Ortel got himself back under his prim, polite disguise, pushing Ranuk away and muttering while the other only looked pleased with himself.  Ranuk then pressed his snout to the demon's throat and then leapt away down the path, laughing once more while Ortel tried to regain his dignity.  At least this told Tamlin that Ranuk was kind to his husbands (his demon ones), and he took the playful teasing to be a good sign.  Ortel wished them luck on their hunt and turned off to head back into the castle, presumably to change.<br/><br/>And then it really was time to go, Ursalo waiting for the elves to follow after Ranuk, who was intently sniffing at the trail, eager and ready to begin.<br/><br/>"You're carrying these."  Tamlin held the bags out for Jera to take; it was not a suggestion or a request, and the servant took them.  Normally the prince would carry one of his own, but this was the least the servant could do to make up for the little incident... and Jera didn't mind.  He knew this and the later scolding was just a slap on the wrist; his punishment would have been so much worse coming from anyone else.  Tamlin was softhearted, without a malignant bone in his body.<br/><br/>They followed Ursalo down the trail, keeping up a brisk enough pace while Ranuk bounded ahead, enjoying the smell of the woods and whatever might await them.  The sun was bright, the sky cloudless and blue: a fine day, with the gentle breeze flowing through the air.  While Tamlin didn't rush along with the same energy of his fiance, he was excited too; he hadn't gone hunting in a while, hadn't been in the forests, running through the trees or crouched among the ferns, climbing mossy boulders or brushing his fingers over the wildflowers in the glens...  It would be nice to be surrounded by nature again, to focus on something simpler.<br/><br/>"There is a path up ahead on the right...  It's the easiest way in to start."  The forest was tangled and deep, but centuries of footwork had left paths all over, some nearly as well-trod as the road, and some barely noticeable unless found by an experienced hunter.  They would begin on a heavy-traffic trail, and then choose from the many branches that split between the trees.