“You’ve never learned,” I said. “And I doubt Roxy or Kane have either.Zyahas some training, I’m sure, being from the Second Ring. And I don’t know where Hugh came from before all this but I don’t know what we’re walking into, Darius. And I need to know you’ll be able to defend yourselves if it should come to that.”
He frowned, obviously displeased by the idea, but he only asked, “And how do you propose we train to potentially defend against a camp of people who are always around us?”
“My tent,” I replied. “Mine andZya’s. It’s big enough if we push aside the cots. Roxy can get the weapons from the metal workers. They want her to study their make anyway. Just one or two swords. We can take turns and do it late at night so no one hears.”
He watched me for a moment longer, considering, but then nodded once. I released a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding, relief washing over me at his easy agreement.
“Not that it'll do any good,” he muttered. “We’re outnumbered ten to one and half the people here are warriors. I don’t know what kind of training you got from House Viper, Adrian, but I imagine it pales in comparison to what they have here.”
“It’s better than nothing,” I said with a shrug even though the truth of his words cut deeper than I cared to admit. I pushed off from the rock at my back and turned to go. “We’re leaving soon. I suggest you find the caravan before it leaves your ass in this sweltering desert.”
He snorted.
“And Darius,” I called over my shoulder as I walked away. “Try to make this easier on Roxy.”
He tensed but I didn’t stop.
“She’d stay by your side no matter what you chose but she wants to be a part of this,” I said. “Let her.”
“A speech on the importance of accepting your lot in life from you, Adrian?” Darius droned, his tone crueler than I'd ever heard it. “Please, rise above the hypocrisy. It’s beneath you.”
Thoroughly scolded, I strode away from him, telling myself the burning sensation in my cheeks was from the heat of the morning sun and not my own mortification.
I returned to camp to find it all packed up and ready to go. The leaders were mounting their horses, strange animals with coarse fur and long snouts and tails they used to swish the flies away from their flanks as they carried the burden of the men and woman upon them across the endless desert. The rest of us were falling into place behind them. Most of the warriors took up positions around the canvas covered wagons which held all of the camp’s supplies. They would pull it for a time before exchanging the burden with another and on and on until we reached whatever destination those at the lead commanded would do for the night.
Zyafound my side moments after I arrived. Kane and Hugh lined up behind us soon after and, behind them, Roxy’s shoulders relaxed with relief when she saw Darius padding across the sand to join as well.
“Did you ever learn to fight?” I whispered toZyaas the caravan began to move and we walked forward along with it.
Her gaze slid to me for only a moment before she turned her attention forward again.
“Not with a weapon,” she told me. “But my father’s preferred method of exercise involved using our fists to beat the shit out of each other. Strength-training, he called it.”
“Were you any good?”
“Never lost a match,” she said, raising her chin proudly.
“I figured as much,” I replied with a smile.
“Why do you ask?”
“They need to learn how to defend themselves,” I said, jerking my head back in the direction of the others who were chatting happilyamongstthemselves behind us. “In caseArchídoesn’t turn out to be as welcoming as we hope.”
She nodded slowly, understanding.
“They have weapons,” she pointed out, nodding ahead of us to two warriors who were strapped with all manner of swords and knives and crossbows. “Even if we become proficient with our fists—”
“Roxy will get us steel. I’ll teach us how to use it,” I said. “I can’t promise it'll make a difference but I need to know they have the chance to defend themselves. I brought us here. If this whole thing is a trap—”
“I understand.”
I nodded and silence fell between us.Zyaclaimed she understood and, somehow, I knew she did. We were similar,Zyaand I. We weren’t the same naive girls we'd been in Sanctuary or, perhaps,Zyahad never been naive. Regardless, weboth shared a wariness of the world around us thatleantitself to a sort of unspoken agreement between us. That if we couldn't rely on that which we knew, we could at least rely on each other. That camaraderie meant more to me than she could possibly know and, I imagined, made the world far less lonely for both of us.
***
The caravan continued throughout the morning and well into midday before we stopped for a drink at an oasis in the middle of nowhere. My friends and I practically fell to our knees at the water’s edge, cupping the cool liquid and splashing it onto our faces to soothe our burning skin. We drank as well, thoroughly and deeply, and didn't rise from the stream until the water beading upon our bodies was indistinguishable from our sweat and our thirst was finally sated. We breathed heavily, collapsing onto a pile of jagged rocks to consume the rations a few of the women had brought by while we'd cleansed ourselves.
“They’re driving us hard today,” Kane said through mouthfuls of dried meat and stale bread. “We must be close.”
