“Duck!”

Jasper quickly snapped around to further acquiesce the command when a twig in front of him snapped forward and ripped his face. “Bloody switch!” he murmured, rubbing his eyes. He tried to control his horse as they sped around a corner of muddied trail.

“Ha, too late, eh?” Ellæs, the man who offered the forewarning, smirked. He kicked his steed to increase the pace.

“Keep your silence,” Jasper resentfully yelled from the front of the horseback foursome.

“And for what prize might I fulfill this demand?” Ellæs sneered.

The rest of the group sniggered.

“None at all.”

“Therefore I decline.”

Ellæs’ horse slipped on the mud beneath him, but quickly regained balance.

“See, Ell, just do what he says, and all will fare within your favor,” Larson gawked, flipping down the hood of his cloak.

They whipped around another curve in the wooded path. The trees flew by, appearing as mere blurs. Jasper halted. The path ran perpendicularly into a river. Looking around, Jasper dismounted and began to wade through the water.

“What is he doing?!” asked Foreste.

“His job, cousin.”

Jasper’s word was final. Rolling their eyes, Ellæs, Foreste, and Larson dismounted and mimicked the captain. Keeping a straight face, Ellæs and Larson went in. Foreste was last.

“Throw me into a frozen hell!” he piped.

Larson craned his neck past the body of his steed. “Suck it up. Bite your tongue. Do whatever necessary.”

“Actually, I’d like to take the opportunity to second that notion,” Ellæs stated frankly behind a barrier of ebon hair.

“Not. Helping,” Larson growled through gritted teeth.

“Oh, pity thee.”

“Silence.”

“I prefer ebullience!”

“Fine,” said Foreste, “boisterous spirits for all!” He tried to skip through the water with gayety. “Is nature not beautiful?” He looked around at the trees, late afternoon sun, and crystal waters in attempts to distract his mind from the icy waters beneath.

The remainder of the group rolled their eyes.

“Oh, I sympathize,” facetiously remarked Ellæs. “For example, cast your eyes toward that lovely rat. Excellent example of fauna, if I do say so myself.”

Foreste looked down to see a gutted rodent floating down the river. “Ugh! Ew, ew, ew! Get it away! GET IT AWAY!” he shrieked, flopping over on the riverbank.

“What happened to you joviality? Its evanescence was quite prominent, no?” Ellæs questioned dryly with a smug grin.

“Favor this,” Jasper offered, picking the rat up by the tail and flinging it onto Foreste.

Foreste squealed. “GET IT OFF OF ME!” he cried, flailing. His attempts were futile; the rat stayed put on his lap.

“Never before have I bore witness to a eunuch’s cry,” laughed Ellæs heartily, rolling over on the bank. “Fancy that,” he cried with laughter, “the poor thing’s liver has fallen.”

Foreste’s eyes grew large and he shrieked louder than the largest bird as he stood up and the mutilated creature dropped to the ground.