A downpour of rain sullied our travel after several hours. The wind picked up with ferocity, and lightning flashed across the sky every few minutes, sending a booming wave of thunder to shake the forest around us.
There’d be no setting up a fire. Every log and stick was thoroughly soaked through by the time we arrived. Each outpost had been established based on the protective environment around it. The previous had been embedded in hills, and this one sat at the base of a cliffside. Rock formations created small cave-like holes in its face. Shouting over the roaring wind was essentially futile, but everyone had the same idea.
I wouldn’t shift back in weather like this, not when I had a layer of fur to keep me warm. The four members ducked into an alcove, one that definitely couldn’t fit me in this state, and that was filled to capacity with the four of them.
Ro dipped into a shallow cavity, thoroughly drenched from head to toe. None of the protrusions were deep enough to shelter her fully from the pummeling downpour. Ro’s lashes bat against the rain, searching the sky. I nudged the dead boar under a shallow rock shelf, then made my way to Ro. We were obscured from view of the others, otherwise I wouldn’t have risked it.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s Braxius. I told him to stay behind us while we traveled. I’m worried he took shelter before we stopped and he won’t know where to find us.”
A shiver ran along my heated skin, not from the rain or the wind, or the rumbling static that clung to the air threatening to forge into a lightning bolt at any moment. No, from the pure worry and fear emanating from her, and the way she shook uncontrollably. The elements had torn down her defenses and left her bare.
Her knuckles whitened from her grip, from how she hugged herself and hunched her shoulders. She might freeze out here if she remained exposed.
“He’ll find us,” I assured her.
She nodded, her shaking growing more violent. Her teeth began chattering then.
“You’ll freeze. Get comfortable and lean against me.”
I shook my body, throwing off excess water despite the unending stream from the sky, then laid myself down before her alcove. The size of my body covered half of the exposure.
I expected more questioning, but only felt her quivering frame press against me. She tucked herself between my elbow and my ribs. I faced away from the cliffside, ignoring the steady pelting that carried on. Within half an hour, Ro had stopped shaking. I could feel her breathing deep and slow. She’d fallen asleep, and an unexpected sense of pride washed over me.
38
Ro
Prying my eyes open, I was surprised to find morning had already come. The sky softly glowed blue from the impending sunrise. The world still showed evidence of the incessant rainfall, darker spots marking on the cliffside where it hadn’t yet dried and the soggy scent of moist soil wafting from the ground. Despite the raging storm, I’d slept remarkably soundly. My clothes still clung to me, damp to the touch, but I wasn’t chilled. A low rumble vibrated against my body.
A tiger’s purr.
Sitting upright came with immediate regret. The absence of Dae’s warmth was instantaneous, but necessary. I shoved his restful frame. “Hey, I need you to move.”
The massive feline bunched his shoulders, then executed the slowest, most deliberate stretch known to man. His claws extended far in front of him, and his tail curled into a curved peak. I laughed at how utterly gentle the enormous orange and striped creature looked in this lazy state.
“Move!” I chuckled while nudging with both of my palms. Pointless. I might as well have been trying to shove the cliff behind me.
Finally, he lifted himself and prowled out of my way.
“What are you doing?”Even his mental voice had the cadence of early morning grogginess.
“Not that it’s any of your business, but I need to pee.”I scanned for the closest accessible area that hopefully wouldn’t require trudging too deeply into the sodden forest.
“Now that you mention it.” He casually stalked off in the opposite direction.
I smiled and shook my head. Besides some hunger and a full bladder, it’s amazing how I could be so rested and fine after everything that’d happened yesterday, including that frigid storm.
Once I dealt with half of my problems, I paused before nearing the cliffside where the others might soon be waking, scanning the sky. Within the hour, the sun would crest the horizon. The others would dictate how soon we left, but I hoped that Braxius would be able to catch up with us by then. I didn’t know where he’d stopped, and knowing how much that little guy loved to sleep in, I feared we’d be on the move before he woke.
The road we’d been traveling had gradually dissipated from distinct dirt to run down grass, still somewhat discernible as a path, but definitely less obvious. I wondered if the closer we got to their camp, the more it would become unrecognizable as a route to take. That little dragon better scurry, because he might not be able to find us if he didn’t.
He probably should have departed back to Rahana already, but he seemed just as eager to stay with me as I selfishly wanted him to. If he’d come this far, he may as well stay until we saw what we were dealing with. I still had three weeks until Taja would descend upon Rahana, anyway. And if I didn’t survive themoment I stepped into The Order’s camp, that’s information he could bring back as well.
Yesterday had been a wake up call. If I was going to survive the rest of this mission, I needed to lock down my emotions. I created a tiny mental box where I imagined placing those hard to deal with feelings and events, and set them on a shelf. There would be time to unpack it later.
Dae, for whatever reason, saw my vulnerability and didn’t see it as weakness. Or at least, if he did, he didn’t use it to his advantage. I didn’t doubt for a second that if Harlson or Val had seen me like that, my throat would have been slit on the spot.
