Deciding to ignore the two troublemakers, Eva looked Jason up and down. Besides the dark circles under his eyes, he seemed no worse for wear.
"Congratulations. You managed to survive. Just like I said you would."
Jason grimaced. “About that—"
"He had a little help," someone finished for him.
A grin was already spreading across Eva's face as she stood in her stirrups, eager to get a glimpse of the person who'd just spoken.
A short distance away, a tall, thin man shooed away the horses crowded around him. It was why, though she'd known there were other people close, she hadn't recognized him. She'd attributed his presence to being one of those assigned to help Jason in her absence.
"Ollie!"
Eva was off Sebastian's back in the blink of an eye and racing toward the other man in the next second, a broad smile already on her face. Ollie let out an oomph as she threw herself into his arms.
He pressed his cheek against hers as one hand lifted to smooth over her tangled braid. "I missed you too, Eva girl."
Eva pushed back, her gaze searching his.
Eyes she had always considered wise met hers. More than anyone else, Ollie's long face had always reminded her of the horses they cared for. Perhaps that was why she'd trusted him even from their first meeting.
Even his hair was a dark chestnut she likened to the coloring of a bay.
"What are you doing here? I thought Hardwick needed you."
It was why she hadn't asked Ollie to accompany her to the valley. Hardwick was already down one of his herd masters with Eva's absence. Depriving him of a second would create a strain on not just him but the herd as well.
Those horses held Eva's heart. She wouldn't put them in danger—even if she'd been devastated to leave him behind.
Sometimes you had to make sacrifices, and this had been one of those times. How could she be so selfish as to ask him to come when others needed him more?
Jason was different. As good as he'd become over the last few weeks under her tutelage, he was still just an apprentice. Replacing him would be easier than replacing Ollie.
"I'm not here long. Only until the pathfinder starts his return trip. I'll head back with his group then."
Disappointment stabbed at Eva, deep where she could pretend she didn't feel it. She shoved the pain away.
The fact he came at all was a gift beyond measure.
Ollie was brother, friend, confidant, all rolled into one. He meant more to Eva than she could express. Excluding Caia, he was the first Trateri she’d encountered. The person who taught her rumors weren't always true, and that humans didn't have to be terrifying—as long as you were around the right ones.
He was the reason she could trust Caden. If not for Ollie, she never would have opened herself to the possibility of love.
She owed him more than she could ever repay.
And she'd missed him.
Eva squeezed his arms. "You're here now and that's all that matters."
Now wasn't the time for sadness or mourning what hadn't happened. Sometimes people were their own worst enemies, tainting the good times by anticipating the bad.
Eva refused to be that person. She planned to enjoy Ollie's presence for as long as he was here.
No disappointment. No sorrow. Just taking each moment as it came.
"I see you've brought him up to snuff." Ollie jerked a thumb at Jason. "Couldn't have been easy."
"Hey!" Jason protested, shooting him an irritated look.
