Serena held onto Darius tightly, her arms wrapped firm around his waist, her cheek nearly pressed against the back of his cloak. Thank the gods for the intuition to put her hair in a slick bun. it would have been a tangled mess by now with how the wind sliced past them.
She hadn’t argued when Darius insisted on accompanying her to Thornridge. It was an easy condition to meet, and truth be told, his presence was welcomed. He knew the land better than anyone. He would be an excellent guide.
Serena ducked behind him to block out the beating wind from her face. Still, she would have preferred to go the next day. She positioned her satchel in between her legs. In it was a letter she wrote back to Clara, a silver hair pin, and a miniature doll that she had worked on throughout the night.
The horse whinnied and slowed to a stop, hooves crunching softly over the dirt trail. Serena lifted her head, alert. They were surrounded by a dense sprawl of trees. Darius exhaled sharply and pulled the reins taut, his eyes scanning the underbrush with practiced wariness. He leaned down, murmuring something low into the horse’s ear.
"Is something the matter?" Serena asked, shifting forward in her seat.
"Lucky just seemed spooked by something..." Darius trailed off, posture tightening as he listened.
His head jerked slightly to the right. A flash of movement caught both their eyes, a grey hare bounded out from behind a shrub, pausing just long enough to lock eyes with Darius. The two stared at each other for a beat before the creature vanished into the tall grass.
Darius scoffed under his breath and leaned toward the horse, patting its neck. "It was a hare that made you halt? You’ve seen worse."
He clicked his tongue and nudged the horse forward with a squeeze of his knees. Lucky obeyed, easing into a steady trot.
"It was nothing," Darius said over his shoulder.
Serena nodded. She saw the timid animal that had scampered away. The journey so far was free of any stops. The sun had begun to dip when they finally arrived.
A thought struck the blonde woman. Darius had just dropped what he was doing to go along with her to Thornridge. The thought warmed her heart, and she wondered if Darius needed some sort of break from his duties in Ironshade.
Darius swung down from the saddle with practiced ease, the leather creaking beneath him. He turned to her and offered his hand without a word. Serena took it, her fingers folding into his. He lifted her down as though she weighed nothing.
"That was unnecessary," she murmured, her voice small.
"Hm," Darius hummed. "They think you are a princess. I think you should be treated like one."
"Have you ever met a princess to know how they are treated?" Serena asked, tilting her head slightly.
Darius gave her a crooked smile, eyes glinting with mischief. He stroked his chin dramatically, circling her slowly, each step exaggerated like he were inspecting fine art. Then he paused mid-step and raised a finger.
"I have met a princess. She’s standing right in front of me," he said, his tone playful.
Serena’s mouth hung open and then she laughed. "I am far from a princess."
"Not in my eyes," Darius said with a smile.
He longed to take her up in his arms and kiss her on her forehead. But alas, there were too many prying eyes that he was not even aware of to do something so reckless. He simply sighed and tugged on her hand.
The pair had been walking for a couple of minutes before they got to an outclearing. Soon, houses made of wood appeared, in haphazard rows. It was far from the stony glamour of Longdale, the largest town in Ironshade.
There were a few fires lit and even fewer wolves walking around. Serena, lost in thought, stepped without looking and yelped as a sharp sting hit her ankle. She lifted her dress and found an angry red vine glaring back at her. Its stem bristled with cruel, hooked thorns.
"There you have your welcome," Darius said.
Serena narrowed her eyes and looked around. The vines were everywhere, twisting up house posts, trailing along the grass, even creeping onto wooden fences. Only the weathered dirt paths remained untouched, as if the vines, too, respected habit.
"Thornridge indeed. Do you know anyone here?" Serena asked.
Darius blinked, brows knitting faintly as he scanned the quiet settlement. He hadn’t stepped foot here in years, not since before-
"Not at all," he said.
He shrugged. "No reason. Thornridge is seen as a passage of sorts. People move in and out often. Few stay."
"I see," Serena said, glancing around again.
"Clara’s house should be close by," Darius added.
They walked in silence until they reached a sagging structure with warped planks and missing roof tiles. Serena stopped in her tracks, breath catching. Her eyes widened. It looked just like her house in Lupine Hollow. Her hand flew to her mouth. She turned to Darius, then back to the house.
"Is this where she lives?" Serena managed.
"Yes, unless she has moved out."
Serena grabbed his arm and pulled him closer to herself. "How can a child live ? Who is in charge of this area?"
Darius held her arms and looked at her. "Hey, hey. Things happen. I promise that we do have alleviation given to this region every moon."
Serena looked down briefly and then she turned away from him. "Do you check here yourself?"
He shook his head. "No, I do not."
"You should have. And Clara is alone. Her grandfather passed," Serena pressed.
The door behind them creaked loudly. Both turned as a small figure stepped into view, a girl, wide-eyed and open-mouthed. For a second, none of them moved. Then Clara’s face lit up, and she bounded down the steps toward them, dress swaying with each step.
Serena pushed gently away from Darius and forced a bright smile. "Clara," she said enthusiastically.
Clara looked between the man and the woman, then tilted her head in delight. "I knew you were getting married!" Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs Nov3lFɪre.ɴet