R | In a Faraway Land, You'll Find Yourself | 2/5

[dugindeep]

“Oh, my gosh.”

“That is … I can’t believe …”

“No, no, it can’t be. There’s no way she got him?”

“She got him? Oh! I knew she would!”

“Do you think he can do it?”

“If he ever wakes up.”

“He’s not what I thought … Are you sure that’s him? That she brought him?”

“They all say she did. She returned just this morning.”

“There’s no way - ”

“She wouldn’t have returned if she didn’t. She got him!”

“I can’t believe she did it!”

“You’re all forgetting that he’s no help to us dead.”

“He’s not dead! He’s … well, he’s sleeping. That’s all.”

The voices carried on overhead. Four, five, maybe six distinct ones, Jensen couldn’t be sure of it. But they hushed as his neck rolled and his head turned with his temple pushed into the earth. He shook his head for a moment and froze at the long line of pain from his head down his back into his knees and to his twisted ankle.

“He’s waking!”

“Shush!”

“If he’s waking we don’t need to stay quiet.”

A couple voices hushed the last one and Jensen turned his head to the side and looked up; he was alone. The last thing he remembered was running through lonely, bleak streets, a massive blur of a monster chasing him then falling into a ditch. Now, dull sunlight shone above him and birds chirped on, but he was still down in the hole.

Slowly, Jensen rolled to his side then shuffled to his back when he met the side of the hole. After clearing his throat, he called out, “Someone there?”

Just birds and crickets sounded above him.

Even more slowly than before, Jensen slid to a knee then up to his feet and stood, rising enough to see out of the hole. He stalled when the voices came back, though softer than before.

“Oh, wow. He’s a pretty one.”

“Shh! We are not ogling him.”

“I am!”

“Is he sitting?”

“No, he’s standing.”

“Huh.”

“What?” Jensen asked while looking around and finding the landscape of grass and trees otherwise vacant. Adding to confusion, he realized it wasn’t the same park he’d run through; there were no buildings in the area. Instead, impossibly tall trees with wide branches provided cover from the sun, casting a faint glow on the ground.

“He’s short.”

“Not short! Just shorter.”

“He’s way shorter than Jared.”

Jensen spun in place to catch the voices, and then yelled, “I’m not short!”

A few giggles floated through the air. Again, Jensen’s heart picked up a few extra beats.

“Jared will know what to do with him.”

“When’s he coming?”

“Who’s there?!” Jensen yelled. He was quieted when some foliage and flowers bordering the hole bustled together with more hushed noises.

Jensen ran a hand over his hair and then propped himself up to sit at the edge of the ditch before pulling his phone out and attempting a call. It beeped at him, unable to connect.

After a few more attempts, hushed laughter made him frown and look around again.

“He’ll never get anywhere with that.”

“It’s not like he knows better.”

“So she brought us a dumb one?”

“He’s not dumb!”

“He is.”

“At least he’s pretty.”

“Jared’ll like that.”

Jensen shouted, “Alright! Who is that? Show your face!”

A crowd of flowers at one end of the hole, a spectrum of colored buttercups, turned towards him and stood at attention.

“No,” he whispered as he stared at them.

The yellow flower dipped forward, bending at the middle point of its stem then righting itself. “Hi,” the voice came shyly. “It’s us.”

“What?” the red one said, spinning and tapping the yellow one. “No! Don’t talk to him.”

The pink, green, and blue ones spun closer to the others and together hushed, “Stop it!”

Jensen crouched before them as they all straightened once again. His eyes flipped between each of the five that had moved and he cleared his throat. “It’s you guys?”

The green and blue ones turned at him. “We’re not guys!”

His hands went into the air and his eyebrows rose as he scooted back a bit. “Okay, alright. So, talking flowers?” Jensen took a deep breath. “I’m going crazy.”

Waving in all directions, the buttercups hushed together then the pink one turned to face the group. “It’s not like we can’t help him. Come on everyone!”

They each moved in what could be classified as a shrug, but Jensen was leery to actually believe it, and instead looked around and asked, “Where am I?”

“Oh my gosh, he doesn’t know!” the pink one cooed and spun in circles that defied the logical abilities of its stem. A few others fluttered with it - except the red one, which stayed in place and turned slightly from side to side.

Jensen carefully watched them all, noting how they moved in a quick flurry, rambling over each other, and then slowly turned towards him and remained silent.

“What don’t I know?” he slowly asked.

The red one fluttered and the patronizing voice came out. “Told you he was stupid.”

“I’m not stupid … stupid,” Jensen argued before he could think better of doing such a thing with a flower.

“Well, you certainly won that round.”

Jensen clenched his jaw and muttered, “I’m not stupid. Except I’m totally talking to flowers. I’m not stupid, just insane.” He stood and ran a hand over his head, unable to wrap his head around any bit of the situation. “Just, maybe, you all could help me out? Show me where to go?”

“Um, we’re kind of,” the pink one said before snagging itself back and forth. Jensen realized they were referring to being tied to their roots. “It’s not that we don’t want to help you …”

“We would if we could!” the green one all but shouted.

He shuffled closer, kneeling and leaning towards the flowers. “Okay, so, how about you just tell me where I am and who the Jared guy is you were talking about?”

They joined together to laugh, even the red, cranky one. The yellow one bent forward. “Jared is … Jared. You can’t put words to him. But he’s been looking for you.”

Jensen spun on his feet to look around, suddenly mindful of being chased yet again.

“It’s okay! He’s good. He’s your guide. Danneel has enlisted his assistance.”

He turned back immediately and stared down on the yellow buttercup. “Danneel? From the coffee shop?”

The pink and blue ones swayed as the green one nodded, “Oh, yes. She has the sweetest beverages in the land.”

Then the pink one nodded along with the rest. “Yes, and she has very lovely mugs.”

“Mugs!” the red one snickered and bumped into the green one, laughing, while the others hushed and shifted away from them.

Jensen rolled his eyes and stood to look at anything other than the talking flowers. “For Christ’s sake,” he muttered. Not a single direction looked more promising than another but he still tried to figure out which way he should head to find something to help him. Rubbing a thumb across his mouth, Jensen lamented his current situation and tried to figure out how to get a lead on getting back home when it suddenly appeared as though the lights were going out.

