Part II: Death Rite
Chapter Ten
Ihad my skullcrusherin my hand as we moved across the tall, waving grasses.The one advantage to this route was the lack of cover for any Hollows wanting to attack.Trees were sparse.In fact, golden grass waved lazily in the midday sun as far as I could see.This grass was green during the wet season, but it was dry and brittle now that the dry season was upon us.I wouldn’t have minded except the dryness made the grass blades sharper.I’d pulled my gloves on to keep my hands from being cut.
The day was warm but not overly so.The chill of the morning had burned away, and the sun beamed enough heat that I did not need another layer of clothing.I was thirsty, though.My throat ached constantly, and it was natural to want to slake that rawness with water.But I hadn’t seen any sources of fresh water all morning, so I drank from my flask sparingly.
I looked over my shoulder and saw Gaz and Nize still behind us.Dropping back, I walked beside them.“Are you well?”Gaz asked.
“Thirsty,” I said.
“I wish we’d brought some of Theud’s ale,” Nize joked.“Watery as it is, I’d take it right now.”He increased his pace and fell into step beside Finnrey, who had been quiet all morning.Gaz and I walked in companionable silence for a few minutes.
“Do you want water from my flask?”he asked.
I glanced at him.We’d been on patrol many times before, and he’d never offered me water or treated me any differently from the others.“No,” I said.
He nodded, and I thought back to our kiss on the balcony the night before the Claiming Rite.Had it only been two days ago?So much had changed since then.Gaz wanted me, cared for me.I cared for him too, but I couldn’t dwell on my feelings or I’d spend the entire journey feeling dejected and morose.I had to keep alert.But I wanted Gaz to know I was still the same person I’d always been, and I did not need him to take care of me.
“Do you want a drink frommyflask?”I asked.
He smiled.“I have plenty.Surely there will be a brook or pond where we can refill our flasks.The farms we passed looked healthy enough.”
We’d passed the farms in the morning and hadn’t seen any for the last hour.I glanced at the unending dry grasses and wasn’t so certain water would be plentiful.“How long until we reach the outposts?”
“Jolen said they were about a day and a half from Highcastle.But we aren’t on patrol and can move fast.If we’re lucky, we’ll reach the first outpost before dark.”He glanced up at the sky, judging the time.“I thought we’d see more settlers.”
So had I.The main purpose of the patrols was to keep settlers and farmers in the outerlands safe from Hollows.Few settlers meant few patrols, which might mean more Hollows.But Taio had said they’d not encountered any on their journey to Highcastle.I studied the Zulenii ahead of us.They had fanned out, hammerlike weapons at the ready.They seemed vigilant and ready to fight, if necessary.
“What do you make of those weapons?”Gaz asked quietly.We always spoke quietly when outside the castle walls, but he’d lowered his voice even more.
