I pull the covers around me, sitting up more on the bed. I'll have to leave it soon.
“How did this happen? I mean, you and Ereon? What happened?”
He grabs my hand and kisses the back of my knuckles. “We have an understanding. I can't really explain it, except we thought we lost you. When fears are heightened, well, the truth seems to come out. I would still rather punch him than speak to him, but we have called a truce, for now.”
Ereon, I'm assuming, taps three times on the side of the tent. Our time is up.
“I have to go,Nohæ.” He pulls me forward and kisses me deeply. His scent, his taste, his heat. I don't want to let him go, but when Ereon taps the side again he releases me.
As he heads out for the day, I have to know one more thing. “Thy, what doesNohæmean?”He's called me it for so long and has always refused to tell me, but I need to know now.
Running his hands through his hair to tie it up once again, getting ready to show the world that he is the Captain, he smiles. “It means ‘my dream.’”
And with that, he walks out the door.
There is a chill here among the shadows of the mountain, even with the sun shining high overhead. Thylas explained as we were packing, that we would move quickly without the use of the carriage, and so now Siphonie and I are riding horses, something I've not done in a long time. I was given a pair of leather pants that Rhenor found somewhere, because no one likes to ride a horse in a dress. Thylas gave me one of his tunics to wear as a top and every time he sees me in it, he smiles. The memories of last night replaying just as much for him as they do for me. He likes seeing me in his clothing. After they left this morning, I grabbed the jeweled dagger from my trunksand attached it to my thigh. It's not hidden as it would be in a dress, but I don't care. I want people to know that I am no longer the prey. Siphonie returned my pack this morning, saying Thy and Ereon found it before they found me. I was overjoyed to see the journal still intact, but it did get wet. I haven't looked at the damage yet. I was even more excited to also find my bangle inside and slipped it on quickly.
Siphonie wears a pair of Rhenor's pants, although she has them tightened with a rope around her waist. She made some joke about how being in another man’s pants was behind her and she would have to find someone to loan her a pair; Rhenor didn't find it as funny as I did. So he found a rope and a pair of his.
We've been inside the pass for not more than an hour and so far it's been uneventful but the air is getting hotter with each step. Thylas' hair is still piled high on his head, his normal style, but it looks like he's been swimming from all the perspiration.
Thylas makes sure I feel safe, never leaving my side from the time I left the tent this morning. He keeps his horse on the right side of me, while Rhenor stays behind me right beside Siphonie, who trots behind Thylas.
Ereon is on his stallion to my left. Maybe the heat isn't from the atmosphere but simply being placed in the middle of the two who had me moaning in pleasure last night, and now we must pretend nothing happened. But I feel Thylas' heat as it fights with the coolness of Ereon's aura, the heady mix has my body feeling so many things.
The trail is simple — rock, and at times dusty — but simple. Nothing seems extremely dangerous but it is a narrow passage only fitting three horses across. The sides of the mountains stretch high into the sky, in fact, I can't see anything but them. I've never seen anything so tall, I can understand how the stories of Shaston being banished by the Goddess came about. This landscape contributes to the feeling of being completely cut offfrom the rest of the continent, and I guess they are. I shudder because soon enough, I will be too.
“Are you okay?” Thylas rides a bit closer to me, his brown mare keeping in step with mine.
“Hot … but okay. You?”
“Besides the fact that my ass is numb, I think I'm okay.” He adjusts in his saddle.
“We still have about three more hours, trust me, your ass won't be the only thing that’s numb. It'll take you a minute to remember how to walk when we stop,” Ereon mumbles riding up on his mountain of a horse.
“Three more hours?” Siphonie whines, “Aren't we going to stop and stretch our legs?”
“Can't risk it until we near the end of the pass. The weather has been working in our favor now, I don’t want to jeopardize our party, unless you would like to meet thekhindface to face?” He smirks at her and I smile too. He's actually talking to us, and not the arrogant Ereon, but the Ereon that he's let me catch glimpses of.
“Where are they?” she asks.
“In their caves, for now. If you look up” – he points his hand to the top where small craters line the sides – “that would be where they are.”
As if conjured by our thoughts, a howl rattles the rocks around us. The sun slides behind a dark large cloud and all the men look up quickly. Thylas' hands tremble as he directs his horse even closer to me. He's never witnessed these creatures either. We feel the vibration of the mountains around us as the creatures seem to wake from their slumber.
“Calm ... the cloud will move.” Ereon holds his hand up, stopping the entire convoy. “Just try not to make any noise,” his voice is barely above a whisper, but he grabs one of his swords from his back.
Suddenly feeling very cold, I wrap my arms around my chest, barely grasping the reins between my fingertips. I want to look back at Siphonie to check on her, but I don't let my eyes move from the caves Ereon just pointed out. A deadly silence surrounds us, as if the world itself just went mute. Then rocks trickle from the top, rolling down the mountains, as giant paws appear on the ledges above us.
Thylas slides off his horse getting even closer to me as Ereon cuts his eyes toward us. “Stay … calm,” his words are clipped, and Thylas just rolls his eyes.
A beast appears from the shadows, the head is as big as my horse and its fur has fire at the tips. My heart races and my whole body shakes as it sniffs the air with its wolf-like snout.
Thylas runs his hand up his sword, grabbing the handle before pulling it from the sheath, a swooshing sound echoes through the pass. Thekhindlooks right at us from its perch and snarls showing its long, pointed teeth.
Pebbles scatter beside me, as Thylas once again tries to get closer to me. Ereon growls under his breath, “If you move one more time Captain, I will finish you off before these creatures get to us. Stand still.” Surprisingly, he doesn't move again. My eyes remain on the beast as it slowly lets out a howl, and I flinch.
“Princess ...” Ereon's voice is the only thing I can hear over the pounding of my own heart. “Look at me, look at him ... just stop looking at them. I can hear your heart from here.”
