Boris’s ears were flat against his head as he stared at the red horse that stared back at him. His tail was puffed up to it’s fullest and thrashed against him. Horses. Of course. The prince had mentioned mounts, why he hadn’t thought they’d be horses he had no clue. The beast had its ears perked forward and all of its tack was already on it. 

There were six horses in total that had been pulled from their stalls and were waiting. He frowned. Why six? One for each of them and probably one for supplies and other things. That was obvious. Who did the sixth one belong to? 

His horse’s eyes went wide and it snorted and pulled on the pole it was tethered to. William stopped next to him and shook his head before headed for the large horse that didn’t seem to care about anything at all. 

“Hello Willow, it’s been a while. I’m sorry I couldn’t take you with me before,” he muttered to his horse. The beast nickered softly and nuzzled into him. Mina walked over to him as she came out of the castle. 

He couldn’t hear what they spoke about, he was too focused on the horse in front of him that was still exhibiting behaviour that proclaimed it wasn’t happy in the least bit. All the other horses were doing the same, except for the one that William was next to. 

“That can’t be right,” William said, his head turned towards the large grey horse at the very end. It was freaking out nearly as much as the others, but its eyes were wide and it wasn’t taking its gaze off of William. Strange. 

“What can’t be?” Boris asked, taking a step back from the horses.

“That’s Frost, the prince’s horse,” William responded.

“The prince’s horse? What?” Mina turned to look at the grey stallion.

“That’s what he said,” Renault came walking out of the castle this time.

That explained the look in Frederick’s eyes last night. He had planned on coming with them from the get go. If he was planning on going, why even hire them to do this? Why not get his Knights to do it?

“He’s there because I’m coming with you!” Frederick strode out of the stable, his clothes already filthy and covered in hay. They were also closer to what the rest of them were wearing. They’d all gotten their clothes washed the night before. 

“You’re doing what?” William asked, his head whipped around to the prince.

“You heard me. I’m coming with you.” Frederick grinned and put his hands on his hips. 

“Does the king know?” William demanded.

“Nope, and you’re not telling him.” Frederick walked over to his horse and pat it on the neck. “So, we should get going before dear old dad realizes what I’m doing and tries to stop me.”

Ah, that was why he wasn’t taking the Knights. He was sneaking out. Boris chuckled and shook his head. He glanced back at the horse he was supposed to ride and took a tentative step towards it.

“Stop being such a pansy. It’s just a horse.”

“Oh, da. Just horse. Horse that has ability to kill me on accident.” Boris rolled his eyes at Percy. 

“I’m not sure if this is su-” Mina was cut off by the prince.

“No arguments. I’m going, and that’s that.” He mounted Frost and looked down at everyone. “So, we either leave now, with me riding next to you, or you’ll find me at your camp tonight despite trying to leave me behind.” 

William let out an audible sigh, “Fine, but if your father sends out a search party for you, you’re going straight back.”

Frederick waved his hand, “Sure, yeah, we’ll go with that.” 

The other three mounted their horses, which left Boris just staring at his horse. Mina trotted her horse over to him. 

“You okay?” She asked.

“Da, da. Just…been a while since I have been on horse.” He walked over to the red creature and mounted as he saw the others do. He wasn’t sure how he managed it, but he somehow got on without falling off. Progress. 

They had been riding for several hours, though it felt like it had been days. His ass was sore, the stupid creature kept wanting to veer into the blue grass and get them both hopelessly lost. It had to have a death wish. 

He swore and pulled on the reigns and tried to turn its head back to the path, but it just didn’t want to listen. 

A sharp whistle came from Frederick and its ears swivelled towards the noise and then it turned back onto the path. 

“Not very good at riding?” The prince asked. 

“Nyet, good at riding. Stupid beast just not good at being rode.” He glared down at the horse. It snorted and hopped to the side, almost making him fall off. “See! It just tried to throw me!”

“If she was trying to throw you, she would have,” Renault said as his horse trotted up to them. 

