“You look like you’re thinking pretty hard.” Tauran’s voice was soft, drawing Kalai from his thoughts, again.
Kalai offered him a small smile, heart skipping at the sight of Tauran, relaxed at last and stretched out beneath him, one arm folded behind his head. Kalai wished he could keep them trapped in this moment, bugs and all. “I’m just glad we’re here together.”
* * *
They developed a new routine.
Traveling at night was too dangerous in the marshes where a wrong step could send them plummeting into a sinkhole. So at night, they slept, Arrow watching over them from above. At noon, when the horde of mosquitoes was less, Kalai called Arrow down and they camped while Arrow rested. This form of travel was hard on him. His wings were built for racing, not soaring, yet no matter how much Kalai tried, he couldn’t get him to sleep on the ground during the night. Instead, Kalai spent the afternoon hours massaging Arrow’s wings, and watching Tauran train Leyra.
Leyra was growing stronger fast, staying in the air for several minutes at a time, although she struggled when the wind was brisk, pushing her off balance. More than a few times, it sent her tumbling head-first into puddles of muddy water.
Each time, Tauran ran to her and made sure she was unharmed, picking leeches off her sensitive wing membranes with little care for the bloodsucking creatures clinging to his own ankles. The sight warmed Kalai’s heart. Tauran would have everyone believe he’d grown cold and detached since his fall, yet he looked after their little group like nothing in the world was more important.
“Good girl!” Tauran exclaimed, when Leyra jumped into the air with new enthusiasm.
Kalai smiled. He sat on a peninsula of relatively dry grass surrounded by shallow water, carefully folding Arrow’s right wing. Arrow sighed in his sleep.
When Kalai drew his hands back, they were shaking.
He balled them into fists and took a deep breath. They still shook when he uncurled them. Reluctantly, he reached inside his jacket and withdrew the vial of pills. This vial was still half full. He’d counted his supply the previous night. He hadn’t been as good at preserving them as he’d wanted, but he was still sticking to schedule. If they weren’t delayed, he’d be fine. Even if they were, he could handle a few days of discomfort stretching the doses without making a fuss of it. Skies, Tauran had lived for years in constant pain and hardly ever voiced his struggles. Kalai had never dealt with pain and discomfort well. Guilt reared its head. He shouldn’t be such a baby about it.
Carefully, he removed the cork, placing a thumb over the open vial when Arrow raised his head and rumbled softly.
“What is it, boy?” Kalai asked.
Arrow squeaked.
Frowning, Kalai leaned sideways, trying to gauge what had caught his attention. The horses jerked their heads and whinnied nervously.
Bubbles gathered on the top layer of the mud pool surrounding them, a few bursting when more forced their way up from below.
“They’re just mudskippers, bud. Go back to sleep.” Kalai reached out to stroke Arrow, yelping in surprise when Arrow burst to his feet, wings outstretched. Arrow’s left wing struck Kalai in the face and Kalai hit the ground hard. Hisses and growls exploded above him and he clung to the vial, shielding his head with his free hand. Through the sounds of roars and splashing water, he heard Tauran shout for him.
“Tauran!” Kalai staggered to his feet, whipping around. He was alone. Arrow was in the air, something large and smooth moving in the water. Arrow roared, jaws open and teeth exposed.
A tight grip around his upper arm made Kalai jump. When he spun, Tauran’s wide, concerned eyes met his.
“Run!” Tauran yanked him, his other hand clamped around the horses’ reins, and Kalai moved, Arrow turning away from the danger to follow. Tauran guided them away from the water to a larger patch of dry land. Arrow landed beside them, slender legs shaking. Leyra darted straight to Arrow and pressed against his chest, whining, the weight of her nearly enough to make Arrow lose his balance.
Tauran’s hand was hot and clammy against the side of Kalai’s face. “Are you hurt?”
“No, no, I’m fine.”
Tauran was at Arrow’s side in an instant, running his hands over his mud-splattered legs, throat and stomach to check him for wounds.
“Is… is he okay?” Kalai’s voice was high and trembling. He took a deep breath to