Shortly after the prince's party made camp for the night around the wagon, Aster settled in beside his wolf for a bit of rest after a steady walk through the day. The other beasts were circled around as well, listening to Milky strum around the campfire Dally was busy tending to. Oust and Sir Corper stepped away first, Oust eager to become even stronger through his efforts. Captain Rix allowed his own student about an hour of rest before standing and turning towards Aster, surprising everyone present by not yelling as he spoke.

"Panther's son, come. The rest of you seem capable of handling your own training at this point, but me and the boy still have work to do."

Aster simply gave Stahl's leg two quick pats in parting and stood in place, eager to see what else the bull had been holding back from him. The pair stepped off a ways, leaving the camp behind just as nightfall really started to overtake the land. Stahl watched the pair go for a moment before she heard a light cough to her left, turning to see Rust ready to speak to her at last since that morning's conversation. The fox wouldn't really make eye contact with his aunt, but he spoke confidently enough.

"Can I talk to you for a moment? Alone?"

The she-wolf gave the cub a bit of a somber stare in return before nodding, rising to split off from the group as well for a while. Tyfin looked over to see the crocodile, Fraxis, already fast asleep, and turned back towards the musician Dally, finding himself and the husky alone at last, save for Milky. The prince spoke calmly to the canine.

"So, will Mist be alright? She seems pretty out of it still."

The husky simply looked up to the lion and smiled his usual, carefree smile.

"She will be fine! Her magic just takes a lot out of her sometimes. If she doesn't wake up soon, she probably will by tomorrow evening."

The prince answered that casually.

"I see. I assume this is something you've dealt with often if you have it down to such timing?"

The musician looked away for a moment, setting down his mug of beer for a while as he did so. He looked back to the young king once more, his smile as persistent as ever as he spoke a bit too cheerily.

"Something you just want to ask me, your highness? Or would you rather keep trying to make me slip up for clues?"

Prince Tyfin held his composure but was admittedly surprised. Most people wouldn't call royalty out like that. He was growing fond of this canine, despite feeling a bit ashamed of the tactic he had tried.

"My apologies, it is simply something that makes me worry... I don't mean to pry into your personal business, I just wonder if something similar is happening to Lady Alice."

The bard picked his mug back up, barking out a happy reply as he did so.

"Understandable! I don't really know all the details myself, but sometimes, when she has to use a stronger spell, it knocks her out for a while. Usually, it's simply a handful of nights, two to three, but on rare occasions, up to a week. I can't say for sure that is what is happening with your mage... But I suppose it isn't outside the realm of possibility."

Prince Tyfin frowned, looking away. That just didn't seem to be the same... Alice had been awake before their first encounter with the musicians and didn't use any magic then. It was like she was choosing to stay asleep... The husky spoke again, stepping away to refill his mug as he talked to the young king.

"My advice, in all my years of traveling this continent, is to keep working with what you have. To keep pushing forward no matter what unknown threat chases behind you, no matter the routes you may be forced to take. I guess what I mean is to trust in those beside you and to support them however they may need, regardless of the reasoning or where they have been... But I am a lowly bard, so my advice may not be fitting for a king." The husky returned, his own mug topped off, and another prepared for the prince. The canine offered the drink to the lion with a mock-up of his usual bow, and Tyfin accepted it with thanks.

The young king may not have gotten the answers he wanted, but he felt a little less worried about the calico cat still sleeping peacefully in the wagon. The lion brought the mug to his lips as his mind wandered over the possibilities while the fluffy white beast strummed on in the background. Eventually, after taking a long sip of his drink, Tyfin asked another question.

"If I may, where are you heading? I don't wish to nose into your business..."

Dally let out his cheery chuckle as he answered the regal beast.

"It's fine, Your Highness. It can't be easy making small talk when you're a king without it sounding like you've taken a special interest. We are heading south after we split with your group tomorrow. We are going to follow the thicket line all the way down to where it breaks, just on the outskirts of your territory. From there, we are crossing into Alora, hitting a few smaller towns on the way to the larger markets. Probably go out of the way to visit some of the port towns, Milky really loves the ocean. He uses seashells as picks for his lute sometimes, so he will spend HOURS looking for the right ones."

The prince smiled at the thought, responding in turn.

"I'm sure his delight is as evident as ever. I'm glad to hear that. So you merely travel then? No real place to call home, but nothing to tie you down? I have to admit, I'm almost a bit envious."

Dally chuckled again when he replied.

"Never thought I'd hear a king say he was jealous of me, but I'll be sure to let it go to my head, least until Mist wakes up." The canine gave a playful wink to the lion before continuing. "In all seriousness, though, it has its ups and downs... But I do have a place to call home. This wagon is my home. Mist is my home. Milky is my home. I know that sounds a tad generic... But it doesn't mean it's any less true, you know... How about you? Do you have somebody who feels like home?"

Tyfin looked away, frowning just a bit at the question. The husky was about to change the subject amid the awkward pause, but the lion finally answered in a faster tone.

"Yes... But I am... Uncertain of some things now... I will be expected to be a king since my father is gone... That duty may pose... Challenges... Even more than that... I have learned of some troubling things that happened with this person in the past. I worry it may come between us moving forward."

Dally's smile faded to a smug smirk as he answered the young prince matter-of-factly.

"That's easy. Simply don't let it come between you. There are things I STILL don't fully accept about Mist... And to tell you the truth, we aren't exactly conventional in most ways... But to love unconditionally is exactly that. To love them regardless. Yes, we always have to push each other to be better, to be how we know we can be... But sometimes, people are allowed to have their moments of weakness. Sometimes, we are all allowed to be shitty people for a while. I think most of us can look back, and both admit that and grow from it. If we want to, that is... But I'm just a tipsy bard rambling on now..." Dally passively looked down into his mug as he mumbled that last part to himself. A soft smile grew over the young prince's muzzle as he answered the dog kindly.

"No... That's... Actually really helpful. Thank you for the input... Hey, Dally?"

The husky lifted his gaze up to meet the lion's once more, raising an eyebrow in question. Tyfin continued, feeling a bit embarrassed by the statement all the same.

"If you ever end up needing a place to call home, Alora could always use a bit more music. If nothing else, maybe come play for some festivals in the Capitol... Just, the invite is there if you ever find yourself in need of it... Or simply want it."

The husky only smiled genuinely as he let those words float in the air. Dally raised his free hand up to touch the brim of his large, feathered hat and nodded ever so slightly, tipping his hat in an honest gesture of thanks to the prince. The bard took another swig of his drink, closed his eyes, and scoffed before he spoke.

"So that's what that grumpy old bear sees in you... I get it now. I look forward to the songs I'll write about you, King Tyfin Tonitrus." Dally drank another swallow of the beer beside the flickering firelight.

Prince Tyfin simply gazed up at the starry sky, pondering what a life of freedom on the open road would really be like, all the while knowing such a reality was as out of his reach as the stars above were.

***

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.