Free Branded Mage by D.W.

between you and the little princess?” Eloen asked in a slightly teasing tone.
    The question surprised Thad a little. Eloen had ribbed him a few times about the princess , but had never asked anything about their relationship. Looking down at the ground he started pushing a small rock around with the toe of his boot.
    “She’s my friend.” The words sounded a little weak even to him, but he didn’t know what else to say.
    Eloen let out a light giggle. “Just a friend, are you sure she knows tha t? She seems to have quite the crush on you.”
    “I don’t know. There is too much going on right now for me to really think of the future. Right no w I consider her a good friend. Who knows what that will mean in the future? She is still young. She might find someone more to her liking in the future.”
    “That’s a very practical and dull way to look at things.” Eloen replied shaking her head.
     
    Eloen continued to tease him about the princess and what she called his overbearing innocence. He wasn’t sure what to think of the woman sometimes . Some days, she acted like they were the best of friends and others as if they were strangers. The rowdy woman was a mystery, but Thad still enjoyed his time with her. She was always open and carefree with what was on her mind. He wished he could share half of her spunky outlook on life.
    The night ended after their tradition al round of stories. He still wasn’t allowed to take a turn at the watch, but the others no longer treated him like an outsider. The first two days they had double checked his horse and packs before and after the days ride. It had annoyed him more than a little, but when they learned that he wasn’t a completely useless burden, they stopped talking at him and started talking to him.
    The next morning , Thad woke early to the smell of Eloen’s cooking. At first he thought that the group would take turns on who was cooking, but Eloen seemed to enjoy the duty and was more than adequate at the task.
    The morning air was getting colder the farther they moved south. A light dusting of snow had covered the trees giving their leafless braches a light glow as the sun crested the horizon. While it was quite a lovely sight , it also meant that his horse blanket was stiff. Taking the lead of the others he placed his blanket next to the low burning fire as he ate.
    The wind picked up a bit as they rode and Thad drew his cloak tight around him in a n effort to stave off the biting sting of the cold air. Alden spurred his horse and moved up to ride next to him.
    “We should have warned you , this time of year the air off the ocean keeps the air cold. We normally wear a thick set of wool underneath out clothing. When we get to the duchess’s estate I’ll see about having her seamstress whip you up a pair. I promise you you’re going to want them when we reach Southpass. Even during the heat of the summer the morning air keeps its bite.”
    “That sounds great Alden.” Thad said pulling his cloak even tighter around his shoulders as another gust of wind swept over him.
    “Hey, I was wondering if you could do me a favor?”
    Thad cocked an eyebrow. “Sure.”
    Alden scratched the back of his head, his face looking slightly embarrassed. “When we were at the palace, I heard of some of the swords and shields you made for the queens guard, and I was wondering if you could do that to mine. All the guys have been thinking about asking you, but it’s a little awkward. We also wondered if you could make something for the captain. We are always traveling and you noticed she cooks for all of us. Well, we were wondering if you could make her a pack that could hold more supplies without weighing down her horse. We can’t pay you all at once, but we could send you a little out of each pay.”
    Thad thought for a moment , the swords and shields wouldn’t be too hard, he had already done hundreds of them. The bag would be harder. He wasn’t even sure how to make one, but it