Gaz glanced at me and nodded.It felt good to be on the same side as Gaz again.
“I also agree,” Finnrey said.If we’d been a patrol, Gaz and Finnrey would have had the most seniority.This would have been the end of the discussion.But Taio and the Zulenii weren’t part of any patrol.They didn’t fit within our structure.And yet, everyone looked to Taio for the final word.I don’t think Gaz noticed even he looked to Taio for the final decision.
Taio looked at me, then at the forest.“Fine,” he said and began walking toward the trees.
I tried not to think too much about what I’d just seen, but it was clear to me that Taio was now in charge.I don’t know how he did it, but gradually we’d all begun to accept his authority.I wondered if Gaz still wanted to kill him.I glanced over my shoulder and caught Gaz staring at Taio with a look I couldn’t describe any way other than malice.I supposed that answered that question.
A moment later, Gaz quickened his stride and caught up with me.“Thank you for taking my side on this, Mara,” he said.
I knew this for an opening to mend the rift between us and took it.“I always want to be on your side.I don’t like it when we argue.”
“Neither do I.I don’t remember us arguing before.”
“That’s because I always had to defer to you.”
He bumped me with his shoulder.“And I kept you alive, didn’t I?”
I smiled at him.“You did.I knew you always had my back on patrol.”
“I still have your back.”We walked in silence for a moment.Then he said the one thing I’d been dreading.“Do you have mine?”
I looked at the ground, covered with shorter grass, twigs, and tree roots.This area had probably once been forest as well.“It depends, Gaz.If you try and kill Taio or one of the others, I can’t support that.I won’t be part of it.”
“You’ll protect him, not me.”
I looked up at him.“This is our team.I’ll protect the team.”
Gaz stared ahead of us.“Then I will too.”
I studied him, not certain how to take his words.Was he really agreeing to put his desire to murder Taio aside?His gaze slid to mine, and I stared into his clear, dark eyes.I was looking for truth.Gaz met my eyes, unblinking, then took my hand.“Friends?”
“Of course,” I said, but I still wasn’t sure if I’d seen what I wanted behind his eyes.I wanted to believe him, though.Surely his plan to kill Taio, my mother’s scheming, and Cameed’s insistence on pretending to be me at the rite had just been abnormalities caused by the appearance of the Zulenii.Our world had been turned on its side, but now it was righting itself and Gaz was beginning to see sense.He squeezed my hand.His was slightly larger than mine but just as callused.A few weeks ago, I would have been giddy at just the thought of holding Gaz’s hand.Now I wasn’t sure what I felt.Omira was off to my left, and I caught her looking at us.I felt my face heat and dropped Gaz’s hand on the pretext of bending to adjust my boot.
***
ALINE MARKING THEbeginning of the forest and the end of the grasslands didn’t exist.Gradually we’d passed more and more trees and ahead of us those trees grew denser and darker.We’d paused in a clearing, most likely made by patrols cutting trees for the outposts, and Taio had declared we’d camp here.The large, roughly circular opening among several tall pines was as good a place as any in my opinion.The darkness of the forest was still a good ten-to-fifteen-minute walk.We would not be surprised by anything that came out of there.
We set our packs down and shook out bedrolls.Finnrey, Gaz, Nize, and I chose one side of the clearing, with Finnrey and I close together and Gaz and Nize close.We’d done this dozens of times on patrol, and it was more or less habit.Across from us, Yung and Kintle spoke in low voices and looked from us to Taio.Too late, I realized we’d separated ourselves from the Zulenii.As though sensing the rising tension, Taio turned from studying the forest.His pale gaze took everything in then settled on me.For some reason, I felt guilty, as though I had done something wrong.
“We will have four watches tonight,” Taio announced.“The first watch is Kintle and Nize, the second is Omira and Mara—”
Gaz began to object, but Taio spoke over him.“The third is Taio and Gaz.The last watch is Yung and Finnrey.”
He was clever to pair us this way—one Zulenii and one Earslehen.These combinations meant we could sleep peacefully, knowing one of ours was on watch and the Zulenii could do the same.For some reason, I was disappointed that I hadn’t been paired with Taio.I’d liked our conversation last night.Mayhap I’d talked too much, and he’d put me with Omira so I wouldn’t be distracted by him.My face flamed even hotter at the realization Taio noticed that he’d distracted me.
Gaz muttered to himself, but he didn’t argue with Taio’s decision.I knew he’d rather be paired with Nize, but no one else would have agreed with him.Even Finnrey was nodding at Taio’s announcement.One would find it difficult to argue with the wisdom of what he’d done.
“Put your bedrolls beside your watch partner,” Taio said.
“Now hold on!”Gaz burst out.“I’m not sleeping beside you.”
“Gaz,” Finnrey said, her tone placating.“You know he’s right.We do it the same on patrol.”
I was glad Finnrey was the one defending Taio and not me.
“I’m not sleeping beside him,” Gaz said, crossing his arms.
“I want Mara beside me anyway,” Taio said, walking toward me, lifting my bedroll and carrying it to where he’d dropped his pack.Gaz’s face turned dark red.It seemed I was destined to always be caught in the middle.Where I slept was not worth an argument, though.I turned away and went to smooth my bedroll.Everyone else spread out as well, Gaz across from me, Omira nearby, and the others in the general area of their watch partner.No one seemed to want to sleep too close to anyone else—except Taio.He’d put my bedroll all but on top of his pack.I moved it further away then sat down and extracted some food from my pack.I wished I could take my boots off, but I knew better.All of us had to be ready to fight or run at a moment’s notice.We slept fully dressed and ready.
