The Last Dragon Rider (Book 1 of Rider Series)

Chapter 7

Prince Caspian followed me to where my horse and Dire Wolf were at. "Uh... what is that?" he asked, staring at my dog.

"Dire Wolf hybrid," I replied. I placed my head on hers and closed my eyes, a tear leaking out. "And a War Horse. Both are very rare."

Rowa touched her nose to my collarbone where the necklace used to lay. She lifted her head and backed away. Shock and fear filled her eyes, and I could understand why. She knew that the necklace was basically my ticket and my protection from the beings that lived in the forest.

"I had to do it," I said, wiping my eyes and blinking back the tears that wanted to fall. I cleared my throat and stood taller before looking at Ren. "Can you get his horse? Meet us back at the hole. I have supplies that I need to get."

Ren snorted and bobbed his head. He gave Caspian a look before running off, his black tail hanging far out behind him.

"I think that horse hates me," Caspian said. He watched my horse as he disappeared before looking back at me. "Hey, wait up," he said, running to catch up with me. "You said your name was Marini, correct?"

I nodded. "Yes," I replied. "Your Highness," I said as an afterthought.

"A lot of guards talk about you," he said. "Well, they talk about you when they think no one is listening. I have caught a lot of them off guard when they talk about you. They just act like they weren't speaking about anyone when I ask them."

I shrugged my shoulder unimpressed. I didn't know why they would talk about me inside the castle because I knew that could lead me to get caught. I knew that I had a lot of their respect because I took care of their families when they couldn't.

"Why do they talk about you?" he asked.

"Most of the men have families that are not living the way that the King has promised," I replied. I looked around the area before starting to take some of the berries off of the tree. I didn't care that the prince was watching me because his life was basically in my hands.

"Do you help feed them?" he asked, causing me to nod my head. He furrowed his brows in confusion. "I don't get it," he said. "My father is a good man who helps people."

"He does... sort of," I replied. I knew that I had to hide most of my thoughts about the king because I was talking to his son. "He does help those that can help him." I shrugged. "Most of the poor can't, especially the children."

"Are there orphans?" he asked, causing me to nod my head. "What happens to them? Do they have a family that takes them in?"

"Sometimes," I replied. "My mom tries to help but with so many mouths to feed on her own, it is kind of hard."

"Why do the poor have so many children?"

"Help," I replied. I stuffed the berries into the satchel and was a bit amazed that he didn't try to stop me. "Before the Great War, we were able to go out into the woods and collect what we need. Everyone, the Humans and the Supernatural, lived in peace and worked together."

Prince Caspian took a berry from a bush that I had already taken a limit from, and the bush lashed out at him. "Ow," he said, dropping the berry onto the ground and clutching his face.

I shook my head, smiling a little. "I see that you haven't been taught," I said. I picked the berry off of the ground and held it to the bush.

"No," Prince Caspian said and watched as a small fairy took the berry from me. He watched as she flew to his face and chirped in her tongue. "Do... you know what it said?" he asked.

"She," I said. "And, you do not want to know." I pulled a hazelnut from my satchel, causing the fairy to come over to me. I held my hand out, letting the small fairy land on it.

"Why are you holding out a hazelnut?" he asked.

"It's an apology," I replied. "Faes can rot whatever I had taken from them. That wouldn't be good for me, for us, because we rely on the berries for jams or to eat."

"But, why a hazelnut?"

"The only food items that I have in my satchel right now are hazelnuts, plus the berries they have gathered. Fruit fairies like nuts."

The fairy placed the berry into my hand and curtsied. She took the hazelnut from me and chirped before giving Prince Caspian a look.

I chuckled and bowed my head. "I'll tell him," I promised, watching as the fairy nod her head and fly back into the bushes.

"What are you supposed to tell me?" Caspian asked.

I bit back a smile and walked over to him. I removed his hand from his face to see that there was a small cut on it. "I am to tell you that the next nut that they will take might not be edible."

Prince Caspian furrowed his brows into confusion. He watched as I took some leaves from my bag and placed them on his face. "What does that mean?" he asked.

"You don't want to know."