Page 23 of On a Barbarian World

He nodded. “I can arrange that.”

“And your nanami? What do they have an affinity for?”

“Fighting.”

She laughed. “I should have known.”

They crested a rise and below, he spotted where Aurina had crashed into his world. “We’re here.”

She stiffened in his arms. “Oh, my God.”

When they reached the bottom, the deep gouge was still visible, and Kavon pulled Tarm to a stop.

She didn’t wait for him to help her dismount. She slid her leg over and awkwardly dropped to the ground. He went to chide her for putting herself at risk, but she was already hurrying away.

He scanned the surroundings to ensure there was no one—or no thing—nearby. Then he followed her.

She was standing near the slope where he’d discovered her. Her arms hung by her sides and her shoulders were slumped.

“There’s nothing here.” She looked around, her face shocked. “There should be pieces of my ship, at least.”

He gave a nod. “There were metal items. My men carried some things back to the estate, but we were in a hurry to escape the darken beasts and Drog.”

She turned. “Drog?”

Kavon tried to control the rage that welled at the warlord’s name. “The vilest, most dishonorable warrior in Markaria.”

She watched him. “I take it you don’t get along.”

“My family has feuded with his for centuries.” Kavon looked away and took a deep breath. “You probably don’t remember much of last night, but he was the one coming with his vicious hunting dogs.”

She was quiet for a moment. “Then I’m glad you got to me first.”

The idea of Drog getting his hands on Aurina made Kavon clench his teeth for control. “He knows something happened here. He will be sending his spies to find out about you.”

“Well, I hope I’m gone by then.” She shook her head. “So, he took the rest of my ship and belongings?”

“I suspect so.” The man had left nothing behind except the disturbed earth.

Aurina wrapped her arms around herself. “My e-beacon…it sends an emergency message to my brothers.” She demonstrated, with her hands. “It’s a metal ball, about this big.”

Kavon’s muscles tensed. Hearing her talk of leaving, before she’d shared what she’d learned or helped him with the sword…he hardened himself. He had the beacon, but he wasn’t ready to share that with his skyflyer, yet.

She sighed, despair on her face. “It either didn’t survive, or Drog has it. I can’t contact my brothers. Even if they find this planet, there’s no crash site left to detect.”

Kavon did not like to see her like this. He touched her shoulder.

She looked up at him. “I need to find that beacon.”

“You help me find the sword, and I’ll help you find it.”

“I’m alone,” she whispered. “I hate being alone.”

“You said you are a scout. You must have been alone frequently.”

“But I have a family to go back to. And before I knew my brothers, I had my mother, until she died.”

Before she knew her brothers? There was a story there, but for now, Kavon pulled her back against his chest and wrapped his arms around her. She was so small and lush, and while he would never call a woman with such fiery spirit fragile, right now she seemed made of glass.