She stiffened and pushed away. As she turned, Croak enveloped her in his arms, crushing her tightly and stealing her breath away. Terena clung to him fiercely, burying her face in his chest. He shook, and Terena squeezed him tighter, her eyes stinging.
He let her go at last and she stumbled a step before turning to see where Nikos was. Jason held the boy cradled in his lap on the ground.
When he turned his head and saw Terena, the boy held out his arms to her and she dropped to the ground to hug him.
“Fucking gods, Terena,” Croak said behind her, his voice shaking. “Does it have to be so fucking dramatic every gods damned time?”
“Language!” Terena hissed over her shoulder at him.
The others grumbled their agreement and Terena looked up to see Gabriol walk away, his hands on his head and Michael crouched on his haunches, his head bowed to the ground.
Rydon stood near the ravine edge, head tucked to his chest. Jason gathered up the rope, his lips tight; she caught the glance he shot at her and the wariness in his eyes.
Terena cradled the boy’s head and stood.
Croak jogged up to her, her bow in his hand. He walked to Nyx and attached it to the saddle. Terena handed him the boy, who moaned in protest, but went to Croak when she assured him he’d be riding with her.
She mounted, then reached down as Croak hefted Nikos into her arms and settled him in her lap, being careful of his leg. Michael came to her side, a piece of wood and cloth in his hand. Terena nodded when he caught her eye and he efficiently bound the boy’s leg, splinting it as best he could without hurting him.
Terena thanked him. He nodded once and strode off.
She looked up. The others stared at her for long seconds before they launched into motion, moving to their horses and mounting.
“All right, Nikos,” Terena said, her voice loud so the others could hear. “Now, do you know where your family is? Where we can find them?”
The boy thought for a few seconds before his brows shot up. “My father lives in a cave!”
Croak snorted behind her.
Terena looked down at Nikos with a smile. “He does? Do you know where it is?”
He nodded emphatically.
She smiled. “Brave boy. Can you show me how to get there?”
He nodded again and pointed to their right. Terena looked aroundat the others before prodding Nyx to walk, conscious of Nikos’s leg and the fading light. “Let’s go find him then!”
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
“We’re about an hour’s ride from Thuria,” Daris said, pulling up to Terena’s side. She nodded without looking at him.
When she didn’t reply, he said, “Let’s find the boy’s father quickly and secure rooms in town.”
“You and your men should go on,” she said, proud of the steel in her voice. “We’ll find his father.”
She dared a look at him. His face was impassive, but she saw the surprise in his eyes. He dipped his chin and pulled on his reins, his large stallion moving left as he pealed away.
Terena rode off in silence with Rydon, Gabriol and Croak. She looked down after a moment to see Nikos fast asleep in her arms, his head resting on her chest with his lips parted.
She hoped she was going in the right direction, as she was loathe to wake the boy. He’d said earlier they had to keep going this way, assuring her the cave would be ahead ‘in a long time’.
Terena didn’t know what ‘in a long time’ meant to a boy his age.
The path he’d told them to take led them down, and Terena looked back the way the others had gone to see she was much lower, about the level of the base of the ravine.
A black shape appeared ahead and Terena frowned.“What is that?”
Gabriol squinted. “Do you see that?”
