"As long as it takes."
Caia's familiar soft whuffles and snorts pulled Eva from her comfortable sleep. There was a clop of hooves against the ground and the sound of movement before quiet settled in.
Eva started to sink back into her dreams when she frowned. That wasn't right.
She should be in a tent—and Caia with the rest of the herd.
Then why was she hearing Caia now?
As soon as her mind asked the question, she became aware of a light weight stretched along the length of her back. Eva parted the warm cocoon she'd made with her blanket, poking her head out of it just enough to frown blindly at her surroundings.
A wet snout touched her neck as the fire fox made a sleepy sound, as if asking if it was already time to get up.
The blanket fell from Eva's shoulders as she pushed her way fully onto her elbows, taking in the tent still bathed in soft darkness, the morning too new for even a suggestion of light to invade.
Caia's white-gray coat was easy to spot, sticking out like a sore thumb. The mare stuck her face in Eva's, lipping at the curl of blond hair that slipped over Eva's shoulder.
Eva shoved Caia's face away, still half asleep. "What are you doing in here?"
She couldn't find it in herself to be surprised at Caia’s presence or question how the mare managed to fit herself in the tent without bringing it down around them.
"Eva, are you awake?" Jason called from outside.
Eva's voice was scratchy with sleep when she answered. "Yeah."
"There's something you should probably see."
Eva pulled a face. Of course, there was.
"Give me a moment," she said, leaning forward to snag the set of clothes sitting on the stool next to her sleeping pad. She dragged them underneath the blankets and began to dress. Never exposing even an inch of skin to the crisp, bordering on cold, morning air.
It was a handy trick she'd developed since joining the Trateri. Privacy wasn't always assured, especially on the smaller, fast-paced missions. The bonus being she stayed warm the entire time. It made getting up a little easier.
Finally dressed, she lay back, enjoying her last moments under the warm blankets before the start of her day. Too bad she couldn't bring them with her. A little cocoon of warmth wherever she went.
Eva tossed the blankets back and swung her feet to the ground. She located her boots and stuffed her feet in them before standing.
Now came the hard part, extracting Caia from the tent without damaging it.
"I don't think Fiona will appreciate you messing up her things so just back yourself on out without destroying anything precious."
And please don't rip a hole in the walls, Eva added silently.
Caia didn't move, nudging Eva with her nose. With a sigh, Eva patted Caia's nose and cheeks.
"What am I going to do with you, sweet girl?"
Eva dropped a kiss on her nose and pressed her forehead to Caia's.
She was beginning to understand how she'd managed to sleep through a night she'd been convinced would be sleepless. Caia had brought the herd to her. A small slice of it anyway.
"Thank you, my friend." Eva straightened. "Now, let's get you out of here."
Eva pushed on Caia’s chest, guiding her toward the door as she used body language and spatial pressure to back the mare out of the tent. Finally, they ducked below the flap and into the soft morning twilight.
Jason wasn't alone; Drake stood next to him, having replaced Roscoe at some point in the night.
Eva quirked an eyebrow at Drake’s lack of surprise at Caia's presence.
