"You have to stop being so paranoid…"
"Look behind you, Cole. The rider is still there…"
"This is a major road. It would be more strange if no one were following us."
The two soldiers on horseback made their way toward Rynnlee on the main road. In the end, openness in travel made them look less suspicious. They had been given an official document by Rabert to explain their movements, so now that they were clear of the palace, they really had no reason to hide.
Philip tapped the reins of his horse rhythmically. "This is different. I think we should confront them." He looked over his shoulder anxiously yet again.
A rider with a scarf wrapped tightly around their head was barely visible on the path behind them. Philip had noticed the rider earlier in the day, but it wasn't until after the men had stopped for a break that Philip had truly become suspicious.
Cole brushed his comment aside with his hand. "And say what? 'Hey stop following us on this highway through Birle.' Honestly I thought you were kidding when you started all this, but it is becoming old."
The bright eyed soldier dug his heels into his horse and sped ahead of his comrade to end the conversation. Cole could take a joke, but he did not find it funny anymore.
Philip was quiet for a while, but the nagging in the back of his mind would not be silenced. The stoic man rode back up beside the other to start his argument anew. "I'm being serious. Whenever we stop, he stops. He stays just far enough back so we cannot engage, yet close enough to see us. Why would anyone do that if they did not have some malicious intent?"
"Maybe he is just looking for the safety of our protection." Cole rolled his eyes. "Two strong and capable soldiers tend to deter bandits from wanting to rob you. These roads are not the safest for a single traveler. I cannot fault him for wanting to ride in our wake. He probably fears for his life."
Pressing his lips together, Philip tried to let the conversation drop. He was a man of so few words, and this exchange alone was quite exhausting for him. It was much easier to let his own thoughts keep him company while he did his job than let someone else's musings invade his brain.
Yet, he just could not let it go. "Your logic is flawed," Philip sighed, already wishing he had remained silent. "Either it is well traveled and safe, which is why he is following us or it is seldom traveled and dangerous and that is why the man seeks our aid. I cannot see a way where it would be both..."
"Today is a day for exceptions! For example, you are very chatty today..." Cole gave a winsome smile. His light brown hair flowed across his shoulders, free from the bindings of his regular ponytail. The soldier's handsome ocean blue eyes caused the ladies at court to gossip, but he was too honest to let any of their longing glances lead him astray. "Really, Philip, I think this is the most words I have heard you put together at one time when Captain Rabert is not around to coax you. And here I thought this was going to be a quiet trip."
"If I speak so seldom then you should listen when I do. You might actually learn something," Philip snorted.
Although Cole was probably his closest friend in the whole world, he could be insufferable. Years of being stationed together under Rabert had not changed that their personalities did not always mix well. A cloud passed over the dark-haired man's face as he decided his attempt at communication had been for nothing.
The amiable soldier realized he had crossed a line. He did enjoy goading Philip into arguments, but he never actually wanted to make the other man angry. Cole just did not like silence, which was Philip's element. The fact that the raven-haired man wanted to communicate at all was a great blessing on the journey.
"Alright, I shall bite. Just don't leave me dangling on the hook for asking. Why do you think the man is following us?" Cole looked around instinctively to make sure no one else was listening. However, since they were on horseback and moving at a steady pace, that option was highly unlikely.
Just to be safe, Philip leaned to one side from his horse and spoke in a low voice. "What if the person following us is a spy for Borit. What if he caught wind of our little adventure and sent someone to see how much we know."
Philip was a cautious man but not particularly paranoid. Cole was unable to dismiss the though outright. "Do you really think that?" he asked tentatively. "Or are you just trying to get me back for teasing you?"
Shaking his head, the dark-haired man continued to look grave. "It has been my concern since we left in secret that someone would find us out. And the information you told me about the commander is most unsettling if it turns out to be true. If I were Borit, I would send someone after us..."
Now Cole realized his companion's concern. The other soldier did not like leaving in secret and had been expecting trouble from the start. A niggle of doubt crept into Cole's mind. What if Philip were right.
"We can test this, you know," Cole announced. "We can at least see if he is indeed following us. Let's turn on one of the side paths and see if the stranger does too."
"If he stays on the main road, I will apologize for my fear," Philip agreed. "But if he follows us, then I get to decide our next steps."
"Deal," Cole reached out and shook the man's forearm across the horses.
They waited for a small path that was little wider than a game trail through the low grass. It was better to take a path because it would be easier to back track, or else they could have just wandered off into the forest aimlessly. Both men were good with navigation, but there was no need to take chances just now.
The path selected was perfect. The stranger could easily follow them, but there was no reason for him to do so. The soldiers fell single file into line with Philip taking the rear. If the rider was actually following them, he wanted to be the one to announce it. The most satisfying feeling was being right, even if the implications of being right could be dire.
The two men were a good clip down the path when the stranger came even with it. He hesitated at the offshoot, uncertain. Then, at last, he selected the smaller trail as well.
"I told you!" Philip hissed at his victory. "You thought I was crazy!"
Cole could no longer deny the other rider's strange behavior. The rider had no bow for hunting, which was really the only reason to take the path they were on. As it was, the trail was quickly petering out into nothing.
"I concede. We are being followed. What do you want to do about it?" Cole ran his fingers through his hair. His peeked over his shoulder to try and pierce through the stranger's mask, but his face was too shrouded in shadows.
Philip had his answer ready. "I say we catch him and get some answers. I don't just want to lose him."
With a sigh, Cole nodded. "Very well. Same maneuver as usual?"
For the first time all day, Philip cracked a smile. "Same as usual."
They two men immediately split and disappeared into the foliage. Then dismounting, they looped around back to the point where they had parted. Cole, being the more nimble of the two, shimmied up a tree while Philip stayed firmly on the ground. Heights were not his favorite anyway.
When the rider came even with where they had disappeared, he stopped. Even with his face hidden, his body was tense with confusion. He looked toward Philip, but did not see him. Something was familiar about the caped figure and Philip suddenly felt a sense of unease.
'No matter,' he comforted himself. 'We will have answers in a moment.'
He counted to three, cooed loudly, and then both he and Cole leapt at the stranger from either side. While Cole jumped from the tree and dragged the rider to the ground, Philip secured the horse.
"Too easy," Philip said with with a satisfied grin. "Now we will get some answers."
Cole didn't respond. When Philip peeked around the horse, he realized why. The light-haired man had apprehended the stranger and pinned the intruder to the ground. The soldier stared in shock.
Instead of a dastardly spy come to ruin their mission, a very different problem had presented itself.
And that problem had beautiful blonde hair.