“What’s going on?” he asked with worry, spinning in place to catch the forest darkening and the flowers wilting. He dropped to his knees, fingers holding the flora up. “What is this? What happened?”

The blue one shivered then slid easily into Jensen’s palm. “Night time. We rest.”

He checked his watch, which alarmingly read 3:17pm. His eyes scanned the area once more, catching how fast the darkness was covering the ground and how all other foliage was slowly willowing down, just as the buttercups had.

Jensen shook his head and decided he was living out the strangest dream he’d had in his entire life. He dropped to his knees then shifted to sit back against a tree. He was anything but tired, but given that it was fast becoming pitch black, and the only chance he had for answers was a slew of talking flowers that were then going to bed, he didn’t see any other option.

He closed his eyes and relaxed long enough to try to figure out what was going on and to consider that maybe when he woke up, he’d be in his apartment, nestled tight within his down blankets, and back to his own life.

What he was next aware of had nothing to do with the life he’d lived for the past thirty-two years. Instead, there was loud breathing, excessively loud breathing, and when he opened his eyes, all he could see was a pair of dark eyes, each as big as his head if not bigger, and a monstrous nose sniffing along his head.

It took a few moments for his response, but he jerked away just as “Down boy! Down!” was called with a great roar.

Jensen looked up, and the creature - a mammoth fifteen-foot-long, ten-foot-tall sleek, wolf-like beast - turned away from Jensen and made minor whining noises before bearing down on Jensen again.

“Harley! I said down!” The creature finally slunk back and pressed itself as low to the ground as possible.

Jensen scooted further from the beast, even while it continued to watch him, tipping its head to the side and regarding him thoughtfully. Then a second beast hustled across the landscape with a man perched atop and outlined by the suddenly dawning sun. Jensen rushed to his feet as they neared, intent to take off running in any direction, but just seconds later, they stopped before him.

“Jared!” the flowers cried from behind Jensen, and he spun to them before standing proper and watching the man hop down from his animal to approach them.

“I knew you’d come!”

“Did you see who Danneel brought?!”

“Jared! You’re really going to do it!”

The man chuckled and knelt before the flowers, peeling gloves off his hands and then smoothing over and under the buttercups with a broad smile. “Everybody, calm down. Everything’s okay.”

“We haven’t seen you in forever!”

“Forever!” the green one cried while shaking.

He paid special attention to that one, curling fingers around its stem and crouching closer to it than the others. “I know, sweetheart. It’s a busy world, you know?”

Jensen’s attention was so drawn to the man coddling the flowers that he’d forgotten about the other creatures. At least until the second one nudged hard into his back and he stumbled forward. It then tongued at his head, pushing and licking and doing it all over again before Jensen could get out of the way. Jensen breathed out a loud “Oof!” and then an “Eww!” as it continued licking at him, leaving strings of saliva between them. In his haste to get away, Jensen tripped to the ground then covered his face while shouting for help.

The man rushed over and raised his hand as a threat towards it. “Sadie! You know better!”

The creature bowed in discipline and then turned towards Jensen with sad eyes.

With a gentle smile, the man nodded and patted between its eyes, down its nose, and finally under its chin. “I know, baby, but you gotta play nice. Best behavior, first impressions, and all that.” He reached for Jensen, lifting him off the ground and dusting him off. “My apologies. She’s a little excited for you.”

“Couldn’t tell,” Jensen muttered as he wiped the saliva away with his free hand.

He kept Jensen’s hand tight in his and then clutched at Jensen’s other arm with a strong grip. “Jensen. I am so glad to have finally found you.”

Jensen ducked for a moment, trying so hard to ignore the warmth and insistence in the voice. “Yeah, that’s me. You Jared?”

“That I am. At your service,” Jared said, stepping back and releasing Jensen to bow. The flowers snickered and Jared tossed them a quick, tiny smile with a soft, “Quiet, you.”

As Jared stretched to his full height, Jensen’s eyes wound from his chest up to the very top of his head, and his eyes bugged out at how tall Jared really was.

“Wow, he’s short,” the red buttercup declared.

“Hey!” Jensen whined.

Jared smirked and looked over his shoulder. “Be nice, Mark. He’s only human.”

A small snort drew Jensen’s attention long enough to glare, but Jared immediately led him with a hand to his back, moving them close to the creatures again. “I’m not so sure about -” Jensen started just as his feet stopped moving.

“Harley and Sadie. My steeds,” he announced while sweeping a hand in their direction.

“You’ve got some pretty big steeds.”

“That’s what she said,” Mark muttered, and Jared and Jensen both glared that time, not to mention the flowers all fluttering around him. “What? It was right there, just waiting.”

Before more could be said, Jensen threw his hands into the air. “Okay, wait. Just … what the hell is going on?”

The flowers hushed and fluttered, and Jensen frowned at them. Jared stepped back to Jensen. “Is there a problem?”

“Yeah, the problem is I don’t know where I am and how to get back. And now I’m just going to follow you … wherever.”

“Yes. I am your guide,” Jared nodded.

“My guide back?”

Jared made a face then bit his lip. “Your guide yes. But not back.”

Jensen stared. “Then where?”

“To the palace.”

He laughed then stopped at the depth of Jared’s serious look. “To the palace?”

“Yes, the palace.” Jared motioned back to the animals. “I’d ask which you’d like to ride, but I’m pretty sure my babygirl will have a broken heart if you deny her the chance.”

Jensen’s eyebrows shot up and he grimaced as he assessed them both. Even as they bowed down with their eyes closed, seemingly innocent, he couldn’t deny the enormous size of the creatures. “You ever just walk?”

He chuckled then patted Jensen’s back. “My dear friend, no. The palace is a couple thousand miles away. Walking is insanity.”

“And riding a beast isn’t?”

The animals cowered and Jensen swore he could see sadness ring their eyes. Jared also looked a bit offended, even though he gave a tight smile and seemed to be doing his best to avoid answering. Jared pushed a hand into the air and nodded. “I insist. Choose your steed.”

