Truthfully, Lachesis did not know if the direction they were heading in was right or wrong and presently, he did not care. He was enjoying his time with the river princess. It was a temporary distraction to the never-ending list of worries that waited for him back in Kingsfall. A wide smile rolled onto his maw accompanied by an exaggerated eye roll at her response. She was far too easy to tease.

They were certainly doing better together than they had been while on their own — Lachesis in particular — so he was thankful for her presence. The attitude (more amusing than anything) was a welcome change for he was growing weary of being serious all the time. If it had not been for his white coat, already, he would surely be covered in grey by now due to the amount of stress he carried on his shoulders. The ghost knew he brought it upon himself, but it was difficult to remove once present.

“No, no,” he chuckled, chartreuse gaze fixated on the slender yearling, “you’re doing a fine job.” He bounced back as she returned the nip, his smile only widening. “Lead on, Kalta,” the healer retorted as he stepped forward, bumping her shoulder once more as he pointed is nose in the direction they had been going in. The delay did not bother XIX one bit. In fact, he was hoping there would be even more delay. 

He couldn’t stop his eyes from rolling a second time, the crooked grin still pressed unevenly against his maw. The ghost could hardly keep up with her sharp responses; she was quite unlike the other females that had been in Lachesis’ life. It was certainly a good thing — the pale healer had a knack for driving the opposite sex away, but perhaps her differences would keep her from disappearing like the others. Even a friendship would suffice — just as long as she did not leave. XIX couldn’t handle anymore absences in his life.

It had been quite some time since the healer had truly enjoyed himself. Like Lekalta, he wasn’t so keen on returning home in a timely manner. Returning to Hearthwood would mean returning to responsibilities, which Lachesis was quite alright with avoiding for a few more hours. “Oh really?” XIX cooed in response, his brows waggling at her as he bounded after her.   “I know exactly where I’m going,” he chuffed as he came up beside Lekalta, his shoulder bumping against hers as he trotted forward. His words weren’t entirely true, but he was sure that the river princess did not mind that their venture back home was taking longer than expected. They would make their way to Hearthwood eventually — they were just taking a very long detour back. And detours were always acceptable. 

“We are…” he started, his lips curving into his infamous crooked grin as he observed their barren surroundings, “… precisely where we should be.” He was beginning to recognize bits and pieces of the landscape around them, much to his disappointment. Lachesis was not ready to return to the reality that was waiting for them in Kingsfall. Responsibilities were beckoning him forward, no matter how hard he tried to ignore them. Despite the river waiting for them in the distance it did not mean that they were in a hurry to return. Responsibilities could wait a little longer.

Instinctively he snapped the air in response, mimicking her actions as he lunged forward, nipping at the air above her hindquarters as she danced forward in an attempt to entice him in a game of chase. Rolling his pear-coloured eyes he followed willingly, his large paws thudding against the snow dusted earth as he followed behind closely. It had been far too long since the ghost had disposed of the weight on shoulders and enjoyed himself. It was an opportunity that was too good to pass up and he was in no rush to end it so soon. XIX picked up speed and angled away from the green-eyed girl, his chartreuse gaze never wavering from her slender figure. Without warning, he rushed her and stopped abruptly, sending a wave of snow in her direction.

“Maybe that’s what I was trying to do!” He shouted after her as his slipped into a playful bow, his tail wagging slowly behind him. The ghost did not care about returning home or to the responsibilities that waited for him beyond the trees. Instead, XIX wanted to waste the rest of the day here, with Lekalta. He would worry about being a leader in the morning — right now he had much more important things to attend to.

Without hesitation, the ghost followed her with a burst of speed. He lunged forward once more, his teeth snapping playfully at the tip of her tail. He did not know if they were headed in the right direction anymore, and he did not care. Only when they were both exhausted and struggling to catch their breath would they return to the river’s edge. “And I’m much more of a stag than a bumbling moose,” he teased with a crooked smile before he reached for her tail a second time. It had been quite some time since the ghost had felt this carefree, for XIX always had a million and one things on his mind. He had almost forgotten how good it felt.

He knew their adventure would soon be ending — they could only delay it so much before it finally caught up to them. He was thankful for their time together; she had been the perfect distraction — and XIX certainly wasn’t against her distracting him in the future.

The ghost brushed her shoulder once more with his own as they entered the forest surrounding their home, the mood growing somber as they realized their time together was coming to an end. For now, he would relish in her company until they reached the Hearthwood borders, for he did not know when they would get another moment like this together… It seemed as though the universe had other plans for them — plans that did not involve the two together. For now, that was okay. Lachesis had too many things on his plate… the last thing he needed was a woman to add to the mix…