17 Time to Hit the Road...

After hugging once more, I finally climbed onto the horse, as Kays was already rolling his eyes in impatience, clearly ready to end our tender moment.

We set off toward the mountains. Alaya told us that their vast plain is completely surrounded by a mountain range, and there’s only one route through the gorge that provides a somewhat reasonable path to the outside world—not counting the narrow old trails.

Once we left the settlement, the horses were spurred, and they galloped forward. Perhaps the girls were ready, but I certainly wasn’t! Startled, I almost fell off—if a strong hand hadn’t grabbed me just in time.

"You’ve never ridden a horse before?" asked a brown-eyed young man with long white hair tied in a high ponytail. He was one of the guards of our delegation.

"Imagine that… no," I muttered, grumbling. I had posed near horses for pictures, but never dared to ride one.

"It shows," the white-haired young man smiled, dimples appearing on his cheeks. "I’m Yafi. Shift a little!"

I certainly didn’t expect the formidable warrior to jump off his horse and settle behind me, tying his mount to mine. Whistling and spurring the animal, we galloped after the rest of the garrison at full speed.

Now I was no longer in danger of falling, since Yafi’s strong hands held me firmly on both sides like handrails, controlling both horses at once.

We galloped like this for some time, and then the animals needed a rest, so we rode at a calmer pace.

Yafi turned out to be a very charismatic and pleasant man. He patiently showed me how to sit properly in the saddle and control the horse. I, of course, still couldn’t gallop yet, but at a slower pace, I was doing surprisingly well. All thanks to the white-haired blond.

During my crash course, Yafi managed to tease me subtly, but always in such a harmless, joking way that I couldn’t bring myself to be annoyed.

As it turned out, Yafi was not alone; his twin brother, Yaro, was traveling with us too. He was almost an exact copy of Yafi, if not for the terrifying scar covering half of his face.

By noon, we finally reached the foot of the mountains and stopped for a rest, dismounting from our horses. Unused to riding, my backside felt completely numb—it hurt everywhere! I couldn’t even sit on the log where the girls and the mage had settled for our simple lunch, and of course, Kays noticed.

"What’s wrong with you?" the man asked, frowning, his sharp, clear eyes burning into me.

"Probably bruised my backside on the horse," I shrugged, leaning my shoulder against a tree so as not to disturb the sore spot. The man snorted mysteriously at that.

"Come here, you little brat," Kays called me over.

"Why?"

"Can you, for once, not argue?" the guard started getting annoyed, and I decided to obey, stepping closer.

"Closer!" he commanded, and I moved another step forward.

"Even closer!" he said impatiently, looking directly into my eyes, nervously tapping his left foot.

"How much closer do you want?!" I protested, moving so close that I was practically pressed against the boy sitting on the log.

Suddenly, my eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when Kays’ hot hands landed on my poor backside, moving me even closer to him. Now I was standing between the brunet’s widely spread legs.

Those incredibly clear eyes, looking up at me, and the sly smirk on the man’s face made my breathing falter.

"Are you sure you’re not mixing things up?!"

"Not mixing things up," the man sneered sarcastically. "Don’t wiggle and don’t struggle."

Immediately, his eyes gained a faint glow, which up close was mesmerizing in its beauty, and I felt noticeable relief in the injured part of my body, and after a few seconds, the discomfort completely disappeared.

The healing was over, yet his hands still held my half-bottom, as he looked into my eyes.

"Kays, buddy," Yafi spoke up. "You’re a real virtuoso at healing asses. Our grandfather has suffered from hemorrhoids his whole life. Will you help when we return?"

Loud laughter filled the area, and the brunet threw his hands off me as if burned. Out of embarrassment, I blushed too, giving Yafi a reproachful look, and he grinned from ear to ear, winking at me.

When our rest was over, we climbed back onto our horses and approached the rocky terrain, slowing down at its edge.

Suddenly, Kays’ head snapped back, and his eyes shone brightly as he looked upward, where a huge eagle hovered, letting out its distinctive cry. After a couple of minutes, the brunet shook his head to regain composure.

"The path is clear and safe for now," the mage informed us. "We need to move quickly before the gorts appear."

No one argued, and we headed into the mountains.