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I rolled my eyes, but he let me assist him into the saddle. As I mounted Tavere, I glanced around casually. I don't know what I had expected from the huntsman. A proper goodbye, as if we were friends? That would be silly. They had sent the damn man to murder me. I had thought we'd forged a link during our travels, but we barely knew each other.
How could I forge a bond with someone that had wanted to murder me? It was unnatural.
With a small sigh, I clicked to my horse and waved to the healer. Ativan reined his horse beside me after another spoken word to the lady.
“Does riding hurt?
“Not much.”
“It might after several hours. Please, let me know when you need a break.”
Ativan lifted a brow. “No rush to get home and fulfill promises to your mother?”
I grimaced. Ativan read me well. “No, not at all.”
He chuckled. After a few moments of silence, he grew serious. “You shouldn’t settle, Autumn. Your free spirit should never be chained.”
I swallowed and met his eyes. “I'll try, but my mother—”
“Did not settle, so why should you?”
“Isn’t it the proper—”
“Damn the propriety. Life is too short to be unhappy.”
He sucked in a deep breath as we went through the gate leaving Cashore behind. We pulled our heavy cloaks tighter around us. Today there was a breeze that cut through to the bone, and I was not looking forward to it. Although it may make us travel faster, trying to get out of that bite of the wind.
“What about you? Have you ever considered remarrying?”
“I hadn't… until recently.”
I chuckled. So the ladyhaddug in her claws. I couldn’t be happier and sent Ativan a knowing smile that could only be described as cat-like. He groaned.
A horse's hooves, out of sync with ours, had my head whipping behind us, but Ativan didn’t even turn.
I recognized the horse and the shape of the rider. My heartbeat picked up as the horse trotted closer.
“The huntsman is accompanying us to the next town.”
My eyes rushed to Ativan before going back to Sahlyn, who had gotten closer at our exchange.
Sahlyn looked pleased with himself, a similar smile like the one I just had, crossed his full lips.
“Why are you looking like that?” My mouth spouted before I could stop myself.
“Oh, sweet Autumn, you wouldn't want to know.”
He might be right, but I kind of did.
I grumbled and urged Tavere forward. I heard Ativan snicker. I didn't know if I could handle the two of them much farther than the next town.
I felt like a third wheel.
Ativan and Sahlyn chatted amicably like old friends. I seethed in silence. They spoke of Catalan’s mines far in the South West, and their contents for a disturbingly long time. I had given what little input I could on ore and metals, but they continued the conversation well after my knowledge allowed. They spoke of hunting dogs and tracking wolverines in the north. They spoke of the tides in the Sea of Ursa, and the creatures that lurked there.
Their conversations were interesting, but they didn’t seem to care if I was included or not.Men.But I wasn’t annoyed. I enjoyed listening to their voices carry on around me. Ativan’s deep timbre, and Sahlyn’s dark and lilting baritone with the lull of an accent. It was like music to my ears, and I found myself at peace. True and real serenity, that I hadn’t felt in a long time, and may never again.
Once I returned home, I would be thrust into the socialite world under a false name and then I would be married. Sahlyn would go back to the queen and hopefully find a way out of her contract. I wanted a happy ending for him. I wouldn’t have one unless I found a man I didn’t hate to be around that pleased my mother.
