"Guess I'll try not to break anything, then," I said in the same chipper tone of voice, then turned back to the stable as I heard hooves.

I wasn't sure quite what I'd expected – maybe Thranduil's elk, maybe a regular old white-tailed deer – but it sure wasn't the animals that got brought out of the stable. One was a pitch-black stag, standing as tall as my head at the shoulder, with velvety antlers that looked more like a reindeer's than a deer's. It had a mane-like ruff around its neck, tipped in silver, and it was tacked with black leather and silver fittings. The other was a little smaller, a russet-brown doe with a creamy undercoat, sporting a regular-looking saddle and reins.

I eyed Dain sidelong. "You're really committed to the all-black thing, aren't you?"

His jaw tensed, and through clenched teeth he ground out, "You're really committed to irritating me, aren't you?"

"It is by far the best part of my day," I said, and strolled over to the deer, taking the doe's reins. The hostler laced his fingers together and offered me an assist that I took with a smile, setting my foot on his hands and mounting the doe. I got my toes into the stirrups, muscle memory taking over, and turned to look back at Dain.

He stared at me, his mouth parted and with a look of total confusion on his face. Both his tails were lying flat on the ground, and to his side I could see all four of my guards doing their best impressions of statues. Only Ciradyl had any sort of expression on, the faintest trace of a smirk, and when she saw me looking, she winked at me.

Ah, delightful. Exactly what I'd been aiming for.

"You coming?" I asked.

Dain closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then stalked over to his black stag. Unlike me, he didn't get an assist. The hostler didn't so much as look at Dain, dropping the stag's reins on the ground and backing up with a desultory nod at politeness. Aside from a flick of his ear, Dain didn't seem to react to the rudeness. He simply took the reins in one hand, put the other on the saddle, and vaulted up in one smooth motion. The crown prince sat ramrod straight, his hips moving with the stag as it took a restive step, his twin tails drifting down to either side of the stag, held curled up at about the height of the animal's hocks.

"Where would you like to go, since you're usurping my ride?"

"I wouldn't dream of changing your plans," I assured him. "Think of me as your shadow."