“Let’s find out then, shall we?” She gave him a sideways glance.
“Lead the way.”
Shea crossed to where her father was consulting with some of his people. Just in time too, as their arrival coincided with Van and two other clan leaders. Van grabbed one of the pathfinders by the shirt and jerked him up to his face.
“I have half a mind to stake a few of you out and let those things trample all over you,” Van said in a hard voice.
Flanked by a few of his men, he cut an imposing figure, even in the dark. Other Trateri noticed the confrontation and drifted closer, the slightly curved swords that had just been sheathed being drawn again. The mood turned hostile, the air heavy with the threat of impending violence.
“Is violence the only way you barbarians know how to respond to surprises?” Eric asked, his voice taunting. “I guess that shouldn’t shock me given who you follow—a killer, and a traitor only good for leading people to their death.”
A growl escaped Van, the sound filled with rage and an animal-like bestiality surprising in a human. Shea moved before he could do something to break the delicate balance they’d struck. She hit his hand, forcing him to release his victim and shoved her way in between the two, knocking both back.
“That’s enough.” Gods save her from stupid men. “We’re all on edge. Let’s not make it worse by losing our heads.”
“Look at that, always interfering where you shouldn’t,” Eric said with a slight sneer in his voice.
She gave him a cool look, the effect somewhat mitigated by the darkness. “And a good thing too, or you would never have made it past your first year as a pathfinder, Eric.”
There was a slight snicker from one of the other pathfinders as Eric sputtered.
“Or did you forget it was me that kept you from walking right into a lazy boy’s trap and losing your entire left leg.” Shea cocked her head. Silence greeted her. She’d thought that little trip down memory lane might do it.
A lazy boy was a beast who masqueraded as one of the common plants growing on the hills in the Highlands. They were easy to overlook. Step on one and you could lose a limb—or two.
“Now, how about you and yours go secure the perimeter and make sure that whatever caused those things to stampede doesn’t come our way while the adults have a little chat.” Shea put her hands on her hips, very aware of Van and his men at her back and Eric and his friends at her front.
“That’s a fine idea,” her father’s voice cut in before Eric could respond. “Take four others and conduct a patrol. I want to know what startled those creatures in our direction.”
There was a tense moment where she thought Eric would argue, but he was too well trained. He stalked off, gesturing for several others to follow him without another word.
Shea exhaled. Fallon was a warm presence at her side. He didn’t say anything, just loomed threateningly, adding his authority to her own, but letting her take the lead.
Van’s snort brought Shea’s attention back to the other problem at hand. She opened her mouth to voice a sharp retort, irritation getting the best of her. He’d been just as bad as Eric.
“You do the same,” Fallon said before she could make matters any worse. “Take the ones behind you and patrol in the opposite direction. I want to know if there’s anything else out there.”
If it had been light, Shea would have had no doubt Van would be scowling at them right now. As it was, she saw him cross his arms over his chest as he leveled a glare on Fallon.
After a long moment, he grunted. “I’ll get one of the scouts to accompany us.”
“Take Buck. He’s already scouted the area so he should be familiar with it,” Shea told him. He was also one of their more talented scouts, made even better at his job by his time spent with Shea on the trail.
Buck’s laissez faire attitude hid a sharp intellect and a fierce heart. He’d walked into the fire with her on more than one occasion when it would have made sense to turn around and run. He’d come out stronger and more knowledgeable for it. That coupled with the fact he got along with pretty much everyone, and she knew she could trust him to keep Van from starting anything stupid if he ran across any of the pathfinders out there. He was always the voice of reason when she and Eamon had butted heads with any of the commanders they’d worked under.
To her surprise, Van didn’t argue with her, just waved his hand in acknowledgment as he stomped off.
She noted that Caden and Braden had joined them at some point and were now flanking Fallon. The other pathfinders had dispersed, leaving her father and two others to face them.
“Well, look at you, throwing your weight around and barking orders,” her cousin’s amused voice said in the dark.
Fallon stiffened beside her, his hands flexing, probably with the need to wrap around the other man’s annoying neck.
Reece had not made a good first or second impression on Fallon, and his actions since had done little to endear him to her warlord. Granted, her cousin was known for his annoying personality. He often reminded Shea of a vexing splinter that just kept working itself deeper and deeper under your skin no matter how you tried to force it back out.
Shea had always found it best to just ignore her cousin. When you gave him the reaction he was looking for, he just doubled down on his efforts to annoy you, picking and picking until you exploded in a hot mess of emotion.
She turned to her father. “The Lion clan’s question was valid. What were those things? I’ve never seen anything like them in the Highlands or Lowlands.” Or the Badlands, she echoed silently.
