You 're the only one who can make her laugh . [ WP ]

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 They sat on a rise above the river, watching the boats pass by from under the welcome shade of an young maple. They wore court robes fitting for a day excursions, the cloth made of a stronger weave and of darker than normal colors; the better to avoid showing dirt or grim. She had a slim dagger in a decorated scabbard tucked under her belt, a folded paper fan besides it. Her parasol was folded shut and resting against the sturdy trunk. His sword was in its sheath and similarly draped against the tree. 
 
 `` I spy with my little eye... something beginning with T.'' 
 
 `` Is it a tree?'' Faith asked dryly. Flint slapped his forehead as if astonished. 
 
 `` How did you know?'' 
 
 She shook her head and returned to her book, idly flipping through pages to pass the time. For once there was nothing needed of her, no courtier's ruffled feathers to sooth, no magic lessons taught by grim and merciless instructors and no demands of intrigue. If she'd realized what awaited her upon returning home she would have stayed presumed dead, at least dead daughters of lords did n't ladies in waiting dogging her every waking moment. 
 
 Flint smiled ruefully and plucked a blade of grass to chew on, leaning his head against the comfortable bark of the tree. 
 
 `` Bored, kid?'' 
 
 Faith nodded, still with her nose in her book, her hair tucked behind Fae-point ears. 
 
 `` I ca n't believe I'm saying this, but I miss our journey here. I was n't a princess, I was n't nobility. I was just... me.'' 
 
 Flint chuckled, the piece of grass still clenched in his teeth. 
 
 `` Yeah, I saw that movie once. The thing is, Faith, there's folks who'd literally kill to have what you got right now; clean sheets, hot food that is n't crawling with maggots, servants at your beck and call day and night. Yeah, freedom's nice, but so is a full belly. You only need to be constipated for two weeks due to trail rations before realizing regular meals and clean jakes are nice things to have. *Hey, quit your smirking. * That really happened. Was like crapping a potato.'' 
 
 Faith laughed at the picture of Flint grunting and cursing behind a bush, expending every oath and swear in his exhausting list with his pants round his ankles. 
 
 `` That must have been... a shitty experience.'' 
 
 Flint gave her a withering glare. `` Do n't you start making puns with me, young lady. I was making shitty puns since before you were seventy. Not that I'd give a crap about them.''