Harley stood tall while Sadie tipped her head down and regarded him kindly, shyly even. Lunacy, absolutely, ridiculous lunacy to be standing there and considering he get atop one of the creatures. “You gonna get me home?”

Jared gave a small smile. “When all is said and done, you’ll be home.”

“What’s that include?”

“A great and masterful journey.” Jensen continued to eye him, and Jared still smiled. Even as he tightly said, “It’s not as though you have another option. Stay here with the buttercups or you have a guide and steed. Take your chance as you will.”

Jensen finally shook his head with a short laugh. “Alright, funny, joke’s on me. My brother do this?”

“Your brother?”

“I know, Katie did. Take away my account then drug me or something, and drop me in the middle of Neverland. Real creative,” he huffed and chuckled again, harsher than before. Then spun away and marched in the opposite direction.

Jared began to follow, and called out. “Jensen, where’re you going?”

“Home.”

“I can get you home when we’re done.”

He turned to walk backward and shook his head. “Think we’re already done.”

Jared stopped in place and looked all sorts of troubled. His mouth opened and closed before he managed to say, “This world isn’t like yours. You’re not safe alone.”

“Who says I’m safe with you?” he laughed then carried on his way.

- - -

Jensen traveled a good deal downhill, taking the plane traversing away from the buttercups and Jared that never picked itself back up. He hadn’t a clue where he was or how to find his way back home, but he had a distinct feeling it was anywhere away from talking flowers and mammoth dogs.

He continued on further than he had planned to travel, and it began to bother him. His stomach knotted as he realized it’d been a few hours, and there was still nothing more than sprawling grass, shaded trees, and spiraling brooks.

It didn’t take long to lose track of his direction and he headed towards the lake ahead of him, sparkling with the sun and crackling from the light wind sweeping across the surface. Growing close, he saw the very tips and tails of fish splitting through the water, some leaping through the air and splashing right back into the lake.

Jensen rushed forward with a smile, intent to wash up a bit and drink a little. He did both while kneeling at the lake’s edge. His hand brushed with a fish and he smirked at the wispy fin. He reached back down to cup more water, even spreading a careful hand to touch again. The water rippled towards him then a fish head broke free, opening wide and menacing with three rows of teeth snapping at his hand. Shouting out, he scrambled back and fumbled to his feet. As his heart began to settle, he laughed at himself for the reaction and looked around, finally catching sight of people around the far edge of the lake.

He jogged around the way, intent to get help or direction or, more importantly, a place to rest; he’d been traveling far too long to not stop soon. But as he neared, he caught the distinction between three soldiers and two commoners - the latter being reprimanded for something Jensen didn’t know about. Soon enough, the soldiers struck one man while another pushed the second commoner down and cackled at them.

Hurrying his steps, he called out, “Hey! What’re you -”

Jensen was yanked behind a rock with one hand wrapped around his mouth and another pulling on his arm. He was held tight against someone who began shushing his protests and he fought against the hold. It remained tight, but then they both shifted and he realized it was Jared. Jensen pushed against him, but Jared just held more firmly and said low in his ear, “Calm down. You will get us killed.” Jensen froze, breathing loudly through his nose. Jared slowly withdrew the hand covering Jensen’s mouth as he asked, “Will you stay quiet?”

Jensen nodded, and the moment Jared’s hands released him, he frantically whispered, “What the hell are you doing?”

Jared spun Jensen in his arms and again covered Jensen’s mouth, wrapping his other arm around Jensen’s neck to keep him in place. “You need to be quiet,” he murmured. “It’s the Queen’s men. They find us out here and we’re table scraps.”

“For what?” Jensen mumbled into Jared’s hand.

He shifted to look at Jensen and slowly released his hand with question in his eyes; Jensen nodded that he’d be quiet. “For the palace guards,” Jared said slowly.

“They eat people?!”

Jared rolled his eyes and again trapped Jensen’s mouth. “Can you please remain quiet when you say you will?” He seemed leery of Jensen’s sorry nod and continued to muzzle his mouth. “Some of the Queen’s largest beasts guard the front wall. You don’t want to know them this early in your journey.”

Jensen mumbled incoherently then sighed when Jared still refused to remove his hand. He fought against Jared’s hands, eventually slapping at his forearm to make Jared stop. They shared a long glare until Jensen raised his hands in apology. Jensen hushed, “I’ll be quiet. I’m sorry. Gosh.” As he slid around to Jared and took a peek from the side of the rocks, he saw the assault become particularly nasty and one-sided with the commoners all but lifeless on the ground and the soldiers laughing through the attack. “Why don’t we stop them?”

Settling next to Jensen, Jared watched as well. “They’ll take us in, too.”

“I thought you wanted to take me to the palace anyway.”

“Different palace. We have to see the Princess first.”

Jensen stared, eyebrows furrowed, and really tried to consider the situation, but he had no luck figuring it out.

Jared regarded him with a small smile. “You want to come along with me now? You won’t be eaten by piranhas or beaten by guards.”

He scooted to a seat, leaning back on the rocks with a sigh. “One cup of coffee and I’m running for my life.”

Shifting to a crouch, Jared forced an odd smile even while the rest of him was solemn. “Jensen, please. Come with me. I can protect you.”

Jensen stared in return then logged Jared’s warm look and intent eyes. “Yeah?”

“I did now, did I not?” he asked with a tiny smirk.

Nodding, Jensen rose and they crept away to avoid being seen. The further they got from the fight, the faster they hustled through the final few hundred yards to where Harley and Sadie were hiding.

“God, those flowers were right. I am stupid,” Jensen mumbled to himself. As he moved closer to the steeds, he rolled his eyes at himself. “Can’t believe I’m doing this.” Jensen stood before Sadie and watched carefully, waiting for her to lick him, or even bite his entire head off. He slowly raised a hand towards her head. “You gonna play nice? Try to keep the licking to a minimum?”

Jared appeared at Jensen’s side and guided his hand over the turn of Sadie’s cheek. “She likes this here,” and then he scrubbed their hands together at the hair that swept back towards her ear. He smiled at Jensen then up to Sadie and rubbed a hand over her snout. “Such a pretty girl.”

