sides heaved, a lather had formed on her coat even as her head bobbed with happiness. Eva patted her friend’s neck as they traveled along the perimeter, waving to one of the lookouts as they passed, before guiding Caia toward the opposite side of the valley.
She wasn't in the mood for human company quite yet. She wanted to be alone with her thoughts a little longer.
Caia and Eva picked their way along the cliffs crouched at the base of the mountains. Large boulders and uneven ground made the going slow even as the view made it worthwhile.
To either side of her were mountains, tall and fierce as they stabbed the sky, so close they almost felt like they might crash down on top of her at any moment. In front of her was the meadow, a small dirt path leading toward camp, beyond which was Wayfarer's Keep, crouching like a giant stone beast. Behind her was the little mist, as the pathfinders called it, coiling in on itself.
For most of Eva’s life, the mist had been a scary story her mother told her at bedtime. Mysterious and strange. Those who were caught in its depths ran the risk of never finding their way home again, cursed to forever wander the haze.
It turned out the stories were true and the mist was back for all of the Broken Lands, not just the Highlands and Badlands.
The pathfinders were some of the few who could navigate the mist without becoming lost, and the Trateri had been quick to negotiate an alliance with them. An army who couldn’t move wasn’t much good. The pathfinders’ abilities meant the Trateri never needed to fear the mist like the rest of the Broken Lands did.
Caia's head lifted, her ears pointing forward as she came to a stop. Eva glanced around, suddenly alert. Horses were a prey animal. They were aware of their environment in a way humans weren't. Listening to them had saved Eva's life more than once.
Eva took in their surroundings. Nothing seemed to be amiss. The vista showed the same serene calm.
Caia started forward again, her passage much more tentative. Her ears flicked and swiveled as if listening to something Eva had missed.
Eva strained, trying to sense what had put her friend on edge.
A faint snort followed by the sound of a small stamp had Eva relaxing.
A horse.
She glanced back at the camp with the herd and pastures. How did one get all the way out here? And how come no one had noticed it was missing?
Most of the herd tended to stick close together, but every once in a while, a few decided to go exploring. That was probably the case now.
Eva threw her leg over Caia and dismounted. Might as well collect the wayward horse and return it to its herd.
It was likely from one of the smaller herds that belonged to one of the other clans. Maybe Ember Clan or Lion Clan. She knew both the herd masters for those clans, and it was no problem doing them the favor, knowing they’d inevitably do the same for her at some point.
Eva paused as her wrist protested with a sharp throb. She rubbed it absently, before adjusting the small satchel she still wore.
The horse wasn't going to catch itself.
Eva approached the boulder where the sound had originated cautiously, trying not to make any noise. She didn't want to spook the horse before she could get close enough. Spending half the afternoon chasing it down didn’t appeal to her.
Her shirt was grasped from behind and yanked, nearly strangling her in the process. Eva whirled, or tried to anyway, only to find Caia had ahold of her shirt with her teeth.
"What are you doing?"
Caia glared and shook her head, nearly tearing Eva's shirt in the process.
"Let go!" Eva hissed.
This was one of only two shirts she owned. She didn't want to have to replace it.
Caia dropped the shirt but still glared at Eva as if silently saying, she didn't like this.
Eva's gaze softened and she patted Caia on the nose. "I know, you and me both, but if it was you who was lost, I'd want someone to find you."
Caia blew a harsh breath out but clopped after Eva reluctantly when the she started forward again.
Before she rounded the boulder, Eva reached into her satchel for the small blade she kept there. It was a gift from Hardwick, something small but mighty. Throwaways weren't allowed weapons since some idiot might decide to attack a Trateri