“Have you ever bitten off more than you can chew?” I ask Nortus, running my hand down his black mane while staring up at the intimidating mountains looming over us.
I was warned that the trek ahead would be grueling. The blistering cold, the rocky, overgrown trails, and the ache in my thighs from riding a horse for hours, but that was nothing compared to the monstrosity towering above. Why would any living creature climb this mountain to hide a stone? It would have been safe buried in the sand along a beach or in the tall grass of a meadow. Hiding it in the highest mountain in the five kingdoms is the work of a sadist.
Nortus lifts his head from the clear stream and bristles.
“Trust me, friend. I don’t want to climb it either,” I say, leaning against his side and taking in the clearing where we chose to set up camp for the night.
He grunts and rips a clump of grass up, smacking his lips as he chews. It must be nice not having a care in the world. Eat,sleep, and carry people around—it sounds like a good life right about now.
Samson nuzzles his wet nose against my neck. I laugh and swat him away, but he doesn’t give up. His warm breath brushes my cheek until I run my hand down his muzzle.
“Sometimes I wonder who the real king is, you or Kyron,” I say, scratching behind his ear.
He leans into my touch and closes his big brown eyes.
“You want to come and get warm with friends, or are you going to spend the night having one-way conversations with horses?” Terro asks, placing a pile of wood next to the fire Greer built.
Samson kicks his hind leg back and Nortus snorts. They are smart, but Terro is right. I can’t spend the night standing between two horses. I give them each one last affectionate stroke and join the others.
Kyron sits with his back to one of the logs they placed around the fire, rummaging through a satchel filled with food. He tilts his head toward the empty space beside him, and I sink down on the dirt. He removes a cloth filled with dried fruit and another of beef jerky. We each take what we want and pass it around the circle of our friends.
I can’t recall ever seeing Kyron as excited as he was when we learned about the Imperium. He was so eager to leave the temple and get moving. The closer we get to the mountain his enthusiasm seems to transform into something more serious. He’s in general mode... quiet, alert, and brooding. It doesn’t sit well with me.
“Are you all right?” I ask, keeping my voice low while the others carry on with their conversations.
He takes a bite of jerky and stares into the fire. I wait patiently for him to answer, watching the muscle in his jaw flex as he chews. It feels like minutes pass by before he says, “I’mhaving a hard time with the notion that you have to do this on your own. I don’t like the thought of letting you out of my sight and leaving you to face the Statera only knows what without me. It scares me to think I have to stand by while you risk your life. It doesn’t feel right.”
His confession yanks at my heart, sending a painful ache through it. It’s ridiculous to think he is never scared. No amount of bravado or stern commands can hide the fact that we all have fears. To hear him say it though, it’s jarring.
“I can do this. You don’t have to worry,” I say, resting my head on his shoulder and watching the flames reach for the night sky.
He grunts and wraps his arm around me, pulling me into his side. “Maybe you would like to tell me not to breathe while you’re at it. You would have a better chance of that happening.”
I poke him in the ribs, and he jerks away from my finger. “Not funny,” I say.
“But it’s true.”
I understand his worry. The last thing I want is to let him out of my sight. We haven’t even started our life together. From the beginning, it has been one obstacle after another. We will never get the chance to experience what our life can really be like if I fail. I will never get to feel like it’s typical to wake up in his arms. We won’t get to learn those tiny habits that drive the other insane. He’ll never know that I hate melons, and I won’t have an embarrassing story about him to tell our loved ones. All we have is this moment with friends to create something special.
“Greer,” I call, and she looks at me through the flames crackling between us. “Tell me your favorite story about Kyron.”
“My favorite story about Ky?” She looks past me to him, and a bright smile consumes her face.
“Don’t tell her that story,” he says in warning.
“Oh, I’m going to tell herthatstory.”
“Greer, if you?—”
I clap my hand over his mouth and smile at her. “Go on. Tell me all about it.”
Terro and Ulric exchange knowing glances and snicker. This appears to be one of their favorite stories as well. Ashavee must sense the same thing because she sits up and places her arm over her bent knee, giving her full attention to the general.
Kyron removes my hand from his mouth and says, “I’d like to preface this by saying this wasn’t my most shining moment.”
“Of course not. That’s what makes this such a great story,” Greer retorts. She clears her throat and straightens her spine. “Kyron was the last of us to... enjoy the pleasures of the flesh.”
“Fuck,” he groans, resting his head on the log behind us. “Are you sure you want to hear this?” he asks me.
