Blood for her Crown

Chapter Five

Ciden

The forest seemed to be endless.

They had been riding for four days now, and it did not seem like they would reach the end of it any time soon.
Ciden didn't even know Merrisan had such huge forests. They were only known as the most beautiful parts of this kingdom.

It was true. Little streams meandered between the high trees, which had the greenest leaves he had ever seen. They came past sunny glades, with beautiful and exotic flowers and plants everywhere he looked. Birds chirped high above their heads. The mornings were foggy, the nights cold, but he couldn't complain, because even in the dark and with mist lingering everywhere, it still looked amazing, even magical. But also cursed.

"Don't be fooled guys," Jamie said when Ciden and even Grace couldn't stop looking around, as they have for the past three days. They wanted to take a break to eat and drink, but instead they just kept marveling at the forest.

"Didn't you hear the stories about the many people who vanished on their way to Picatto? Especially in this forest. Did you know that more than thrice as many people vanish in Merrisan as in every other kingdom? It's said most of the missing people wanted to hunt in these woods, but never returned."

Grace only looked at him, brows raised.

"What? I'm just saying. I mean, sure, keep staring at these trees as if they are the most beautiful thing you've ever seen. But if someone, or something, tries to kill you while you're distracted, I'll gladly leave you behind." He raised his chin.

"Oh, please. You're just sulky, because you don't have our full attention anymore." While saying that, Grace looked demonstratively around and avoided his glare. "Believe it or not, but there are prettier things than you in this world."

Jamie gasped offended, and dramatically put his hands over his heart. "That hurt, you know? I never thought that you, of all people, would stab me in the back like this. Besides, such things don't exist." He winked at them, a smirk on his lips.

He wasn't entirely wrong. There couldn't be many things.
It had its reasons that every time they came past people, the women, and even some young men, couldn't keep themselves from staring at him.

His light brown, hair fell in wavy strands over his forehead, dependingon the light, it might be mistaken for blonde. He had freckles all over and around his nose, and dimples when he smiled, which was pretty much always. His eyes stood out the most, though. Hazel at the center, blue and bright green outwards. Ciden had never seen anything like that before.

Everyone had always told him how unique his eyes were: bright blue, transitioning into the deepest black outwards. His eyes were one of the reasons he had never had friends, even if they looked amazing. People were scared of him. Of them. A few even thought he was some kind of Keni, which was ridiculous.

Grace interrupted his thoughts by slapping him on the back of his head. "We have to go on."

He stood up and walked over to his horse.

Calimir has been a good choice. He was very gentle, never acted out like Jysra did, every time Jamie or he got close to her.

They mounted and wanted to get going when they heard shouting from behind them.

They looked at each other and pushed their horses as fast as possible through the dense forest. According to the voices, there were multiple men on horses. Ciden turned his head to estimate how far their head start was.