Chapter 72: Tempting Fate, One Word at a Time
A familiar sight that Velren had missed. A sea of towering trees with thick trunks and sprawling canopies that filtered the afternoon sunlight into scattered beams. The air was rich with the scent of damp earth and pine, mingled with the faint sweetness of blooming wildflowers hidden among the underbrush. Unlike the well-trodden roads near the kingdom, this part of the woodland felt untouched, its dense foliage casting deep shadows that shifted with every rustling branch.
Velren sat in silence, his gaze moving across the endless expanse of green. Despite never having traveled to this part of the forest before, there was an odd sense of comfort in it. Maybe it was the quiet, the absence of the city’s constant hum, or perhaps the way the forest seemed to breathe around them—alive, yet unintrusive. Every so often, the distant cry of a bird or the rustling of unseen creatures echoed between the trees, but none of it felt hostile.
"Not much of a talker, are you?"
Velren glanced at him before returning his gaze to the forest.
"Not when there’s nothing to talk about."
Nico chuckled, shaking the reins lightly as the horses continued their steady pace.
"Fair enough. Most of the escorts I’ve hired in the past liked to fill the silence with their voices. Either bragging about their past jobs or complaining about the trip ahead."
"Complaining doesn’t change anything," Velren replied simply.
Nico smirked at that but said nothing more.
The path ahead gradually began to widen, the dense treeline thinning as sunlight spilled more freely through the gaps. The smell of fresh pine started to mix with something crisper—colder. And then, as they crossed the last stretch of forest, the world before them opened up.
Velren exhaled, his gaze lifting.