Jensen smiled as well as he could. He was, in fact, petting a mammoth animal that had taken to him like a lollipop, he’d done his best to not say vaguely inappropriate things in front of talking flowers, a giant piranha almost took of his hand, and Jared had to stop him from interrupting a particularly nasty fight. He supposed it really could have been worse; he could have been completely alone and without any assistance whatsoever. Plus, Jared seemed like a fairly nice guy, and was helpful enough to suddenly push Jensen up, hands pressing into the back of his knees and lifting as if he were a feather.

“Whoa, I can -” Jensen protested, only to be quieted when Jared shoved at his back to manhandle him the rest of the way up. Jensen had no clue on how to respond until Sadie slid close and further nudged Jensen into place with a paw.

He cleared his throat and looked down to Sadie’s mane, which he curled hands into, and then over to Jared hopping his way up Harley’s paw and climbing his hair to sit up top with an easy smile. Jensen was prepared to defend his masculinity over Jared hauling him around like a toy, but Jared just tugged the edges of Harley’s hair and shouted, “Get!”

The two animals rose, spinning and charging off in the direction they’d come from.

They rode for hours, and whenever Jensen said anything, his voice was muddled by the wind as Sadie dashed across the landscape in quick, steady movements. Her feet pounded the earth even while her body slid smoothly through the air, and Harley ran just as well with Jared effortlessly riding.

Jensen’s watch told him it was nearing sundown, his night time, so when the sunlight striped away for darkness, he wasn’t as surprised. However, when Jared eased Harley into a slower pace and Sadie followed suit, he had to wonder and was finally able to ask over the quieter gait. “Where are we going?”

Jared smiled. “To the palace.”

“Where’s the palace?”

“Five hundred miles,” Jared nodded back.

His fingers tugged Sadie’s hair, which caused her to whine and stutter, and he quickly soothed a palm over the spot. “I’m sorry. So sorry,” he mumbled and then turned to Jared again. “That’s pretty far, yeah? I mean, even for these guys?”

“Yes, it is far,” he said with a playful smile.

Jensen looked across the land and had even less of an idea of where they were than when Jared had first come upon him. “How much further?”

“Don’t worry. We’ll be stopping soon.”

Soon came as the sun set further, darkening the sky, and Sadie and Harley slowed to an easy march until Jared directed them to a slope of land on their right. As they neared it, Jensen caught the steep drop coming upon them and nervously gripped Sadie’s hair and leaned back to ease himself through it. Both steeds expertly stepped down the rocks that led to a valley and a long, winding river that circled the space. They each spun then sat, bowing far enough down for Jared to slide down and Jensen to follow suit.

Jared reached back up to Harley and released a few satchels then tossed one at Jensen.

“What’re we doing?” Jensen asked as he turned the bag over in his hands.

“There is camping in your world, right?” he smiled, crouching to the ground and digging through one of the bags.

“Well, yeah, but …”

“But?” he asked, looking up with and easy smile.

Jensen dropped his satchel to the ground and finally let out his questions with obvious irritation. “Okay, what is going on?” Jared simply smiled in return and Jensen’s annoyance amped up. “What am I doing here? Why are you my guide? What’s at the palace? And when can I go back?”

“Wow, a lot questions there,” Jared smirked as he stood and watched Jensen tense up even more. Then Jared’s words tumbled out. “Cassidonia is in trouble. You’re here to slay the dragon. Someone has to keep you out of trouble. Danneel and Princess Adrianne. When you slay the thing.”

Jensen swallowed, wanting so much to not have heard any of Jared’s answers. “Excuse me?”

Jared counted off with his fingers, “Trouble, dragon, Princess, slay, done.”

His head tipped one way then another, fumbling with the proper response, or even the patience. “Excuse me?”

There was a large, bright smile planted on Jared’s face and he continued to watch Jensen.

“There’s a dragon?”

“Well, it’s more like,” and Jared spread his arms wide, puffed his cheeks out, and teetered from side to side with a wide, clumsy stance.

“What is that?”

“I guess more of an ogre? She’s ogre-ish. She’s the Queen’s little pet. Creepy, big pet.”

“Oh, right,” he replied sarcastically. “Of course.”

“She guards the Red Castle and denies access to those not on the Queen’s side. You have no idea how many times others’ve tried to oust it, and how many times they’ve failed.”

Long, silent moments ticked down the time between Jared’s statement and Jensen’s reaction, which came out as half cough, half whimper. “You’ve failed? And you’re now enlisting me?”

His eyes stayed with Jensen’s until he blinked and seemed to shrug with every muscle in his face. “Only hope and all that.”

“I’m your only hope?”

The facial shrug happened once more and, despite Jensen huffing and throwing his hands into the air as he turned away, Jared confidently answered, “You are our only hope to take down the Vile Millicent.”

“Vile Millicent? Kind of lacking for a menacing ogre-ish monstery name, no?”

“I’m not so sure… She’s vile, and her name’s Millicent.”

Jensen looked up to the sky, pausing just enough to realize that during their conversation, nearly all light had escaped them and there was just a flat black sky with a patch of sun fading in the West. He didn’t want to talk about the ogre so he focused on the night. “What’s with the sun? Do you not get it much or something?”

Jared roamed the area, stacking firewood in his arms while Harley and Sadie fell into a breathy sleep. “We do not operate quite like you do. Our days pass much faster.”

“Yeah, I see that.”

He looked at Jensen with an odd smile that turned into a frown and he continued gathering wood. “It’s the Queen’s doing. She shifted the sun’s phases and it gives her beasts more time to roam at night. And the guards, too. Like we saw at the lake.”

“She can do that?” Jensen asked flatly. With Jared’s sharp look, Jensen frowned and tried to sound nicer. “Right, talking flowers aren’t so different from changing lunar cycles and free police reign.”

Jared nodded as he continued to move throughout the space.

Jensen’s eyes raked over the steeds, for the first time really taking in the size and strength of their paws, which were likely to cover his entire chest and squash him in just one movement. He shivered with the thought and walked alongside Jared. “So, Cassidonia? What is it?”

