The Whitefire Crossing - By Courtney Schafer Page 0,23
with Jylla without learning what will cause the most pain. Of course, that goes both ways. By the end of that night, we’d both said things we could never forgive or forget. And look where that had gotten me.
“Next time, think twice,” I growled. “This isn’t some fucking kids game. At the border, we’ll be playing with our lives.”
“I know,” he said quietly. My anger faded at the sincerity in his voice. I studied the dark circles under his eyes, frowning.
“You okay, now? You still look a little...” I waggled a hand.
“I’m fine.” The stubborn look reappeared.
“Whatever,” I muttered. I shoved myself to my feet. “Come on, then. Time to eat.”
Dinner wasn’t much, without spare water for proper cooking. When I handed Kiran his ration of jerky, hardtack, and dried fruit, he released a sad little sigh. Harken and I chuckled, and even Jerik’s mouth twitched.
“Last night of dry rations, lad.” Harken gave Kiran a sympathetic look. “Tomorrow night we’ll be high enough the stream will be in full flow, and I promise you won’t be disappointed in my cooking.” He leaned back from his seat on the wagon’s outboard and reached into the stacks of supplies. “In the meantime, I brought a little something extra to share around.” He produced a fist-sized sack which proved to contain Sulanian seedcakes sweetened with peachflower honey and dusted with cinnamon.
“You’re a marvel, Harken,” I mumbled through a mouthful of seedcake. Harken grinned at me, the warm golden glow of the lanterns softening the years etched in his face.
“You outriders aren’t so different than the horses. Give you a treat every now and then, and it keeps everybody happy.”
Footsteps crunched on rock, and Cara’s high, clear laughter pierced the night air, followed by a man’s indistinct murmur. I peered into the darkness beyond the lanternlight. That male voice sounded all too familiar.
“Hope you boys saved me something.” Cara stepped into the light, her companion trailing after. Gods all damn it, I knew I’d recognized Pello’s voice. Couldn’t he mind his own business for one night?
He nodded to us all, friendly as could be, but my annoyance grew when his eyes lingered a fraction longer on Kiran than the rest of us. “I thought I’d return your awl before morning,” Pello said to Harken, handing him the tool. “Many thanks for the loan.” He sketched an exaggerated bow to Cara, his face full of wry humor. “And Suliyya’s grace upon you, for the delight of your company on the way.”
Cara’s eyes sparkled with mocking amusement. “I love a man with a smooth tongue.”
I stifled a disgusted snort. It hadn’t taken Pello long to figure out the perfect excuse to come lurk around our camp. Cara was happy to flirt with anything short of a rock bear. Though she always held to her rule about not mixing bedplay and outriding, it didn’t stop admirers from hoping. I had no doubt Pello would eagerly play the part.
“Glad I could help,” Harken told Pello as he handed Cara her dinner ration. At least he didn’t offer Pello any of his seedcakes. “Nasty storm like that, I’m surprised more tarps weren’t damaged.”
Pello’s expression turned serious. “Perhaps you outriders could answer a question for a man new to the westbound route. Is it natural to get a storm so strong this early in the season?”
Beside me, Kiran went still. When Pello had first showed up, after one quick sidelong glance at me, Kiran had stared at the ground, picking idly at small rocks as if bored. Now I sensed him listening intently, though he didn’t raise his head.
Cara dropped to sit against a wagon wheel, her hands full of food. “It’s not the usual way of things, but weather can be strange up here. I’ve seen it snow in midsummer.”
To my surprise, Jerik spoke up. “The question’s a fair one. A storm that bad before summer takes hold...it reminds me of the weather some twenty years ago, during the mage war.” A frown marked his dark face.
“You worked that year?” Cara sounded impressed. “Must’ve been a hell of a trip.”
“It was,” Jerik said, shortly.
My respect for Jerik shot upward. I didn’t remember anything from the mage war, since I’d only been a toddler at the time. I’d heard the stories, though; we all had. There’d been a falling out among some powerful mages, and they’d got to fighting. Lord Sechaveh had ignored it for a while, keeping to his hands-off policy. But when the magic thrown around got to