"Do you wish to show them mercy?" Caden asked.
Fiona huffed before striding away. "I'm going to get some rest before things get busy again. Send someone if they look like they're going to break."
Van's head jerked up. "Wait. Is this it?"
Caden looked at him. "What else were you expecting?"
"Where's the blood? The torture? I thought we were finally going to get to the interesting stuff."
A faint smile touched Caden's face. "I told you before. Fear works better."
Van gave their prisoners an uncertain look. "And you think they fear bugs?"
Gawain finished tying his prisoner off and stood. "The Lowlanders and Highlanders share something in common. A fear of beasts. It's why they hid behind their flimsy walls for so long and let their lands atrophy. There is nothing more terrifying to them."
Caden studied Rain Clan's leader with a watchful gaze. His words showed a perception and intelligence that not too long ago Caden would have argued Gawain didn’t possess.
"Don't tell me your plan is more waiting," Van whined.
Caden let silence be his answer.
The Lion Clan leader groaned, flopping down onto the ground as Caden took a seat, fishing out his unfinished carving as he did so.
"Ah man, I thought we'd finally see some action," Van mumbled.
"Nope. More waiting." Gawain made himself comfortable as Roscoe and Drake trained their gazes on the prisoners.
Reece had already found a spot in the sun, soaking up the warm rays with his eyes closed in bliss.
"Anyone know any good games?" Van asked hopefully.
Eva rested on a boulder, the golden hour painting the world in orange and yellows. It had taken some pretty extreme begging to finally be allowed to leave Chirron's tent. She'd even had to cite mental distress.
He'd relented, which had led her here, watching Jason stomp back and forth as he muttered to himself. All the while he slapped a leather strip against his leg.
"How long has he been doing that?" Eva asked.
Ollie looked up from the hoof he was examining. "Since I got here a little while ago."
Eva looked over her shoulder to where Jane waited nearby. The Anateri had made it clear that wherever Eva went, she was to follow.
Considering Eva still felt rather discombobulated, she chose not to argue.
"You've got to talk to her. Do you know how long it took me to hunt down three of the horses last night?" Jason didn't wait for an answer. "Hours, Eva. Hours in the dark with those—" he waved his hands around. "Bugs. They could have eaten me. Left me as a Jason flesh sack."
Jason whirled, making rude gestures up at the rock formations overhead.
Eva wondered how he'd react if she informed him the Tenrin he was hoping to insult was on the opposite side of the cliffs.
"He's really worked up. I don't think I've ever seen him this mad before," Ollie observed as he propped a forearm against the horse he was tending.
"And I get to mediate. Lucky, lucky me," Eva muttered.
Ollie patted her shoulder. "Being Hardwick's number two suddenly isn't looking so bad anymore, Lady Caller."
Eva sighed, pushing off the rock she'd been sitting on. Besides some residual weakness, her muscles responded nicely. "You know I wouldn't have left if I hadn't had to."
Ollie winked at her. "I know, but don't expect to get out of the teasing. It's what family does."
