Bucky followed the ear-splittingly loud screeching and grinding noise back behind the keep. A trail of sorts had already been blazed ahead in the thin snow by debris, bits of metal, the glint of tiny wire, a scrap of cloth here and there, and long pieces of hair that caught in the breeze and flew up in the wake of his passing.
He found the princess - Toni - standing in front of some large metal contraption with a whirling blade in the center, feeding logs into it. It spit them out the other side in smooth, even planks.
He had to stop and stare, not at whatever she'd put together - he was getting used to her building all sorts of monstrosities and knew better than to ask unless he wanted an all-day explanation (which often included diagrams and segues into future plans), and he honestly wanted some sleep sometime today. But she'd obviously gotten tired of getting in her own way.
Gone were the elegant dresses she'd brought with her; now she wore trousers and a shirt which, while not well tailored, were crafted from the same fabric as her dresses, seams and hems uneven but serviceable. Her hair was mostly gone, too, shorn just above her ears and cut close against her neck. The overall look wasn't any less feminine, not with those curves and, honestly, impressive breasts, but she seemed less a royal just playing at rebellion now.
All her attention was focused on whatever she was doing; she never even looked up when Bucky huffed out a cool breath in her direction.
Rolling his eyes, he heaved his bulk around and headed back. Maybe there was something in his hoard he could stuff in his ears.