"Yeah..." she breathed.
"And the elders don't like someone having something they wanted," I reminded her. "You told me what Mr. Saunders said to Ayla. He missed out on her mother, so he wanted to marry her. His goal was to fornicate with her, Callah, not worry about the children that might survive their pairing."
"This," she said, "is why I didn't want to get married."
"It's why I didn't either," I agreed. "I like our version, though."
"Yeah," she said. "Me too. I'll like it more when you show me the surface."
"It'll happen," I swore.
And I couldn't help but notice she'd made it sound like she'd stay with me.That wassomething to work for, almost like my own dream come true.
Twenty-Eight
Ayla
The morning came much too early. Rymar woke me before the sun began to change the sky. Stars had still been visible through my window! We'd all packed the night before, so all that was left was getting dressed, gathering our bags, and carrying it all to the city stage, but not even Holly was enthusiastic about this.
Once there, six carts waited with the horses already attached. Zasen showed me where to store my things, then we had to wait around for the rest to arrive. And yet, we managed to leave Lorsa just as the sun broke over the horizon, turning the world around us bright enough for Dragons to see easily.
Then we walked. The horses made a nice noise with the clomping of their feet. The leather that held them to the carts jangled against the metal fittings. Yrena and Nyco rode ahead of us, leading the way, and the Dragons followed.
We had twenty from the militia, seven from the medics, two dogs, and two doctors. Besides the Python, there was also the Myrtle, a woman named Giannin who was as blonde as me and tailless. Some were members of multiple groups, so I wasn't sure how many of us there were, but seeing the line stretch out behind me, it felt like a lot.
According to Rymar, we were just entering fall. He pointed out leaves on the trees that had turned yellow, and Kanik made me aware of how many more there were on the ground now than when I'd first come to Lorsa. Zasen made sure I didn't miss the birds and other animals - mostly because Holly wanted to chase them.
All of it made this trip much better than the last, but the best part was my boots. With my feet properly covered, I had no problem keeping up with everyone else. Then again, I was a lot stronger now than I'd been back then.
We stopped once for a meal, but it was quick. Our food was made from dried things that could be carried with us rather than hunted, and our break was based on the horses. Once they were rested enough, we set off again.
Zasen said we were making good time. Rymar grumbled about how much he'd hurt tomorrow. Kanik got to take breaks in the back of a cart. He didn't want to, but when Rymar and Zasen insisted, I joined in, and that seemed to convince him. To make him feel better, I made Holly ride with him so she wouldn't wear herself out.
Eventually, the sun set, but we all kept walking. A few hours after that, Nyco called a halt, saying there was water for the horses. Immediately, groups broke off, picking places to set their "camps." I didn't know what they meant until Rymar dragged me off the road and into the trees. Together, we scoped out a flat spot, and then he taught me how to set up a safe place to light a fire.
Then Drozel called out, "I need volunteers for the watch! I'd like five for each shift, and we can do either three or four shifts."
"Me," Kanik said.
"Oh, me!" I said, lifting my hand up simply because Kanik had.
Drozel pointed at me. "No."
"Why not?" I snapped. "I have Holly too!"
"And we'll need you rested tomorrow. Ayla, you're the one who knows Moles. I'd rather you weren't too tired and miss something obvious."
Since plenty of others had put their hands up or called out, Drozel had more than enough volunteers. Zasen stole Holly, saying she needed to help him catch dinner, and Rymar went to gather stones for the fire.
I got to kick the leaves away. Not only for the fire, but also for spots where we'd sleep. I dreaded that part, but only because I'd gotten used to soft beds and thick covers. Yet thinking back to my first trip here, I piled up the leaves for our pillows, knowing we'd need them.
Soon enough, Rymar was back, and he showed me how to get a fire going. Zasen returned with Holly just as it was blazing, and we put a pair of rabbits on the fire. One, Zasen carried over to Kanik, saying he was going to share with him. The other was for Rymar, Holly, and me. While we ate, I looked around at all the dozens of little lights glowing between trees.
"If the Moles were out here, they'd see this," I told Rymar.
He chuckled. "Yep, but if the Moles were out here, Holly and Demon would both let us know. The horses too, most likely."
I nodded and took another bite, but in the silhouette of one of those fires, I saw a trio cuddling together and kissing. The man in the middle turned first one way, then the other. It was calm and caring, not passionate, but nice to see.
