Direction

Ayred looked at his shirt wadded on the ground, he had no particular desire to put it back on after it had been wrapped around the short man’s groin for modesty.

“I wouldn’t put it back on.” The priestess leaned toward him and smiled mischievously. “Shirtless suits you, your Highness.”

He smiled and inclined his head. “From such a beautiful woman, words of praise hold the weight of a king’s command.”

She flushed and beamed holding out her hand for him to kiss. Ayred stepped forward and respectfully kissed the backs of her fingers. To his surprise, after she pulled her hand back she ran it through his hair sending an unexpectedly pleasant electric feeling down his spine. “You, Ayil approves of.”

He couldn’t help but grin as she put her heels to her horse and continued on her way. Ayred stood watching for a moment before Aramen clapped him on the shoulder and shook his head. “That’s more woman than you could handle.”

Lutius laughed softly. “More woman than any man could handle, but I can’t think of many who wouldn’t want to try.”

Silosyil’s low vicious muttering as she started to follow the road was the only warning they had that it was time to go.

Lutius walked between Ayred and Aramen on the more even terrain, his arms over their shoulders letting them carry some of his weight. “Why did you pick up the Light Bringer,” Lutius asked as they walked behind Silosyil.

“My father liked to hunt using birds of prey.” Ayred remembered how much he had enjoyed going with his father, those trips were some of the very few occasions that even when he’d made a mistake his father had been patient. “He said the larger birds should be lifted and tossed into the air to take flight.” He smiled wryly, “It seemed like it might be helpful.”

Ayred looked at Silosyil’s retreating back, she was moving too quickly for Lutius to keep up. “Silosyil.”

She stopped and turned looking at him murderously. “Ayred?”

“You’re going too fast.” He frowned at her.

“No, we’re going too slow, Ayred.” Lutius sighed. “If the priestess is supposed to meet Malav on this road, we don’t want to be on it. Esus wasn’t wrong about the roads being unsafe for now.”

“That would be why we brought a hand cart.” One of the men stepping out of hiding grinned and made an odd noise at Silosyil. “The priestess stopped to speak with grandfather first. We were brought to wait for you. She was clear in her instructions to stay back and make sure the Light Bringer was gone before we met you on the road.”

Ayred watched as Silosyil almost reluctantly offered the man the statuette. “Oh, no.” He stepped back with a grin. “The four of you are taking it to Belasenden. Four priestesses of Ayil will be going with you and grandfather said something about a keen eyed bird you’ll meet on the way.”

“Zius!” Ayred couldn’t help but smile and feel relieved. “That means he was able to get away from Lallareth.”

“You left him?” The man asked incredulously.

“He wanted to stay and take care of the birds.” Silosyil sheepishly shifted the statuette in her arms.

The man made a disapproving clucking sound. The way it made Silosyil’s face fall made Ayred’s fingers curl into a fist. He was speaking before he stopped to wonder why, “Have you ever tried to persuade Zius to leave birds behind? Don’t chide her for making the only possible choice.” The sharpness of his tone brought all eyes to him. He couldn’t help but notice the way that Silosyil’s cheeks flushed and he felt a shadow of the tingle the priestess had sent down his spine.