Zul stopped and reluctantly set his mate down, ensuring she was steady on her feet before relinquishing his hold. Crow ran to his mother who crouched down and opened her armsto embrace him. He watched in silence as mother and son held each other.
“Relieve yourselves, then we’ll proceed.”
“But Crow—” Ursula automatically began to protest.
“Crow is a golden warrior breed. He will not suffer for walking,” Zul said.
Ursula looked at Suvesh who nodded and ventured to offer his opinion, “He is bred for strength, endurance, and speed.”
“But he’s just a little boy,” she objected.
“He will grow to be an elite Urib warrior. Trust in Lord Zul’s judgment.”
Ursula cast a sour look at the berserker then a worried look at Crow. “Crow, you will tell me if and when you get tired.”
The boy nodded. “Yes, Mama.”
She took his hand and looked around for a suitable spot to relieve themselves. “We’ll be just beyond that clump of shrubbery.”
Zul nodded in approval and dug out a canteen from one of the satchels. Suvesh did the same.
“You are well-prepared, Suvesh.”
The castratus accepted the compliment with a small, closed-mouth smile. “Breeding and training wyverns demands resourcefulness and acceptance of hardship. I’ve spent more than one night in the wilderness, my lord.”
Zul nodded. “Bran chose well when he hired you to care for the youngling.”
Suvesh favored him with another small smile after he took a drink and wiped his mouth. “Actually, it was Lord Gil who hired me.”
Zul nodded. “I stand corrected.”
Ursula and Crow rejoined them. Zul offered her his canteen, and Suvesh offered his to Crow, murmuring, “Just a small sip, no more.”
“But I’m thirsty!” the boy protested as his mother looked on, holding the canteen in her hands. He turned a pleading look at Ursula.
“We must not squander our resources,” Suvesh said.
“Just drink a little as Suvesh says,” Ursula said. “We can have more later.”
Crow sighed and nodded and raised the canteen to his lips. After he swallowed his mouthful of water and handed the canteen back to Suvesh, Ursula took a drink, restricting herself to a small sip as she’d advised her son. Zul’s gaze heated as she licked her lips to catch every last drop of moisture. She handed the canteen back to him and smoothed the loose strands of hair away from her face.
“Ready?” Zul asked.
Ursula nodded and stooped to pick up one of the satchels, determined to share the workload.
“No.”
She looked up at him. “I can help.”
“These are heavy, and you will need your strength to keep up,” he said and gently took the strap from her hand.
Ursula huffed, but did not bother to argue. A moment later, she held Crow’s hand as they walked behind Zul and Suvesh followed them.
Crow endured better than his mother expected, and she endured less well than she expected of herself. After she stumbled a second time, Zul turned on his heel and scooped her into his arms.
“Hey!”
“Settle,” he ordered.
