The child gazed up at Horland, her eyes full of adoration, but Bree noted the shadow that passed over her face the moment Horland looked away.
Bree frowned. Something was worrying her. Although she appeared to trust that Horland would keep her safe, maybe she was a little frightened. After all, the forest was darkening more and more the deeper they went. Even Bree would have preferred it lighter. She decided to keep a closer eye on the girl, make sure she wasn’t too scared.
It was hard to tell how much time passed, but Bree thought the ache in her calves meant they’d walked at least for two hours or more. The day grew hotter, so Bree figured it was past midday. She took her cloak off and tied it around her waist.
Checking the girl, she asked, “Are you hot in your coat?”
The girl nodded and took it off. She carried it in her arms.
Bree said, “Here, I’ll fix it.”
She showed the girl the sleeves and twisting the coat so it wouldn’t drag on the ground, she tied the sleeves around the girl’s waist with a knot at the front. “There, feel better?”
The girl beamed at her and retook Horland’s hand.
As they walked, Bree and Horland made small talk.
“Why’s it getting hotter in here?” Bree asked.
“The thickness of the forest stops the cold winds penetrating.”
During the afternoon they chatted about the plants. Coming across a shrub covered in yellow flowers, Bree asked once again, “What are these ones?”
“Gorse.”
“How is it you know so much about plants?”
“All knights study flora. If we are to go about the kingdom, many days spent alone in the wilderness, we need to know what we can and cannot eat. Look there,” Horland pointed to a stand of green stems topped with clusters of white flowers.
“I’m pretty sure they’re wild onions,” Bree said, plucking off the flowers.
“They are three-cornered leeks.”
“Same thing.” Bree popped some flowers in her mouth.
“Yes,” Horland said. “I can see that they can be known as such. We should harvest some for a tasty addition to a meal.”
“Definitely. Want some?” Bree held out the flowers to the girl.
Taking them and sniffing, she shook her head and handed them back to Bree.
“Yeah, they taste better than they smell.”
They plucked the plants out of the ground, bulbs and all, and packed them into Horland’s pack.
Bree munched on the flowers as they walked and wondered how she was going to bring up her father.
Horland sauntered along. She knew now from his gait that he was relaxed.
While she was enjoying the company of a laid-back Horland, she had to know what he intended doing once he’d found Garlain. Did he just want to talk to him, or did he want to hurt him in some way? She also wanted to know what happened to end their friendship.
Plants, so close to Bree’s face they filled her vision, had her stopping and leaning back. “Ahh.”
Horland’s face came into view behind the plant. “Did you not hear me? These too are edible.”
“Oh, sorry, I was just thinking.” She peered at the plant. “It looks like some sort of celery.”
“They are Alexanders and yes, they taste somewhat like celery mingled with parsley.”
