Now Caitlin could see that the others were gathered around a scorched circle in the grass. The inside of the circle was filled with ash and bits of burned wood. Someone had camped here.
“And we found something,” Conall said. “In the remains of the campfire. Looks like they tried to burn it. What do ye make of this?”
He held something up to Oskar. Oskar took it, and Caitlin saw that it was a scrap of tartan cloth with some kind of sigil sewn into it. She couldn’t make it out very well, but the design looked like a representation of an orca.
Oskar ran his hands over the cloth and looked at Kai in surprise. “Do ye think this means—?”
“I dinna know,” Kai replied, unease in his voice. “But I dinna like it.” He took the scrap of cloth from Oskar and tucked it away.
“What is it?” Caitlin asked. “Why do you all look like you’ve swallowed a wasp?”
“Naught,” Kai replied. He rubbed his chin. “At least, I hope it’s naught. Come. I’ve found us a place to camp for the night.”
He led them through the clearing and into the trees, winding his way around thick trunks and across moss-covered glades. The sun had begun to dip in the sky when at last they came to a large, flat area at the top of a small hill that had been cleared of all but a few scattered trees.
As Oskar brought the wagon to a halt, Caitlin climbed down, stretching her stiff muscles with a relieved sigh. She was glad she hadn’t had to walk all day, but sitting on a hard wooden bench made her backside ache with a vengeance.
The others went to work setting up camp with the easy efficiency of those who had done it many times before. Oskar saw to the horses, Kai set about building a fire, whilst Emeric and Conall unpacked their supplies.
Caitlin watched, feeling useless. “Er...is there anything I can do to help?” she asked.
The men glanced up at her as though surprised she would ask.
Kai shrugged and nodded at the supplies. “Ye can help us prepare dinner.”
Caitlin nodded, relieved at having something to do. She took a knife, sat on a nearby log, and began to peel parsnips. The men worked around her, their movements fluid and practiced.
As night fell, they gathered around the fire, their meal of roasted rabbit and vegetables sizzling on skewers above the flames. The men talked quietly amongst themselves and laughed now and then, and Caitlin was content to sit and listen.
Oskar passed around a flask of what smelled like whisky, and she took a sip when it was offered to her. The warmth of the alcohol spread through her body, and she felt herself relax a little.
Kai caught her eye from across the fire. The directness of his gaze sent a heat flushing through her that had nothing to do with the whisky. She turned her head, forcing herself to concentrate on what Oskar was saying.
He was telling a story about their last mission, which involved hunting down some bandits that had been harrying travelers, complete with dramatic hand gestures and exaggerated facial expressions. The others laughed and chimed in with their own embellishments.
With a dramatic flourish, Oskar finished his story then tossed the flask across the fire towards Emeric. The archer made a grab for it, missed it entirely, and the whisky sprayed into the flames with a loud whoosh. Sparks flew up into the night sky and Caitlin let out a gasp as the night breeze took them and blew the little sparks right at her.
The flames seemed to flicker around her and, for a moment, she was paralyzed with fear. Memory flared. Smoke. Heat. Choking agony.
She jumped to her feet and stumbled backwards, her heart pounding. She couldn’t seem to catch her breath.
Kai was at her side in an instant, his arm around her shoulders as he guided her a few steps away from the firepit. “It’s alright,” he said softly. “It’s just a spark.”
Caitlin nodded quickly. “Of course it is. It just made me jump, that’s all. I...er...I think I’ll go to bed.”
Before anyone could speak, she hurried into the tent that Emeric had set up for her. It was the only tent they had, and the others would sleep on bedrolls by the fire. The interior of the tent was dark, small, and smelled unpleasantly of mildew but Caitlin barely noticed as she knelt on the hard ground, squeezed her eyes tight shut and balled her hands into fists as she felt the panic rise up inside her.
No, she told herself.You’re not having me this time.
She practiced the techniques her therapist had taught her: breathing deeply whilst visualizing the panic passing through her and dissipating like water draining away.
Slowly, the tension in her body began to ease. She closed her eyes and let the sound of the campfire and the men’s voices fade into the background. She focused instead on the sound of crickets and the rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze, conjuring up a mental image of a peaceful meadow bathed in sun.
You’re okay, she told herself.You’re safe.
She wasn’t, of course. She was neither okay nor safe. She rolled up the hem of her dress and stared at her calves, at the rough, ridged skin and all it signified. Tears welled in her eyes.
The crunch of footsteps sounded outside and Kai’s deep voice rumbled, “Are ye all right, lass?”
