I rolled my eyes.
Though it was a nice compliment in an odd way. I said, “I’m just irritated, I would give my kingdom for a salad.”
He glanced back, grinning. “Dost ye ken, Princess, that ye hae accepted that ye are a royal?”
“No I haven’t. That’s just a turn of phrase.”
He shrugged, turning forward again. “But though ye hae complained about everything else in the world, ye stopped complainin’ that I call ye Princess.”
“Well, I guess I kind of think you’re calling me princess less as a royal title, and more like a nicknamebecauseI’m complaining about everything. I havenotaccepted that it’s a title.”
He turned back around to ride.
My knees ached, from pressing against the saddle, the skin felt raw again. I needed some more balm, and my thighs shook with the effort of gripping the saddle in angst. “How much farther?”
Torin looked around at the sky, and behind us on the path. “I think twill be about five hours more.”
I sighed.
He said, “If ye feel tired ye can come on my horse.”
“I’m fine, it’s okay.” I let go of the saddle with one hand and pulled the wolf fur of the cloak away from my throat. It was itchy. I quickly replaced the hand to hold on.
A bee buzzed past my ear — lazily, like it had all the time in the world. Stupid bee.
Torin, of course, looked like he was carved onto the damn horse. He looked like he was part of the landscape, a mountain of a man, Scottish through and through.
He had only one hand on the reins, the other resting casually on his thigh, scanning the horizon like he was reading its history. I kinda hated him a little for it, I also grew hot at the awesomeness of his back stretching his pale yellow tunic acrosshis shoulders, and his muscular calves against the side of his horse.
I was really admiring his muscles, and thinking about his knee, growing a little flushed, when Torin turned slightly, caught my eye, and raised an eyebrow. “Ye grew quiet, what ye thinkin’ on?”
I quickly looked away. “Nothing, nothing at all.”
He grinned.
God, he was so cocky.
I changed the subject. “How’s your face? I was wondering if you were in pain?”
“Nae, I barely remember it. Tis not the first beatin’ and winna be my last. I hae had worse from Max.”
“Really? Your closest friend? He’s punched you?”
“Aye, he was mad enough, and I deserved it.”
“What did you do?”
His jaw tightened. “Naething, daena want tae speak on it.”
Before I could ask more questions, he reined in and lifted a finger to his lips. “Wheesht.”
The sudden quiet made my skin prickle. His eyes swept the hills, searching both ahead and behind. The horses shifted beneath us, catching his tension.
We sat frozen for a few moments. Then he asked quietly, “Ye hear it?”
I strained to hear, but caught nothing but wind. “What? I don’t hear anything.”
“Drovers tae the south, I hae heard them, but couldna tell if they were comin’ toward us or away. I can tell they are nearin’ now.” He clicked his tongue, turning our horses. “Remain quiet, we will take the pass over Monadh Caoin.”
