Shallow love

Ropes

Tord, still dazed from the thieves awakening, only realized what he should do halfway through. Uncertain if helping was even an option anymore, he glanced around to see Matt doing nothing, seemingly unfazed. Tord, feeling bored, decided to strike up a conversation.

"Hey Matt, what brings you here of all places?"

"I'm here for the festival, obviously," Matt replied.

"Yeah, I figured that part out. I meant, why are you on a hill near the forest without a ride?"

"Ah, I see what you're asking now. The festival isn't for another month or two, so I thought I'd come early to scope around the area."

Tord's eyebrows shot up in surprise, momentarily distracting Edd and Tom from their task of roping the crooks. Once they resumed after the robbers began squirming, Tord pieced it all together.

"Are you looking for a nice spot to take portraits of yourself?" he asked, half-jokingly.

"Indubitably," Matt confirmed, sparking laughter among the group.

Tom's mind drifted back to his encounter with the prince, pausing at a moment he couldn't quite comprehend.

"Tord, why are you hanging around here?" he inquired.

"I could ask the same of you two," Tord retorted, caught off guard by the question.

"Fair point. But since I asked first you should answer first"

Tord frowned recollecting his hatred for the Brit, He was worried that if they knew why he was truly wandering around the forest, they'd leave.

"Well, I'm here to... um... escape from my duties. You know how much I despise them," Tord replied, though his skepticism lingered.

"Your turn" he quickly carried on with the conversation, seeing that Tom's wary won't fade.

"we got lost, end of story," Tom declared, finishing up with the robbers.

"We weren't lost! We simply took a wrong turn I was in complete control!" Edd swiftly defended his guiding skills.

"I think we're done here," Tom added, ready to move on.

As they reunited, the excitement faded away, replaced by awkward silence.

"Why don't we go to a bar and catch up?" Edd suggested, sensing the need for distraction.

"And we can drop these rubbers off at the nearby prison on the way," Tord chimed in, eager to be of assistance.

"Yeah, but how do we fit six people on two horses?" Edd pondered aloud.

Realizing his mistake, Tom sighed. "Didn't think it through."

"Now what?" Matt wondered, breaking the silence.

"I haven't seen my reflection in over an hour, and I'm starting to panic," he admitted sheepishly.

"I think I've got an idea," Tord said, snapping his fingers confidently.