Eda sat a little straighter. ‘Why am I last?’
Roul’s eyebrows lifted slightly.
Realising her mistake, Eda shook her head. ‘Never mind.’
‘You can swap with me if it makes you feel like more of a man,’ Tatum said. ‘I’m happy to sleep for longer.’
‘Suttone will follow orders,’ Roul said, picking up his waterskin and the dirty pan. ‘I’m going to the creek.’
Eda reached for her bow. ‘I’ll come with you. Someone has to watch your back in the dark while you’re scrubbing dishes.’
Roul gave a small nod of approval.
The pair walked down to the water in silence. Roul crouched by the creek while Eda watched the trees around them. After rinsing the pan, he filled his waterskin, then gestured for hers. She passed it to him without taking her eyes off their surroundings.
‘You could’ve stayed by the fire,’ he said as he handed it back to her.
‘But we promised to take care of each other, remember?’
He smiled at the water. ‘I remember.’ After having a wash, he rose and looked around. ‘It’s strange being this side of the wall again.’
She glanced at him. ‘Just think, this time tomorrow you’ll be reunited with your family.’
It was a surreal thought after so many years of separation. Roul had suggested the group spend their second night in Carno to Queen Fayre, and she had agreed. Of course she had. She owed him a visit with his family.
‘I can’t wait to see their faces when they see you,’ Eda said, a smile on her lips.
He loved that she was excited on his behalf. He was more nervous than anything else, because every letter he had received from his family since his departure had spoken of the rise of crime and decay of their village. They had been forced to keep the aid they received a secret to avoid attracting attention. The only people who knew were friends also benefiting from the arrangement. His family were not the kind of people to live well while others suffered around them. They took what they needed in order to survive and discreetly distributed the rest. But it was nowhere near enough to sustain an entire village. Roul suspected his heart would be both full and broken in the same visit.
‘Time for you to get some sleep,’ he said, taking a step in the direction of the camp.
She began walking. ‘I saw you put your things at the far end of the tent. Was that deliberate?’
The answer was yes. Lying beside her, not touching, would be a special kind of torture. ‘I trust Hadewaye to keep his hands to himself.’
‘But not you?’
He glanced at her. ‘I’m not answering that.’
She shook her head. ‘Well, I hope Hadewaye likes to snuggle, because it’s very cold away from the fire.’
‘There will be no judgement on my part if I find the pair of you spooning.’ The sound of her laughter warmed him.
When they reached the tent, he turned to her. ‘Thanks for having my back down there.’
‘You don’t have to thank me. I’ll always have it.’
The sincerity in her eyes had him looking away. ‘Goodnight, Suttone.’
‘Goodnight, Commander.’
* * *
Roul was finishing his watch and was about to go wake Blackmane when he saw a shadow pass over the tent. He stepped back from the fire, a hand going to the hilt of his sword. If one of his unit had risen to relieve themselves, they would have surely said something to avoid a sword in the back.
He waited, watching and listening.
Then he felt it. The gentle weight of someone watching him.
