The Wind's Call (The Broken Lands #4) - T.A. White Page 0,52
below it.
"How is this hot?" Eva asked as Laurell stopped and began disrobing.
"Something beneath the earth heats the water," Laurell explained. "At least that’s what the pathfinder said. I didn't really understand most of it, but he seemed to think it should be safe enough as long as we don't linger too long."
Eva gave her a wide-eyed look. "You're going to trust your life to such a thin endorsement?"
Laurell shrugged. "It's as good a reason as any."
Eva didn't comment even as internally she scoffed. That sounded like a good way to die to her.
"What are you two waiting on?" Fiona asked as she stumbled into view. The warrior was disheveled, her hair coming out of its binding to tangle loosely around her face. One eye had evidence of a bruise under it, but her expression was fierce and satisfied.
Hanna appeared behind her, equally disheveled. Her lip was split, but somehow that only enhanced her beauty, making her look like a delicate waif. She had dirt on her face and clothes, but other than that you wouldn't have been able to tell she'd just been in a fight. Her expression was curious and placid, no hint of the feral happiness present on Fiona's.
Eva didn't know what to make of the two.
"The throwaway is scared," Laurell explained.
Fiona cast a glance at Eva, her eyebrows climbing. "Really? I'd pegged you as being braver."
"First, I'm a tagalong; not a throwaway." They might as well use the correct term if they were going to be insulting. "Second, it isn't wrong to be cautious when I don't understand something. I'm exactly as brave as I need to be."
Hanna cocked her head as her lips curved. "I like her. She's no pushover."
Fiona smirked. "You should have seen her defending her herd from a pack of bandisox. Her horse was just as fierce. I’ve never seen anything quite like it."
Horses weren't considered predators. Most didn't have the temperament for it. Some were vicious, yes, but they were the exception rather than the rule. That didn't mean they were helpless. Their large size and deadly hooves meant they didn't need claws or fangs to kill.
Caia preferred fighting more than most—especially when Eva was threatened. She'd make a good war horse if she could tolerate anyone other than Eva and Hardwick on her back. Where other horses might have reared or taken off at the first whiff of bandisox, a rodent-like creature that grew to monstrous size in the forest of the giants, Caia had waded in with hooves flying. Eva had had no choice but to follow suit in defense of her friend.
Laurell gave Eva a considering look. "Did you train her that way?"
"Hardwick does most of the training," Eva said. "I help out where I'm needed."
It wasn’t exactly the truth, but Eva doubted Laurell would believe her even if she shared.
Laurell didn't look quite convinced at her explanation but she let it go.
While they'd been talking, Fiona had finished divested herself of her clothes, her lean, muscled body flexing as she lowered herself into the steaming hot water with a low groan and a look of bliss on her face.
"There's nothing better than a hot bath after a long day's ride." Fiona sank into the water until it reached her collarbone.
Laurell wasted no time following her, leaving Eva and Hanna standing on the edge.
Eva eyed the pool with a hint of reserve. Did she really want to go in? Reece had struck her as capable, but she'd seen a vicious edge to him too. Who was to say this wasn't an elaborate prank? For all she knew, the water might turn her into something monstrous or boil her alive. Stranger things had happened in these lands.
The place was rife with stories of hapless humans wandering into somewhere they didn't belong only to die or emerge changed.
"Since the two idiots tested it for us, I'm assuming it's safe," Hanna observed.
"Assumptions more often than not lead to careless mistakes that result in death," Eva said.
Hanna looked at her like she'd finally done something interesting. "Very true, but no one ever claimed glory without taking a few calculated risks."
Hanna began disrobing.
"I'm not really interested in glory," Eva muttered, not really meaning for the other woman to hear.
"Everyone is interested in glory," Hanna responded without looking at Eva. "The form it takes might differ from person to person, but everyone wants respect and to be admired for their accomplishments."