Boris definitely wasn’t grasping onto the horn of the saddle. That wasn’t what was happening at all. He’d deny it to the ends of the earth. He glared over at Renault. “Yebani zadnesta.”

“If you’re going to insult me, at least do it in a language I understand,” Renault said with a laugh. 

Boris was going to respond but his horse just decided to stop dead in its tracks, as did the others. All of their ears were perked forward and pointed in the same direction. 

The source of their alarm materialized out of thin air. A man in furs appeared from the blue grass. He sat astride a great black beast without any sort of tack on the horse. His wavy, jet hair was pulled back into a half-pony tail. He stared down at the five of them, his eyes narrowed on them all. When those emerald eyes landed on the prince, though, his face turned gentle and kind. 

Boris let out a sigh of relief, it seemed the prince and the horselord knew each other. 

“Batu! I wasn’t expecting to see you. Your tribe should have moved on by now, no?” Frederick grinned and moved his horse over to the other one. The two sniffed and snorted at each other, both their ears pinning back but they didn’t do anything further. 

“Normally, we would have. We must wait for the Chieftain Trials to conclude before we can do so, however.” He glanced at the other four, “Who are you friends?” His eyes lingered on Boris. 

“These are my travelling companions.” He gestured at each in turn as he named them. “New chief though? I thought your uncle was in good health?”

Batu’s jaw clenched and he nodded, “He was, however, an demon’s sword tends to put an end to that.”

Frederick’s grin vanished in an instant, “There were orcs in the Plains?” he glanced back at Mina and William and thinned his lips. “How many were lost?”

“Too many, over half the tribe is dead.” Batu raised his chin. 

“Shit. I’m so sorry.” Frederick’s hands tightened on his reigns. 

“It is not something you would have been able to assist with,” the horselord said with a tight smile. 

Mina moved her horse forward so she was next to Frederick. “Was it Orcs?”

Boris didn’t think it would be orcs. The Vicarian Horselords would have been able to take care of a band of orcs with ease. 

“No, not Orcs. Fiends mainly. I’ve never seen so many in a cohesive unit like that. They all adhered to one specific one, I’ve never known them to do that, they usually fight over who’s in charge. That wasn’t happening this time.” Batu shook his head. 

“That just means our current quest is even more important, especially now that I have multiple confirmed accounts of instances such as this happening.” Frederick ran his hand through his hair. 

“Your quest?” Batu tilted his head to the side and his horse began to paw at the ground. 

“We’re looking for the reason behind the strange demonic incidents.” Frederick drummed his fingers on his saddle.

“So you’re trying to get to the bottom of this and take care of it?” 

Frederick nodded. 

“Then, would you like assistance in getting through the Plains? Where are you heading?” Batu leaned forward and stroke his horse’s neck. 

“Meskonga, through the mountains,” William spoke. 

Boris nodded and blinked as he realized that Batu was still watching him. He flattened his ears and wrapped his tail around his waist. 

“I think the Horselord fancies you, chap.”

He started and glared at his shoulder. He wasn’t going to dignify that with a response. Even if Batu did, Boris most certainly did not swing that way. 

“If you would allow me, I would be more than happy to lead you through the Plains. It should cut several days travel off of your journey.” He smiled.

“That would be wonderful actually, I appreciate it Batu.” Frederick inclined his head. 

“Of course, the sooner you get to the bottom of this, the sooner my people can live in peace knowing that those who took our loved ones from us are rotting in the ground as fodder for the Great Mother,” Batu said. He turned his horse and began to walk into the cerulean grass.

Why were the Horselords the only ones who could successfully navigate the grasses without getting lost or affected by the magic? From what he’d read, someone had forced the Activation of a Spirit and it had been absolutely cataclysmic. The poor soul had died in the process and the Plains of Vicar had been created. Were they the descendents of people who’d managed to survive that? Had the cataclysm changed any survivors on such a fundamental level? It was an interesting thought. One that occupied him enough that he actually forgot he was riding a horse until they stopped for the night. 

