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When Rasha rode off to check behind them for the tracker a weight lifted off of him. She had a way of making him shy around Chiza. He figured the princess felt the same since her grip tightened around him as soon as Rasha disappeared into the woods. He slowed his tuskin to make the ride a little smoother. She didn’t complain about it but he knew how she must be suffering. His own body, accustomed to the riding, didn’t notice it yet, but by evening he’d have his own pains to suppress.
A sound in the trees to their right caught his attention. He turned and scanned the area until he saw what had made it. A beady-eyed creature with a tail it used for throwing itself from branch to branch among the trees.
Chiza was busy humming under her breath. It was a pleasant tune, and he asked her ab
