“Anything?” she asked.
She still wasn’t accustomed to the shifting process. It seemed as though it was her vision, rather than Leif himself, that blurred and spun. Leif lurched forward, shuddered, there was a sense of his fur melting into smoke, and then he was a strapping Northern man once more, hair in tight, neat braids, bare arms gleaming with sweat. Was it her imagination, or were the gold bands he wore around his biceps getting tighter by the day?
“Nothing,” he said, his voice rough. He always sounded as though he was halfway growling when he first shifted. He cleared his throat and added, “We found evidence of a fresh kill a half-mile that way. A deer. Killed by humans, because they left the offal.”
Amelia had learned not to ask questions likeyou didn’t eat any of that, did you?Instead, she tipped her head back to see that the sun was halfway toward the horizon. “Gather your pack,” she said. “It’s time to make camp.”
He nodded, and stepped off the road and back into the trees.
The party moved off the road and into the forest, such as it was. The command tent went up on a small, flat place beside a drake-sized boulder, and the rest of the men spread out up and down the slope, setting down packs and bedrolls and breaking into hard tack and catching catnaps before nightfall.
The horses didn’t like it in the trees, hooves sliding on a carpet of fallen pine needles, their snorts and whickers echoing off the trunks and rocks. Amelia unsaddled Shadow herself and affixed a feed bag of oats to his halter before making her careful way up to the tent.
Before she could lift the flap and enter, Reggie exited. He caught her elbow and steered her away.
Amelia slipped on felled needles and would have fallen if not for Reggie’s grip. Even so, she said, “What are you doing? Let go of me.”
He ignored her, and guided her around a cluster of three narrow, grown-together trees. “What’s the matter with you?” he asked, when they were squared off from one another.
“I’m not the one grabbing people and dragging them about,” she shot back. “What’s wrong withyou?”
His gaze roved her face, narrowing, scrutinizing. “You looked ill this morning. Quite ill. And you were still abed after sunrise.”
“Is it not possible for a person to be exhausted amidst all ofthis?” She gestured to the makeshift camp around them.
“This was not mere exhaustion. You looked terrified.”
Again, she gestured to their surroundings.
His gaze narrowed another fraction. “You’re not with child, are you?”
“Gods,no. Why would you ask such a thing? Whose child would it even be?”
“Aren’t you and the prince—”
“No.” She felt her face heat, traitorously. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I’ve not lain with anyone since Mal.”
“Oh.” His expression turned sheepish, or as sheepish as he was capable.
“Not all of us use war to collect the favors of men,” she said, to get even, and plucked at the ratty brown neckerchief tied around his throat.
He batted her hand away, and smoothed the bit of old wool. “I don’t knowwhatyou’re talking about.”
“And I don’t know whatyou’retalking about,” she shot back. “I was tired. It happens. Are we done with this ridiculous line of questioning?” She moved to step around him, and hecaptured her arm again, spinning them around so their positions were reversed.
“Amelia, if you’re distracted—”
“I’m not,” she said, firmly. She jerked her arm loose. “If it’s distractions that worry you, concentrate on your own fear, because I don’t have any.”
He didn’t try to stop her a second time when she stalked off, and she immediately felt sorry for what she’d said. If anyone had a right to fear, it was Reggie. But she couldn’t afford to show a moment’s weakness or doubt now.
~*~
The evening seemed to stretch for days, and then, suddenly, the moon was rising above the tree line, and twilight settled like smoke between the tree trunks.
Connor had never looked more like an outlaw born to the wilderness than he did standing outside the tent, sword and bow slung over his back, a shuttered lantern dangling from one gloved hand. “Give us an hour,” he said, “and then take to the sky, whether or not you’ve seen our signal.”
Amelia nodded.
