Bound By Chains (MxM)

Chapter Twenty-Six

I was beginning to become anxious. I mean, it had been nearly an hour since Cayden went to listen in on Terry's plan and I have yet to even hear word from him. I was completely and utterly worried that Terry had caught on to him, or something, and that he was taking him somewhere, or something, to "teach him a lesson". Then again, I could have been worrying over nothing. My mind always liked to pick and prod at the worst possible situations, thanks to how I was brought up, so it was only natural that I worried, even if there was no reason to.

Ok, perhaps there was a reason, especially if Cayden had been caught, and I was honestly seconds away from barging into that tent to make sure nothing was amiss...only, I my attention was quickly stolen when Joana came skipping up to me, her smile sliding off of her face when she saw the expression on mine.

"Goodness Davian, you look as if you've falling ill. What's the matter? Did that little prince of yours hurt you, 'cause if so, I'll totally get Ira to kick his butt for you."

I blinked and blew out a breath when she forced her way into my field of vision, her brows furrowed worriedly as she pulled her lips into a pout. Sensing she wasn't going to let this go, I nibbled at my bottom lip and glanced at her, wondering if I should even tell her what Cayden was doing, or keep him safe by giving a...clipped version of the truth. Deciding on the latter, I glanced at Terry's tent for the briefest of moments before I dropped my gaze to the earth below me, wringing my hands together.

"Well," I began, trying to come up with how to properly phrase this, "Cayden went out to do something about an hour ago...and I've yet to hear word from him. It's incredibly concerning."

Joana frowned and crossed her arms, jutting her lip to the side as she seemed to study me, trying to gage my little "white lie". Thankfully, it seemed the gods were on my side on this day as she tore her gaze away from me, shifting to place her hands on her hips. "Well, judging by that incredible musculature of him, I'm sure he's absolutely fine. Maybe he's still busy doing whatever it is he's doing, and just hasn't had time to get back to you." She shrugged and turned her attention back towards me. She then quirked a brow. "You're incredibly worried about him."

Flustered, I pursed my lips and crossed my arms over my chest. "Of course, I am. He's...my friend, and I haven't had a moment where he wasn't nearby me. I'm just concerned, is all."

Grinning, Joana clasped her hands behind her back and bumped her hip against mine, raising her brows in a way that had me wondering if she knew of my growing feelings for him. "Well, like I said, your large, handsome friend is quite capable of taking care of himself. He's also incredibly intelligent as well, so I'm pretty sure he's ok, and that you're worrying over nothing." She then patted my shoulder and tilted her head, leaning closer as if she were going to tell me a secret. "Tell you what; I know of a way you can alleviate your stress and relax a bit, over this whole worrisome attitude of yours. A little way in the woods, about fifteen minutes from here, going northbound, you will come across a small clearing with three large boulders sitting next to the fallen trunk of a tree. If you look to the left, you will see a wall of vines and flowers. Go through that, and you'll stumble upon a natural hot spring. A little dip in that for a while, and you'll be as relaxed as a cat." She bumped her hip against mine, once more, before pointing in the direction of the spring. "Trust me, I've gone there a couple of times to gather my thoughts, and it really does help."

Taking her offer into consideration, I finally relented with a sigh and nodded, causing Joana to beam as I rubbed anxiously at my arms. "Does anyone else here know of that location? I-I'd rather not have someone walk in on me while I'm bare to the world."

Joana snorted and waved her arm. "I highly doubt it. I haven't seen anyone patrol in that area, and if they have, I doubt they would have been smart enough to figure out the wall of vines was hiding such a miraculous thing behind it. I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who knows about it." She paused, then giggled and poked me in the side. "Well, and now you too." She placed her hands behind her back and nodded in the hot spring's direction. "Like I said, fifteen-minute walk, three boulders, a fallen tree trunk and a wall of vines, and you should find it!"

She then gave me a mock salute before she skipped away, tail flickering wildly as I glanced in the direction she indicated. I sighed, taking one last look at Terry's tent before I began making my way into the forest, hesitating only a moment before I gathered my courage and began my search.

The forest was live with sound, from birds chirping to squirrels chattering, to the leaves as an unforeseen breeze blew through. The forest was much better in the day than in the night, so I didn't feel like I needed to keep my guard relatively high as I made my way deeper, and deeper into the lush greenery. One minute turned into two, then five, then ten and fifteen, and after the sixteenth minute, I began wondering if Joana had pulled my leg, or had given me the wrong directions. Sighing, I went to turn around, only to freeze when I caught sight of the boulders Joana had mention; the things hard to see with all the moss that seemed to be growing on it. My gaze then trailed a little more, and I was able to find the fallen tree, and even the wall of vines that she told me to keep an eye out for.

Nibbling at my bottom lip, I approached the wall of vine, appreciating the natural beauty of it before brushing some of the strands aside, my eyes widening at what such an action revealed. Nestled in a small, lush alcove, surrounded by stone and trees, was a decent sized hot spring surrounded by jade grass and wildflowers; the image looking like something taken out of a story book. This place was absolutely gorgeous, and my heart swelled as I walked further into this place, taking a moment to bend down and stroke my fingers gently against the petals of a pink flower before I moved closer to the hot spring. Steam rose from the surface of the water, and one dip of my toe confirmed that it was at the perfect temperature. Not too hot, and definitely not too cold, although it did lean towards the hotter side.

Feeling a soft smile form on my lips, I took a moment to look around my surroundings to make sure no one was peeping in or looking about, and when I judged it to be clear, I unbuttoned my robes and let the fabric fall to the grass, before I began stepping into the water. The water caressed me like a warm blanket in the winter, and a satisfied sigh left my lips as I stepped further and further until I was at the lowest point, the water only going up to my shoulders. Nibbling at my bottom lip, I held my breath and dipped under the water, a sense of peace immediately filling me as I went back to the surface and brushed my wet hair back, before I found a decent sitting place to relax.

This was...this was definitely needed, and I would have to thank Joana whenever I returned back to the camp. And she was right, too. Cayden was indeed smart, and the most capable man I had ever met...he could probably get out of trouble, if need be, especially if his guard was up. The only reason he had been locked up in the first place after Terry first made his appearance, was because every guard the man would normally have up, was all knocked down during our conversation. He wasn't anticipating the possibility of Terry's arrival. This time, he was, so he was probably taking all the necessary precautions needed in order not to be caught eavesdropping. He would be alright. He would be. He had to be. Hell, maybe Terry's conversation was just going on longer than planned, and that was why I hadn't heard word from the brunet yet. After all, I was sure there was a lot more in coming up with a plan against a multitude of nations than a simple five-minute talk.

So...everything was alright.

Now...if it hit longer than the two-hour mark and I still hear no word from him...that is when I would allow myself to worry and investigate. I just hoped that Cayden checked in soon, to ease any worries that may arise once I leave this place.