asked, looking at Kian as he came up beside her. Emerian came up on her left as she watched Kian.
“Can we leave the horses here?” Emerian asked, frowning.
“Yeah, this is the place,” Kian said with a chuckle. “When it’s time to go, we leave the Elvasi in the dust, flying up and grabbing our horses. It’s a great plan…unless they have gryphons, then we use the cliffside as a chance to turn and fight.”
“How much farther to the mission objective?” a warrior asked. Mave didn’t turn to see who, recognizing Deusav’s voice. His a little higher than most males, which made him more distinctive. She didn’t think she would be able to do that with any of the others.
“We’ll walk for half the night through this valley,” Kian said, pointing out over the vista. “See the mountain on the far side? We’ll be going to the other side of it. That’s where the Elvasi camp is. I would say we fly, but that puts us out in the open. I’d rather keep us under tree cover. If we run into an Elvasi patrol, we kill them quickly and keep moving. It’s nearly sunset now. We should be back at the horses by dawn.”
Mave dismounted and took her mare back to the trees, tying it up safely. She was ready to go. Everyone was ready because preparedness was important. If they saw Elvasi on the trip, they had to be ready. The horses only carried emergency supplies, and in Kian’s case, an explosive brick that made everyone nervous.
She met everyone back on the cliffside, choosing to stand next to Emerian. He was the only person with his weapon out, but it was practical. He had a makeshift place to carry it on his back, but it wasn’t the type of weapon with a safe sheath, like their swords. Even the three archers in their group could sling the bow over their shoulders. Not Emerian.
“You ready? First mission, possible combat, and something I’ve never even done. I can’t say I’ve blown up a mountain before.”
“I’m ready,” he promised, smiling as he looked over the view. “Since I started training with Luykas and Trevan here in Anden, I’ve craved this. It started small, but I really wanted to prove myself this year, and I’m glad to have the chance. Thank you.”
“Anything else you want to talk about while we walk?” She crossed her arms.
“Why?” Her nemari’s frown did nothing to distract from the attractive form of his face. She always tried to put his appearance to the back of her mind, but sometimes, it was impossible to ignore. His profile was beautiful, even concentrated, and confused.
“She wants to know if you have anything you want to get off your chest because you might die,” Kian explained. “She’s right to do so since it’s your first mission.”
Emerian shrugged. “No, I’m fine, I think.”
She wished she could see him blush, but he never did. He just got that same sheepish expression.
“You should think about it a little more. More warriors die on their first mission than any other,” a gruff old male said. “Lack of experience. If there’s anything you want to say, now’s the time.”
“I would say more die on their last,” Mave muttered.
“But…” Kian started to chuckle. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
“I figured you would get that joke, eventually,” she smirked, turning to elbow her father. “Getting slow in your old age?”
He wrapped an arm around her head and pulled her in, messing up her hair. She was on the road, so it wasn’t nice to begin with.
“Let’s get going,” Kian said, kissing the top of her head. She wondered if she was supposed to be embarrassed. Mat always turned a little red when Leshaun messed with him, but when she was with Kian, it felt natural.
They jumped down, using their wings to slow their descent, and entered the woods below. They moved quickly and tried for silence, but it was impossible with fifteen Andinna warriors jogging through the underbrush. As they moved, the sun set, casting large shadows. The mountain had been picked by a scout. The scouts didn’t just report numbers of Elvasi troops but also major topographical information. The Andinna forces needed that information to be successful. When they reached their objective, it would be completely shadowed, the sun having dipped behind the mountain. There was only a slim chance they would be seen by the Elvasi in the camp below.
They didn’t run into any Elvasi patrols on their trip