Kalian rubbed his eyes and suppressed a yawn. Morning had come sooner than he preferred. The camp was already packed up as Lir and Malachi prepared to lead the unit onward. The Commander herself was still lying in bed and seemed very unhappy about the arrangement. She was resigned to waiting though. She didn't have much of a choice after Samson had backed Kalian in recommending that she lay still for at least a day.

"Lir said we'll be moving out within the hour," Bellamy reported, appearing at Kalian's shoulder. "We're leaving two horses behind for you and the Commander."

Kalian bowed his head, though a ripple of nervousness shot through him. It was embarrassing, but at 205 years old, he still didn't know how to ride a horse. He rarely needed to. Kalian usually flew or walked anywhere he needed to go. Besides that, horses were rare in the Faerie Lands. The breed of horses that roamed there were different from ordinary horses.

Faerie horses were larger, faster, and stronger than a horse from the Human Lands. They were considered wild, though most had tame attitudes. Faerie horses could not be ridden without permission, and could never be stabled or kept as a pet. They wouldn't allow it.

They preferred to roam the lands of the northern coastline, appearing only when summoned, or when they pleased. Kalian had never been approached by a Faerie horse, nor had he asked to ride one. If he'd been given a choice this time, he would've picked a Faerie horse rather than a Human one.

Bellamy elbowed his side, drawing him out of his thoughts. "How was Commander Lev this morning?"

"Unhappy that she wasn't allowed to get up," Kalian chuckled.

"Imagine that." Bellamy ran his fingers through his brown hair with a grin. "Lir and Malachi aren't happy that she chose you to remain with her."

"Why?"

"Because it means she trusts you."

Kalian knit his brows. "She told me it's because I know the most about her situation."

"Sure, sure, but she must also trust you."

"I don't think Commander Lev truly trusts anyone."

Bellamy inclined his head. "Maybe not, but she's definitely more inclined to respect you now. You saved her life."

"We'll see how long her respect lasts," Kalian sighed. "Half of the camp seems to think we're fucking."

And he couldn't blame them, given how many times they'd gone into her tent after dark and stayed there for several hours. It didn't matter that all they'd done was talk and argue. It wouldn't change what the soldiers saw. He didn't doubt that the Commander's latest decision would only fuel their beliefs.

It doesn't matter what they think, Kalian told himself. I just need to get close enough to her to find out what the Ironblades are planning. No matter what it takes. The King and Queen will want a report soon. I've been with the Ironblades long enough that I should've found something by now.

"Bellamy!" Malachi barked. "Let's get moving."

"Oh, here." Bellamy pressed a leather pouch into Kalian's palm. "Samson put a few herbs and premixed medicine vials in here, in case you need them. He asked me to give it to you."

"Tell him thank you for me."

Bellamy nodded and hurried over to Malachi. The man glowered at Bellamy, before his gaze shifted. Kalian didn't balk as Malachi strode towards him. "Whatever game you're playing, Deirdre, it won't work," Malachi hissed. "The Commander knows you're hiding something and so do I. I'll find out the truth, no matter how many times you try to play the hero."

Kalian tilted his head. "It sounds to me like you're upset you didn't play the hero before I did." He patted Malachi's shoulder, adding a patronizing smile that was sure to infuriate him. "But that's all right. You can be the hero from now on. I'll just be who I have always been. An eager soldier trying to do right by his people, and preserving the lives of those he meets along the way."

"You didn't preserve the life of that Witch," Malachi growled.

Kalian's hand tightened on his shoulder. He plastered a frozen expression to his face. "It was her or the Commander. Would you rather I let the Witch live and Commander Lev die? That sounds a bit treasonous to me, Malachi. I wonder what the Commander would have to say about it."

"Keep your fucking mouth shut, Deirdre." Malachi jerked out of his grasp. "It's going to get you into more trouble than you're worth."

"Likewise." Kalian narrowed his eyes, allowing a spark of anger to shine through. His wings bristled beneath his glamour and he knew shadows had crept across his features. Malachi swallowed hard and backed away without another word.

Kalian lingered in his spot, watching as the unit set off towards Selcouth. They would reach it by twilight at the latest. If he and Moira left around this time the following morning, they might be able to make it by late afternoon. That depended on the Commander's condition. Kalian set off towards her tent when the last soldier was just a dark blur in the distance.

Moira was sitting on her bedroll when he ducked inside. Kalian lips curled in a frown. "You're supposed to be laying down."

"I couldn't stand to lay there any longer. I haven't moved other than to sit up and I'm not dead yet."

"I didn't say you'd die. I said you could become paralyzed." Kalian set the pouch of medicine on his own bedroll, which had been moved into the Commander's tent.

Only a few of her possessions remained. The others had been taken along by the main group. Kalian was grateful for that. It meant he'd have fewer things to pack onto the horses in the morning. He raked his fingers through his hair with a groan.

"What is it?" Moira asked.

"They left two horses for us."

