Arielle kept her face, looking outside the window, blankly staring at the palace, as it slowly disappeared from her view.
The inside of the carriage was enveloped with still silence. None of the girls spoke a word as they were all consumed in their thoughts.
They didn't know how long they had been riding but by the time they woke up, it was dark already.
Arielle groaned and opened her eyes with difficulty. She looked out the window and she saw that it was dark already. Her body was aching and the carriage bumping against rough patches on the road didn't help.
"How long have we been riding for, Ari?" Anna asked groggily as she struggled to open her eyes.
"I don't know, Anna, but it is dark already. I wonder when we are going to reach the North kingdom." Arielle replied.
"Mmm… my dad told me that the King and his men used three weeks to get here, but it would probably be longer than that because of us." Belle said as she yawned.
Suddenly, the carriage came to a halt and the girls were thrown off balance as they swayed forward, their conversation interrupted by the sudden stop. Arielle looked out the window, trying to see what caused the sudden halt. The darkness outside made it difficult to discern anything.
"What's going on?" Anna asked, her voice laced with concern. "I don't know," Arielle replied, "but let's wait and see."
The carriage door creaked open and Mason looked at the girls saying, "We would rest here for the night. Dinner would be ready soon." He informed and left.
The girls nodded awkwardly and stepped out of the carriage.
Arielle looked around and surveyed the area around her. The trees were masked with thick mist, their trunks almost black with wetness.
Everything was blurred. The forest around them was vast. She watched as the men tried to burn a small fire.
"I caught a deer. But we have nothing to cook with." Ethan said.
"Do you even know how to cook?" Jarred asked sarcastically.
"You are one to talk. You also do not know how to cook in fact none of us here know how to cook." Ethan retorted.
The men sighed in frustration. They would have just eaten this in their wolf form but because of the girls…
"Can we help?" Belle asked timidly.
The men looked at the girls in disbelief.
"Or not?" Anna asked, her voice barely audible as uncertainty flickered across her face.
Minutes later, the aroma of cooked meat wafted into their nostrils. The men sat on the rolled logs which they had gathered earlier, and the aroma of the meat only made them hungrier.
"Let me do that." Mason said when he saw the girls were about to bring down the pot and serve them. He gestured to the other men and they quickly shared the meat amongst themselves leaving some for the King who had disappeared from their midst.
Jarred handed each of them a plate of meat and went to sit to eat his food.
It was so awkward between them all, as silence reigned in their midsts except for the occasional chirping sound of the crickets.
"What do you think about your mate, Brian?" Drake asked with a piece of meat in his mouth.
Brian raised his head from his plate but didn't utter a word, silently eating his food.
"The both of you have not said a word. Come on, what's wrong?" Jarred asked worriedly.
"Who would have thought what I said earlier would come to pass and very quickly at that." Mason said jokingly, referring to when he said that the both of them would find their mates soon.
Gayle glared at him.
"Why are you glaring at him? It isn't his fault, is it?
The moon goddess decided that it was time for you both to have mates of your own." Drake said.
"Exactly!" Ethan said and he laughed.
"Let's see how you take care of your mates when you always find us irritating when we talk about ours." Mason said and laughed, enjoying their plights.
"We can see it already. They can't even approach their mates." Jarred spoke.
The men laughed and continued with their food.
"His majesty is taking long, should we go look for him?" Drake asked.
"He said not to look for him though." Ethan reminded.
Soon enough, they were all through with their meals. They rounded up everything, washed the utensils, and placed them back in their proper places, making sure the area was tidy and organized.
The girls took a moment to rest, their faces relaxed and content after the satisfying meal. The silence between them was comfortable, a testament to their familiarity and friendship. As they sat there, Arielle couldn't help but wonder what the rest of their journey would bring.
She glanced at her friends, the uncertainty of their future was palpable, but for now, they were together, and that was all that mattered.
"The night is far spent, we will be moving tomorrow morning. Please rest in the carriage." Mason said to them.
The girls nodded and climbed back into the carriage. The air was chilly and the carriage provided some warmth as they settled in for the night. Arielle wrapped her blanket tightly around her, feeling the softness of the fabric and the gentle warmth it provided. The carriage creaked softly as the girls shifted and adjusted their positions, trying to get comfortable.
Belle yawned, covering her mouth with her hand, while Anna snuggled deeper into her blanket. The silence between them grew thicker, punctuated only by the occasional chirp of the crickets and the distant sounds of the night. As they drifted off to sleep, Arielle's thoughts lingered on the uncertainty of their future, and what fate had installed for them.
She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, deciding to think of that later.
•••••
Adrian walked deeper into the forest. He noticed that his hearing, sight, and smell had gotten so much sharper. He walked towards the sound of water he had heard earlier.
He removed all his clothes and mask, then stepped into the cool, clear water of the stream, feeling it ripple around his skin as he waded in. The sensation was refreshing, and he let out a sigh of relief as the water enveloped him.
He had been thinking about his mate throughout the journey, he tried so hard to take his mind off her but her scent was driving him crazy.
Things would change now that he had a mate, he didn't know what the court members would say or do because his mate was a human.
"You are very weird, Adrian." Kaelos spoke.
"What do you mean?" Adrian questioned, confused as to what Kaelos was saying.
"Never mind. Do you like our mate?"
Adrian was stunned. He hadn't thought about that He schooled his expression, "I have someone I like already." He replied coldly.
Kaelos burst into laughter, "Are you ready, Adrian?" He asked not bothering to reply to Adrian's earlier comment.
"For what, Kael? I don't have time for any nuisance this night." Adrian replied tiredly as he sunk himself deep into the water.
"Don't you want to see what your wolf looks like?"
Adrian opened his eyes suddenly underwater, he propelled himself upward and then got out of the water and walked to where his clothes lay.
He hadn't been able to shape-shift since he was a child, he saw other children shift into their wolves and everyone looked happy for them. When it had been his turn, it was found out that, he couldn't shift. He became an outcast in his own home.
"Stop talking nonsense, Kael."
"I'm not saying nonsense, unfortunately for you, tonight is a full moon. Hasn't it been your wish to shift? Now is the time!" Kaelos said enthusiastically but Adrian was having none of it.
"Shut your mouth, Kaelos!" Adrian warned.
Kaelos didn't say anything and Adrian thought he had given up but suddenly he felt himself going weak. He struggled to remain on his feet and not fall on his face.
What was wrong with him? He asked himself inwardly.
"Just relax." Kaelos spoke calmly.
"What did you do, Kael?!" Adrian snarled, his voice barely recognizable as human, the words distorted into a menacing growl.
"If you try to fight it, you will bring yourself more pain. Let it come to you naturally, Adri." Kaelos instructed without hesitation.
•••••
Arielle stirred awake, she got down from the carriage, wanting to ease herself. She felt scared of the woods as they seemed to close in on her.
"Where are you off to, Princess?"
Arielle turned back abruptly, startled. She did not see any of the King's men when she looked around.
"Sorry, to have startled you." Mason apologized.
"It's okay. I just want to ease myself." Arielle replied.
"Alright. I'll be here. Shout if you see anything suspicious."
Arielle nodded and left.
She eased herself finish and was about to go back to the carriage when she heard a growl behind her. She froze and turned around, she was met with golden eyes that stared back at her.