Trouble

"I had no idea you were so slow." Sage threw her riding companion a coy smile as she patted her horse gently.

Silver barely noticed. His eyes were scanning the horizon. "I am not slow; I am being cautious. I told you my sister was ambushed not long ago, and on top of that we are two riders wearing mysterious cloaks on a very warm day. We would be a good target for bandits and could easily be stopped and questioned by soldiers if we are spotted."

Sage sighed, "I do love your paranoia. I suppose you think Borit has eyes on you as well."

"Wouldn't be surprised since he knows I am the one who raided the castle and he has likely figured out what was taken. I am sure he is keen to get back what was lost." Silver glanced at the woman riding on the horse beside him.

Sage frowned. "It took far too long to decipher that mess. Even with all our tools it took us a day to match up the appropriate pages and get all the pages decoded."

She was pretty sure there had been a better way to get it all done, that there was some extra trick to make the whole process faster. But they had been very lucky to have an answer at all. So they had slogged along using trial and error and brute force to get the code to cooperate for them.

The two had considered calling in Conall and the others, but more hands did not seem to make the process any easier. Plus, the time alone together was far too precious for Silver to want to share Sage with anyone.

When they finally gotten the last of the message done, it was well into the evening. To preserve Sage's honor, Silver had left the house to sleep outside until morning so they could both get some rest.

Sage had goaded him, of course. "What are you afraid of? That I will bite?"

The Guardian had simply sighed. "I don't trust myself. I don't want to...get you into trouble..."

Sage's eyes had flashed. "What kind of trouble are we talking here? I hope you mean the fun kind."

"Trouble is trouble. I don't want to complicate your situation or mine until we can actually be together." Silver had pulled out of her embrace. She was very, very tempting.

"We are together now," Sage had pressed. She was going to push the matter when Silver opened the door.

"I mean together more permanently and you know it. You just want to test my resolve. I don't think you would let us go through with it either." Silver had leaned forward and kissed her forehead...cheek....mouth...

A sensation unlike anything he had ever felt around anyone else filled his body, overwhelming his senses for a moment. He wanted to be with her. If not for the cooler air of the outside, Silver might not have been able to stop his wandering thoughts.

Sage could sense the change and pulled away. "Ever the gentleman." She touched her crimson lips.

"You wouldn't have me any other way." Silver had let his hands fall from Sage's long, dark hair.

Sage's frown bloomed into a smile as she relived the memory. She really wouldn't have it any other way, but of course she hadn't told him that. That would be sappy, and was very much not her way.

"What are you thinking about?" Silver asked her, pulling her from her reverie.

"What? Oh, I was just thinking about the fruits of our labor. All we did was discover some far off scheme the Borit has with King Willric. Not exactly shocking news to you and me…" Sage blushed. Those thoughts had occurred to her, just not at that particular moment.

Silver didn't seem to notice her rosy cheeks. He shook his head. "That news is enough to get him hanged," he countered. "That alone should make him motivated to find me."

"Borit probably thinks you are far too stupid to figure out the cipher anyway. And as he likely already has the message, it is probably the furthest thing from his mind."

Silver chuckled humorlessly. "I may be the prince of paranoia, but Borit is the king. It is how he has stayed alive as long as he has and left a trail of bodies in his wake with no consequences. There is no way he will just leave this alone unless things are already in motion such that I cannot stop them."

Silver had been safe as long as he remained in Rynnlee, but as soon as he left the village boundaries, the seal Hanna had placed on Borit no longer applied. Not that Silver was sure that the Fate would follow through with her threat. Either way he didn't want to find out by dying by Borit's hand.

"So that is why we left so covertly and are taking the long way around— far away from the main road—isn't it?" Sage clicked her tongue. "I suppose that was better than my original theory that you were just ashamed of me."

Silver smiled wryly as he studied the forest around them for danger. "I have many things I am ashamed of, but you will never make that list. You cannot blame me entirely for our covert movement. Don't pretend you shouldn't remain hidden as well. I am still shocked you are coming with me at all."

The Guardian had fully expected the woman to head back to her own mission as soon as their task was complete. Yet she had continued with him even after their paths should have parted. Pinching himself again, Silver made sure he wasn't dreaming.

"Don't get too swelled of a head, my love. I'm not coming on this little adventure just for you. These events concern the safety of my people too. I would be foolish not to gather as much information as I can." Sage frowned, her thoughts suddenly clouded by the mess of problems she had left back at home.

While from the outside her motivation for traveling with the dashing Silver may have seemed entirely selfish, she really did have the people of Lakyle's best interest at heart.

"You know. You look beautiful when you frown." Momentarily satisfied that no one was going to jump out of the brush at them, Silver had at last turned his full attention to the beautiful maiden to his right.

"A shameless attempt at flattery?" Sage's frown deepened, though now it was insincere. Her eyes were smiling enough that her entire face was overwhelmed with mirth.

"I speak only truth. You would be beautiful in a potato sack." Crossing his heart, the Guardian raised his hand. Even in the faint purple light that the two hoods illuminated only for one another, Sage looked like a gorgeous creature unfit for this world.

He leaned over to reach for the lady's hand to kiss it, but his horse darted away with a snort.

"Daisy!" Silver scowled. The mare simply shook her mane indifferently to his scolding.

"Don't be too rough with her," Sage chuckled softly. "She isn't used to having to share you."

"Don't be silly. Horses don't get jealous." Silver rolled his eyes upward.

"Try telling her that." The dark-haired woman smirked. Daisy was definitely glaring at her with a warning to keep her distance.

'Just as long as you keep all the other girls away too, I approve.'

As if reading her thoughts, Silver raised his eyebrows at Sage. He pulled Daisy to a stop.

"What?" Sage asked, determined not to blush.

"Listen."

Sage paused. Then she heard it too.

People. A lot of them.