Kihara cheers Marcus up with ease

Nasir flew over a sea of green, his wings spread wide. The forest below was so thick it looked almost endless. They'd been flying for the better part of a day, with just a short break around noon where they'd landed to stretch their legs and eat a small meal of dried meat and bread. As amazing as it had been at first to soar on top of the eagle's back and watch the world fly by, Marcus was starting to feel worried. He knew he was way further from his home than he'd ever been before. His Mother had never let him stray more than a mile from the castle, and they had to be almost in another country by now.

"We're landing soon." Kihara murmured in his ear suddenly, her voice soft and soothing. "I'm just looking for an empty patch of grass where we can camp."

"Camp?" Marcus gasped in shock. He'd never gone camping before!

"That's right, little one." She purred, the hand she'd kept wrapped around him the whole ride giving his belly a few soft pats. "I have a tent and bedroll we can share in my pack. We'll have to keep each other warm, wrapped up nice and close all night." The young prince blushed, trembling in delight at the thought. "Ah, there's a place." She used her other hand to pull gently on Nasir's reins. The massive bird seemed to sense exactly what she wanted, folding his wings to drop down towards a small, open clearing just below them. The cold wind whipped past them and Marcus huddled closer to his savior, letting her warm hand rub up and down his torso.

With a shrill screech, Nasir spread his massive wings just above the ground, dropping down so carefully it hardly even jolted. He raised his head, those keen yellow eyes scanning the trees around them. Marcus shivered slightly, looking into the thick, green forest. There could be anything hiding there and he doubted he'd even see it. Wild places like this frightened him. He remembered one time his Father had tried to take him hunting in the woods near the castle. When they found a deer, the dogs ripping it to shreds had been so awful he'd fainted dead away and had to be carried home in the King's arms.

Kihara slipped off onto the ground behind him, then in one deft motion lifted him up off Nasir's back and into her arms. She held him close him for a moment, leaning in to plant a soft kiss on his waiting lips. Marcus trembled, feeling his little body respond the way it always did to her touch, warm, fluttery feelings filling him up. He pressed himself up into the kiss, letting her lips part his so her warm tongue could slip inside his mouth. These hungry, naughty kisses like in his books felt so very good, he never wanted them to stop. At last though, she pulled away, glistening strands of saliva joining them for a moment.

"Feeling better now, little one?" She asked, holding him gently with one hand while the other reached up to brush through his soft, silver hair.

"Yes." Marcus nodded shyly, a little embarrassed that she could read him so easily. "Unless it means another kiss?" He fluttered his lashes at her, his lips parted and begging for more. She chuckled roughly, then lent in and gently covered his mouth with her own. Just a moment this time, and when she lent back again he cuddled up against her armored body. Her one hand was under his body, settled against his butt, and he squealed in delight when she pinched him through his shorts.

"You act so shy, but I think there's one cheeky boy hiding in here." She smirked at him, her finger darting forward to poke his nose. "I'll have to teach you to behave yourself tonight."

"Oh, yes please!" Marcus nodded eagerly, knowing what she really meant. She laughed again, the sound like silvery music to his ears. He was smiling from ear to ear as she set him down gently on his feet, his earlier worries vanished like a bad dream. It didn't matter how far they were from home, not so long as she was here with him. He watched her limply as she turned back to Nasir. She was cooing softly under her breath as she approached the massive bird, and he lowered his huge head, letting her run her hand along his beak. With a pat on his back, he lowered himself down to the ground, and Kihara started unfastening the leather saddle.

Over this journey, the young prince had realized just how smart the huge bird was and how close a bond he shared with Kihara. The two of them seemed to communicate without the need for words, where a simple gesture or nod of the head from the warrior made her mount respond in whatever way she wished. In turn, the eagle chattered and cooed whenever she touched it, rubbing his beautiful feathers against her. Marcus knew it was silly, but he couldn't help but feel a little jealous of proud Nasir when he saw them like this. Biting his lip, he tried to push those stupid feelings away. He knew she liked him a lot, she'd shown him that in so many ways. There wasn't any need to be insecure.

Kihara pulled the last of the leather straps from her mount, gathering all the bags and the saddle itself up in her arms. She laid everything on the ground beside her, and Nasir rose back to his feet, stretching out his wings now he was no longer reined. As the huge bird cooed softly above her, Kihara rustled through the packs, pulling out a few things and arranging them neatly around her. Marcus saw what looked like a folded linen tent, a long, curved axe, and some pots and pans as well, along with a few other things that he'd never seen before.

"Okay little one." She rose to her feet, turning back to him with a gentle smile that flooded his body with warmth. "Time for you to learn how to set up a camp."