Shea made a show of looking around. “Where amI to go?”
He glared at her, making it clear he didn’tlike her response but then dropped his arms and walked to the tentflap. Shea breathed an inward sign of relief. Another crisisaverted. Maybe she’d make it out of this with her secrets intactafter all.
“I’ll be right outside.”
Shea didn’t respond. Only when the flap swungshut behind him did she allow the tension running through her torelax. Not by much but enough that she didn’t feel like everymuscle was wound to the breaking point.
Her ears strained as she listened for anysound indicating he might have changed his mind and was planning tocome back. Moving quickly she flung off her clothes, nearlygroaning in relief when it came time to unwind the bindings thatkept her chest flat.
Angry red welts marked her skin from theuncomfortable but necessary wrappings.
She climbed into the warm water. This timeher groan was long and drawn out. Her muscles immediately respondedto the heat by loosening and letting some of the tightness floataway. She allowed herself a moment to enjoy a luxury she hadn’t hadin months before grabbing the soap and making short work ofcleaning off.
Every stolen moment enjoying the water meanta greater possibility of someone walking in on her. Truthfully, sheshouldn’t have even undressed all the way to climb in. Up until nowshe had contented herself with birdbaths where she took a rag andcleaned the pertinent areas. It allowed her to stay mostly clothedwhile getting clean enough that she didn’t want to scratch her ownskin off in disgust.
This was too big a temptation to walk awayfrom though. She compromised by rushing through it.
She was just settling a clean shirt over herhead when the flap lifted and Trenton ducked inside.
She fought the urge to spin around and bitback the scathing words on her tongue. This sort of thing wasnormal for Trateri. Objecting would just raise suspicions.
“It’s time to go.”
Shea’s head bent as she fussed with thesleeves of her too big shirt, tugging at them so they lay justright over her wrists. The pants, too, swam on her and had to beheld up with a tight belt. The previous owner had been severalinches taller so she had rolled the hem to fit her height.
“Your clothes are too big.”
Shea lifted her head and squinted up to seeTrenton frowning at her. He pinched the fabric of her shirt betweenhis fingers and pulled on it.
Shea slapped his hand and jerked away.
“They’ll get in the way if you’re everattacked,” he told her sourly.
Shea made a noncommittal sound and edgedaround him to pick up the green leather coat that designated her asa scout. It fit better than the rest of her clothes but not bymuch, having been made for a man with much wider shoulders thanhers.
“You’re not a scout anymore.”
She growled and stalked out of the tent.
“You’re one of Hawkvale’s warriors now. Youshould be wearing his colors.”
“Since I haven’t been issued a new jacket,I’m forced to go with what I have,” Shea snapped.
“Still-”
“Didn’t you say we needed to go?” Sheainterrupted, not wanting to hear about the jacket again.
He frowned at her, the bridge of his nosecrinkling, and then grunted before turning and walking away. Sheafollowed, already irritated. Her anger level rose with every footstep until she was fairly simmering by the time they stopped infront of Fallon’s tent.
He didn’t wait to let her enter first butcontinued in before her, stepping to the side only when shefollowed. Two of the sides had been rolled up to allow light in andto take advantage of the nice breeze.
The space inside was huge not only in lengthand width but also in height. The gently moving ceiling was atleast the height of two men, making the room even larger than thegreat room at Birdon Leaf.
An abundance of tantalizing smells greetedthem and place settings had been set on two long tables. Normally,Trateri tended to perch on any available surface when eating, or ifthey were dining more formally, they sat on cushions and ate at lowtables.
This table was normal sized, in the traditionof the Lowlanders, and had sturdy wooden chairs with low backs. Fora normal sized man, the top of the chair would only reach his lowerback. It wasn’t much better than a stool.
Eamon, Phillip and Buck were huddled at thefarthest end of a table. Shea headed straight for them, feelingrelieved to see familiar faces. Buck and Eamon tried to keep theexcitement they felt under wraps. Phillip was his normalindecipherable self.
