“Ho, Your Majesty,” he says brusquely as soon as he spots our approach. I force myself to be polite and smile as I wave my hand. He’s one of the elders and has a particularly comforting, paternal air about him.
Liana, Ulla, Niht, and Turalyon are strapping on saddles made ofRuh’Glumdlorleather. A small chorus of everything ranging from,Ma’TeotoMy Kingfills the air. I look each of them in the eye, knowing every potentially awful outcome of this trip. They could die.
I could die.
A pang of despair comes when I realize that Vann did not come to say goodbye. I didn’t think he was still particularly upset about the discussion we had before I fell asleep, but perhaps I had not seen the signs of his irritation.
It feels uncomfortable to leave without saying anything.
Theglacialmarasare restless as we load them up with packs of supplies. They buck when leather straps are wrapped around their middle sections, and their melodic chimes sound discordant. One comes up to me with its unseeing eyes, somehow studying my being.
“We call her Rahda,” Coan says with a smile.
I raise an eyebrow in the face of the creature’s scrutiny. I knew thatglacialmaraswere a female-only species. But the name…
“You named it after a rat?”
Coan nods. “She likes to steal food from the others. And she’s much more mammal than crystal beast.”
To prove the stable master’s point, her head pushes into my hand, and Coan huffs a laugh. I run my palm over the smooth section of hard stone, gazing down at Rahda as I ask, “How is everyone?”
She nudges me again, and I swear a voice inside of me says,have a little faith. Not everything will end in disaster.
“Better, now that I see you have slept,” Liana says.
I make a sound by sucking on my teeth. “Glad I could help. Will you be joining us, too?”Please, no.
She makes a face and places a hand on her back. “I’m too old for these small creatures. My back would be squealing before the sun begins to sink in the sky.”
I fake a laugh to hide my relief. “Perhaps we should bringdrathorinna,” I half-heartedly tease, bringing up the mother of allglacialmaras. She hasn’t been seen out in the open since the first Great War, and she is only ever ridden by Fuegorra readers, like Liana or Estela.
“Ha,” Liana muses. “No, I must keep the crystal dragon safe for her new rider.”
“Very well,” I say, suddenly serious and turn to the side,where Ulla hums a tune that displays her nerves. She checks that all of the packs weigh more or less the same before our small party departs from the caves.
Last night, I felt sure in choosing Niht the hunter, Turalyon the diplomat, Ulla the healer, and Ra’Salore the stone bender to accompany me. It’s a balanced decision, accounting for every need. And yet, the weight of asking people to head into dangerous territory presses down on me this morning.
I finish strapping the last crystal beast and straighten, wiping my hands on my leather riding pants.
“How long has it been since you left the caves, Ulla?” I ask, still thinking about the massive distance we’ll have to travel. Leaving without a healer would be foolish, but she seems unsure and that makes my nerves spike.
She stiffens, silver-blue eyes meeting mine before she brushes a stray strand of gray hair behind her ear. “Since Sama’s blessing.”
I raise an eyebrow. “For more than a morning.”
She presses her lips together. “Never. I was born in Enduvida before the wars.”
My lips press together, and acid pools in my stomach. It is strange not to know that about her. She was one of the few who had lived in this city before, but I always assumed that she had spent more time traveling around the world. I desperately wish there was another healer with more experience leaving the caves.
Vann grumbles behind me, surprising me out of my worries. I straighten to find him sauntering in from the tunnels. Gratitude flowers along my rib cage. I shoot him a half-heartedly sharp look through my grin.
“Perhaps you should take someone who knows the overlands better,” he says.
I shake my head. “Ulla is a healer. That will be vital. Besides,she’s also a better cook than you. You must stay and work with Svanna to keep everything running smoothly.”
Vann lets out a noncommittal “Bah” which makes me genuinely smile.
Ulla smirks, not showing any sign she still feels even a fraction of my anxiety. “Stay away from the plants and the pots. Luiz knows what he’s doing well enough.”
