The Wind's Call (The Broken Lands #4) - T.A. White Page 0,106
the land hazy, small wisps of mist and fog shadowing the mountains. Dew clung to everything, even Eva's bedroll.
She blinked dazedly up at Caden as he moved several feet over to kick the bottom of another's sleeping roll. Jason sat up, his hair sticking out, his eyes sleepy and expression groggy.
"What?"
Eva was in a similar state as she stared blankly around her. They were the only ones up.
"Get dressed. Time for training." The words were as staccato and sharp as the man who spoke them.
"What?" Jason asked again.
Eva finally noticed Jane and Drake standing off to the side, chatting as they waited. They had practice swords and held their bodies loosely. You would never have guessed how absurdly early it was from how chipper and awake they seemed.
Eva hated them instantly. After riding all day, she'd spent hours last night checking on all of the horses, including Sebastian. With Ollie injured, her workload had doubled. Jason had helped, but until she'd checked each one over herself, she wouldn’t have been able to sleep.
She was grateful Jason was the one now being called out, even if she wished Caden hadn’t woken her to see it. She flopped back onto her roll. If she was lucky, she might get another hour of sleep before she had to be up again.
Strong arms reached in and yanked her out of the blankets. She swore as Caden's eyes twinkled down at her.
"You too. Your training starts today as well," he informed her.
"Jason's the one who wanted this, not me." Eva’s voice was sleep roughened. Her eyes were gritty, and she had a feeling her cheek was red and creased from the bundle of clothes she'd been using as a pillow. Tendrils of hair escaped her braid to snarl around her face.
She looked a mess and she didn't care, if it meant she could get just a little more sleep.
She reached up and rubbed the side of her neck. It hurt from sleeping wrong on it all night. Or maybe it was everything over the last few weeks. Whatever it was, it had caught up to her in a major way. Even her aches had aches. She wanted no part of whatever Caden had planned.
One of his strong hands slipped up to massage the side she'd rubbed, making Eva's eyes go half-lidded in pleasure as he kneaded the knots. A groan slipped out of her. Whatever she might think of the man, he had magic hands. She was willing to overlook a few of his flaws if he'd keep doing that.
He finished and slapped her on the shoulder. "Come on. Time to train."
Eva glared at him but didn't move as the fox poked its nose out of her nest of blankets, blinked at the two of them before curling back into its warm pocket.
When had he climbed into her blankets last night?
She shook the thought from her mind. She had a feeling if she didn't pay attention, she'd end up training with Jason whether she wanted to or not.
"I already told you I'm not training," she growled.
"Not true. You said Jason wanted to do this, not you," he pointed out.
The sound that slipped from her would have been at home in Ajari's throat. "You understood what I meant."
"Perhaps next time you should be clearer when you speak. You know how us warriors are," he said with a sly smile.
"No, I don't." Eva wasn’t amused. She didn't hang around warriors. She cared for their four-legged companions. Total difference.
"Then perhaps it's time you learn."
She didn't want to learn. She wanted to sleep.
She rubbed her eyes. "Why do I have to?"
She didn't even care that her voice was perilously close to a whine.
"Because while you were making your argument for him to learn, it occurred to me you have even less familiarity with weapons or violence. Where we're going, you'll to need to be acquainted with both," he said calmly.
"I'm going to the herd lands," Eva snapped, sarcasm raising its head. "I hardly think a few lessons with a wooden stick are going to do much if the Kyren decide they don't like me."
Caden took a deep breath as if she was testing his patience.
Good. That made two of them.
"Ajari said you would be the only one welcomed in their herd lands. Is that still the case?"
Eva's eyes slid toward where Sebastian was snoozing while standing up. His ears pricked and she felt his agreement with Caden's statement.
The sour expression on her face was answer enough.