Well, there’d also been a mystery-meat jerky that looked like dried tar. But who knew what kinda havoc that would wreak on my stomach?
“Bleh.” I sprayed a bunch of still-dried crumbs when I talked. Most of it ended up in Sacrifice’s mane. “Oops,” I chuckled when she flattened her ears. “Sorry! Anyway, there’s no nutritional value in this. None. Not that I care about food being healthy. But it should at least taste good, y’know?”
Cheriour said nothing.
When I looked over my shoulder at him, he had this odd, mouth-puckered look. Like he was trying not to laugh.
Or trying to hold in a frustrated yell.
We’d been riding for hours. Judging by the sun, at least. It’d still been dark when we hit the road, and now the sun sat high in the sky.
“Fuck, it’s hot!” Sweat trickled down my back. “You know it was almost winter when I left home—”
A gurgling noise sounded behind me. I turned as Liam, the boy riding with Cheriour, started choking. And then vomiting.
In three calm movements, Cheriour halted his horse, dismounted, and laid the boy on the ground.
“Is he—” I started.
“Eimear!” Cheriour called to a woman on a pudgy brown horse riding a few feet in front of us. “Tell Belanna to stop.”
The woman nodded and cantered away.
“Hunter, Timothy!”
Two middle-aged men turned when Cheriour called their names.
“Check the wounded.” Cheriour kept his head down, stroking Liam’s back as the boy spat up mouthfuls of blood. “Pull the ones who aren’t faring well. Leave the ones that are.”
“Aye.” One man nodded.
“And tell Cathal we’ll need more yarrow and calendula.”
The two men rode off as the rest of the army halted.
“You,” Cheriour waved a hand in my direction, “can dismount. Don’t untack, but loosen her girth.”
“Uhh,” I started
“Kaelan!” he called.
“I’m coming!” Kaelan had already dismounted. His blond hair bounced over his shoulders as he jogged toward us, leading his disgruntled horse. “Braxton said you read his mind,” Kaelan said to Cheriour. “Elijah and Jane are ill too—”
“They’ve all gone too long without healing.” Cheriour’s mouth was set in a hard line. “I’ll need your help in a moment. For now…” he gave me another dismissive wave. Like he was saying,please get the annoying bitch out of my hair.
Kaelan nodded. “There’s a stream nearby. We’ll get the horses watered.”
“Take mine as well.” Cheriour held out his horse’s reins.
“Of course.” Kaelan grabbed the rein and led his two horses into the trees, motioning for me to follow.
I slid to the ground, squealing when pain rocketed from the balls of my feet. “Goddamn. Does this ever get easier?”
Behind me, Liam retched again. I turned, tugging on Sacrifice’s reins, moving her closer to Cheriour. “Do you need—”
“Take care of your horse, Addie.” Cheriour tugged at Liam’s shirt, inspecting the seeping wounds underneath.
“But I—”
