Kiera soon found out that all her worries were for naught, as the three generals and their teams of handpicked warriors were more than enough to properly escort their King. Even when they were attacked by bandits or by deranged Beasts, they were easy enough to deal with. Mostly it was Gaspar and his men who would be the ones to cut the criminals down as they were the quickest to the scene.
Cody kept complaining to her about this. He didn't want to be left out of the action, but he knew Gaspar's warriors were the crazy sort of warriors.
Jade didn't like the competition either but her mind was more occupied over the place they were traveling to.
"Solomon is known to be quite a wealthy Kingdom." She droned on, filling up Kiera's ears with tidbits of information. "King Gerrod has five sons and two daughters. It's said that each one of his children has in some way or another contributed to the Kingdom's prosperity. Actually, no. I misspoke. All except one of his sons." She scrunches up her button nose while on her horse. They were following behind one of the King's carriages bearing gifts for the other Kingdoms.
"He's quite different from the rest of his siblings. All he's done is get caught up in one scandal after the next. Other than that, he does nothing else." She looks to Kiera, "I wonder if he's as disgraceful as all the rumors make him out to be. If I were King Gerrod I would have disowned him ages ago, but why hasn't he?"
"This is all very interesting and all," Cody was silently listening in to their conversation from behind them and chose this time to chime in, "but Humans are all like that. Their ways are a mystery to us and should stay a mystery." He drives his horse forward to cut between Kiera and Jade.
"Unless of course, you're into that kind of thing," Cody asked Jade with the usual snide tone in his voice. Kiera couldn't see his face, as he turned his face totally towards Jade, suggesting he was mainly trying to get a reaction from her.
"I wouldn't recommend it though. Humans are nothing but heartbreak." He sits back on his horse. "Isn't that right Bryan?" He shoots off his question behind them to where the Bear was lagging behind on his own horse.
Bryan didn't rise to Cody's taunts, he only stared ahead as he rode. Cody clicks his tongue, disappointed his words couldn't get a reaction from the usually calm Bryan.
"You've been getting quite brave lately Cody, to be picking fights with your fellow Captains in front of me," as soon as his name passed her lips, she could see Cody slightly duck down his head. The Coyote Beast noted the tone in her voice and as such, couldn't help but submit to her.
"I apologize General." His voice darkens, and his jaw clenches.
"You are good Captain and an even better fighter, I'll give you that. But you need to learn when to shut your mouth before somebody shuts it for you."
She heard him mumble a couple of things under his breath but she chose to ignore it. The grumblings of a nineteen-year-old are no threat to her. At most he would only throw a tantrum or refuse to speak with her for a couple of days. She supposes the reason she keeps him as one of her Captains is because of his latent talent and she wanted to see when he'd take notice of it. In a lot of ways, she could see her younger self in him.
Kiera still remembers the day Cody first was assigned under her command. He was only a Private then, and he would always claim that he would be the one to take Kiera's position as the twelfth Beast General. To this day Cody hasn't been able to beat her in a Challenge.
"Jade, at the rate we're going, how much longer is it until we reach the Solomon castle?"
Jade jumps up in surprise as she didn't expect Kiera to ask her a question in their current tense atmosphere, but she quickly shakes herself out of it.
"At the rate we're currently traveling in, we'll reach the castle in about two days' time. Arriving in the evening just before the starting event."
"There's a starting event?" This is the first Kiera has heard about an event and she wondered if she should have packed more clothes.
"A banquet actually. I'm excited for it since I've never been to a Human Banquet before. Do you suppose it's like our banquets?"
"I suppose there should be some differences between the two." Kiera honestly didn't know how to respond. Jade's questions are something that has always left her thinking. She likes it, as it gives her ideas, and sometimes, even gives her solutions to her problems.
Jade bites her lip, trying to reign herself in from asking any further questions. Kiera could tell she really wanted to ask Bryan, for he had a lot more experience dealing with Humans, but she didn't want to overstep her bounds. Ever since she became one of her Captains, she has learned when to keep her inquisitive nature to herself. She also didn't want to hurt Bryan's feelings if she said the wrong things or pried into things that didn't need to be pried into.
Kiera decided to help her out a bit by distracting her.
"I hope you've packed the appropriate clothing for a banquet."
"I have a dress but I don't know if the style is acceptable for a Human banquet," she speaks her worries aloud. It seems Kiera only managed to accomplish making her Captain worry.
"I'm sure whatever dress you've packed should be fine." She tries again to comfort the woman, but Jade has always been overly anxious when it comes to these types of things.
Jade sighs and turns to her, "How about you General? Did you pack any dresses?"
"Not quite. Would you believe it if I told you I don't owe a single dress?"
Jade watches her for a moment before she shakes her head at her. "No, that pretty much sounds like something you'd do." Her Captain giggles at her expense.
"General, sometimes you amaze me and sometimes you scare the living daylights out of me, but there are a few times when I think you truly act your age. It's nice." Then, as if remembering she was talking to her commanding officer, she erases her smile and stops laughing.
"Forgive me General, I didn't mean any disrespect."
"There's no need for you to apologize, I'm not offended." A relieved Jade drops her shoulders, all tension leaving her body when she hears Kiera's words.
"What made you want to join my ranks?" Kiera instead asks her, surprising her Captain once more.
"Well, you're no doubt a genius. You might not remember me back at the Academy, but we had a couple of lessons together. Every time you were called on to answer you would speak so eloquently that it was if you've already had years of experience. Not to mention, your incredible fighting skills. There was no one at the Academy that could best you. Even the older students had trouble keeping up with you." She blushes as she says all this.
"That was one of the reasons why I felt compelled to apply to be under your command. When I learned you were going to replace the previous twelfth General I thought it was the perfect chance for me to switch over commands. I thought I could grow even more under a different kind of leadership, and I was right. I have grown a lot."
She had to agree, her Captain had made leaps and bounds of progress since she had first joined. That was one of the reasons why she had made her one of her Captains.
Kiera pondered over her words, chewing over the various things Jade had just told her.
"What kind of leadership was it that you thought I would be able to provide?" She asked the question before really she knew she was going to ask it.
Jade was prepared this time, smiling softly as she looked at Kiera.
"The kind that I needed the most. The kind of leadership that I knew wouldn't focus on what species of Beast I am. Where it only mattered how much effort I put in. I was fortunate that at the time you took in anybody who wanted to join you. I can't imagine having another General beside you."
Kiera smiled fondly at Jade, her words felt a little too sweet for her to completely take them all in, but she would remember each one of her words if she ever were to doubt herself.
"Thank you Jade."
"See Cody? This is how you should act when talking to a superior. Instead of always trying to Challenge me."
Behind them, Cody could be seen rolling his eyes.