MASSIVE trees, with trunks the size of buildings he'd seen in the city below the palace rose like spires out of the ground. They'd had to move through bandy trees carefully, because the spaces between the large stalks were filled with thick vines that hung down and rooted into the ground and trees.

Gwree had eyed the vines with utmost distaste and warned them that the vines were bloodsuckers that fed on the bandy trees when there was nothing else available. Nothing else, meaning no humans or animals. Kyden wished Gwree had opened their mouth about it before they'd all become a walking meal for the vines. When they finally passed the trees and made camp on the edge of the river, he was relieved.

Reclining against the roots of a bandy tree, Kyden swallowed down the last bit of his interesting dinner the pecks and Tavis had foraged. He watched the light dimming over the river and the brightly coloured leaves on the other side. By his measure, some of the croton plants would be taller than him on his horse.

"It's dense on the other side," he commented. "It will be difficult to navigate."

Sitting cradled in a knot of roots nearby, Leif tilted his head back to examine the other side of the river. The waning light caught the worry on his face, and Kyden playfully nudged his thigh with the toe of his boot. 

"It looks better from here."

"I'm comfortable here." Leif retorted, but still relocated himself to sit on the large root beside Kyden. "It is a sight isn't it?"

"It is." Killi plunked down beside Kyden and watched the light fade over the crotons with them. "And we never would have seen it had we not come after the Princess."

"Speaking of the Princess," Tavis said as he and the pecks joined. "Why did you all run after her? We know Leif's reason, though I still don't believe it much."

"You first then, Tave." Leif raised an eyebrow as the pecks eyed him with hands over their mouths doing nothing to conceal the grins they wore.

"Nothing I do will ever garner the Princess' attention, and I wasn't so deluded as to think so. I was at the ball for the fun! Why I was dragged into the tunnels to rescue her, I still don't know." He looked at Killi pointedly.

"You needed to prove yourself as Lord of Miah. The chance fell at your feet, Tave. I just made sure you took it."

"And you, Killi?" Kyden asked, laughing as the pecks did.

"Me? The Princess was taken and Leif had need of assistance. Do I need more reason?"

"So," Leif chuckled. "No hope of a betrothal then?"

Killi shook his head, "I would never be husband to any Aradane woman, much less the Princess."

Leif frowned as if irked, "And why?"

"My brothers and I are merely a novelty in Aradane court; look at the big strong tattooed men!" Killi scoffed. "The only thing worse than Aradane court, is being anywhere near Atora where they fight over Themians like prized oxen."

Kyden watched as Leif nodded seemingly satisfied and then threw his head back with a laugh. "Do you remember the crowd of girlies you gathered when we fought behind the stables? I'd never seen so many Ladies that excited to stand in the muck before!"

The worry that Kyden had lamented at seeing on Leif's face, was replaced by a mirth that made it hard not to watch him. His blue eyes sparkled with the joy of reminiscence as he pretended at fighting Killi, ducking his long armed reaches and dancing around him with an elegant sort of grace. Kyden couldn't help but trace his movements around their small camp until Leif laughingly jumped back to where he sat.  

When the laughter died down, Gwree pointed a twiggy finger at  Kyden and bringing all of their gazes to him. "That one not answer."

"I went to the ball to seek aid from the princess and her kingdom. Saving her from the Loricai seemed only right."

"Aid? From the Princess?"

"Why not the Princess?" Kyden arched an eyebrow at Killi's scoffed remark. A small satisfied smile lit Leif's lips at his words, and he continued hoping to see it grow wider, "She is exceptional with strategizing, and an impressive archer—so I've heard."

Kyden couldn't stop the half smile that tugged at his lips every time he caught Leif's eyes on him after that. It was hard not to catch it, when he himself glanced at Leif too often.

Morning brought with it a sad departure of the pecks they'd all grown used to over the past two days. The creatures had filled their travels with joy and luck, making for a smooth trek through the perils among the bandy trees. They'd even taught Tavis about the healing properties of many plants and helped him in collecting them.

Gwree and Bwillok were more than welcome to join them, but the pecks eyed the crotons with disdain. It was something that had made Tavis wary of entering the belt. Halfway across a fallen bandy tree that served as a bridge, they said their farewells and disappeared quickly to their side of the river.

Up close, the stunning crotons posed a problem. So close together, the leaves formed a barrier,  obscuring what they were walking into. They'd decided to go on foot, making slow progress by feeling the ground before proceeding. The process wasn't without its faults, the worst being the unpleasant darkness between the oppressive plants, and the little noises that set Tavis' nerves on edge.

"I'm telling you, I heard something!" Tavis whispered. As if he were a young child, everyone else shot him patronizing looks as they stopped to listen once more.

Killi sighed, "For the hundredth time, Tavis, jungles make sounds. The birds, the animals, vines falling out of trees!"

Ahead of them, Kyden didn't wait for them to continue arguing, but pressed on through the large red and orange foliage. It was so dense in this area that they could lose sight of one another within arm's reach.

"Stop bickering and move on; I can't see Kyden anymore!" Leif poked Killi forward.

"I'm not hearing things," Tavis grumbled. He remained quiet after that, and listened for the sound of Kyden's heavy footsteps as they crushed through the underbrush. "Kyden, slow down, will you?" Tavis received no answer—snarky or otherwise—and quickened his pace.

"We'll slow once we make it through this, Tavis," Leif promised. "For now, let's make sure we stay close."

It was easy enough in theory, but Kyden's footfalls were so soft now, Tavis could not be sure he was following in the right direction. A colourful bird perched above, eyeing him with its head turned to one side, cawing as if to laugh as he tried to catch his bearings. Searching the small space between the trees he stood among, he stepped in the direction of vines that moved in Kyden's wake. It was a good thing Leif had taught him that trick earlier, or they would have been lost.

"I can't hear Kyden anymore." Killi's words reached Tavis' ears at exactly the same moment another noise caught his attention. He couldn't quite pinpoint what the noise was, but he'd heard it before—a sort of scratchy squeak.

"That you can hear," Tavis mumbled and pushed through another barrier of foliage. Only Kyden was not waiting there as he had hoped, and as they listened, it appeared they had lost him.

"Did you hear that?" Tavis asked in frustration as the strange noise repeated itself.

Killi was tense, and with his belt dagger drawn, he spun in a slow circle.

Something was out there with them.

"Whatever it is, it doesn't matter," Leif all but growled, drawing his own dagger. "We need to keep moving. Kyden is likely waiting up ahead."

Though their pace was faster than it had been before, they were moving far too slowly for even Tavis' liking. He had yet to bump into Kyden's back. Had he deviated from the route somehow? Followed the wrong moving vines?

A wild thrashing sounded to the south, causing fear to paralyze Tavis momentarily and the horses to dance fearfully in place. What in all wishes was coming their way? Even Killi was alarmed, body crouched low and weapon at the ready to lunge at the attacker.

"Where's Leif?"

Leif, it appeared, was the one making all the noise, the sound moving away from—not towards—them quickly. It didn't sound like he was going willingly, Tavis decided. Killi turned back to him, alarm written on his face, but in seconds, he was gone from his sight, dropping to the ground as his feet were swept out from under him. Tavis didn't even have a chance to wonder if it would happen to him, because he'd already hit the ground. Everything around him went black.