"And?"

Kalian turned his back on her, not wanting her to see the flush that had crept into his cheeks. "And I don't know the first thing about horses, so I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to do with them."

"You can't ride?" He grimaced, but gave a small dip of his chin. Moira laughed, a sweet lilting sound that reminded him of a nightingale's chirp. "Take me outside and I'll tell you what to do. You should have one lesson before tomorrow, at least."

"I'll figure it out in the morning. It's fine."

"It's not like we have anything better to do."

"You need to stay there."

"I'm sure you can easily move me without paralyzing me."

This is ridiculous, Kalian muttered mentally. His frown returned. He was 205 years old and refusing to learn how to ride a horse because he was embarrassed. He could already hear Calandra's amused laugh, as though she were standing beside him and well aware of his thoughts. But...no. Calandra was gone, and the laugh was Moira's.

"Come on, Deirdre," she said. "I'm bored. Watching you fall off a horse sounds like a good way to spend the afternoon."

Kalian sighed, but lifted her off her bedroll and carried her out of the tent. Moira hooked her arms around his neck. Her curls brushed against his cheek as she turned her head. Two horses were tethered to a wooden stake that had been driven into the ground. Long ropes attached to their halters allowed them to move somewhat freely while they grazed. One was coal black. The other, red roan.

"The roan is for you, I imagine," Commander Lev said as Kalian set her down. "Jasmine there is mine." She pointed to the black mare.

"You named her Jasmine?"

"After my favorite type of flower."

Kalian's brows lifted. "You like flowers?" The question popped out before he could stop it.

Moira rolled her eyes. "Yes, I like flowers. Night blooming jasmine happens to be my favorite, so I named my horse Jasmine. Now, go introduce yourself to the roan. Then we'll work on saddling him." Kalian hid his smile and approached the horse.

☽◦༻◦☽◦༺◦☽

Moira watched curiously as Kalian allowed the roan to smell his hand. He stroked the stallion's neck, murmuring words she couldn't hear. For someone who has never worked with horses before, he definitely seems comfortable, she thought.

He returned presently and she jerked her chin towards the bridles and saddles that had been left on an empty crate near the tent. "The bridle is pretty self explanatory, as long as you don't try to put it on upside down. That diamond shape at the top goes around his ears. The strap beneath it secures below his chin. The circle at the end..."

"Goes around his mouth," Kalian said. "I was looking at his halter while I was over there."

"Good. The reins just clip onto those rings." She pointed them out. "The horses we ride are always neck reined, so we don't have to worry about using bits."

"Neck reined?" Kalian arched an eyebrow.

"It's a way to guide them in the direction you want them to go. Here." She held out her hand and Kalian handed her the reins. "Just...pretend my thigh is a horse's neck for now." Kalian grinned, but nodded.

"I want to go left, so to start, I lay the right rein over the horse's neck." She draped the rein over her leg. "At the same time, I squeeze my mount's side with my left leg, encouraging him to turn. When he does, just move the reins back into their usual position and reduce the pressure from your leg."

"That seems like a fairly simple concept." Kalian took the reins back.

"Bridle him and lead him over here so I can make sure you saddle him properly. He's one of our better trained horses, so he'll stand still while you work, even without being tied."

Kalian returned to the stallion and set to work replacing his rope halter with the bridle and reins. Jasmine watched the pair, her dark eyes glittering with curiosity. Kalian led the stallion back to Moira. She gestured to the saddle blanket.

"Set the blanket a little high on his withers. That's the mound towards the base of his mane," Moira explained. Kalian obeyed. "Now slide it back just behind his mane." Moira gave an approving nod and pointed to the saddle. "Flip the stirrups over the seat before you lift the saddle onto his back."

As soon as Kalian had done so, she gave him leave to set the saddle on the stallion's back. It took a few minutes for him to shift the saddle into the proper position, but Moira was soon satisfied, and began talking him through the process to cinch the saddle in place. That took even longer. First, Kalian cinched it too tight, then too loose. After he finally got the front right, he had to repeat the same process with the back cinch.

At last, the stallion was saddled and ready. Moira let Kalian figure out how to mount on his own. Luckily, he swung himself up with apparent ease, not startling the horse in the slightest. She called out a few instructions as he began to ride around, maintaining a steady pace. Moira fell silent and let him ride on his own. A smile spread across Kalian's lips as he experimented with commands and learned how the horse responded to him.

She was surprised to find that she was smiling too. There wasn't even a kernel of anger within her chest. Moira drew a deep breath, relishing the feeling. It had been so long since she was without anger. Since she let herself smile or laugh, or act as though she were enjoying something.

A sobering thought wiped the smile from her lips all too soon. Tomorrow she would be in Selcouth, a city she hadn't seen in seven years. A city that held memories too painful for her to bear. Her lighthearted feelings leeched away, leaving nothing but cold emptiness in her head. Moira wrapped her arms around herself and waited silently for Kalian to return.