Every muscle in Ethyn's body hurt when he finally awoke. Sleep had eluded him until he had basically held his breath to pass out. As such, he had ended up in the most uncomfortable position.
"Bodes well for my day," the young man grumbled, trying to work the knot out of his left shoulder.
Ethyn knew he was expected at Silver's house that morning, but after a night of mulling things over, he had his reservations.
Silver had sounded so confident that everything would be fine the evening before, and Ethyn had decided to believe him. This morning, he was less confident.
'How could the Guardian be sure that knowing would be better? What if it is actually worse?' Ethyn's imagination, which was far more active than most men his age, was immediately lit with every manner of possibility once again.
All the progress Silver had done to allay Ethyn's fears was gone faster than Katherine's famous stew.
'I cannot run from my problems any longer, but perhaps I can put them off until this afternoon. No harm in that, right? will be able to clear my head.'
Satisfied with his resolution, the green eyed man got dressed and causally slipped down the back stairs by the kitchen without being seen. Guests were supposed to use the front stairs, but he wasn't about to risk having to engage in conversation if he could help it.
Instead Ethyn would use the back stairs to sneak--walk-- out to the stables and gather Courage for a morning ride. The young man tried to ignore the fact that his horse was ironically named this morning.
'The ride will give me time to practice what I will say,' he convinced himself.
When Ethyn reached the bottom of the stairs, Katherine was already hard at work ordering around the cook and organizing the tavern for another full day.
"Don't you dare put leeks in that! It will ruin the whole meal!" Katherine fussed. Her voice became softer. "You can mess with anything else in this kitchen but that family recipe will be followed to the letter."
Ethyn hopped over the last step in order to avoid its creak, but somehow the innkeeper still knew he was there.
"I know you aren't leaving without saying goodbye!" The plump woman exited the kitchen with her arms crossed. The spoon in her hand seemed like a silent threat.
"I would never…I mean I didn't want to hinder your morning preparations, Katherine. I value you too much for that." Ethyn smiled a little too wide.
"Mhmm, and where are you off to so that you don't 'disturb' me?" The woman before him was not only an innkeeper, but also a mother, making her doubly able in detecting deception.
Ethyn gulped. "I was just going for a morning ride. I haven't had much chance to give Courage the exercise he deserves."
Pursing her lips, Katherine shook her head. "Sure sure, whatever you say. On an unrelated note, I have a basket of food you can take for lunch. I made it special."
"Why would I need a basket for lunch? I usually just have some dried meat and fruit that I can keep in my pack." The knight's confused question somehow amused Katherine. She disappeared into the kitchen and came back with a woven basket with a handle.
Thrusting the container into Ethyn's hands, Katherine ran her finger along the handle as she released it. "I would appreciate it if you return the basket when you are done. My mother made that. She was an excellent weaver."
The pride in her voice was not lost on Ethyn, however the purpose of the gesture eluded him. He nodded warily and lifted the basket experimentally. It had more heft than he was expecting. 'How much does she think I eat?'
"Thank you." Ethyn bowed. He respected the woman greatly for all she did.
Katherine reached up and cupped the man's chin. Kissing him on the cheek, she gave him a matronly pat. "You are welcome, as always. Have a wonderful day."
With that, the innkeeper went back to her work, allowing the knight to escape--go to the stable.
All of Conall's horses were kept in the large stable overnight before being released into a fenced in field during the day. As Ethyn arrived at the building, he recognized that none of the animals had yet been released. 'The stable hand must not have arrived.'
The green-eyed man ducked into the wooden building. Towards the entrance, his gear was all laid out on a haybale and freshly polished. 'Very convenient!' Ethyn nodded in approval. His things looked very nice indeed.
Holding the picnic basket in one hand, Ethyn heaved his saddle on the opposite shoulder.
"Ok Courage, how about a little ride this morning?"
From his pen, Courage sniffed but didn't answer like he normally did. Instead a voice came from the darkest corner of the stable.
"Where exactly do you think you are going?"
Startled, Ethyn reached for his weapon, but realized he did not have it. "My sword!"
"...is at my house where you should be right now." The Guardian materialized from the shadows.
Ethyn got a sinking feeling as he forced a smile. "Silver! What are you doing here? In the stable? In the dark?"
"I was waiting for you. The better question is, what are you doing in the stables? With your saddle? With a...picnic basket?" Silver tilted his head.
"It's not what it looks like." Ethyn tried to think quickly. "Actually, I don't know what it looks like, but I was just going out for a morning ride before heading to your house...really!"
"I am sure you would have found another excuse after your ride to delay and yet another after that..." Silver's eyes flashed. "You are a master procrastinator when you want to be."
Before Ethyn could blink, Silver had removed the saddle from the knight's shoulder and hoisted him up unceremoniously by the collar.
"Come on. Don't be a coward. Haven won't bite, I don't think." The Guardian's inhuman strength was formidable even for someone as trained as Ethyn.
The young man reluctantly fell in step with his mentor, cradling the basket in his arms. "You don't think?! What kind of comfort is that?!"
"You should be more afraid of me if you don't figure out how to work things out between yourself and my sister. And the only way to make things right is talk to her...now."
As they exited beside the inn and entered the street, the Guardian released his captive. It would have raised more than a few eyebrows to see a grown man carrying another like a child through the city street.
"Of course you are right." Ethyn admitted. "I just don't know what to say to her."
"Try the truth. Don't pretty it up with flowery words, just the truth. Both of you could benefit from a little honesty just now...both with yourselves and each other..." The last part was barely audible, but the redhead could just make it out.
"What is that supposed to mean?" The young knight suddenly flushed. There was something in the words that made him intensely uncomfortable.
Silver clicked his tongue. "It doesn't matter. We are here."
It was the fastest trip Ethyn had ever made between the inn and the house, and the young man wondered if some sort of sorcery had been used to get him there so quickly.
"Perhaps you should go in and announce that I am here so that Haven isn't surprised." Ethyn dug his heels into the ground.
"That seems fair," Silver agreed.
Ethyn breathed a sigh of relief only to be overcome with a solid push from his companion.
"Haven, we are here!" The Guardian boomed as the two men burst through the door.
It seemed that Rose had been expecting them. She was sitting primly with her hands crossed resting on the rickety table. She wore a practiced smile.
"Welcome back," the princess said to her brother. "Sir Ethyn." She dipped her head.
Ethyn bowed, and the three fell into a tense silence. At last Silver could stand it no longer.
"Out with it!" he commanded.
The two young people locked eyes. "I'm sorry," they said in unison.
Ethyn opened his mouth again to speak, but his words caught in his throat.
'Did she just apologize?'