The Wind's Call (The Broken Lands #4) - T.A. White Page 0,95
thank you, that’s all,” Eva said, feeling slightly embarrassed. “He's wanted to be in charge of Sebastian's care from the beginning."
Drake slid her a look. "That was a clan greeting. We only give them to those in our own clan or those who we consider our blade brothers or sisters. He essentially accepted you as one of his own. Don't discount it's meaning. Someone like him has likely offered it to a rare few."
Eva was silent as she considered Drake’s words. She glanced Jason's way as he hurried through the camp.
Perhaps Ollie had been right, and she had misjudged him, dwelling upon the bad impression he'd left on her during their first meeting and attributing all his actions since to that.
Eva mounted with the rest, guiding Caia into line as the small group Darius had picked for this journey set out.
Reece and two Trateri scouts had already left, scouting ahead to make sure the way was safe.
Eva and Caia fell in behind Darius, Jane and Drake taking up position around her as Sebastian took to the sky.
Eva looked for Ajari but didn't see him on any of the horses. He wasn't on Sebastian either. Come to think of it, she'd never seen the mythological ride the Kyren.
"Where is Ajari?" she asked.
Darius nodded to the ridge.
She glanced up, spotting the dark shape loping along it. His figure was a blur, his movement graceful but inhuman. The bright sun peeking over the horizon made it difficult to see details, but she knew it was him. His mind was a bright light in hers.
"Talented bastard," Ghost muttered.
Eva couldn't help but nod in agreement. If she'd tried something like that, she would have broken a leg before toppling down the side.
"I could do a lot if I had that ability," Fiona said admiringly. "No place would be closed to me."
"Yeah, but then you'd have to run all the time," Hanna pointed out.
Fiona shrugged. "Worth it."
"I'd rather have a Kyren." Laurell thought a moment, then shrugged. "Or wings."
Fiona leaned over her horse to get a better glance at Eva. "What was flying like?"
Eva shuddered. "Terrifying."
Beautiful, awe-inspiring, but terrifying. Especially without a harness or saddle. One wrong move and you're dead.
She'd give a lot to never do it again.
"Enough chatter," Drake cautioned. "We're picking up the pace."
The women fell silent as Darius's horse broke into a gallop, the rest of them quickly following suit.
They traveled at that pace until the hills grew steep and they were forced to slow. They went single file down the paths Reece led them to, the pathfinder appearing and disappearing with little warning.
Some paths were little more than trampled grass and shrubs, game paths if Eva had to guess. Others were hard packed dirt or slabs of stone.
Tension stole into Eva as the morning deepened. Darius had been right to hold off from attempting the journey last night. They most likely would have fallen into one of the numerous ravines or broken a horse's leg.
That didn't make her feel much better as she considered Caden's chances of survival.
They'd been traveling for several hours when Darius gestured Eva forward. "Does any of this look familiar?"
She hesitated. She thought it looked familiar, but what if she was wrong? The Highlands, for all their beauty, could be monotonous. One hill and valley often resembled the next.
"I think so," she said.
"Where to next?" he asked.
She glanced around. So much counted on her getting this right. Yet, finding her way was more difficult than she’d anticipated. It'd been dark last night, and she'd been exhausted.
If she could climb on Sebastian's back for a bird's eye view, maybe something would jog her memory. She knew without asking that wasn't a possibility.
Sebastian circled overhead, waiting for her to notice him, before darting in a direction that took him north and to the west.
Eva pointed. "That way."
Darius didn't seem convinced even as he lifted a hand, signaling the rest.
"If you're wrong—" he started.
"Yes, yes, you'll subject me to a very painful death," Eva snapped. There were only so many times you could be threatened with death before you became numb to it. "Now I need silence to concentrate. Unlike some, I'm not used to navigating from the air."
There were a few snickers from those around them, quickly smothered when Darius arched an eyebrow at her.
"Impressive. The herd mistress has a spine after all," he drawled.
"You sound like Caden." She turned away without checking to see his reaction, shading her eyes from the morning sun.