Page 32 of Pippa of Lauramore
“I’m fine,” he calls back. Somehow, he made it safely to the other side before the bridge went into the river.
I scan the river’s route through the canyon and point to a spot farther down. “There. It’s wider, but it looks like it might be shallow. We’ll cross and meet you.”
“I’ll see if there’s a maid-of-the-shadow in the cave and meet you there.” Archer motions to the trail that climbs the canyon wall.
Galinor and I turn our horses, and we continue down while Archer goes up the cliff. Now that we are alone,neither of us knows what to say. I steal a glance, and he smiles back at me, his face warm and open.
I was right to choose him.
Once Archer is out of sight, Galinor comes to a stop, and he takes my hand. “I can’t believe you’re here.”
It feels nice to have my hand in his. If he’s successful with the tournament, which I know he will be, then this is the hand I will hold for the rest of my life. The thought gives me a funny feeling—a happy feeling, I’m sure. It’s not something I can really put a finger on, so I push it away. With Galinor smiling at me and his beautiful eyes looking at me like I’m exquisite, it’s hard to dwell on much else.
“You still trust Archer?” Galinor asks, his expression a little disapproving. “Didn’t he tell your father where to find us?”
I shake my head. “He said he didn’t, and he’s the only one I could trust to come with me.”
The prince doesn’t like it, but I’m not sure what to do about that. If it weren’t for Archer, I would have never found him.
“He’ll help us,” I say. “I can’t express how deeply I want you to win.”
Galinor squeezes my hand and nods. “All right. If you trust him, I will trust him as well.”
The trail is long but fairly easy. Soon, we meet Archer. He has already crossed the river and is waiting for us.
Careful to avoid the powdery white flowers, Archer hands the cluster of maid-of-the-shadows to Galinor, who tucks them into his saddlebag.
I beam at Archer. I knew he’d find them.
“Now we need to collect the waspnettle,” Archer says.
I glance at the sky. We must hurry.
I’msure we should have passed the patch of waspnettle by now. Everything looks different. “Archer, are you certain this is the way?”
He’s riding far ahead of us, and I’m not sure why. He’s acting like a guide—distant and a little unapproachable. I had hoped he and Galinor would get on well. So far, they’re courteous to each other but far from friendly.
“I’ve run across fresh grim boar sign. We’re tracking it,” he calls back.
This is news to me.
Feeling vulnerable, I absently feel for the bow on my back. I’m not sure you can kill a grim boar with an arrow, but it can’t hurt to have it with me.
It gets cooler as we venture farther into the deep woods. The sunlight can’t penetrate the ancient evergreen trees, and the air is dark and musty smelling. I don’t think I’ve ever been in this deep. Strange brown and yellow mushrooms cling to the ragged old bark of fallen tree trunks, and there are strange creatures calling back and forth from the branches with weird high-pitched clicks. They sound like they’re no bigger than rodents or birds, but the shrill noise has me on edge.
We pass a muddy, shallow pond. By the looks of it, several boars have wallowed here. The insects are thick, and once again, I wish I had Yuven’s repellent.
“Your forests are much different from ours in Glendon.” Galinor eyes the wallow.
I glance at my prince, finding comfort in his presence. He rides next to me, close enough our legs occasionally brush. He has one hand on the reins and the other on the hilt of his sword. He must be uneasy as well.
“Tell me about your kingdom,” I say, wishing for a distraction.
His face softens, and his dimples show as he smiles. “Our forests are primarily deciduous trees with a few groves of fir and spruce scattered here and there. There are large meadows, a few freshwater lakes, and wildflowers are plentiful in the spring and summer. Our winters are short—only three months compared to your five. We grow many vegetables and fruits.”
“I’ve heard cattle thrive in your meadows.”
Galinor nods. “Glendon is well suited to their grazing needs. There’s also an abundance of game in the woods.”
