Love Quest - [Dean x Reader AU] *on hold*

Part Two

Knight Dean Winchester was a professional man, you discovered. And a quiet one at that. As your horses ran side by side, neither you nor Dean said a word to one another. Curious as to why he hadn't attempted to make conversation, you pondered the reasons over in your head.

Riding at fast speeds do make it difficult to talk to your company, you thought. You'd seen other knights try to keep a conversation as they trained on their horses and fail at each attempt. Those who kept conversation normally bumped into something or lost focus. Talking while riding at quick speeds was a skill not many could master.

Perhaps he's just as shy as I am and is waiting for me to say something.

But what was there to say? The two of you came from very different lifestyles. The likelihood of sharing similarities between each other was very slim. This fact shyed you away and convinced you to keep to yourself.

The leather of the saddles creaked as you bumped up and down. Your reins, a thin strap of leather Garth made specially for you and Caspen, felt good in your hands. Caspen's other set of reins used for public appearances hurt your hands and left red marks if you didn't wear gloves.

Dean's reins, you noticed, were a thick rope tied to a rope bridle. Rope burn was a common complaint among the soldiers; your father had mentioned to Bobby about upgrading the knights' riding equipment, but in the heat of a war, your father couldn't find the time to buy such a large amount of leather.

Maybe they will switch to leather in time for the war. Hopefully, you wished, and focused on following Dean and his mare.

~*~

After two full days of riding, only taking short stops for you, Dean, and the horses to replenish with food and water and relieve your bladders, you were still following Dean without having said a word to one another. He would check the map during a stop, mount his mare when he was ready, and then wait for you to do the same. This is how every break went, and the rides were just as quiet.

Those two days took a toll on your body. Your thighs burned and ached in protest and you were afraid of falling asleep while riding Caspen. Exhausted and sore, you urged Caspen forward, shocking Dean as you passed him and his mare.

A willow tree's hanging vines sheltered a clearing in the forest. The wind brushed the leaves aside, giving you glimpses into the clearing as if it was showing you a secret. You sighed, a smile forming on your lips, and Caspen ran through the vines. The leaves waved to you as you entered the clearing, joyous of the princess's arrival.

Caspen stopped abruptly when you pulled back on the reins and quickly slid off his back. You landed on the soft grass and rolled onto you back, gazing up into the tree tops that scattered the sunlight around you. Your legs melted into the ground, muscles relaxing. You couldn't wipe the smile off your face.

Your horse nickered, blowing gently on your face. You giggled at his snout's warmth and stroked his head lovingly. Caspen neighed playfully and pranced around you. You sat up and laughed at his behavior that reminded you of his colt years. You skipped and danced next to him, your arm drapped around his neck.

Dean's mare walked into the clearing, Dean's face curious from atop his horse. Though you didn't notice it, a smile broke out on his face when he caught you laughing with Caspen.

The knight peered at the orange sky, purple hues replacing the warm yellows slowly. He dismounted his mare and grabbed the map from his leather pack.

"We rest here for tonight," Dean said authoritatively. "Unless you want to keep going, your Highness," Dead added after a pause, and rather bashfully.