Chapter 30

"Hey," Leo grinned as he slid into the seat across from Hazel. "You want to go on an adventure?"

Hazel looked slightly surprised at that, which just made Leo grin a bit more. He liked surprising people, sometimes you needed to create some excitement in other people's lives, life could be so boring. After a moment though she nodded "Can I finish my sandwich first?"

"If you must," Leo grinned "Just make it fast or we won't have time- I only have till the end of lunch before I have to be back out in the forge."

"I'm just impressed they actually let you eat inside today," Hazel teased, grinning at him, but to Leo's relief starting to eat her sandwich a bit faster.

"Since I covered for Christopher so much they're making him repay the favor now that he's back," Leo said, shrugging "Which is just in time, because I have a new model of my invention to test."

"Oh? And do I get to know where we're going or what said invention is?" Hazel asked, finishing up her sandwich and pushing herself up to put the plate away.

Leo waited for her to return, swinging on his bag as he did so, and grinning as he started towards the side door with her "Of course not- that would ruin part of the adventure. I've already told you to much- now, after you m'lady."

He held open the door, and he couldn't help but grin a bit more when he saw the smile and slight shake of her head as she stepped out of the room and into the hallway, Leo falling into step next to her. "So- how are things? I haven't seen you around for the last few days."

"I've been busy," Hazel replied, shrugging slightly at that "The king has been coming up with things left and right for the prince and princess to do together- so I've been helping Piper a lot, and Miss Dodds is still giving me random jobs to do."

"I met the princess," Leo said, smiling a bit as he thought about it "Little over a week ago- Jason and I were actually going to test model one of this invention and we ran into her."

"She told me," Hazel smirked a bit at that and raised an eyebrow at him "So I take it we're going up into one of the towers so you can throw some metal contraption off the top of it?"

"I see my reputation has made this adventure a little less exciting," Leo said, laughing a bit and raising an eyebrow as he looked over at her "Knowing the end result, do you still want to come with me the rest of the way?"

"Well I suppose I should see this flying contraption for myself," Hazel shrugged, though she was still smiling "Besides- it sounds a hell of a lot better than running around to complete Miss Dodds's chores."

"Brilliant, because you're my excuse in case we get caught, I'm not really supposed to be in here," Leo winked at her, grinning when Hazel laughing at the comment.

"Well, it's good to know I'm useful for something," she teased in return, and raising an eyebrow at him.

"You're good for a lot more than that," Leo assured "You also bring me food when I'm stuck outside, and keep me company when I'm bored out of my mind."

"I suppose that's all true," Hazel agreed, laughing as she nodded a long "And let's not forget that I am great at raising the tension by freaking out about stupid things like a bracelet. It's great for dramatic exits and keeping life exciting."

"Well- I wouldn't exactly say that was stupid," Leo was grinning as he said it. He meant it, it really wasn't stupid, but he knew it was said as a joke and he took it as such "You're right though, it really did add some excitement to my week."

"Good- because that was my plan. I hope your test flight today is enough to return the favor, because you owe me big time for it."

"I suppose that depends on how far it makes it," Leo laughed, shifting his pack on his back a bit as he thought about it "Or how spectacularly it fails- that could be pretty entertaining to watch too. Suppose it depends on your perspective."

"Either way, I'm sure it will be fun to watch," Hazel assured "Though I'm inclined to hope for the first option."

"I wouldn't get your hopes up, this is only the second test flight."

"Yeah well- I have faith in you," Hazel assured, grinning at him for a moment, before starting to walk a little faster "Come on- we only have a little while before lunch is over."

Grinning, Leo hurried as well to lead the way.

It did not go nearly as well as Hazel had hoped. Leo insisted that for a second test flight it had gone really well, making it almost half way before it started to fall. Initially Hazel had been disappointed, but Leo's excitement was contagious, and by the time they started down the stairs again, she was grinning along with him as he listed of adjustments he was going to have to make.

"I think if I make the gliding part out of something more stable than cloth the wind won't take it as easily-" Leo considered, looking completely relaxed as they made their way back towards the kitchen.

"Maybe out of leather?" Hazel suggested, head spinning a bit as she tried to keep up with Leo's thoughts. The guy could think faster than anyone she knew, and sometimes he was at least ten steps ahead of her.

"That could work- but I don't know if leather would float the same way that cloth does-" Leo mused, and Hazel couldn't help but feel a little proud that she could see Leo considering the idea. "I'm also not sure where I would get leather to test it…"

"I can't help you with that," Hazel admitted, thinking about it too "Otherwise there are different types of fabric- I could maybe get you some stronger ones."

