“They’ve been at it all night, practically since Elena followed you,” Ian informed him. “Though, I will note, it began with them wrestling an entirely different way. It just changed, not surprisingly, as they rolled closer to his tent.”

Bloody Mac.

Cass nearly smiled.

“Which I hope means he’ll tire her out and soon so the rest of us can sleep,” Hera muttered.

“Hmm,” Rosehana hummed, catching Hera’s attention.

She took one look at her lover’s face before she turned to Cassius.

“You’re here. You’re fine. We’re to bed,” she declared, then, sliding Elena’s staff from his fingers and taking Rosehana’s hand, they headed that way.

Cassius watched them go before looking to Ian.

“Mac and Jazz?” he asked.

“This journey is going to kill me, Rose and Hera at each other nightly, now Mac and Jazz in on the act. I hope there are some Nadirii who do not hate men in the trees we seek, or I’ll need to stop in a market along the way to buy some balm.”

Cassius chuckled.

Ian stared at him again, not angrily, or frustratedly.

With surprise.

“To your tent, brother,” Cassius said, having risked too long waking Elena with this conversation, he was not going to get into why his mood had been dark for days, and now he was chuckling.

He moved toward Elena’s tent.

“Cass,” Ian called, and Cassius turned back. “You are well?”

He had good friends.

“Better,” he murmured.

Ian nodded, his face in the firelight showing relief.

Yes.

He had good friends.

Ian moved to the fire to bank it and Cassius resumed walking to Elena’s tent.

For their journey to The Enchantments, their tents were much smaller, thus much lighter. They were meant for single occupancy, though two could sleep in one, but without much room to spare.

With one of those two being an Airenzian soldier, there would be no room to spare.

This, Cassius thought, would not be an issue.

He bent low, also crouching, in order to scoot in.

He set Elena on her blankets and removed her moccasins, found the ties over her casings and loosened them, pulling the casings away.

Exposing the lengths of smooth flesh on her legs, Cass swiftly looked away, stowed his sword and dagger close at hand, took off his boots, unbuttoned and shirked his shirt. He was then even more careful in taking off her belt and removing it with her dagger.

That done, he arranged the two of them fitted closely together under the fold of the blanket, both their heads on her rolled-up saddle rug.

Sadly, he awoke his princess doing this last.

However, all she did was press closer and whisper sleepily but with unhidden relief, “You’re back.”

And she again fell fast asleep.

He held her in his arms tight to his frame and breathed her in.