Excerpt:

It was nearly an hour before Sei got a message from the throne room to report, and by then he and Vitali were well ready, their horses loaded with supplies and weapons. Vitali’s bow was strung around her back, along with a quiver of poison tipped arrows, alongside a quiver of her regular arrows.

The guard outside the throne room gestured for them to go on inside. As they entered, they saw that there were only two people in the room- the Queen herself, and the white cloaked mage. Sei had to stop and take another look around the room- the Queen wasn’t ever to be alone with anyone but her personal attendants. His jaw set, he moved forward.

“We’re ready, your highness,” he said, dropping into a kneel. Vitali did the same.

“Good. Captain, I’d like you to meet your traveling companion, Chikai.”

Sei stood just as the man in the white cloak turned. Chikai tugged down the white hood, revealing a very youthful face, light blonde hair that fell almost to his chin, and blue eyes as bright as the princesses herself. He smiled brightly at the pair of them. “It’s a pleasure, Captain,” he said, his voice musical and light.

“I wish I could say the same,” Sei said, lifting his chin. The mage’s smile didn’t waver.

“Come now. How are we to work together if you’re going to be rude?” he said, turning to Vitali and taking her hand, lightly kissing the back of it. “It’s wonderful to see such a lovely young woman doing her duty well for the royal family.”

“Yeah, nice to meet you too,” Vitali said, tugging her hand back and away, one eyebrow raised.

“You’ll travel on the forest route,” the Queen said, interrupting an uncomfortable silence. “Then you’ll take the far pass to Yunland territory. Send messenger birds when you can. You’re my daughter’s only hope.”

“We’ll return with her. I swear it,” Sei said, glaring at Chikai. The mage simply smiled.

“Have faith, my Queen,” Chikai said, turning to Sei. “Shall we, then?”

Sei turned and headed for the exit. “If you can keep up on that puny animal.”

“Oh, Raegan won’t have any trouble with that, I assure you.”

The moment the door to the throne room shut, Sei turned and grabbed Chikai by the collar of his coat, slamming him against the nearest wall. Vitali groaned.

“Sei, come on…”

“If you slow us down or cause any delays, I’ll kill you myself,” Sei said, and Chikai held up his hands, as if that would calm the Captain down.

“You’re so concerned, Mr. Captain. I assure you, I am just as devoted to the cause of this trip as you are.”

“You’re a liar!”

“Name calling already? We haven’t even left yet…”

Sei let go with a deliberate shove, and Vitali crossed her arms. “Are you boys done yet? We have a job to do.”

“Yeah. Just keep out of my way, mage,” Sei said, stepping outside to the horses. He mounted his horse, and Vitali followed suit, but Chikai stopped to offer Raegan a piece of fruit before hopping into the saddle.

“Well make for Heron Lake tonight and make camp there,” Sei said, ignoring the bystanders who’d gathered to watch the trio depart. “Mage, aren’t you taking anything?”

Chikai didn’t look concerned. “I’ll be quite fine with what I have,” he said, patting the small saddle bag behind him. “It’s touching that you’re concerned.”

“I just don’t want you eating my food. And I don’t want you slowing us down due to your own starvation.”

“Nature provides where we cannot, Mr. Captain.”

“Drop the dumb nickname.”

“Of course.”

Vitani sighed. “Are we ever leaving? Or, you know, we could just sit here and argue some more. That sounds just great.”

Sei kicked his horse, and it whinnied and started off at a trot. Vitali followed, keeping her horse situated between Sei’s and Chikai’s.

“Looks like it’s time then, Raegan,” Chikai said softly, patting her neck . “Let’s go.”

The spotted horse started walking at a brisk pace, trailing a bit behind the other two horses as Chikai pulled his hood back up.