"That would be great- thanks," Leo agreed, looking over to grin at her "I think I need to do a few more tests at shorter distances before going from the tow-"

"Hey, what are you two doing back here?"

The voice made Hazel jump a bit. They had been so caught up in their own conversation that she hadn't heard the footsteps on the floor, and turning she saw two guards moving towards them, likely having come around from a side corridor.

"We were just going for a little walk- we're heading back down to the kitchens now," Leo said easily, smiling as he turned to look at the guards, seemingly completely unconcerned. Hazel wasn't sure that had been the best way to respond, but it was out now, and nothing else to do about it.

"You're one of the blacksmith boys," the taller of the two guards stepped forward, eyes focusing on Leo "You're not supposed to be in the castle at all. What the hell are you doing all the way up here?"

"He was helping me," Hazel spoke up before Leo could say something else, slightly scared that he might just make the situation worse. She liked Leo, a lot, but he didn't seem like the most respectful person "I asked him to help me with moving some things- he was just going back to the forge now."

"And who are you?" The other guard asked, frowning past his moustache as he looked at her "I've never see you before."

Hazel blinked a bit in surprise, before straightening a bit "I am Princess Piper's personal handmaid. I have the freedom to move about the castle as I wish, and my friend was just helping me with something."

The first guard was still watching Leo, seeming to not really be paying attention at all to what Hazel had said "What's in the bag you've got there son?"

"What?" Leo asked in confusion, looking at the guard for a long moment before speaking again "Nothing. Just some old scrap metal from the forge-"

"Hand it over."

"What?" Leo asked again, blinking in surprise as he glanced between the two men "I told you- it's just some old scrap stuff."

"I said hand it over boy."

"There's nothing in the bag," Hazel said quickly, taking a step forward "I told you- he's here to help me. We are running an errand for Princes Piper-"

"No offence, but I don't know you," The guard snapped in return, turning his attention to Hazel for just a moment before looking back at Leo "And I know that you're not supposed to be here. So hand over the bag so I can look through it before escorting you back out of the castle."

"Woah- hey, alright I'll show you the bag, no problem," Leo said, to Hazel's slight surprise. That's when he made the mistake, he raised his hands in a sign of surrender "I don't want any trouble-"

"What the hell is that?"

Hazel glanced over to see what mustache was talking about. On Leo's wrist was the very clear, spiraling black lines of the flame tattoo.

"What?" Leo asked for the third time, before noticing the tattoo. Hazel's stomach dropped, but to her surprise Leo just laughed a bit "Oh yeah- cool right? It's a flame, I got it after I got the job here. Thought it was fitting for a blacksmith- I'm thinking about gett-"

The man wasn't listening. Instead he grabbed Leo's wrist, pulling the boy forward a bit, and pulling the sleeve back to look at the marking. Hazel felt frozen to the spot. She wanted to do something, say something, but clearly the guards didn't care about what she said. Her brain told her to go find Piper, that she would help, but at the same time, she couldn't bring herself to move. She couldn't just leave him.

"Does that look familiar to you?" Mustache was holding Leo's wrist, turning it slightly to show it to the other, who raised an eyebrow a bit.

"That's the same marking that one of those druids we rounded up last week had-" The taller of the two looked at the marking for a moment, before looking back up at Leo. Hazel was frozen. Her instinct was to make sure her own wrist was covered, but there was no reason to draw attention to it. She had to help, but all she could do was stand there. "What exactly are you doing with a druid marking boy?"

"What are you talking about?" To Leo's credit he did seem legitimately confused. If Hazel didn't know he was lying she would have probably believed him. "It's just a tattoo-"

While Leo was focused on the taller of the two, Mustache had dropped his wrist to grab the bag that was hanging off of one of his shoulders instead. Leo didn't protest now, letting him take the bag. For a moment the man just looked inside it, before, turning to nod at his partner, who grabbed Leo's upper arm.

"Alright boy- you're coming with us."

"Wait!" Hazel finally snapped out of it as she looked between them, hesitating for a moment before continuing "He is a personal friend of Princess Piper, if you don't leave him alone you are going to regret it."

"We don't answer to your princess," Mustache replied, still gripping the bag "We answer to the king, and he's going to want to known about this."

"You can't just-"

"Hazel," Leo was the one that cut her off, looking back at her, more serious than she had ever seen him before "It's fine. Go find Piper- or Jason- they'll be able to help."

Before he could say anything else, the guard was pulling him down the hallway, and Hazel found that she was stuck on the spot, watching. Still, she managed to nodded a bit "I will- we'll figure this out-"

Then they disappeared around the corner. Hazel just stood for a moment, before taking a deep breath. Turning, she hurried down the hall.