Eva glanced at Hardwick, half expecting him to answer. He remained silent, forcing her to speak when the silence dragged on long enough to become rude. "Four, maybe five days."
A week would be best, but Eva knew without being told how impossible that request that would be. Sometimes you had to adjust your expectations and take what was possible, versus what you wanted. It was never easy, but Eva had gotten good at adapting.
"If that's the case, then it should be doable,” Shea said. “The land for the first part of the journey is relatively flat with intermittent roads. At least until the edge of the Idiron Spires."
Fallon glanced at his general. "Can it be done?"
Darius's expression screwed up into a thoughtful frown. "It's possible, but we'll need additional resources. My men are warriors. I'll need them mobile and reactive in case of attack."
Fallon looked away, his eyes distant as he calculated. "Take some of the throwaways."
Darius grimaced. "That'll go over well."
"As my queen keeps saying, if we want to incorporate others under our rule, we need to give them a chance to prove themselves," Fallon said with some amusement.
Neither of the two men at his side looked particularly pleased by that prospect. Caden's eyes never moved from Eva, as if he held her personally responsible for this situation.
She met his gaze and then glanced away rapidly, unable to help the slight tinge of resentment.
Darius sighed. "Fine. One chance, but if they betray us or make themselves into too much of an annoyance, they won't have anything to gripe about. I'll leave them for the beasts." His intelligent gaze swung toward Eva. "That goes for you too, herd mistress. Betray us and you'll wish you never came to the Kyren's attention."
He expected her to quell, to stammer and apologize. He didn't know her very well. She'd faced similar remarks on nearly a daily basis when she first arrived.
"I have to ask myself why everyone feels the need to threaten me when I'm simply doing what was asked of me in the first place." She cut her eyes to the two mythologicals lingering near them. "No matter your species, it seems you're all alike at your heart."
Shea muffled her chuckle, her eyes sparkling as she tried for a somber expression and failed.
"I knew I liked you," Fiona said from behind her.
Eva glanced back to find the female warrior standing next to Shea, a slightly admiring look on her face.
"Indeed," Darius murmured. "We'll see how that bit of gumption fairs once we get on the trail."
Eva met his gaze and raised her chin, not letting him cow her. If he thought the threat of the wild would break her, he was wrong. She'd survived on her own after she left her village. There was nothing out there that scared her more than people.
"Let's get this done and get moving," Caden said, breaking up the tension. "We're burning precious daylight."
Darius strode away, his attention already turning to the many things he had to get done before they set out. The general, it seemed, was going with them, along with a hundred of his best men.
Fallon moved toward Shea, the look on his face making Eva's chest pull tight. There was a tenderness in his expression when he looked at Shea that made Eva realize just how alone she was. There was no one to look at her like that. No one to share her troubles or shoulder her burdens, even if it was only for a moment or two.
Caden appeared in front of her, his stern expression making her brace. At the best of times, the Anateri commander was imposing. When he was scowling at you after you'd challenged his warlord, he was doubly so.
"Let's go." He walked away before Eva could react.
"Where?" She hurried along behind him.
"To check over your pack."
She stopped and scowled at his back, secure in the fact he couldn't see her. She thought about protesting, but instead trailed after him, muttering to herself. "That's already been done."
