Dead.
DEAD.
Dyna stifled a groan. As much as she wanted to deny it, the Guardians kept her alive. And if the fates sought to give her six, then she needed to find them all. They were her only hope of surviving long enough to reach Mount Ida.
“My lady, what is on your mind, if I may ask?” Rawn asked as he relit the dying fire. “You seem troubled.”
Dyna sighed and ran her fingers through her crimson locks, loosening the knots. A flush sunk in her cheeks. “There is much in the world I don’t understand. I wish I could somehow learn all the answers.”
“I, too, have wished for the same, but one must be careful what they wish for.”
“Have you ever felt … as though you were completely helpless?” She laughed weakly. “Sorry, that’s a silly question. You’re a warrior. You’re the furthest thing from helpless.” With a huff, Dyna released her hair. “I know why I’m here and why I left home, but there are times I realize I’m a mouse in a field prowled by snakes and owls, where one wrong step will end me. I have no claws or fangs, no sword or bow, nothing but the determination to keep going. And I wonder, is that enough?”
“I must admit, there are days where I, too, feel helpless,” Rawn said, linking his hands on his lap. “A warrior’s blade cannot defeat time. Nor can it bring me any closer to my family. I am at the mercy of my vow to find the Dragon’s Fang for my kingdom, and I cannot return until I do. I nearly lost my life several times, but what kept me alive was determination. If I had given up, I would not have met you, and at last, found the correct path.” She met Rawn’s warm turquoise gaze. “To answer your question: yes, you are more than enough. We all start somewhere. I imagine this will be a journey of a lifetime, and there will be many things you must face. You may stumble, but the most important step is always the next one.”
That’s all she could do. Keep going. No matter what, for Lyra, she refused to give up. Some of the weight on her lifted off her shoulders. “Thank you, Lord Norrlen.”
“Of course, my lady.”
The thrumming in her chest alerted her to Cassiel’s presence. She heard the flutter of his wings before spotting him circling overhead. Zev slipped out of the forest in torn trousers. A smear of blood stained his lips from whatever game he’d caught. Cassiel landed beside him, and they exchanged greetings before coming over to join them.
“Good morrow,” Rawn called.
“If only it were.” Cassiel sat on his mat with his arm propped on his knee. The flight had left his silky hair windblown, his cheekbones and nose ruddy from the chill. “Well, I imagine all of you are considering her proposal,” he said, referring to Lucenna. “Yesterday, she could not wait to be rid of us, but now she seeks our help? What does it serve her?”
Dyna frowned. If grindylows were as dangerous as believed, it would take more than one person to get those scales. “Even if Lucenna doesn’t want to admit it, she needs a suitable team, and we’re as good as any,” she said with a shrug. “I admit, I’m curious about the Druid, but can we afford to delay our mission?”
Rawn shook his head. “Time is short, my lady. We must reach the ports as soon as possible. Once winter arrives, the Saxe Sea will freeze, and we cannot board a ship until the spring.”
That wouldn’t do. They needed to be on their way to Mount Ida, and the voyage alone would take months.
“The sea in Urn’s Chip freezes, not the ocean,” Cassiel said. “As long as we board the last ship out of the port by the end of the season, we will be fine.”
“How far is the fjord?” Dyna asked Rawn.
“About three days away, my lady.”
“It’s on the way to the port,” Zev added.
Then perhaps it was worth exploring.
“I understand the appeal,” Rawn said. “However, I find this an unnecessary risk. We must avoid the fjord. It is far too dangerous.”
Zev gazed at the fire. “The world is full of dangers, but nothing worth having is ever without risk.”
“You want to go?” Cassiel asked him.
“I have questions that need answering.”
The Other, Dyna guessed. He must want to ask about it. If Zev could learn how to control it, then he wouldn’t need his chains. He wouldn’t need to suffer so much anymore.
“I say we join her,” she announced, deciding at that moment. “I think we can trust Lucenna.”
Cassiel’s jaw worked as his mouth thinned. Probably with the restraint it took not to call her a stupid human again.
“She helped us in Corron. Need I remind you?” Dyna said.
Fury burned in his gaze, as scorching asEsh Zayin’s divine fire. “I have more than paid that debt. My damned soul will never allow me to forget it.”
