The sisters went on and on, excited about the upcoming visit to the North. Not because they would get to see a different land, but because they would get a glimpse of Corvin. They seemed enamoured and smitten with Corvin. Although a moon had passed, she indeed felt his absence weighing on her; she often found herself turning around at night to look at his side of the bed. Perhaps, she felt lonely. She tried to assuage herself, for her unaccounted rising feelings towards the troglodyte.
" I'm ready," Evin proudly presented himself at the stables, all trussed up in armour. Not just breastplates. He was in full armour, head to toe, although it awkwardly hung on his slim body.
Iris stifled a giggle and nodded in approval while the sisters once again sighed peeved. She couldn't see it, but she would wager all she had that they rolled their eye at the sight of Evin. Ker had made her daughters sound so ominous, but in reality, even though, at times they were difficult to deal with, most of the time they provided quite a lot of entertainment.
" Look at him," One of the sisters said, " I've seen clothes on a drying line look more elegant and gracious," She added, while the others giggled and if they had a form, they would've probably rolled on the floor.
" I cannot believe that you are actually considering passing down the crown to him. The nightshade must've burned off the remaining brain matter," One of them added and she had to smile and bite on her lip. She couldn't tell them to shut it. Grin and bear it.
Already on the horse, Iris watched Evin attempt and fail several attempts to climb on the horse. The armour was making it rather difficult since it weighed more than he did. The sisters, hysterically laughed each time he managed to get one leg on the saddle and then slip off, and fall at the horse's feet, very ungraciously.
"The most fun I had in a while," One of them amusedly hummed. While another attempt was made, followed by a swift and embarrassing failure. The sisters were right. It was fun watching Evin clumsily, trying to mount the horse. In the end, the stable boy took pity on him and brought him a stool, with the advice to use it, hiding a grin behind his hand.
Evin blew out a breath of relief, and violently shook his body once he successfully mounted the horse, " That was," He drawled and raised his eyes to meet her gaze, " Interesting, " He hummed, proudly. Not an easy task to achieve for someone who has been reared among sheep and goats. Not a warrior. Not in the least.
" Yes, indeed it was," Iris cleared her throat, and nibbled on her top lip, mostly to keep herself from laughing, as the the sisters seemed to enjoy themselves a little too much.
" We are burning daylight. We should go," Iris nudged the horse to move, and Evin followed, his armour clanking behind her, along with the clip-clop of the horse's hooves on the lodestone.
It was still early daws, and most of the citadel inhabitants were deep asleep. It took a while, but they finally had guards manning the gates and the citadel walls. The gates had been reforged and reinforced. A new rule had begun, and she wanted to make sure that she would do everything in her power to keep them safe.
The sisters returned to whispering among themselves. They often did that. At times, she could hear what they were saying, but most of the time they were careful enough not to let anything slip.
Taking a deep breath in, she surveyed the landscape with her eyes. The crossover into the new season had already begun in the southern lands and soon it will move north breathing life into the bare lands. If Corvin's words held a grain of truth in them.
They passed villages, that once were filled with people and now empty. Thriving forest, lush pasture spreading before them in all their splendour. The sea of green was nothing short of amazing, as butterflies and droning bees moved around earning their keep. Full of life, unbothered, unaware of the impending doom from either side of the kingdom. If she had to lay her life to protect it, then so be it.
The forest in question sprouted before them, as midday approached at a dizzying speed. She had lost herself observing life unfold before her eyes. After much blood was spilled, and many lives had been lost, there it was as if it never happened.
Evin appeared in her purview, his armour glistening in the sun. Her Knight in shining armour.
As if the sisters had read her thoughts, they began laughing again.
" Some knight," One of them laughed so hard in her ear, making her wince at the boom of her laughter in her ear.
Iris halted her steps once they reached the edge of the tree line and turned to face Evin, wordlessly asking where the camp had been found.
Evin threw a glance around him and pointed somewhere in the middle of the forest. He was just guessing, judging by the uncertainty in his tone.
It was more than enough to go on. A general direction was enough to get started, and they would comb the forest until they found what they were looking for.
After searching for a good quarter, they finally found the camp spot. The blade she carried hissed when pulled out of its sheath to poke the makeshift stove over the fire. There were no remnants of food in the camp. And even if there was at one point, the wild beasts would have cleaned it. A few days old. He could have been anywhere in the southern lands. He could have been at the gates of the citadel for all she knew if he was orian. An entire army could have been at the gates.
Cornered by her intrusive thoughts, Iris tugged on the reigns and spurred the horse, galloping through the forest. It wasn't fast enough.
" Faster, my handsome boy," She whispered to the horse, as the wind bit on her flushed cheeks.