“Lamp,” he said again, with more force this time.
With a grumble, Lex dismounted and retrieved the oil lamp from Helios’ saddle. Handing it to him, he said, “You could have done that yourself.”
Helios took it from him wordlessly and continued his study, seeking signs of the hunters they’d been tracking all evening. Teryn had insisted hours ago that they make camp for the night, but Helios refused, stating he had a plan. Like usual, Teryn and Lex were not let in on what exactly this plan entailed. Teryn had only been back at camp for an hour after his encounter with the unicorn girl when Helios returned from scouting. After relentless teasing over Teryn’s bloodied state—which Helios attributed to the hare Teryn had been in the process of skinning—Helios ordered them to mount and ride. He’d found the camp. “They have a unicorn,” he’d said, revealing some of the excitement Teryn had glimpsed when he’d shown them the first hoof print. He’d also mumbled something about another set of prints. Prints that made no sense because—again—they did not follow the others. He’d trailed these strange tracks. Lost them in a stream.
Teryn had nearly spoken the truth then, almost told him what had happened, why he’d had to set his nose and clean wounds on his neck and forearm.
But he hadn’t.
Instead, he’d kept quiet. Not even Lex knew the truth.
Now he smirked at Helios’ back. It felt good to know something Helios didn’t.
After studying the trail a few minutes longer, Helios gestured for Teryn to dismount as well. As soon as Teryn left the saddle, a dark shape swooped down from the trees, startling the horses. Teryn’s horse calmed first, as it was only Berol, coming to perch on Teryn’s saddle horn. Quinne was used to the falcon, but that didn’t mean the palfrey was immune to being startled by Berol from time to time.
“That thing is terrifying,” Lex said, hand clutched to his chest.
“You mean adorable.” Teryn reached up to stroke the falcon’s feathers. Berol nipped affectionately at his fingers, then set to preening.
“Both of you shut up,” Helios muttered.
Lex made a face behind Helios’ back.
They continued on foot at a moderate pace, punctuated by Helios’ observations. Finally, he seemed to find what he’d been looking for. “Stop here.” Helios began to rummage around in one of his saddlebags. As he withdrew his hand from the bag, he held a piece of parchment in his fist.
“Mind telling us what that is?”
Helios faced Teryn and Lex with a smug grin. “We’re going to have dinner with friends.”
The soundof voices fell upon Teryn’s ears. That was the second clue that told him they were nearing their target. The first had been a plume of smoke wafting over the trees—a campfire. He tightened his grip on his horse’s reins as he walked her through the underbrush, his muscles tensing with every step. Helios seemed fully confident in the plan he’d concocted, but Teryn wasn’t so sure. Helios had told them to follow his lead. Act cordial. Don’t gawk at any captive unicorns as if they’d never seen one before. When Teryn had pressed him to elaborate, Helios said only, “We dine. We sleep. Then in the morning, we take what we came for.”
Lex seemed even less comfortable with what they were about to do. Time and again he tried to catch Teryn’s eye with a pointed look, as if he hoped he’d intervene. But Teryn wouldn’t. He only had a small notion of what it would take to steal the captive unicorn, and he assumed it meant parting camp as friends and returning as foes, perhaps while most of the hunters were off on their hunt. There was no honor in such a ploy, and the prospect made his skin crawl. Still, he wouldn’t stop it. Not when he was so close to getting what he needed to save his kingdom from ruin.
Soon the light of the campfire shone through the trees. The conversation coming from inside the clearing was louder now. But as they closed the distance, the talk cut off. Their approach had been noted.
“Seven gods,” came Lex’s panicked voice.
Helios shot him a glare. “Act natural.”
“This is me being natural,” Lex whispered back, but he said not a word more as they continued forth.
Teryn’s pulse raced as they approached the clearing. Helios halted just outside the perimeter, hands raised. Teryn and Lex pulled up short in turn. Four of the eight men inside the camp already had weapons drawn. Even the unarmed hunters demonstrated threat in their stiff postures, their hands fisted at their sides. Hostile didn’t even begin to describe their expressions. It was enough to distract Teryn from the row of cages at the far end—and the gray unicorn inside one of them.
Helios flicked his wrist, a motion that was followed by every set of eyes, but all he held was the piece of parchment he’d taken from his saddlebag. “Easy,” Helios said. “We’re brothers.”
The man at the center of camp, one holding a crossbow, nodded at the figure next to him. The second man approached Helios, sword in one hand, and took the paper with the other. He scanned it before returning it to Helios. Teryn caught sight of a brief letter bearing a seal etched with a crescent moon—an unfamiliar sigil. The hunter stepped back but his posture remained stiff. “Whose company?”
“Drass,” Helios said with ease.
“Drass,” the man echoed. “He still out in the Dorvish Pass?”
“The Cambron Pass.”
The man eyed Helios through slitted lids. “What are you doing out here, then?”
Helios nodded his head back toward Teryn and Lex. “Our contract is up. We were heading to Brocken Village to refill supplies for our trip home when we were waylaid by bandits.” Teryn was surprised not only by how well Helios could lie, but by the subtle shift in his tone. It was brimming with camaraderie, devoid of his usual smug brusqueness. Instead, it held a rough edge that masked any hint of royal flair.
The hunter’s eyes roved from Helios to Lex, then landed on Teryn, gaze falling on his bruised nose. “Bandits, eh?” He then dragged his eyes over their horses, pausing when he caught sight of Berol, still perched on Teryn’s saddle. The falcon stared back at the man just as intently, shifting her stance as if to draw attention to her sharp talons. The man’s knuckles went white on the hilt of his sword, and he returned his attention to Helios.
