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Chapter 13: The Longest Carriage Ride Pt. 2

The carriage ride began the same way as the previous day; lots of hustle and bustle around to pack up belongings and account for everyone. It was nearly 6 in the morning before they were ready to leave. And they had a long drive ahead of them.

"Alright shrimp, move along," Ro said. Amryn lagged behind the group, looking at things as they walked. He didn't appreciate the teasing.

"At least I'm not a grumpy troll," he muttered.

Gina watched Ro visibly attempt to control herself.

"Whatever," Ro said, getting into the carriage. "If we leave you behind its your own fault."

Thanks Ro, Gina thought. 

The day dragged on and on as flies swarmed through the open coach windows and buzzed around them, feasting on their sweat. By the third time a horse fly bit her Gina had reached her breaking point.

A hand flew through the air with a smack. "If another one of those flies lands on me I am going to kill something," Ro swore under her breath. "Namely Amryn."

No Ro! Any goading you give him will provoke a fight.

"I'd like to see you try," he said. Gina let out a long sigh. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

What is it with him and proving himself? Sometimes he's the trick master, sometimes he's the serious guy, and sometimes he's the macho man who can't take a single hit to his ego!

What is he really? She wondered. Is he all three? Are two of them a cover-up? Are all of them a cover-up for his true self?

Maybe he's just a chameleon.

"I could whoop your sad hide into shape in under a minute. You're lucky that Vienn is around to stop me when we're training or I would have done so long ago. You need to learn that talk is talk and skill is skill. As in your  talk is no match for my skill."

"Your skills look more like a sad walrus than a trained warrior," Amryn fired back, "And I could kick your thick blubber any day."

"Are you calling me FAT?" Ro said, eyes blazing.

"Blubbery... fat... same thing." He said, seeming thrilled to have hit a nerve.

"Ugh. You're such a freaking pompous toad."

"Nasty old crone."

"Warty wombat."

"Grumpy geezer."

Insults flung across the carriage like arrows in a battlefield. Back and forth and back and forth with no one gaining the clear upper hand.

Gina settled back in her seat.

This is going to be a long trip, she thought.

Late that evening they reached their destination; bitten by bugs all over their bodies, exhausted to the fullest extent of the word, and tired of the other's company.

Not Quill's company, Gina amended. Just the bicker twins.

They all took care of the horses quickly and then collapsed on their beds. Gina didn't even have the energy to put on her nightgown, falling asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow. She dreamed strange dreams.

Gina felt bare grass beneath her toes and the warm sun hitting her back

"Quill! Come look at this," she felt herself call, as she laughed and skipped down the path by the glittering stream that twinkled with little fairy lights as the sun touched its surface.