Jack nodded, brows furrowed. “I’ll just sit by that boulder for a while.” He staggered toward it, again stumbling wildly from side to side. And suddenly, Tristam understood.

“Here, let me help you.” He took Jack’s arm over his shoulder, sinking a little under his weight as they made their way toward the boulder. After five steps, he placed his hand on Jack’s back and pushed, at the same time hooking Jack’s leg out from under him.

Jack yelped and fell forward, rolling over his shoulder and springing back to his feet with surprising agility for someone with a head wound. He laughed as he dusted himself off. “Is that how you treat your injured comrades?”

Tristam put on his sternest expression. “You deserved it. I should turn you in for shirking duty.”

“Shirking duty?” Jack’s face fell into a well-practiced mask of innocence. “Why would I do such an irresponsible thing?”

“I’m guessing that brunette up the road making calf’s eyes at you has something to do with it. What’d you do? Round the corner, jump off the horse, and throw dirt all over yourself?”

Jack threw a mock punch at Tristam, who shrugged out of the way, but not quickly enough to avoid the headlong charge that followed. Tristam caught Jack in a bear hug as he went down, but they were both laughing too hard to do any real damage.

“You never miss anything, do you?” said Jack as he rubbed his shoulder—a real bruise this time, courtesy of Tristam.

Tristam dusted off his tunic. “You may best me at riding, my friend, but subterfuge is not your strong point. Come, we’re wasting time.”

“What gave me away?”

“People with vertigo don’t lurch like that. They center their weight between both legs. Take a closer look next time you walk into a tavern. Your show of reeling back and forth required more balance than most people have when they’re sober.”

Jack whistled as they kicked their horses into a trot. “Someday I’ll fool you, Tristam.”

Tristam just chuckled. They followed the road past the farm and into a patch of forest. The air smelled of fresh leaves and sunshine, and Tristam let himself relax, enjoying the light breeze through his tunic. Most of their training took place on the Palace grounds in the city proper, and these monthly patrols of the surrounding farmland were a rare treat.

It hadn’t yet sunk in that this was one of the last times he’d ride this circle with Jack. They’d entered the Palace together as pages and trained side by side for the last ten years, sneaking out at dawn for extra fencing practice and sitting long hours over strategy lessons. But once they were knighted, they’d most likely go to separate units.

“These outskirt patrols are always dull,” said Jack.