It was Jarryn who broke the silence first, with a rough sigh. “Fine,” he muttered, the fight draining from him as the pain in his side flared again. “Maybe I was being reckless.”
Leander raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by the admission. “Well,” he murmured with a small smile gracing his features. “That’s a first.”
Jarryn grunted as he tried to push himself up. He was done with sitting around, or maybe done with this conversation, Leander wasn’t sure which one. “Help me up, then, if you’re so concerned.”
Leander hesitated, then pushed himself up to his feet and extended a hand. As their hands clasped, Leander couldn’t help but notice the firm, steady grip—there was nothing begrudging about it at all.
He quite liked holding Jarryn’s hand.
With Leander’s help, Jarryn managed to get to his knees, but then his face contorted in pain and he released Leander’s hand in favour of gripping the side of his ribs, wincing but refusing to let out a sound.
“Maybe not yet,” Jarryn muttered, looking away as he rested his back once again against the tree.
Leander continued to stand, brushing dirt from his knees, his expression softening. “Next time, save the fucking theatrics for people who give a shit about your reputation. You don’t have to charge ahead just to prove you’re brave.”
Jarryn blinked at him, and even Leander was startled by the sincerity in his own voice.
Leander had never spoken to Jarryn like this, without a biting edge or a barb aimed at his pride. Nor had Jarryn in return, come to think of it. Even in Green Tryst, where they had worked to get along under the watchful eye of Lucien, Leander had felt some displeasure from Jarryn. There was no such emotion now.
For a moment, a mere second, Leander debated entering the prince’s thoughts. The barrier around his mind was weak. He could do it. But he thought better ofit… he didn’t want to break the fragile truce between them with his thoughtless actions.
“Maybe you’re right,” Jarryn said finally, his voice low. “But I’d hate to think you’re enjoying this.”
With his concern for Jarryn’s wellbeing now abating, a smile tugged at Leander’s lips, small and unexpected. “Yes. Well. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t find some satisfaction in seeing you humbled.”
Jarryn gave a huff of laughter, the first authentic moment of shared amusement between them since they had met. Maybe any pain Jarryn was experiencing right now was worth it, for this shared moment of genuine camaraderie. “Glad to not disappoint you, then.”
“Oh, Your Highness, you are many things… but a disappointment has never been one of them.”
Jarryn looked up rapidly and Leander could sense the confusion and mistrust radiating off him. It seemed Jarryn realised this and, with some concentration, Leander watched in his mind’s eye as Jarryn erected new barriers around his psyche.Thatwas a little disappointing. But he made no comment.
“Are you up for trying to stand again?” Leander asked quietly.
Jarryn thought for a moment, then nodded. Steeling himself, with one hand holding his ribcage, he reached out towards Leander with the other. Accepting Leander’s offered hand, Jarryn slowly worked his way to his feet.
“Well done, Your Highness,” Leander praised, though there was a slightly teasing quality to his voice. “Now we have to climb the hill.”
Staring up at it with determination, Jarryn took a step forward. “Let’s just get it over with.”
“I’m right beside you.”
“I know.”
They made slow, but steady progress. In reality, Leander was a step behind, not beside, but the semantics of the situation were not really questioned as Jarryn painstakingly climbed the steep, but mercifully dry, hill towards the waiting horses.
“When will the others come looking for you?” Leander mused aloud as they trudged upwards.
“When they have killed the hart. In the next few minutes… in the next few days. Who knows?” Jarryn responded through gritted teeth. Leander couldn’t feel his pain anymore, but he could hear it quite evidently in his voice.
“Days? But what if you had catastrophic injuries? Pierced a lung, hit your head, or worse? Surely?—”
“This is the way of hunts. Had I my own men join us on the hunt, their priority would have been me. But I don’t.”
Leander nodded, silently questioning why Jarryn thought it a good idea to join such a dangerous pursuit without the protection of his own retinue of soldiers. Reckless indeed.
“Fucksake,” Jarryn bit out, glancing up.
“We’re almost there, Jarryn,” Leander encouraged, placing his hand on Jarryn’s back and urging him on with a gentle push.
