What was his problem?
“I say we follow the trail south, like you said, and look for traces.”And the minute I get away from you, I’ll work the spell, and then we’ll really be getting somewhere.
Caspian only nodded before leading the way. Winter had not taken full hold of the wood, not yet. Only a thin layer of snow covered the forest’s carpet of pine needles. Keira noted burrows in the bases of the trees fit for foxes or hares. Birds and squirrels flitted across their path, searching for late season offerings to store away for the winter. They weren’t walking long before Caspian’s heavy steps startled a small herd of deer bedding down in a thicket.
Separating proved easier than she had feared. They had walked in relative silence for about an hour when they came to a sharp cliff. Keira needed only to suggest he search the cavesbelow for signs of habitation. Meanwhile, she would of course be searching diligently at the top.
He’d agreed easily, trudging down the steep hill and out of sight, though not out of earshot.
Keira went to work quickly, releasing the Occulos charm. Trying to work two spells at once was as maddening, and frankly impossible, as singing two songs at once or waltzing while solving arithmetic in one’s head. From there, it was a simple matter of drawing the scrying circle into the dirt with her knife and laying the quills in the center.
With everything laid out, she closed her eyes. Soon enough she could sense it, white fur thick with black quills. Long, hungry teeth. Wicked claws. It was resting somewhere dark. Keira shifted her focus. Not what, where? Like from the eyes of a bird, she saw herself kneeling on the ground. She flew at impossible speeds through the wood, over a thin icy river. Farther until the trees grew thinner as they met the mountains. The vision came to rest at the mouth of a cave littered with clean white bones.
“Erin?” Caspian’s voice carried from below.
Keira pulled her focus back to her body. The effort took longer than she had hoped. She stood the moment she was able, though a bit unsteadily. She smoothed the circle away and laid her hand on the ground. As she lifted it, the imprint of a large paw was left in its place. A satisfied smile crossed her face.
“Erin!” His voice sounded closer.
Fate have mercy. Keira growled the Occulos charm again before she turned.
“I’m here.”
Within a moment, she caught sight of him jogging through the trees to meet her, his heavy cloak swaying behind him.
“I found a track,” she said, pointing at her forgery.
He bent down and ran his fingers over the imprinted earth.
“Looks fresh.”
“Might be, but there hasn’t been rain for days. It’s hard to tell.” The lies just poured out so easily. They tasted like vinegar on her tongue.
He nodded, swallowing them easily. Because he trusted her.
“I think we’ll find more of the trail if we carry on northeast.” She angled her arm in the direction she knew would lead them to their quarry.
“Lead on.” That was all he had to say.
Keira did. Even as they walked for hours, she could still see the tension in his shoulders. The crease that would appear in his brow when he thought she wasn’t looking. It was driving her insane not knowing what was going on in that head of his.
Caspian
Last night, Caspian had dreamed of Keira. It had been so long since he’d been tortured by memories of those sweet stolen kisses as they spent long summer days exploring the meadows. Watching her read by firelight, the way her green eyes danced over the page. It all haunted him now, punctuated by the pain of walking up to the tower to discover it empty, of finding her gone without a trace.
He’d tried his best to focus on the task at hand as they traveled through the wood. Now of all times, he needed his wits about him. But his thoughts were inexplicably with her. It only made him more grateful for Erin’s help. She was sure of her way and offered no complaints of being tired or cold. In fact, she hardly spoke at all.
A rush of guilt swept over him as Caspian realized he’d made almost no effort at conversation either. He’d probably been rather poor company all day. He was still pondering what he could possibly say after so many hours of silence when she turned abruptly to face him.
“Is something wrong?” Erin asked suddenly. She stopped in her tracks, looking at him as if this question had been brewing for sometime.
It could only be expected, as he’d been brooding all day.
Still, Caspian rubbed his neck. “I’m sorry if I’ve been poor company. I just didn’t sleep well last night, bad dreams.”
“About the war?” she looked at him sympathetically with wide green eyes. His brow furrowed. He had thought they were a dark brown shade. Maybe it had been the darkness last night, but now they were brilliant green…
She blinked again, and they were brown, unremarkable, ordinary eyes.
