"I wouldn't know unless I try, Kris." Rudy nodded at his friend before taking a deep breath. He made the horse rear- without falling off or even losing control. His horse went ahead at full speed, leaving Kris behind.

The noble snorted before rearing his own. The horse went at full sprint as well, racing with the brunet's horse. However, they had to take a different path from what they knew. Some parts of the woods had been ruined by the monsters, and multiple paths were lost. They mostly spent the day finding new places to pass through without endangering the horses and themselves.

Rudy and Kris rested as the first night set in. They feel being near the exit of the woods, but continuing would be lethal to their riding companions. Under the moonlight, they camped at a wide place, devoid of any tall grass from where the enemy could hide. It was quite a lively night as they ate and chatted before Kris volunteers to keep watch.

Then again, neither of them slept. Kris was perfectly still as he leaned against a tree stump. The noble could see Rudy's back as he lied on his side, looking away from the blond. He looked at the extinguished camp fire before speaking. "What's wrong?"

"You've been staring a lot." Rudy chuckled before getting up and sitting on his spot. He faced Kris who was not looking back at him. "Were you bothered by the people saying their farewell?"

Kris sighed and looked at him. "I am not bothered. I was a little used to seeing others being-" He suddenly paused before changing his statement entirely. He pressed himself against the stump. "It's nothing. Is it bad to watch the people saying goodbye to someone else?"

"Not at all." Rudy decided to walk towards Kris and sit next to him. "It feels warm, watching them say goodbye." He remained silent before exhaling loudly. He leaned against Kris and closed his eyes. "You and I are best at different things. Do not scale your worth against mine just because we're both eyeing at the Throne."

The blond dropped his tense shoulders. He looked up at the night sky before looking over his shoulder to see the brunet who was trying to fall asleep. He looked up the sky again. "Who said anything about it," Kris whispered.

The noble's eyesslowly closed, unknowingly making him fall into slumber.