Heir of the Dragon

Horseplay

"You know, it's comfortable in a dingy, closed-in sort of way," I remarked, my eyes wandering the thick, damp jungle of plant life around me.

"I feel the same," Lord Jakob agreed from atop his large roan mount.

I glanced sidelong at Shadaii and wondered for the tenth time this morning at the strangely cheerful mood he was sporting today. I couldn't think of anything in particular that could have caused it. We were still in the same anxious position we had been a week ago when we'd gotten word from Noah. The spies had returned, but their explanation lended very little to Lord Jakob's understanding of the situation, and I hadn't felt the need to enlighten him. Sometimes even frustrated ignorance is better than a full knowledge of the awful, hopeless truth.

Waiting was making all in the camp uneasy; some of them even volatile. I couldn't blame them. Thankfully Jakob had invited us to ride with him into the gorge today.

According to the hardship sobered captain, the Ghere avoided this place. I could understand the logic, of course. There was limited visibility, travel was slow and precarious, the view of even the sky was shrouded by the roof of vegetation above us, not to mention the unfriendly creatures that most likely dwelt here. Yet I found it pleasant in an odd sort of way.

I had similar feelings about this rare mood Shadaii was in.

The walls of bark and moss and leaf forced us into constantly shifting positions relative to each other. Jakob, now in front of me astride his horse which dwarfed mine and Shadaii's, turned in his saddle to glance back at us.

"My people are starting to ask questions. I am not sure how much longer you can hide who you are." He said.

My subconscious half convinced me he was speaking to me, but rationality told me otherwise. He knew who Shadaii was. I almost wanted him to know my secret too. But something told me the time would come.

"How do you propose we go about telling them, Captain?" Shadaii responded from behind me.

There was a pause as our horses continued to pick through the undergrowth.

"I don't know," Jakob admitted, "That's much of the reason I asked you to come with me today. We need to think of a way to either teach them to trust you, or fake your departure. The struggle is becoming a serious one. I will not lie to my people."

"We could fake my death," Shadaii said matter of factly, his mood not the least damped by the weighty conversation topic, " I'm sure I could find a sturdy fellow to have a knife fight with."

I threw him a flat expression. Jakob, always the brighter spirit, took his comment in stride, and chuckled to himself in front of me.

"I appreciate your creativity, Ghere," He said.

"Thank you, my lord. But I do believe your idea was a more sound option. Although," Shaddai said, this time in a slightly more reverent tone, "The departure does not need to be a ruse. I will make a show of packing my things tonight, and leave when the sun rises."

This comment turned my head.

"Do I get a say in this, or is scheming strictly a male sport?" I chimed in, glowering at the sunny eyed man behind me.

"Nonsense, I dare say your kind invented it, and only passed on the rudimentary basics." Jakob said, laughing to himself again.

"Where will you go?" I threw back at Shadaii behind me, not quite meaning to ignore the captain's comment.

"Not far. I could make camp half a league from you all and still be able to watch for any movement."

"There should be a believable reason for your leaving." Lord Calour put in.