“Is that normal?”
“That he only sends updates every few years? I have no idea. I heard that a shepherd found the message when he went after a stray goat up the slope. It was inside a sealed glass jar.”
“He threw it out?” I frown. “In a jar? That makes no sense.”
“That’s all I know,” Sedrig says. “Legends grow around real facts and acquire a life of their own. As for me, I’m not particularly interested in books or libraries, be they magical or not.”
“You and the majority of the populace,” I mutter, annoyed for no clear reason. “Thanks for satisfying my curiosity.”
“The best thing you could do is to avoid that place,” he says. “Avoid the Areon at all costs. Go back to your city.”
“That’s the plan,” I say. “And what I do next is none of your business.”
“No harm meant,” he says but his smile is sharp, “human lady.”
Don’t let him get to you,I tell myself.Tomorrow he’ll be gone and you have more important things to worry about than annoying fae males.
We make camp beside a thicket. Eiras has no fire magic, that being the domain of dragons, but he has a flintstone and strikes it against the blade of his dagger to shower a pile of twigs with sparks. I kneel down and blow on the sparks until a flame jumps to life.
“Have some bread.” Eiras extends a piece to Sedrig. “It’s not much but it’s filling.”
Sedrig takes it with a nod, murmuring something under his breath.
“What did you say you were doing on the plains?” I ask him, sitting cross-legged by the small fire, biting into my piece of bread.
“I didn’t.” He shows his sharp teeth. “Because you didn’t ask. It’s no secret. I went to buy something at the market.”
“In Siris?”
“Is that so hard to believe?” he says under his breath.
Eiras’ eyes narrow. “You’re not carrying anything on you.”
“It was a small, precious thing.” His eyes flash. “Are we done with the interrogation?”
“First you complain I didn’t ask, and now you mind the questions?”
“It’s late.” He gets up and walks a few paces out, gazing toward the dark shadow of the mountains. The stars are out, their silver light casting everything in black and white. “Let’s catch some sleep.”
“I’ll be right back,” I say.
Eiras frowns at me. My brother has already rolled himself up in his mantle and is lying on his back, his arms folded behind his head. “Where are you going?”
“What do you think? Nature calls.” I gesture at the thicket, then glance around. “Where is Sedrig?”
“He said something about walking the perimeter. It sounded very military.”
My mouth twitches into a grin. “Yeah?”
“Checking for wildcat traces. Probably sniffing the ground as we speak for any scent left behind.”
I snicker. “I’m not sure I trust him.”
“He’s just an idiot.”
I snicker some more. “We shouldn’t mock him. He has to know more about the wildcats than us.”
“That’s because we know nothing.”