“It’s our country. King David left it to Princess Adrianne, his youngest daughter. His eldest daughter was always a menace to the royalty, so he bypassed her.” Jared shook his head and took a deep breath. “She and the Princess are enemies, so she was none too happy about that one. When the King passed on, she moved into the Red Castle, took the crown from Princess Adrianne, and forbade entry with the position of Vile Millicent.”

Clearing his throat, Jensen attempted to not roll his eyes or call Jared out on the ridiculous story. Instead, he earnestly went along. “Where is Princess Adrianne?”

“At the White Palace. Her mother’s family left her the land and the locals built it for her.”

“Why doesn’t she just rule from there?”

Jared’s smile slid as he shook his head and led them back towards their belongings. “There’s great power in inhabiting the Red Castle. Many of the countryfolk see that as true authority. Until then, the Queen reigns.” He dropped the wood and arranged it between a neat pile and a specified pattern for a fire. “And she’s a nasty … she’s just … she is not Princess Adrianne. That’s what she is.”

Jensen let silence fall between them as Jared started the fire, checked on the steeds, and assembled items from another pack to serve as mats to rest on. He pathetically followed Jared, trying his best to not be completely useless while Jared so efficiently prepared the camp. Feeling ineffective and awkward, Jensen crossed his arms and looked around them, taking in nothing more than rocks and grass and dirt, all sparsely lit by the campfire. “If you get night every few hours, how do you get anything done? You really sleep every time?”

“We don’t have to sleep each time,” he smiled in return as he settled down next to Harley and used the animal to rest back on. Harley’s tail randomly swept forward before slipping against Jared’s body. Jensen smiled lightly, unable to find the scene anything but endearing. “It’s more for them. All that energy to run needs to be replenished.”

A quick look told him that Sadie was not far behind him, so Jensen sat against her and smiled when her tail swung close.

Tightly, Jared added, “Plus, I don’t trust them running at night. There are some bad things out there that they can’t see in the dark.”

Considering Jared’s worry, Jensen threaded his fingers through the soft hairs that covered Sadie’s tail, still gently smiling as he did. It was surprisingly calming in that moment.

“You really didn’t know about any of this? About your role?” Jared asked quietly.

Jensen raised his head and watched Jared, catching how carefully he was looking right back, as if he were critiquing Jensen. He cleared his throat and shook his head while looking back on Sadie, continuing to pet her. “No, I didn’t. Why me?”

Jared spoke formally, reciting his words from perfect memory. “Come his thirty-second, the Fair Child shall salvage the kingdom and bring justice down on the vile. He shall release the needy from their charge and open the sky.”

“Oh. Okay then,” he said with a small frown and nod.

“You’re the Fair Child.”

Another nod and Jensen chuckled, “Yeah, I got that.”

“And you just had a birthday.”

Once more, Jensen nodded, but he remained silent as the memories of that night ran through him. Being mostly ignored and passed over during a celebration that was supposed to be for him was not something he wanted to relive. But he couldn’t stop the moment from replaying in his mind.

“Was it not a good one?”

Jensen chuckled and shook his head. “No, not quite. But I’m used to it.”

“How so?”

As Jared’s expression turned soft, Jensen, too, eased up. “Josh, my older brother, is the favorite. My dad never hides that. It was supposed to be my birthday party, but instead they celebrated the company. My dad’s company,” he tacked on.

“Did you not have friends with you? Or other family?”

“Uh, no,” he mumbled. “I usually keep them away. Don’t exactly like to be humiliated in front of company.”

Jared shifted against Harley, legs pulling up and crossing as he appeared more interested and yet confused. “Your family doesn’t know how you feel?”

Jensen shook his head and ducked his head away, hiding the bitterness he was sure could be read on his face. He’d given up asking for their affection a long time ago.

“You should tell them.”

His eyes caught Jared’s and stayed with him for longer than he’d like to admit. Time and again, Chris and Steve, and even Alex, had pushed him to move on and forget it all, to break away from the family and be his own person. Jensen wholeheartedly agreed. But he’d never experienced the soft touch in Jared’s voice telling him to strike out on his own; it was always insistence and impatience being thrown his way. Jensen rubbed a hand over his mouth and pushed back into Sadie to rest more comfortably.

“Yeah, I know,” Jensen responded without any real feeling.

Jared’s gaze felt warm and seemed to last longer than Jensen expected, but then Jared softly smiled, “So, tell me about the Fair Child.”

“No idea what Fair Child even means,” Jensen said with a snort.

His voice came out much like before, reciting the words without pause. “Born as the middle, fair in skin and temperament, the Fair Child shall provide the balance between youth and responsibility, stepping forward with grand valor, and embrace the most significant undertaking.”

“Lemme guess. Slay the ogre?”

“Slay the ogre,” Jared said with a smile.

Another shake of his head, and Jensen mumbled, “And I thought life in Dallas was rough.”

Jared’s head kicked back on a laugh and then he settled against Harley with an easy, broad smile. “Dallas is where you’re from?”

Jensen’s brow furrowed. “How do you know all about my being the Fair Child but not anything else?”

His smile tightened then dissipated, as did his warm gaze, which slipped into something dark and awkward. “I know enough to complete my mission. To guide you to yours.”

“Why don’t you do it?” Jensen asked as he sat forward, interested in knowing how so many others were overlooked for him. “You’re obviously more competent in this world than I am.”

He shook his head and spoke tightly, “No, this is my duty. You have a path, and I have a path. Mine is to escort you and that’s it.”

“What happens after? You get a corner of the palace?” Jensen asked with a crooked smile, yet he could see Jared stiffen.

“Something like that,” Jared said uneasily. It wasn’t until he looked away, burrowing back into Harley for comfort, that his gaze eased up.

Jensen couldn’t stop watching him, waiting for the mood to lighten.

“We should at least rest a little,” he continued distantly. “Tomorrow, we will be riding for as long as possible. Lost some time looking for you today.”

