I had my doubts. Everyone keeps telling me they’re unwarranted, and maybe they are. She’s smitten with Lorcan, though, and it grates on me, the way he ignores it.
Or maybe it’s their friendship I envy, wanting to keep all of him to myself. That is not healthy. I’ve never had a boyfriend before, so I’m not sure how I’m supposed to act.
We set the horses free once we came to the entrance to a narrow trailhead.
“From here, we go on foot,” said Tovian. “The horses will wander off to graze.”
“If this is too much, we can take a slower route,” Lorcan offered. I am the weak link in this group. Everyone else is warrior-fit. Me? I am as strong as you’d expect a half-starved princess to be after four days of travel over rugged terrain. I’m slow and keep asking for rest breaks, though I try hard to keep up. No one seems to mind waiting for me, though.
It’s hot and sticky in the jungle. I wanted nothing more than to take off every stitch of clothing, which I briefly considered, only to realize there was no way to do so without others seeing me naked.
I haven’t seen myself full-length in a mirror since that awful night at River Bend. Lorcan’s cottage only had a small one in the outdoor privy and makeshift shower. I know I am not quite as knobby as I was immediately after my rescue, but I also know I’m far from what I was before the war.
Leaves shook noisily overhead.
“What’s that?” Tahra asked, apprehensively.
“Dragons.” Tovian scanned the canopy. “They’re harmless. We keep them as pets.”
“Pets,” I repeated incredulously.
Dragons are not harmless. They bite. They lash their tails like whips, when provoked. If you get scratched by one, the wound is prone to infection. Fortunately, the winged lizards native to Auralia also mostly avoid humans. Larger specimens, like the one that flew overhead a moment ago, can grow to nearly four meters long.
“Yes. They’re intelligent and easy to train. Children like them.” Tovian was bemused by my skepticism. Lorcan stifled a smile. He knows something that I don’t.
“Does Raina know about this?” I asked, panting as I hauled myself up over a root-gnarled, muddy hillside. I’m the only one not carrying a pack, only a small bag of personal essentials, yet I’m the laggard of the group.
“She has one.”
“She doesnot.”
“It lives with the Ansi, but it’s hers. Garnet. I even made a silver collar for it.”
“This, I cannot wait to see.” I would love to arrive at Ansi Village—or whatever it’s called—town, city, hamlet, I don’t care as long as there’s a bath and proper bed available. We’re all pretty ripe. Biting gnats are getting the better of me. I keep walking into clouds of tiny insects. One even got into my eye. I’m itching like crazy. Keryn and Tahra are, too.
“Soon, Princess. There.”
Bewilderingly, Tovian pointed across the fast-moving river at a sheer rock face. Right. There was literally nothing ahead except volcanic rock, eroded and pock-marked, with occasional trees valiantly clinging to crevices. I saw nothing to indicate a civilization of thousands of people lived nearby—which, I assume, is the point.
We soon came to a large fallen tree across the river raging several meters below. The top has been flattened to make it suitable for walking, with a rope strung across beside it. Apart from that, there was nothing to prevent you from slipping over the edge. Keryn eyed it warily.
“It’s strong enough to support you,” Tovian reassured them.
“Aye, perhaps. But am I nimble enough to get across without toppling over the side?” Keryn’s eyes narrowed. “Only one way to find out.”
They edged out onto the log bridge, gripping the rope with white knuckles, moving slowly at first, then fast enough to make the tree bounce alarmingly.
“See?” Tovian called out, laughing.
“You next, Princess.” Lorcan gestured at me to cross. When I hesitated, Tahra barged ahead.
“I’ll go.”
She moved fast, skimming one hand along the rope. Showing off. A third of the way across, however, she slipped and went flying out over the river below, clutching the guideline with desperate strength. I gasped. Lorcan darted out onto the bridge and pulled Tahra back to safety.
Tovian shook his head disapprovingly. “Go slow, Princess. A little momentum helps you keep your balance, but don’t rush.”
“I won’t.” Once the other two reached the other side, I carefully picked my way across. The surface of the bridge was slippery from the humidity and spray from the churning river. My small pack shifted, pulling me off-balance for one terrifying moment, but I made it safely to the other side.
