After flagging down a driver and unloading their heavy armor, Kirsten slid her arms into the shoulder straps of her pack and sighed with relief. “That’s so much better.”
“A thousand times better,” Bo agreed.
As the wagon driver carted away their gear, she said, “But I'm still not letting that wagon out of my sight.”
“No way,” Bo said, keeping pace with Kirsten and walking normally again.
They kept a steady rate behind the five-wagon-long train. Walking along the edge of the Army, now marching ten abreast, Kirsten continually scanned the grassy rolling hills of the Bareback Plains.
“Maybe we’ll get to see the wild horses again,” Bo said.
Suddenly Kirsten heard Thomas answering, “I’m so jealous you two got to see them.”
Kirsten whirled around to see him coming up alongside her, “Where did you come from?”
“I see you two decided to take my advice,” he noted, making sure they could see him eyeing their packs.
“We made a compromise,” Bo said. “Unload the armor, but keep it within sight,” he pointed to the wagons rolling along in front of them.
“Smart,” Thomas said. “They all look so similar. I forget which one mine is on.”
“How did you get behind us?” Kirsten asked.
“I was looking for someone,” Thomas said, straightening and looking over the heads of the Westlanders in front of them.
“Well, maybe they’ll catch up with us when we make camp. I saw the Lumbapi and the dwarfs packing up together.”
Thomas looked behind them, “Yeah. That's why I went back, but I think they are way back there. I don’t want to double back.”
“Why not just wait?” Bo asked.
“I saw a gap. Who knows what could happen while I wait alone on the Plains,” Thomas said dramatically.
“I think you’d be fine,” Kirsten said.
“Well, now that I found you two again, I would rather stick together.”
“So, you want to see the wild horses, too?” Bo asked.
Thomas nodded, “After the way Kirsten described the moment you two had, I think it would be a great opportunity for me and...” he trailed off.
“What do you mean the opportunity we had?” Bo asked.
“He still doesn’t know?” Thomas asked Kirsten.
Kirsten rolled her eyes, and said with a sigh, “No.”
“What don’t I know?” Bo asked.
“When you and I were hiding from the horses,” Kirsten said. “We were close together, and alone...”
“Oh,” Bo gasped. “Really? You wanted me to then?”
Kirsten looked skyward, “Yes.”
“I had no idea. You should’ve said something,” Bo said flustered.
“Clearly you had no idea and no girl is going to ask a boy she likes to kiss her, especially then.”
“Wow,” Bo said. “And ever since then?” he asked.
Kirsten nodded, “Yes, can we please change the subject?”
Bo straightened while puffing his chest out a little, “Sure can, crusher.”
“Oh, I like that. Because she was crushing on you for so long,” Thomas said with a chuckle.
Kirsten rolled her eyes and said, “So, about the horses.”
“I bet we’ll see them once we get closer to Aquina,” Bo said still walking tall.
“You said you always wanted to go there,” Kirsten said.
“As a kid, the stories Elaina would tell us about the nomads of the Plains captured my imagination. After learning more about them, I begged so many times to be taken there. Max and I were going to go there next after he won the Grandwood Games.”
“It was delayed, but you’re getting your chance now,” Thomas said.
“I didn’t think it would be under these circumstances.”