The way Jared fell into silence told Jensen there wasn’t room for discussion. Jensen slid down along the mat and rested his head with Sadie’s tail as a pillow.

- - -

He had intended to shut his eyes for just the moment, but he’d fall into a deep sleep, only disturbed with Jared rustling around the camp to clean up. As Jared fastened a pack to Sadie, he smiled down on Jensen. “Morning, sunshine.”

Jensen squinted against the strong cut of light edging its way through the valley and then rolled over and up to his hands and knees. He groaned and stretched with the stiffness of his back and arms from sleeping on the ground, but still gave a small smile for Jared’s benefit.

“Sleep good?”

“Great,” Jensen mumbled while twisting his head in each direction to ease the tension in his neck and shoulders as he stood.

Jared passed by, resting a hand at Jensen’s back that patted then softened with a swipe across his shoulders. “Once we get going you’ll be good.”

“How long it take to get to the palace?”

“It will be a few more days,” he responded while fastening two more bags to Harley’s harness. “Are you tired of me already?”

Jensen found Jared’s hands working efficiently even while he grinned at him, as if his fingers knew the movements by heart and he could afford attention elsewhere. Jensen chuckled and checked his watch, which said it was near midnight his time. He wasn’t sure if he should bother questioning the timing in Jared’s world, or how to even work his mind through it.

Instead, he decided to follow Jared to keep them on track. It’d worked well so far, even if he wasn’t sure what was actually happening. Especially when Jared was smiling at him as naturally as breathing and something hitched inside. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t noticed before, but Jared’s smile truly was a beautiful thing to experience, with the wide bend of his lips, bright teeth, dimples punctuating his cheeks. Jensen finally scratched through his hair and chuckled, “Nah, I’m good.”

Then it hit him; he shouldn’t be good. He shouldn’t be flattered with Jared’s ease and attention, and especially not with that smile. Because he was in a relationship, or at least attempting to keep one, and he was going to patch everything together in two days at Mike’s birthday party, just as he’d told Alex he would.

Jensen panicked for a moment, thinking of Alex and his last chance. “A few more days in your world is what in mine?”

“Figure in the palace and ball and then the slaying,” Jared rambled while flexing a finger in the air, ticking numbers off. “Possibly two? Maybe three?”

Last Jensen knew, it had been Tuesday, and returning on Friday just wouldn’t be good enough. “Oh, no, no, no. I have to be back by Thursday.”

Jared chuckled and, just as effortlessly as the day before, slipped up Harley to sit, ready to ride. “I’m not so sure about that.”

Jensen immediately tugged his phone out, fingers coursing buttons before he cursed the thing because it still wouldn’t connect for a call, text, or email.

“That won’t work here.”

“Yeah, I see that,” he snapped back. His fingers clenched the phone at his side as he breathed harshly, trying so hard to calm himself so he wouldn’t snap at Jared again.

Jared shifted and his voice came out teasing, “You have a date or something?”

“Something like that,” he sighed, feeling entirely too resigned to his life falling completely apart.

“I’m sure she’ll wait for you.”

Jensen turned to Jared and took a few moments to just look. The man was content with the idea that time would wait for their mission; everything else was on hold, and nothing could be considered important with the problems for all of Cassidonia before them. Jensen finally allowed the idea to settle and he realized there was nothing he could do to change the course, his course. But he wasn’t going to allow it to happen without some griping “He. And no, he won’t.”

Jared gave a tiny shrug then an easy smile and said, “Well, we better ride.”

And they did. For far longer than Jensen had anticipated, and then became ever grateful for, because as night came upon them again, Jared continued to push the steeds forward. “Shouldn’t we be stopping?”Jensen shouted to be heard over the steeds’ loud gait.

“Wouldn’t want you to leave your little man waiting,” Jared chuckled in return, and then snapped at Harley’s mane to charge forward.

The steeds rode on, faster than before, hard enough that Jensen had to tuck himself down against Sadie and curl fingers into her mane for stability. Adrenaline pumped through him while the wind whipped his face with its cold burn, and before long, worry turned into exhilaration with the speeds at which Sadie carried him.

The dark night shrouded much of his vision, but it made it all the more thrilling as she followed Jared and Harley, jutting this way and that, avoiding upcoming hazards of fallen trees, low-hanging branches, or sudden dips in valleys. It was smooth and fast, and Jensen loved every second of it.

Until Harley kicked himself up and back, spinning around with quick, frantic looks around them, and Sadie skidded alongside him.

Jared smoothed a hand over Harley’s head but he sat tall, shoulders rigid and eyes sharp on the darkness surrounding them. “Easy, boy,” he murmured, but the tension was clear in his voice.

Harley crept back on their intended path, but wouldn’t turn in that direction, Sadie just as skittish.

“What’s going on?” Jensen asked, fighting back panic, whipping himself around to see into the night.

“Shh, shh, shh,” Jared eased with a hand towards Jensen. His voice dropped even lower while he continued to pet Harley with more purpose than before, as if encouraging the steed to ease up. “What is it, boy? What do you see?” Suddenly, Jared’s eyes locked onto something beyond the left edge of the horizon, and Harley’s and Sadie’s sights were aimed there as well.

Jensen fought to see clearly, but the cover of night was all too much and there was no way to discern what the steeds and Jared had spotted. Noises grew from a low, innocent rumble into distinguishable growls, ones that made Jensen’s heart race and forced the steeds to slink down into a defensive position.

“Stay quiet,” Jared whispered, even as he led Harley to slowly step away from the oncoming sounds. Sadie fell into the same slow crawl to keep them moving without attracting too much attention.

They snuck across the land at the same rate that the snarls traveled, which did little to comfort Jensen. Whatever was following kept on following, and even though there was enough distance to not actually see what they were, it seemed impossible to slip away. Jensen’s attention was sharp when Jared looked away, spotted something behind them, and then turned back. “What is it?” Jensen whispered.

Jared’s hands were a steady movement over Harley’s head even while he smiled in Jensen’s direction. “You hold on tight, now, you hear?”

Jensen’s hands gripped firmly as his eyes zeroed into the space before them, still searching for the threat as his heart sped up.