Boris slid off of his horse and groaned. His entire body hurt. He’d used muscles he hadn’t known he had. The horse snorted and nudged him with his nose, shoving him forward. He almost fell on his face. Fucking horse.

He glanced back at the beast and scowled at it. The others tied their horses up and his walked over to where they were to be tied up as well. Of course it was being well-behaved now.

The others had started begun to set up tents and bedrolls and Boris made his way over to them, dropping his bag to the ground. Batu was already digging a hole in the ground for a fire. 

Frederick was over by the horse he’d been riding, running a brush over the dappled grey coat. Mina was waiting for Batu to drop the kindling he had in his bag into the hole so she could light it on fire, William was standing guard near the prince, and Renault wasn’t doing anything. As usual. Lazy bastard. 

Boris walked over to Mina. “You looked nice in dress.” 

She scowled and glanced over at him. “No, I didn’t. It was atrocious.”

“Nyet, you looked nice.” He nodded to himself. 

“Say something else, you dolt. Tell her why she looked nice, girls like that kind of thing,” Percival said from his shoulder. Boris had to physically resist rolling his eyes at the tiny robotic man. 

“Dress brought out hair and eyes. It was very entrancing.” It would be rude to comment on how nicely it had clung to her curves, right? How the line of the back had drawn the eye down to her very shapely-

He cut those thoughts off before they could go any further. He was not thinking about that right now. 

Mina narrowed her eyes, “Thanks, I guess. It was…very revealing,” she muttered. 

“Da, that is true. It is good to dress up though, no?” Boris tilted his head to the side. 

She chewed on her bottom lip and then let out a soft chuckle, “Yeah, I suppose. A dress like that though? It would have been far better on someone else.” She got a far-off look in her eyes. “Someone more deserving.”

Boris almost didn’t hear the last part she said it so quietly. He frowned and stared at her, “I can think of no one more deserving.”

She gave a sardonic laugh. “Literally anyone else. I didn’t do that dress any kind of justice, it deserved someone unblemished.”

Unblemished? Boris furrowed his brows and then blinked. He’d been too busy staring at something else when she was in front of him to fully take notice…but her back had been covered in scars. Burns and lashes. What had she gone through? He didn’t dare ask. If she wanted him to know, she’d tell him. He’d never push it. 

Batu began to hum under his breath as he prepared several of the rabbits he’d caught before. Boris looked towards him and his ears perked forward. What was he singing? It seemed to have something to do with the skinning of the rabbits, as he started the song back over when he began on a new one. 

Right, he needed to answer Mina so she didn’t think he was just ignoring her. “I do not think scars are blemishes. They are testaments to what you have been through and survived. Badges of honour.” He nodded to himself. Perfect. Nailed it. 

She didn’t answer for a long moment. Okay, maybe he hadn’t nailed it? 

“Thank you,” her response was quiet and she gave him a small smile. 

Boris blinked. She wasn’t mad about it? She’d thanked him. He let out a breath and smiled back, “No need to thank for truth.”

She chuckled and then walked over to the fire and Batu, Boris joined her. 

“What are you singing?” he asked the Horselord.

Batu didn’t respond, not until he was done skinning the rest of the rabbits. “It’s a prayer, thanking the rabbits for their sacrifices for feeding us,” he said finally.

“Their sacrifices? I do not think had choice.” Boris tilted his head to the side. 

“Of course they did. They could have chosen to have gone left instead of right. They could have chosen to stay in their den. All of the choices they made lead to their being on the end of my arrow. It is a sacrifice we should be grateful for.”.

Boris tilted his head to the side. “I see.” He didn’t. He really didn’t. It was just chance, not choice, that caused the rabbits to be in the area of Batu. Chance and skill. The man seemed to wholeheartedly believe that though, and Boris wasn’t going to argue with him about it, not when he was helping them so much. That would be rude.