It was the only way forward that didn't entail abandoning their mounts and heading out on foot.
Something the Trateri would never agree to do. You didn't leave your horse behind. Not if you were a warrior.
More importantly, Eva would never agree to going on without them. It wasn't in her nature and Caden had learned a long time ago there were some battles you simply couldn't win.
Eva's need to protect those she loved was one of them.
It left Caden with one choice. The canyon at a time when the weather turned lower ground into a kill zone.
He cursed under his breath as light flashed in the storm clouds.
There was an eerie yellow-orange glow around the edges of the clouds, making the hair on the back of Caden's neck stand on edge.
Already ominous, all the storm needed was a sign proclaiming it a killer.
Because that's what it would be if they were caught in the canyon when it let loose.
There was an unsettling feeling in Caden's gut that said he should turn back now. If he continued, the situation could very well turn worse than the one they were trying to avoid.
The storm had even the pathfinder acting out of sorts. Like a porcupine whose defense had been raised, rattling his spikes in warning. Everything in his posture screamed his unease.
When the pathfinder was tense, you knew things were bad.
Van guided his horse next to Caden, nodding at Reece as the pathfinder headed in their direction. "You'd think he'd never faced rain before."
"I don't think that's the part he's worried about."
No, it was the rush of water that would be funneled into the canyon, wiping away anything in front of it.
"Guess I should have learned to swim," Van remarked, looking around with a dissatisfied frown.
"It probably wouldn't help," Reece informed him as he arrived. "Imagine a wall of water hitting you at speeds faster than your horse can travel. If you get pulled under or caught by an obstacle, it won't matter how well you swim."
Reece reined to a stop, patting his horse on the shoulder before straightening.
"Do you not have floods where you came from?" Reece asked.
"Rain is rare on the plains. Our people would have considered a flood a blessing," Caden said, looking at the sky.
It was easy to see how his ancestors could have seen a storm like this and spun tales of gods.
The cloud formation was awe inspiring. At any other time, Caden would have liked to stop and watch the storm play itself out.
Unfortunately, that time was not now.
Reece leaned his forearm across his saddle and spat to the side of his horse. "I never should have let you talk me into this fool's mission. It would have been better to weather this storm where we last camped."
"Hard to do that when your head isn't attached to your body," Caden told him.
If they'd remained, their options would have been a lot more limited. In a pitched battle, the Trateri were at a disadvantage.
They needed to use the terrain to create an opportunity to turn the tide. Limit the other army's movements in such a way that their greater numbers were rendered unimportant.
Staying mobile allowed them to whittle down their enemy's ranks in rare moments of vulnerability. Staying still meant death.
Only now, moving forward could result in the same.
"I know, but I don't have to like the situation," Reece grumbled.
