"Shall we, my love?" Vincent says to Alex as the convoy begins to move again. The thick grasses make them move in lines as they head across the plains. Alex smiles and chooses the right hand-middle line while Vince goes down the left hand-middle.

"This place is just incredible. Reminds me of the fields back home a bit." Alex replies gently. Vince nods.

"It might make it easier on us or harder, your highness." The guard who was just to her right speaks up as she watches their flank.

"How so?" Vincent asks. The guard flushes at the attention.

"Begging your pardon, your highness. The grasses may allow for more small animals to hide within, and we might catch them for our meals. However, that might also allow for sinister things to hide within and creep unnoticed up to our convoy." The older girl warily looks out into the grasses as they sway in the breeze.

Alex shivered as the breeze swirled around for a second, lifting her long curled tresses and throwing them about. It looked beautiful out in the fields, with the green and gold strands waving like a sheet of silk, but the idea that it could be treacherous did not escape her. She gulped and looked ahead.

They had to trust in their escort for this. They had to hope that their journey would be as boring and uneventful as their trip through the wood. They had to move forward anyways, or lose hope entirely. Alex took to watching the troupe members as they shifted and moved.

They took turns surrounding the two of them on either side, changing the guards at two separate times during the day. When asked, it was because watching the grasses lulled the senses and teased the eyes into seeing what was not there. It was too dangerous not to be alert.

They stopped to make camp along the way. Each time, the scouts had to press down a swath of grasses to make beds, cut large patches and dig out hollows in which to make fires. They kept the cook fires low and put them out with dirt before they rested so as to not tempt fate with a grass fire.

On the third day, they blinked awake to a chill air and a heavy mist that curled about them unmercifully. Alex grasped the edge of Vincent's tunic as he called out for others. They could not see but as far as their hands stretched out. Voices echoed eerily across the wide expanse of grass. They could not whistle for horses, as the sound just echoed and bounced around confusingly in the mist.

"Stay close." Vincent said to him as he clung onto the edge of the fabric desperately. They found others in the clearing as they moved, and they slowly made their way along to where the horses were tied at the edge of the resting place.

Everyone's sense of direction was off, the guards stumbled with them just as confused and disoriented. They followed the edge of the clearing until they finally came upon all the mounts. Some other guards were there and helping saddle the horses.

"What are you doing?" Alex watched in alarm as the guards hopped up onto some horses and stared about them. He could barely see them in the mist on top of their mounts.

"We need to press forward, your highness. We cannot stay here." The man replied. Alex shook his head at him.

"No! We need to stay together. We need to bring everyone close in the clearing so we do not lose anyone." He replied testily. The man looked down at him condescendingly.

"Forgive me your highness, but we do not have time to sit around in comfort and wait for this to pass." He sneered. Alex frowned. As if he didn't know that. It was his future on the line, not the guard's.

"Alright, which direction do you suppose we should go then, hmm?" Alex returned with just as much venom. He waved his arm about at the thick mist that shrouded everything in sight. The guard paused at that and looked fiercely about.

"I will go with a small group and find our path back, then we can head in the opposite direction." He hollered out for four others and they mounted horses. The small group left the growing circle of men to scout the perimeter.

"It won't work." Vincent muttered, looking around him at the chaos. Alex glanced over at him, and so did the other guard closest to him.

"Why not?" The man asked in a forceful tone. He blushed at a look from Vincent and muttered, "Pardon your highness." Vincent just shook his head sadly.

"Because we have already sent scouts out in multiple directions to catch food and watch ahead. Their tracks might obscure which are our originals, and if not then we have little chance of staying together without being on top of one another. You are right to have us stay put, my love." He stated perfectly. Alex nodded and clasped onto his hand instead of his shirt.

"Yes, here we are reasonably safe and have what we need to survive until it passes. We must wait until it warms or another breeze comes." He added. The guard nodded thoughtfully at them both.

"I agree. I will pass the message... sorry, orders, along to a superior. Wait here." He followed a path of more guards who all stayed close and the two watched him disappear into the mist. Another guard came out of the thickness along the same path with one of their horses, which Alex perked up at. He raised a hand to pet the gentle beast's nose.

"I missed you Kracken, and I am sure so has your master." He cooed to the large animal. Vince snorted and rolled his eyes. The beast came over and began munching on the edge of his collar as he tried to push him away.

"Gross. Eat some grass instead, would you?" He mumbled. They watched another shadowed figure moving through the line and it was Alex's mount. He cried out in joy and hugged the poor beast's face.

"Oliver! Oh you poor thing. Did you miss mummy? Er, am I daddy now?" She looked in confusion at Vincent and he could not help but to laugh at the situation. "What?"

"Oh gods love. You can still be mummy." He consoled the confused prince. In a lower voice he muttered, "I am sure there is a 'who's your daddy' joke in there somewhere, but I am definitely not going to be the mummy."

"What?" Alex asked innocently. He shook his head. His love was far too innocent for talk from the barracks and he refused to explain it to him.

"Never mind pumpkin." He said instead of answering him. He could feel the eyes and ears around them and did not want to encourage any strange talk amongst the guards. Instead they stood close and waited. A murmur rose from the left and they strained to see what was the cause.

"Your highnesses. The guard returns." Came a voice from close by. The man that had left was back again in moments and smiled at the two.

"Sires, I found the Chief Captain in charge and relayed your thoughts. He agreed wholeheartedly and has begun to set up lines of men and horses to help care for everyone. Breakfast will be rations from the stores, and will be passed along shortly." The two princes exchanged a glance with one another solemnly.

A/N the first trial is upon them, what more is in store?