By this point, I was ready to kill someone.
Nudge was blabbering on about how I should make sure to clean up the forest when I was queen because it was "too dirty." It's a forest for gods' sake, it is dirt!
Gazzy and Angel were fighting over something probably completely irrelevant, I can't tell due to their whispering.
Iggy's reciting some really depressing poems that I do not need to hear, since I can subconsciously link some of them to my life.
The worst part is Dylan and Fang, keeping up a steady conversation. They're talking about how nice the castle was decorated, discussing possible plans to find my mother, and then start bickering about how stupid of an idea something was.
I. Was. About. To. Explode.
"Can everyone calm down a bit?" No one answered me, too engrossed in their own conversations. "Ahem, I said, EXCUSE ME, BUT EVERYONE'S ABOUT TO GET A SERIOUS BUTT WHOOPING IF MY HEADACHE DOESN'T GO AWAY IN FIVE SECONDS!"
That got them to shut the hell up for sure, for they all either crossed their arms, shoved their hands in their pockets (Fang and Iggy), or folded their hands behind their backs.
"Why thank you." I said with a big sigh, continuing towards our prime location.
Oh, I didn't tell you guys did I? It cracks me up every time I think about it; ok, so there's this legend about a creepy cave in the forest surrounding our kingdom. Something about a really scary and magical beast, something or the other, that'll kill anyone who enters. He, my dad that is, even did it up all cool with fake sounds and human bones scattered everywhere.
That's where we were headed.
Yes, the legends fake, it's another escape route out of the kingdom in case of emergencies. For the royal family only, of course, but these guys are practically family (minus Dylan) so it's ok.
I saw the cave in the far distance, due to my excellent vision, and hurried everyone along.
"Where are we going? My feet hurt!" Nudge groaned, dragging her feet some.
I stopped and glared, about to yell at her seeing as we were in a serious situation, but she clamped her mouth shut and stood up straight.
How I didn't see Dylan circle around at first is beyond me, but when I felt his hand on my shoulder I almost killed him. Almost.
I stiffened and turned, getting ready to pull my arm back and punch him, but he grabbed my wrist before the wind-up. "Max, it's alright. Don't be so rough on her if her feet hurt."
He smiled at me, dazzling as always, but I just glared back at him. He kissed my cheek lightly and swooped Nudge up in his arms like she was nothing.
Seeing her blush, I rolled my eyes and started walking again in time to hear. "Oh, thank you Dyl." Nudge was already hooked in his charms. Amateur.
Angel ran up to me, took my hand, and smiled. "Hey baby, something bothering you?" I asked her, a bit more relaxed now.
She shook her head, her curls bouncing as she skipped slightly. "They're talking about explosives and Nudge is bothering Dylan about his mega-awesome-huge-castle, and neither of those topics fancied me."
I laughed light, loving this girl. "Fancied you?" I laughed a little more, shaking my head. "Alright Angel, whatever you say."
I kept on a straight path towards the cave, listening in on my boys' conversation. Iggy and Gazzy were apparently settling for a minor 10k-radius explosion and not an "epic" 100k-radius bomb due to Fang. I silently thanked him, and I swear I heard Angel giggle.
I refocused, seeing the bone path was much closer now thankfully. I heard Iggy mumble something about, "Someone should stop dropping all the chips and share some," followed by Gazzy's gasp.
"Those aren't chips, they're bones!" Gazzy yelled, and Fang chuckled. Gazzy and Iggy jumped away from him quickly.
"Ok, Fang, man, I know you're into some pretty emo stuff but that is just not ok." Iggy heard another crunch as he stepped on a bone and shrieked. Fang knew about the cave, of course, being my first advisor and all.
Me and Fang started laughing, I actually doubled over. "Guys, calm down, it's not what you..." I couldn't stop laughing with Fang at their horrified expressions.
Fang stepped in to help, still giggling slightly. "It's a fake set up, well the bones aren't, but it's just to scare people."
That sent me into another chorus of laughter, Iggy rolling his eyes as Angel patted my back. "Well guys, she's finally lost it." I slowly got out of my laughing fit, wiping off my forehead and hooking my arm in Fang's.
"Even in life-threatening danger, we manage to have fun," I say and pull Fang off into the dark cave.
Once enveloped in the darkness, out of everyone else's field of view, I felt Fang slip his arm around my waist and quickly pulled away. "I don't think they followed..." I said softly, finding them where we left them.
After creating a plan, we all joined hands with Fang leading us into the darkness. Iggy took the back, in front of him was Nudge holding Gazzy holding Angel holding Dylan holding me holding Fang. No, I didn't enjoy the awkwardness of being between two guys I may be interested in, but it had to be done. I felt Fang fumble along the wall for the door leading to our sanctuary, finding and twisting the handle.
The light flooded in, thankfully, as I followed Fangs' mess-of-a-black-haired-head inside.
I was so unfocused I didn't realize Fang stopped until I bumped into his back.
"Ugh! Fang, what the-" I stopped short, looking around as the rest of my group flooded in.
Iggy sniffed in and gagged slightly. "Ew, Gazzy did you- ugh! Gross man!"
"Igs, I don't think it's Gazzy..." Fang said cautiously, the stench hitting my nose easily.
I didn't care about the smell, that wouldn't kill us. The big ugly wolves/humans/warriors surrounding us just might.
