The horses sped up their pace but also made traveling much duller. It was difficult to hold a conversation while riding at a steady canter. The wind and the thunder of hooves on the compact ground drowned out most sound. Every hour, they’d dismount and let their horses walk for twenty or thirty minutes before getting back on and riding again. Even during these short breaks, no one saw much incentive for conversation. The natural exclusion was Rowan, who babbled endlessly whether he was heard or not.

Elurra watched aimlessly as the scenery flashed by. The continuation of her vision had lasted only a short while, leaving her with hours of endless boredom. She tried to go back to sleep several times, but it was impossible. The sun had finally come out, and it beat down on her relentlessly. The others were still wearing their heavy jackets, but she was starting to sense the gradual change in weather.

By the time the sky grew dark, Elurra couldn’t wait to get off the jostling beast and stretch. Dying rays of light fought through the thick branches in the forest, leaving shattered shadows on the dusty road. After another half hour, the sun vanished below the horizon, and the weary travelers stopped to make camp.

“Snore, can ya start ah fire? I would ask Plague, but his sneezes ’ave become more explosive. One good ah-choo might blow it out,” Rowan said, grinning at his own joke.

Plague glared at him and pulled out some vegetables and a pot. Elurra tried not to laugh as he struggled not to sneeze. Terrin produced some spices for the meal, and Aleah returned with water she found in a small creek nearby. Soon, they were all sitting around a boiling pot of stew. Some of the dwarfs were practically frothing at the mouth in anticipation. Even Elurra’s stomach began to rumble when the food’s scent wafted from the pot. Ten minutes later, they were all slurping happily.

“We do not have to share our mats again, right?” Kai asked hopefully.

“We all get our own mats, Yer Highness. Blade left enough,” Rowan assured him. At least, that was what he was trying to say. What actually came out around his half-chewed food sounded closer to, “wer grort er worn merfts, yerhernuth. Berf lerf twfbern.”

Kai understood the positive note in his voice, which was good enough for him.

“I want to sleep close to the road this time. The forest freaks me out,” Plague piped up. He made a face as he glanced toward the ominous woods.

“I call the spot beside Plague. I’d rather be away from the forest, too,” Snore chimed in.

“I would rather not sleep beside Snore for obvious reasons. No offense,” Kai said.

Snore chuckled. “My nickname is fitting. I’ll take first watch so y’all can get to sleep before I start snoring. I should keep all the other sentries up, too.”

“But who will be able to sleep through Kai’s snoring?” Aleah muttered. Elurra snorted.

“Aha carn sweerp bersifte effm,” Rowan tried to say through his mouthful of seconds. It took a moment for them to figure out he meant, “I can sleep beside him.” He swallowed before adding, “And Aleah can sleep next ta me.”

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Aleah flushed and looked at her hands while Kai glared at Rowan. The pirate was too busy scooping thirds into his bowl to notice.

“Wherever Aleah sleeps, I do,” Elurra said decisively as she took another spoonful of broth. It took all her willpower not to gulp it down like the rest of the dwarfs, but she had to preserve some of her dignity.

“Guess that means I’m beside the princess. Someone has to protect the group from a devastating wake up call,” Terrin chuckled.

“Why are you two always so close?” Rowan asked unexpectedly. “Terrin said he was yer servant, but he don’t act like no servant.”

Everyone froze and looked at Terrin and Elurra, who were sitting beside each other. They had all been wondering it, but no one had mustered the courage to ask. Rowan took another bite of stew and looked at them pointedly. Terrin flushed bright crimson, but Elurra wasn’t flustered in the slightest.

“I have known him since I was eleven. We grew up together,” she said blatantly.

Tristen choked on his soup. “You’re just childhood friends?” He immediately realized his comment was rude and clapped a hand over his mouth.

Elurra’s cheeks flushed. “I am a princess, Tristen. When I get older, I will have a political marriage to benefit my kingdom. That is how it works.”

She’d always known what was going to happen, even though she hadn’t given it much thought. She would marry some foreign diplomat and that was that.

“When you get older? Aren’t you old enough to marry, Your Highness? If you don’t mind me asking, that is,” he added.

Elurra dismissed his stumble without a thought. “I am only—” She stopped suddenly and cleared her throat as her mind raced to fix her blunder. “I cannot marry yet. I must regain control of my kingdom first. Obviously, I will be older then. After all this is over, I guess I will be finding a husband.” She hoped they would drop the subject. Thinking about marrying at the age of eleven was making her wish she hadn’t eaten.

“You could marry the eligible Prince Kai!” Rowan chimed in.

Aleah choked on her soup, Elurra coughed, and Kai turned pale. Thankfully, Terrin stood up and dumped the rest of his soup back into the bowl, which diverted their attention.

“I’m not very hungry,” he said. “I think I’m going to go set up my mat and get some shut eye.”

Rowan shrugged. “More for me!” he exclaimed, taking another spoonful of stew.

No one else seemed interested in eating anymore. Kai stirred the broth left in his bowl with disinterest, and Aleah looked a bit ill. After a few seconds of idly stirring, he collected everyone’s dirty bowls. It was his turn to clean, and he accepted the task with surprising grace.

Elurra made her way to the horse to unload her mat, which she had tied to the rear of the saddle. Terrin’s mat was still there, so she unhooked it as well. After patting the horse’s muzzle and loosening the saddle so the animal could rest, she turned back to the campfire. Plague was unrolling his bedding, and Snore was perched on the edge of a boulder in the outskirts of the firelight. He had a good view of the camp, road, and their provisions from his vantage point. He stifled a yawn and waved at her. She dearly hoped he would stay awake. If another Demon appeared, they’d need ample warning. She scanned the small campsite for Terrin, but perplexingly, he was nowhere to be seen.

“Where is Terrin?” she asked, addressing the group in general.

“He asked if he could wash up the dishes tonight, then headed off to the creek,” Kai answered, gesturing toward the woods. The prince looked relieved. Elurra doubted he’d ever washed a dish in his life.

Kai yawned and plopped down beside Plague. He dabbed salve on his cheeks, only wincing slightly when he touched his swollen skin. It was not as bad as the day before, but it was still unsightly. His cheeks were lumpy and purple. The bruises were surrounded with a sickly yellow color. Elurra laid out her mat beside Aleah, who had ended up beside Kai instead of Rowan. Kai seemed pleased, although he was trying not to show it. Elurra was glad they were no longer fighting. She sprawled under her blankets and curled up into a comfortable position.

As soon as her eye closed, she was back in the foreign castle.