Rowan

Chapter Three

Hey guys, thank you for all the beautiful comments on this story so far! I'm blown away by all the positive feedback and am so glad you guys as almost as thrilled as I am for this story! @xcyson has been helping me edit the 12 chapters I've typed up and Property of a Gordon. She now has access to my account because of this. So she's helping respond to comments and look for typos and whatnot. If you happen to spot one in this story, just @ me or her. She's a wonderful person, so don't be afraid to talk to her haha. Enjoy the chapter!

The ride was uneventful. There was complete silence except for when the wind became playful, rustling our clothes and the trees' leaves. Sage hadn't said a single word, not yet explaining what he desired from me.

The sun had become tired long ago and settled down for the night, allowing the moon a turn to shine. The moon was our guidance, giving us light in the darkness.

"We will set camp out here for the night," Sage commanded, his voice shattering the silence.

The men pulled their horses to a stop before sliding off and tying them up. I dropped from Sage's horse without his help before letting Todd out of the bag.

He zipped off, surely to inspect the place. I wasn't worried because I knew he would be back within a few minutes. Todd never ventured far without me and knew better than to stray.

We were in the middle of a large clearing surrounded by red oak trees and little patches of bushes here and there. There was no wildlife to be seen, all hiding from the predators: humans.

Sage slipped off his horse and tied her up, stroking her muzzle. I watched curiously, noting that she seemed elated to have his attention. He was murmuring to her, a light smile on his face as he did so.

Sage adored his horse, more so than anyone I had met. It was odd, seeing a man have so much affection for an animal who was more than happy to return it. His horse pressed her head against his, closing her eyes when he rubbed her ears.

"Odd, isn't it, Todd?" I asked softly when I felt fur being pressed against my leg. I didn't have to look down to know it was my little one rubbing against me.

Sage spotted me and patted his horse one last time before he began walking over. When he was within reach, he began talking.

"We're going to spend the night here. We'll eat in the morning and then set off. Another two days of this and we should be there.

For the night, you will be sharing a tent with me," he explained and I gave him a look.

"I would rather spend the night lying on the grass than sleeping with a stranger," I told him, and he frowned in return.

"I would rather you did too. But I cannot risk you escaping on me or the King hearing that I treated you poorly," he said and I tensed. The King?

"Are you going to tell me what I'm doing, or are you going to continue to leave me in the dark?" I asked, brazen accusation in my words. He needed to tell me sooner than later.

"Yes, after I've helped my men set up camp," he replied and proceeded to leave me, joining the others.

It didn't take them long to set up the dark tents and place a large pile of wood in the middle. It became clear to me that they were used to this and worked together efficiently.

"This is our tent," Sage said, holding up the black flap for me, a lantern in his other hand. I hesitated before stepping in.

There were covers on the bottom for cushioning, but other than that, it was empty. I found myself sitting next to the edge of the tent, realizing how little room there was.