Donovan’s voice was cut down to a whisper, “Why are we-”

“Shhhhhhh”

Oblivious to the contents of the canopies, two shepherds approached the river. Elbowing ewes and tapping their legs with staphs, they made their way through the flock and took leaping steps over the stream. Under a nearby tree they made themselves comfortable as they pulled out rusacks of bread and cheese. They were stopping for their midday meal.

Leland and Don peered through the breaks in leaves, Leland steadying Don with a firm hand on his shoulder. Fruit trees were trained to grow tall in orchards to avoid too much thieving from boar-bears, so they should be well out of eye level of the shepherds, but they nevertheless held their breaths as they eavesdropped. One of the shepherds had kicked away a scorched apricot apricot.

“Suppose they'll blame us for these, too?"

"'s no reason to go after the sheep, though."

"How many more this week?"

As their chatter turned into the mundane, Leland turned his attention instead to the stain of straggling fungus on the crook of the tree. Donovan meanwhile focused on maintaining his center, his uneasy balance threatening to quiver the leaves. The men below continued to gossip for some time.

"It's just a funny thing, Syna folk are so prideful! We both saw the fruit. Clearly the fungus is the cause, no sense denying it."

"Aye! As if they couldn't afford to cover a couple sheep…"

"They'd rather kick a man while he's down than admit their trees are full of rot!" The man spits in disgust.

"Don't worry, they'll regret it once they can't afford the mutton anymore, you’ll see."

The other seemed pleased with this comment, standing up to stretch. "We best move on before we get found out."

"So soon?"

"We'll need extra time to check the flock anyways,"

"Fair, fair."

When their figures finally dipped behind the hill once again, Leland let out a sigh of relief as he wiggled his leg that had fallen asleep, “I thought they’d never leave.”

Donovan’s knuckles were braced against their perch, not a single muscle moving.

"People are the most honest when they think no one is listening,"

"They said nothing we didn't already know,"

"Doesn't it seem odd?"

"Odd how?"

Unlike Donovan’s rigid posture, Leland gestured freely with his arms as he spoke,"The farmers say the shepherds poisoned their trees, the shepherds say the farmers poisoned their sheep. Which one happened first?"

"Clearly the trees?"

"How can you be sure? You would think they'd notice an infection severe enough to spoil the fruit that falls for the sheep to eat."

Don contemplates his words a bit, his mind temporarily distracted from his peril.

"So who's the liar?"

"Now that's a good question. Why don't we find out?"

Lee abruptly slides down off the branch, catches another one, then drops down to the ground with little effort. Brushing leaves from his clothes, he smiles up at Don.

"Your turn!"

Don’s face was a blank slate as he stared down at Leland, a long moment passing before he attempted to move. The first limb went smooth despite his shaky leg, but there’s a halt in progress as he fails to test his footing and loses purchase on a bad step. With just a single slip of his foot, he was reduced once more to hugging tightly to the trunk of the tree, his arms burning to prop up his weight.

Another minute passed before Donovan’s voice muttered out,"L-...Leland…."

"Hmm?" Leland innocently looked up in acknowledgment. Donovan’s back was facing him, shoulders tense as he clung to the tree. His face was completely hidden from view.

"I can't."

"Can't?"

"I can't get down."

"My prince! What a predicament!"

Donovan precariously tapped his foot on various spots of bark and gnarled wood, never sure enough in the footing to continue. After the strain started to make his arms shake, he gave up and climbed back to the safety of his perch. Leland’s unbridled laughter floated up from below.

"Cozy, your highness?"

Donovan’s face was visible now, a new expression on display for Leland’s entertainment. A couple hairs were out of place on his hairline, his cheeks flush in frustration. The dark eyes that were usually calm and collected were fraught with uncertainty.

"You seem quite amused with yourself!"

"Perish the thought! Do you perhaps need some help?"

Don glared coldly at Leland’s cheeky grin, his mood for antics long gone.

"My, what a scary face! I didn't think you were capable, Don!"

"That's Prince Don to you!" Don’s usual refined tone had shattered into a sharp fury pointed directly at Leland.

"Ah, how lucky of me, the prince will allow me pet names!"

"You-!"

Lee held his stomach as he laughed, each chuckle burning Don’s face another degree. Finally, his fit turned into a hum as he extended a hand.

"Okay, Prince Don, your knight in shining armor is here. May I?"

"I don’t need your hand, just get me down!"

Lee stopped himself from another quick quip, directing Don’s actions as he attempted to make his descent instead. After much protest, Don finally agreed to slide off of the lowest branch, ready to make the final small drop to the ground. When at last he made landing he still managed to stumble, but before gravity could take over a steady hand pressed to his chest.

"Watch your step, your highness," Lee let his words out lightly, the potential consequences of his bullying within arms reach, now. Don, on the other hand, only huffed and brushed off his clothes. Another gentle laugh left Leland’s lips, his sadism now turned to pity. He plucked a leaf from Donovan’s hair.

"Well, I think this has been a very educational experience, don't you think? Too bad the trees don't have anything more telling for us," after twirling the leaf between his fingers, he let it spin to the ground. Don sighed, refusing to make direct eye contact.

"It's the trunks. Maybe you’d know why if you wouldn’t mess around so much.”

“Oh?’

He pointed towards the center of the tree’s boughs, “There’s a gash in the tree bark, barely noticeable, but a pulp was used to close the wound.”

“A pulp? Do trees even need pulp?”

“That doesn’t matter, what matters is it was orange.” 

"They've been cut? But who- so it was the shepherds?" Leland followed closely on Donovan's heel as they headed back down the stream.

Donovan responded in a tired tone,"Or the farmers? This is where it all started, but the shepherds seem uninvolved."

"Why would they do something so self destructive? Even if it was a rival family, the disease clearly spread to the neighboring orchards just as quickly."

"So we're back at square one. This was a waste of time" Don was exasperated, still shaking off his frustration with a roll of his eyes.

"Nonsense! We now know it was deliberate and at least two shepherds are innocent."

"Fantastic. Now we just need to eavesdrop on the other hundred of them."

Lee sensed that he may have underestimated the extent of Don's temper, so he trotted forward to meet his eyes.

"Hey, it's only day one, you know. The answer isn't going to jump into our laps."

"It aught to" Don trudged past him, a dangerous look on his face. Lines appeared in his cheeks as he frowned.

"But what fun would that be?" Leland meant it as relief from the tense conversation that was developing, but little did he know, it was the last straw for Donovan to snap around on his heel. His hands raised with his voice.

"This isn't a joke, Leland. This is people's livelihoods at stake, the peace of our borders in question. I have a responsibility to these people, and it wouldn't hurt to take this a little more serious."

“I don’t take this as a joke!” Leland exclaimed.

“Then stop joking.” his last words a bite, Donovan finally tasted the bitterness of his tone. Swallowing his shame, he kept walking, not a wisp of courage left in him to apologize. A few quiet words sounded behind him, sitting like stones in his stomach.

“My apologies, your highness.”