He scrunched his nose and examined me for any injuries.
“Sorry,” I said breathlessly.
He released me and inhaled sharply.
“Just… watch your step.” His voice was stern, but raspier than normal. He resumed guiding the horse up the road, and I tentatively followed. A crisp clearing of someone’s throat had me turning my head backward.
It was Aeva.
“Oops,” she said with a devilish grin.
When we reached the plateau, the colors of the setting sun painted the Sky. I looked out over the vast landscape, and my breath caught at both its beauty and the height. Rowan had given the command for us to make camp at the pass’ large, cavernous entrance. My eyes could see little inside because of its midnight interior that burrowed deep.
I understood that going through the mountains was quicker than going over, but I did not entirely trust the stability of a cave that had been carved out overa century ago. The stuffy scent of musk wafted through the air. I knew it would only grow thicker the deeper we ventured.
Rowan and the other Veilers began setting up camp while the culled took their blankets and claimed a spot further in. Torches were lit and lined up against the rock. A few Veilers set off into the tunnel, clapping their hands loudly and letting out shouts to scare away any predators lurking in the shadows. I peered back into the darkness of the mountain, unsure of what I would see, but I was met with nothing but stale air.
One Veiler, Yan, was building a small fire within the cave. He was a large, burly man with a long black beard and a hairline that started mid-scalp. Despite his sheer size and power, he didn’t radiate the same dangerous energy that the others did. He had a calmness that made me feel steadier.
I walked over to Yan and sat close by while he struck two pieces of stone together. I watched silently as sparks kindled the fire before us. There was no one in our immediate area, and my curiosity beckoned me. I’d rarely spoken to any Veilers other than Rowan, except for my occasional spat with Renata and the few times Balor attempted to attack me.
“Why are you here?” Either my voice or bluntness startled him, because he jolted back slightly, brows half-raised as he faced me.
“What?” His voice was ragged, almost like he was out of practice.
“Why are you a Veiler? You hardly seem like the type.”
I understood why the Veilers would want him. His sheer strength and stature could make anyone cower at the sight of him alone. However, his gentle nature opposed that visual persona.
There was always a twinge of sadness clouding him. I saw him smile only once, and he never laughed when the others joked.
Yan gave me a small, knowing nod of his head. His next words were soft as he returned his gaze to the glowing embers.
“My son passed away five years ago.” His words were a brutal truth I wasn’t prepared to hear. His being a Veiler meant he was not innocent, but I couldn’t help feeling empathetic toward him. Even if only because we carried a similar pain.
“What was his name?”
Yan didn’t answer right away, and it made me wonder if he had to search the deepest reaches of his mind for the answer, if he pushed it back far enough so as not to be haunted by it every day. Or perhaps it was the exact opposite. Maybe the name was always on the tip of his tongue, trying to escape, but the release of it was worse than keeping it at bay.
“Arlo.” His jaw clenched as he peeled off his coat, pulling up his long sleeve to reveal the name tattooed in delicate script along his forearm. He let me stare at it for a few moments before covering it once more.
“That’s a beautiful name.”
“He was a beautiful boy.” The silence was icy, even in the presence of heat licking at our skin from the fire.
“I lost my brother and father many years ago,” I said just as softly, and Yan flicked his eyes back to mine. His honesty made me want to impart some of my own, which I seldom acknowledged. “I understand the control that grief can have over a person. I did many things that I regret in the wake of losing them, all in attempts to curb the pain. Yet it never really goes away.”
“I don’t regret joining the Order.” His words were more bitter than they had been seconds prior.
“Why?”
My confusion must have been clear on my face, because Yan let out a small sigh.
“Arlo was our miracle child, blessed to us by Netali herself. He had his mother’s eyes but… but he had my face.” I watched his chest shudder as he took in a deep breath and closed his eyes. “Every time she looked at me, it reminded her of him.” His eyes opened, and great sorrow flickered in the reflecting flames. “Being in the Order keeps me away while still allowing me to make sure she remains provided for. When my service is done, I pray I will return home to a wife who can look upon my face once more.”
“But Veilers can serve for years, sometimes decades, before they are pardoned. You might be an old man by the time you return home. How do you know she will wait for you?”
Yan rolled his shoulders back and stiffened his neck. I thought that perhaps my line of questioning had gone too far. However, it didn’t stop him from replying.
