Wiping sweaty palms on her pants, shefollowed Eamon’s broad back as he strode through camp. What did hewant from her? Had he discovered she was a woman?
That would not be good.
She started scanning for the best possibleescape routes. Her secret was probably still safe, but it was bestto be prepared.
“Scout Master Eamon Walker of Dawn’s Riderswith an urgent message for the commander of Saw Grass,” Eamon saidafter coming to a stop in front of a trio hunched over a map.
A sandy haired man with a week’s worth ofstubble and a broad forehead straightened. His clothes were just aslived in as the rest of the men and nothing pointed to him as theleader except the slight look of authority resting on his sterncountenance.
“What do you have for me master scout?” heasked.
The other two didn’t bother standing. Thewoman on the left stayed leaning on her elbows while looking overthe two of them. The man on the right chewed busily at a stick andfolded his arms.
Shea kept her eyes from settling on anyperson for too long, not wanting to draw any more attention. Whywas she here? Eamon could have handled the report just fine on hisown.
She would have been much happier seeing toher sleeping arrangements. Or finding a way to escape.
“There’s been a change to your orders,” Eamonsaid.
“Figures,” the stick chewer muttered. Thewoman curled her lip in disgust, while the leader looked like hehad bit into something sour.
Ignoring the comments, Eamon continued,“You’re to hook up with another element and provide support whilethey investigate Ram’s Crossing, a small village about thirty mileswest of here.”
“Where?”
“May I?” Eamon asked, pointing at themap.
The leader gestured for him to go ahead.Eamon bent over, peering at it closely before pointing to a spotthat was about a day’s ride north west of their currentposition.
The stick chewer caught Shea’s eye when shelifted her eyes from the map and raised his eyebrows. She droppedher gaze quickly not quite sure of the protocol for someone in theposition she was currently occupying.
“This is bad,” the woman said, looking up atthe leader. “This will take us past the revenants.”
Shea flinched. Revenants. She hatedrevenants. Everybody loathed the foul creatures.
The beast was hella intelligent and viciousas a wolverine after a long winter. Not a couple of qualities youwanted combined in one animal. Though only about the size of a dog,it had thick reptilian skin that was damn near impossible topenetrate and wicked sharp fangs and claws.
That wasn’t the worst part, though.Practically every beast had sharp claws and fangs. That was nothingto get worked up about. What made them so terrifying was the factthey hunted in packs and had a humanlike intelligence. They learnedfrom their mistakes, and they never made the same one twice.
Shea had four scars on her thigh from herlast encounter.
“Who’s your lad?” stick chewer asked, lookingher over.
Eamon reached back and pulled Shea up tostand next to him. “My second, Shane.”
Stick chewer whistled while Perry’s eyebrowsrose. Shea stiffened as she found herself under the regard of thethree. Her eyes flickered from face to face trying to find a safeplace to settle when she finally just gazed over the woman’shead.
“Kind of young to be a second, isn’t he?” thewoman asked. “Looks like a Daisy.”
“Fiona’s right. Kid doesn’t look likemuch.”
“His appearance is a little misleading.Fucker’s crazier than a stallion in heat and has balls as big asone.”
“Oh?” Perry asked.
Eamon nodded. “You notice we numbered sixwhen we rode into camp. We started with eleven.”
The stick chewer spat on the ground. “Unluckynumber.”
