“You do?” I strained my eyes but saw nothing except for the grass-lined path stretching for miles, leading toward The Sunder Mountains. I wondered if he was pulling my leg or if this was the famed Fae eyesight I kept hearing about.
“Stormheart is with them.”
“Who?”
“Stormheart, my stallion.”
A few minutes later, Kryn was galloping in our direction, mounted on his tan horse and dragging Stormheart behind him. His gaze bounced between us, curious and concerned.
“You… found her,” he said, sounding surprised. They’d likely convinced themselves that I’d become fodder for one beast or another during my foolish escapade.
“Yes, she’s safe and sound,” Kalyll said.
I waited for him to add further detail, to tell them he saved me from a decayana right before it cut me in half, but instead, he took Stormheart’s reins from Kryn and patted the animal along its long neck. He whispered something in a language I couldn’t understand. At first, the horse pawed the ground, appearing angry, but quickly relaxed into his touch.
“Um, what happened?” Kryn asked, eyeing me as if he wanted to yell and point out my stupidity. Though the prince’s presence gave him pause.,
“I found her near the edge of the Zundrokh Barrens.” The prince mounted Stormheart in one swift motion.
Kryn’s eyebrows rose nearly to his hairline. “Not a hospitable place at all.” He shook his head at me. “A decayana could’ve made breakfast out of you in no time at all. Not to mention the other things that roam this forest.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” Kalyll extended a hand in my direction, offering help to pull me onto his horse.
I stepped back. The horse was big enough for three people, but I wasn’t riding with the prince. No way. His hooves were big enough to do my head in, and he didn’t have a friendly expression on his long face.
“No, thank you. I’ll walk.” I marched past Kryn, who scratched the back of his neck, looking supremely irritated.
“We don’t need any more delays.” Kryn turned his horse around and galloped away. He was clearly pissed. Like kidnappers had a right to expect compliance from their victims. Fat chance.
“Glad to annoy you,” I sneered at his back as he retreated.
Kalyll chuckled.
“This is funny to you?”
He put his hands up. “I’m sorry. I just enjoy seeing the way you get under his skin.”
I huffed.
“We’re still several miles from the group. We’ll catch up faster if you ride with me.”
“I have no interest in going faster.”
“Your feet will hurt.”
“My feet are fine. Thank you.”
“All right. Then take Stormheart, and I’ll walk.”
“Nope. I don’t trust that horse.”
“What? Stormheart? He’s a sweetheart.”
I shrugged. “He looks nothing like a sweetheart to me, but if you say so.”
Kalyll jumped off his horse and joined me in my walk. He dug in his saddlebags and produced a piece of something that looked like a multi-grain cracker, except thicker.
“You must be hungry.”