That was the moment a sliver of moonlight slipped over them, revealing sniffing, sniveling beasts. They were half the size of either of the steeds but twice as menacing with long fangs spread up and over lips, horns twirling out of their heads, and long claws digging into the grass with each step towards them.

By Jensen’s quick count there were at least seven, maybe eight or nine, but just as quickly as they appeared, they fell back into shadows and he lost track of them. One jumped forward and Sadie twitched with a low whine.

The beasts roared together, a great blend of monstrous shouts and rough growls.

“You holding on?” Jared shouted over the growing noise.

“Yeah!” he yelled back as he tugged on Sadie’s mane and tucked his legs tight against her. “I’m here!”

Jared chanced one quick look and their eyes met long enough for them each to read some level of fear. But then Jared’s mouth inched into a smile with his commanding, “Get!” and the steeds rolled in quick, fluid turns to race away.

Jensen held on for dear life, Sadie’s speed threatening to buck him off far too often. He all but lay against her, eyes tight and hands even tighter to keep from falling. Every so often, against his better judgment, he turned back to watch the full line of beasts still following, skittering over and between each other, fighting for position, and nearing them with unbelievable swiftness across the land.

Following the moonlight and with expert navigation, Jared directed Harley and Sadie for every route that brought on any sort of obstacle - quick climbs up hills, rock settlements, even sand traps - but the creatures kept up.

Before long, Jared looked back and Jensen could read the smile coursing his face, even as he egged Harley forward. Jensen rose high enough to see the sprawling body of water before them and barely had enough time to close his eyes and hold his breath before the steeds strode right into it. The water rushed around him and filled his ears while the dark cover and depth disoriented him.

It was as his lungs burned with the need for breath that Sadie surged up and cleared the surface. Jared was already laughing, pumping a hand into the air, and all but taunting the beasts scouring the edges of the coast and grunting in displeasure.

When their eyes met, Jensen’s were charged with fright but Jared was glowing as he continued to laugh. “Good Lord!” Jared cried happily. “That was something!”

Jensen turned in each direction with worry, reminded of the piranhas from the other lake.

Jared laughed again. “There are no fish in this lake.”

“You sure about that?”

“Definitely,” he beamed back.

Jensen pushed a hand over his face to clear it of water and then ran both hands over his head as he ordered his heart and lungs to calm down. “What were those things?!”

“Mean little bastards, huh?”

Jensen’s breathing continued harsh and fast while Jared aimed Harley and Sadie to continue across the lake.

“Can’t swim to save their lives.” Then Jared smiled at Jensen, “But we sure can.”

“Where the heck did they come from?”

“Everywhere,” Jared returned easily, as if it was a well-known fact. “Shadowhogs come out in the dark and ravage the lands. More of the Queen’s pets.”

Jensen stared in disbelief, mostly at the fact that he was in a world where he had to worry about beasts named shadowhogs. “You’re kidding me.”

His gaze turned serious as he swept a hand over Harley’s head and down over his ear. “Did that look like a joke to you?”

“No, okay, not a joke. But really? Those things?”

“That is why I don’t like being out at night,” Jared said as he looked down on Harley.

“Then why didn’t we stop?” Jensen frowned at Jared’s sharp look. “What?”

“You said you wanted to get home. I was trying to get you through this faster.”

His eyes widened and he snapped, “I’d also like to get through this alive if possible. Alex isn’t going to take me back if I’m dead!”

Jared simply nodded and faced forward while he encouraged Harley up the other side of the lake’s edge. It was uncomfortably quiet until Jared found an area to cruise up a rock settlement then down into a quarry that he deemed safe for the time being. He softly explained, “It’s unlikely they’ll get around the lake. We should be okay.”

They set up camp, silent but quick. Jensen was still soaked head to toe, but he did his best to not complain. The last time he did, Jared forced them longer on the trail than was sensible; he didn’t want to push them again. He settled alongside Sadie with damp, chilly clothes, and kept his hands at the fire to warm up.

After Jared had his pack set up, he walked over to Jensen and handed him a sack of clothes with a short nod. Jensen looked up with surprise, not to mention a chest full of guilt. “I’m sorry,” Jensen quickly murmured.

“No, I’m sorry,” he returned softly, motioning the pack towards Jensen. “I should not have been so careless with your safety.”

Jensen stood, taking the clothes but still insisted, “I didn’t mean to be pushy about it.”

“You weren’t. I should not have blamed you.” It took a few moments for Jared to ease up, and he did so with a tiny smile before pointing beyond Sadie. “Some privacy, to change.” Jensen stepped around her and Jared called out, “Alex is your partner?”

“Boyfriend, yeah,” Jensen answered before wincing and peeling the damp clothes from his skin. “Well, he will be. If I can get back in time.”

“What happened?”

He chuckled to himself in misery and continued disrobing then pulling on the trousers and long shirt Jared had lent him, all the while berating himself for even having to admit to the issue. “I, uh … I’m not the best with people. In following through, really. And he doesn’t deserve someone always blowing him off.”

Jared moved to the center of camp to prepare the fire, stacking wood he’d carried from their last stop. “Why do you leave him waiting? Do you not care for him?”

Jensen paused for longer than he really should have, which forced him to be defensive and assure himself more than Jared. “Of course I do. He just … deserves better. I have to be better. Have to show him I’m a better person than that.”

“He doesn’t see that for himself?”

“What?” Jensen asked, stepping out from behind Sadie.

For a moment, Jared seemed startled by Jensen. His smile was hesitant before he frowned and busied himself with poking the fire and repositioning firewood. “I just meant that I hardly know you, but I see a good person.”

Jensen knew he should smile and be flattered by Jared’s statement, but there was an underlying current of uncertainty as to how true it was. He deflected the moment with a flat, “Right, because I’m the Fair Child.”

“No, not entirely,” Jared said while sitting back against Harley. “You’ve stepped into the role. You’ve come with me without question.” Jensen’s awkward look was answered by Jared’s smirk. “Without too many questions.”

