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“THAT SHOULDN’T be possible.”

“It definitely isn’t normal.”

Reluctantly, Essie poked her head out from beneath the tarpaulin and blankets. It had been rather warm and cozy, curled up in a bedroll only inches away from Farrendel. Far closer than the space they usually kept between them.

But now she was alone, though the blankets remained warm. Dew coated the tarpaulin, the morning air cool against her face and in her lungs. The ground ached against her shoulder and hip where she’d lain on the ground all night.

“What do you think the elf king will do to us if his brother breaks his neck on our palace grounds?”

This comment was Julien’s and drew Essie’s gaze. Averett knelt by the fire pit, stoking the coals and adding logs, both kettles on the bench next to him to be re-heated. Behind him, Essie could just make out Edmund and Julien still sprawled on their bedrolls on the other side of the benches and fire pit.

She must have moved enough to draw Averett’s notice because he glanced in her direction and pointed upward. “Is this normal? Or is he just showing off?”

She tilted back her head until she spotted Farrendel high above in the trees, running along branches, flipping in the air, and spinning in kicks. At home in Estyra, he practiced much higher in the air, but somehow this looked more dangerous with the ground within sight.

Though, Essie was almost disappointed to note, he wore his shirt this morning. Too shy and proper around her brothers.

“If he was showing off, he’d have his shirt off.” Essie sat up, propped her elbows on her knees, and stared upward at Farrendel. He flipped in the air and landed gracefully on a branch that couldn’t have been more than two inches wide. “He practices like this every morning.”

Perhaps some of her breathlessness came through in her voice because Edmund snorted. “If you start drooling, I’m going to throw up.”

Such dramatics. Seriously. She wasn’t being that obnoxiously swoony over Farrendel. Locating the nearest stick, Essie chucked it at Edmund. Of course, with her throwing skills, the stick only made it as far as the fire where it bounced off a log and came to rest on one of the surrounding rocks.

She took a few minutes to brush her hair and braid it. When she was presentable, she crawled from her nice, warm bedroll and helped with breakfast. She fried the bacon in a pan while Julien added the eggs to his eggs-and-vegetable skillet. Averett prepared the coffee and hot chocolate while Edmund picked up their campsite.

Julien patted Essie’s shoulder. “There’s this pair of doctors—a husband and wife team—I’ve heard some of the men in the army talk about. They specialize in dealing with trauma, or so I’ve heard.”

There were doctors who specialized in that kind of thing? Essie glanced up to where Farrendel flipped back and forth between the tree branches. Could they help Farrendel? Though, surely if there was anything that could be done, the elves, with their skill in healing, would have done it already.

Still, it would be something to look into. “I don’t think we’ll have the time on this visit, but I’d be interested if you got their names.”

“I’ll look into them. Talk to those they’ve claimed they’ve helped to make sure they’re on the up and up.” Julien stirred the eggs one last time, then took the pan from the fire.

“Thanks.” Essie couldn’t put enough feeling into that word to convey how much Julien’s care for both her and Farrendel met.

Nodding and straightening, Julien stuck his fingers into his mouth and gave a shrill whistle.

Essie rolled her eyes. “He’s not a pet to be called with a whistle.”

Julien shrugged. “It’s the same whistle I use for the army recruits I’m training. Besides, it worked.”

Above them, Farrendel halted what he was doing. Essie waved. “Breakfast is ready.”

He jumped easily from branch to lower branch until he was about twenty feet in the air where he ran out of branches. Hopping from the branch, he flipped in the air and landed on the ground in a crouch, straightening fluidly as if the jump hadn’t been anything impressive.

Julien nudged Essie. “Are you sure he isn’t part cat?

She elbowed Julien back. Her brothers had gone straight from suspicion to welcoming him into the family with little brother teasing. “Be nice. I want him to like coming to visit the family.”

Julien just smirked as Farrendel approached the campfire. His shirt and face only held a few traces of sweat so he must not have worked out as long as normal. Between his exhaustion making him sleep later and the outdoor air making her get up earlier, it had shortened his time.

She put an arm around his waist and kissed his cheek, speaking quietly. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yes.” After a moment’s hesitation, Farrendel gave her the tiniest peck on her temple, the tips of his ears turning pink, as if that much pushing of the no-displays-of-affection-in-front-of-people rule was already too embarrassing for him.