The Cursed Heir

Chapter Four

They were not wrong to be, Cassie thought as Silvana loaded weapon after weapon in her bag.

"And Silvana can be..." He struggled to repress amusement as Silvana shot a half-hearted glare at him. "More persuasive than they're comfortable with. The miller doesn't like being intimidated into giving a fair price, oddly enough."

Instead, Silvana would collect her own supplies, go elsewhere in town, see a few people they were familiar with and perhaps collect information if there was any to be had. They would travel home that evening, without needing to stop anywhere for the night.

Cassie found that traveling in the forest wasn't nearly so frightening when accompanied by a guide more dangerous than most bandits. Walking through the woods in the early sunlight was much better—almost fun—with Skylar and Silvana for company. Not that they talked much, but having someone ahead and someone behind her as they traipsed through the invisible paths of the forest was a comfort, a reminder that she was not alone.

"Not much farther to Telyre," Skylar assured her as they skirted a settlement, avoiding the view of peasants out gathering food and caring for animals.

The underbrush was thinning gently, the walk easier. Was there somehow more birdsong, too? The trees looked different, more cultivated. Relaxing slightly, Skylar and Silvana drifted from the tight formation they had held for several hours, walking more abreast now. Silvana slipped in and out of view as she wove between trees.

They had not stopped for a rest or to eat, yet Cassie felt an irrepressible lightheartedness welling up. Despite the circumstances that had forced them to take the trip, the walk to Telyre was a new adventure, a break in the monotony of her new life. And the opportunity to learn something new, like how to haggle with tight-fisted, suspicious peasants.

Distracted by thoughts of what lay ahead, Cassie forgot to notice what lay before her and tripped over something big and immovable and painful.

She should have been pleased something from Skylar's training had taken root—she managed to go down without a sound (how it looked was a different matter entirely)—but was too distracted by the pain to care much. Not even Silvana had yet noticed anything amiss, leaving Cassie alone in a sea of trees, gripping her throbbing shin.

What fool had left that metal-rimmed basket of nuts out here? She was in a grove of nut trees, sure enough, but why bother filling a basket with the things, only to abandon it for someone to trip over? Appearing to answer her unspoken question, a head popped out from behind one of the nut trees.

"You okay?"

Cassie looked up with a glare that had been known to send a servant or two scurrying for the door. The only effect it had out here was in widening the peasant's grin. Uninvited, he moved closer.

The rest of him was as dirty as his sweat-darkened hair. His broad shoulders barely fit inside his patched-up, red linen shirt, and his bright eyes were twinkling with amusement. Instead of apologizing profusely, the man seemed content to lean against the long pole he carried and laugh at her.

Up ahead, she could finally hear Skylar and Silvana pause and then return, faster now that they had realized she was missing. Growling gradually reached her ears—Silvana was muttering under her breath.

"We made it this close," Cassie heard over the gentle crunch of the fallen nuts underfoot as Silvana stomped her way back, not caring to disguise her footfalls now. "Five feet from the doorstep, and she has to..."

Silvana was annoyed. Understandable, really. All Cassie ever did was cause trouble for the two of them. Not that it was her fault this time.

The one at fault held out a hand, grin faltering slightly. "You need help up? Where did you come from?"