The Beauty in Pain | Book One of In Pain Trilogy *EDITING*

15. Dwelling

"What the hell were you thinking?"

With a heavy sigh, Mynera leaned against a tree, grateful for the shade if provided. After that tense situation, she was hot and bothered. "I was going to allow you two to attempt this alone, that's what I was thinking. And we got the horses, so I don't understand what the problem is here."

Her calm tone was not enough for Saenar. He was seething, the veins in his temples throbbing under the force of his anger. Even so, he kept his voice low as he spoke, cold enough to send a chill down her spine. "The problem is, Mynera, that I told you to stay put and keep the horses, only to come back and hear that you had run off like a disobedient child."

Mynera's lips twitched, her own breed of anger pricking her. "I'll admit that I did not listen to you, but don't you ever call me a child again."

"Then act as if you aren't, Mynera!" Saenar whirled away from her, leaving her blinking in shock. He marched over to the horses, which were stomping back and forth on the uneven ground beneath them. He began tightening the saddles, his body rigid with such cold anger that he almost tore the saddle in half.

Mynera didn't move. Another time, another place, he would have gotten an earful. But given where they were and that those red enemies weren't far, she held her tongue in cheek and instead settled for glaring a hole into his back.

He was right. That angered her even more. If she hadn't moved away in time, had she gotten caught by the bushy-bearded man, things would have gotten really bad. But she didn't regret her actions. Saenar would have been caught had she not done something. And Saenar knew that too. She hadn't even been in any danger--at least not for long.

"Here's your horse," Mynera heard someone say before her.

She looked up and Hale was holding the reins out to her. She took it. "There is enough for us all, correct?" she asked.

"Yes, there was more than enough." Mynera didn't want to look at him, not wanting to see his tender look. He was far too kind and she was far too angry to want to deal with it right now. "The other horses we just let loose. That should occupy their time long enough for us to leave undetected."

Mynera nodded, absently running her fingers through her horse's mane. Madeline was unusually quiet, separating herself from the rest of them, by her own horse. Mynera knew she should at least inquire about her wellbeing, but she couldn't bring herself to focus on the queen right now. Not when the prince was still stomping around angrily. "Aren't you worried we might happen upon those patrolling red enemies those guys were talking about?" she asked Hale, remembering that he was still standing by her.

"Red enemies?" he echoed.

"That's what I call them."

Hale nodded slowly in understanding, then shook his head. "If what they said was true, then no. Those patrolling enemies would be closer to the city making sure to keep anyone trying to run away inside. All we have to do is make sure that we are walking away from the city and we should be out of their way. That is unless they decide to come back before they are away."

"Let us not think about that," Saenar interjected. He was shuffling around with a few of the things he had carried back from the camp, strapping them to his horse. Mynera knew his statement was more directed at Hale than it was at her. "Right now, we should focus on making our way to Lord Ingstad's manor." 

When he was done sorting through the satchels, he faced them all. His eyes landed on Mynera for a few seconds. She caught sight of the glimmer of anger that flashed behind his brown eyes before he looked away.

"I managed to steal some more supplies," he went on. "I didn't find any food but I did find a bag of gold coins. It's always good to have money on us for whatever reason may arise in the future. I've also managed to grab these clothes. They aren't the armor of Lord Gavin's men but it looks like simple traveler's clothes so it'll do." He gathered a burlap sack from the ground, tossing clothes out of its opening without looking where it was going. Hale caught it all and began distributing them. "I also grabbed some water," Saenar continued, "so we won't die of thirst before we reach the manor."