I grimaced. At least he hadn’t heard us talking near him last night while he slept. But all of it put together made my situation sound implausible and ridiculous. None of us should work well together, and yet...
“I suppose fighting a common enemy makes for a quick friendship,” I said.
“Is that why you’re training so hard? For another battle?”
I nodded. “Of a sort. We’re leaving for Calimber soon. We’re going to spy on it, then hopefully destroy it. You can?—”
“I’m coming with,” he said firmly.
“Ruru—”
“No. I can rest, eat, and train on the way, same as you. I go where my friends go.”
I gripped his shoulder, hoping to all four gods that being my friend didn’t kill him. “Then we’d be honored to have you, Ruru.”
Chapter 25
Kiera
The next twodays were a blur of training and preparations for the journey to Calimber.
Any time I wasn’t gathering food or stocking the camp with fresh wood and water, I was training with Nikella and Ruru. She had shifted to yet another tactic—fighting on horseback. She said that was likely how we’d face the border patrol, and we needed to have absolute control of our horses.
Ozlow and I were... doing our best. My palms still sweat every time I had to jerk him to a halt and wheel him in the opposite direction or urge him into a gallop. I’d only fallen off once, but it’d been enough to make me nervous.
I rarely saw Aiden as he helped with other preparations. He hunted with the others to supply the Yargoths with enough food to make up for their warriors’ absence. He also rode to where Skelly was anchored off the coast and told him where we were going and to wait for word from us.
But unlike the last time we were in the camp, Aiden always sought me out when he was passing through. Even if it was just a glance or standing by to watch me train for a few moments.
We’d only spoken a few words in passing. But those words had been polite. Awkward. Like gentle fingers tapping around a sore spot to see if it still hurt.
What was I supposed to say to the man I’d half fallen in love with, only to realize he’d killed my mother... but for a good reason?
I was a mess of impatience. I wanted to mount Ozlow and gallop to Calimber. Hunt down our enemies like Renwell had hunted down my mother. I wanted to rain fire down on his camp in retribution.
It still wouldn’t be enough. It never would be.
When Aiden told me to join everyone after dinner in Frieda’s lodge, I wolfed down my rabbit stew and dry biscuit so fast I barely chewed.
I handed off my dirty dishes and hurried to Frieda’s lodge. It was no larger than the rest, painted with a dozen Dag symbols, including the Yargoth mountain one. The same that Korvin had sliced off Maz’s back.
Aiden and Nikella had already beaten me there and were sitting on two of the cushions strewn about the fur-covered floor.
Aiden was in a tense discussion with Frieda, who sat hunched in a chair of twisted branches.
“—more runners. They might send?—”
“No,” Frieda cut off Aiden. “We have sent enough. We have lost enough. I can barely afford to let you take the four I promised.”
I shuffled in the doorway, not sure if they’d noticed me.
Aiden’s jaw clenched. “They’ll be back before Arduen’s Night.”
Frieda sighed, rubbing her wrinkled forehead as if she could erase the worry inside. “I trust your word, Aiden. I know you are simply trying to save your people. But I have my own people to protect. A winter to survive. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” Aiden murmured, but his shoulders remained taut.
“Good. Come in, Kiera. Take a seat.”
