His eyes slid over to her and he let out an impatient sound. “We will need to journey far, so we will need mounts that my guard has readied for us.” He tipped his head toward the troll waiting for them. “It would be quicker to fly, but you will require rest, and the forest doesn’t allow easy access through the canopy. That would be too dangerous for a human. So, we will go for the next most convenient option. Few things in the Eternal Forest are as quick as the crocotta.”
“Oh,” she said, biting her lip. That he had to make allowances for fragility as a human made her feel like a burden.
He cast a curious glance her way, and his lips tilted in a small smile. “It will also save me the trouble of having to carry my armor, which would be required if I took another form, so it works out well enough.”
She nodded absently. That made sense. She could imagine having to carry one’s armor while in another form would be frustrating… Wait a minute. Her mouth dropped open as she tripped over a massive root and stumbled to a halt.
“Shapeshift?” she blurted out in disbelief.
The male cast an enigmatic grin over his shoulder but never broke his stride. He really wasn’t going to elaborate any further. With a frustrated grunt, she chased after him at a steady jog before coming to a halt some feet away when she got a glimpse of the troll’s companions.
Two enormous sandy-colored creatures stood together, yellow eyes staring balefully as they swung their heads in one direction and then another, nostrils flaring. To Diana, they resembled something almost like a hyena, except for the fact that their backs were more level than sloped. They also possessed long, tufted tail trailing behind their haunches. Sandy brown in color with chocolate stripes, they possessed beautiful pelts, the fur around their necks and down their backs particularly long and thick. Yet for all that beauty, they were monstrous. Their massive jaws parted every now and then to reveal teeth the size of her longest finger, the fangs double that.
Neither creature looked friendly. Even compared to the aggressive hyena, these creatures possessed sharper facial structures and a boxier head. It made them look both elegant and lethal. The only sign of domestication about them were the stitched harness saddles made of layered fabrics. Their eyes, striped in hues of yellow and gold, had the look of polished gemstones, gleaming with intelligence as they stared at her and let out low growls. Unnerved by the blatant challenge coming from the predators, Diana inched closer to the silvanus and troll standing close together in discussion.
“Are you certain of this?” the troll asked in a quiet voice, his eyes darting to her suspiciously. “No one knows how she got here.”
Diana wanted to laugh. He said it like an accusation. What exactly did he think she was going to be able to do? Especially against the lucomo. She met the troll’s stare and raised a polite eyebrow. She didn’t want to be creamed by an angry troll, but she was starting to believe that none of those who dwelled at the palace would make an overt attempt to harm her—and if she didn’t get too cocky, they likely wouldn’t make a covert attempt either when the silvanus didn’t have his eyes on them. At least, that was how she was determined to play her guards. She needed to win their respect to be safe among them.
The lucomo growled, a sneer pulling at his lips. “I am not a fool. I have consulted the oracle and trust my instincts on this matter. Physically, Diana is hardly a danger to me. Do not worry, Raskyuil. Even if she had a mind to harm me, I am difficult to kill, lest you forget.”
“But not impossible to weaken,” Raskyuil retorted. The flash of anger in the lucomo’s eyes indicated that the troll had hit on a sore subject. “Without knowing how or why she came to be here, I feel that it would be wise if I went in your company to protect you, as your guard.”
“And give the strix even more warning that we are coming?” he scoffed
“You may need the distraction. Your pet human may very well faint at the first sight of the creature rather than be of any true assistance. You can see for yourself that she is no warrior.” Raskyuil flung a disdainful hand in