He chuckled to himself, shook his head, and then went to the sleeping mat to rest against Sadie. Her tail curled over his legs and he smoothed a hand over it. It hadn’t been long that Jensen had been with Jared and the steeds, and yet he was stunned that being there with Sadie and stroking her tail was something he really wanted - to be comforted. Jensen turned his attention back to Jared. “What about you? Family? A wife or girlfriend?”

“That’s my girl right there,” Jared said warmly, nodding towards Sadie.

Jensen looked to Sadie with her head tucked down and resting on her two front paws, eyes closed and lips barely parting on each snuffle of sleep. He softly smiled at her. “This is your whole family,” Jensen stated more than asked and Jared slowly nodded. “You like doing this? Being a guide?”

Jared immediately busied himself with a pack, fumbling through it with his eyes intent on his task. “I’ve been in the White Palace for most of my life. It’s nice to get out on assignment.”

“What’s it like there?”

Before he answered, Jared tossed a small sack across the way, which Jensen immediately found to be full of berries and mixed nuts. “It’s white. Very white.”

Jensen chuckled and then ate a small handful of the snack, immediately moaning around the taste. Pure berry flavor split between his teeth and the juice was sweeter than anything he’d ever experienced. “Oh my God,” he mumbled through his chewing. “What are these?”

“Boysenberries. Blackberries,” Jared said while looking into his bag and shucking it around. “Maybe some raspberries, I forget what all I last picked.”

Shaking his head, Jensen practically shoveled another serving into his mouth, again moaning and then rolling his eyes through the flavors. His mind flashed back to the coffees Danneel had served him, and even while there was the issue of those drinks leading him into this world, he couldn’t deny how he relished the tastes. “Man, everything just tastes better here.”

Jared nodded with a satisfied look in his eyes. “We do love Cassidonia and all its flavors.”

“Is that why you’re so intent on saving it?”

He smiled. “The fruits are farmed on the far north end of the land by Prince Jeffrey’s ancestors. They have some of the best crops to be had in decades.” At Jensen’s odd glance, Jared added on, “Princess Adrianne is promised to Prince Jeffrey. They’re to be married in the fall.”

Jensen blinked, fighting anger and confusion before he spoke. “Why can’t he do this? How is this all my responsibility?”

“Come his thirty-second, the Fair Child -”

“There are obviously many, many people who are qualified for this,” Jensen cut in but with much less heat than he felt. “I’m not one of them.”

Silently, Jared watched him, waiting until Jensen let his frustration ease up. Jared continued on with his story: “There are tiny pockets of Cassidonia that are truly dedicated to Princess Adrianne. Beyond that, the Prince’s family is a great supporter in her rule. They harvest many of our crops, and even while they’re far off our travels, I’d gone there before finding you. I thought the Fair Child deserved the best.”

It took quite a few moments more for Jensen to really accept that it had already been determined that he was to complete this mission even while there were others who better understood this world. Wanting so much to ignore the responsibility, he nodded in Jared’s direction and changed the subject. “What else you got over there?”

“Are you hungry?” he asked playfully.

“Starving.”

Jared laughed and sorted through his bag again as Jensen moved to join him, leaning back on Harley just as Jared was. They both looked up to Sadie’s snort and the quick movement of her tail, as if it were seeking Jensen out. “She’ll be okay,” Jared assured him with a pat on the knee. “She’s loyal and loving. Just a bit jealous.”

“Why is she jealous of me?” he asked while looking into the bag of food.

“Of me,” Jared corrected with a crooked grin. “She likes you. A lot.”

Jensen looked at her, tail still searching for him and head turning against her paws even while she slept. Jensen surprised himself by admitting, “The feeling’s not entirely one-sided.”

Jared’s smile made his dimples pop, and it remained in place as he handed over another small bag of food, which Jensen immediately likened to what he knew as beef jerky.

“Please tell me this is edible.”

Jared rumbled through a soft laugh and nodded. “Yes. It’s dried boar.”

“Oh, right, boar.”

“You would rather have shadowhog?”

“There is no way you eat those things,” Jensen shot back with a shudder.

He shrugged with one shoulder up high as he self-consciously responded, “Sometimes you don’t have much else to fend for in these parts.”

“How does it taste?” Jensen dared to ask with a wince.

“Like chicken.”

As Jared’s voice came light and his mouth twisted into a smirk, Jensen laughed and elbowed him. “Shut up. It does not.”

“Everything does!” Jared poorly defended through his laughter.

“God, shut up!” Jensen again poked Jared’s ribs, but he was surprised when Jared did just that, silencing himself and eating without another look. Jensen reached into the bag of berries, trying hard to ignore how close they were to one another and how Jared carefully regarded him through the moment. He ate more berries and nodded towards Jared, who was still watching him. “How did the Princess choose you for this?”

Jared cleared his throat and his face of any emotion, only showing the subtle ease he’d held for most of their travels. “She didn’t choose me. It was by decree that there would be a guide, just as you were named for this fight. My family was bound by the word.”

“You were born into this?” Jensen breathed out then tried to settle his voice. “With no choice? That doesn’t sound fair.”

“Yes, I was born into it,” he said with a long look. “But the court has allowed my living at the castle and provided me with many things over the years. My ancestors and many other folk consider it an honor. Escorting the Fair Child is a great responsibility.”

“One you didn’t ask for,” Jensen pointed out quietly.

“But it’s mine,” Jared replied tightly. “And I’m going to see it through.” Jensen fell quiet and continued on eating. After some time, Jared pronounced, “It’s a monstrous task and anyone in the land would be proud to honor it. I don’t plan on doing anything but my best to see you to the end.”

Jensen looked at Jared, partly nervous for all that the mission entailed and all that Jared was prepared to do to keep Jensen safe and on task, not to mention grateful for Jared’s dedication to protect and guide him through it. He picked within the bag of fruit and quietly said, “If anything happens, and I don’t get a chance to say it … thank you. For helping me with all of this.”

Jared’s eyes were soft and it seemed as though he was prepared to say more. All that came from him was a gentle prodding of, “We should probably rest a little. I know I’ve had enough excitement for the night.”

With a nod and small smile, Jensen shuffled back to his sleeping mat and willed himself to sleep.

THREE