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By morning,the storm had broken and we made for Swelan. Bran fit the saddle from the horse Fenling had provided onto Yaran, and once again, we were reunited. Despite the lightly falling snow, and the continual chill, all felt right with the world.
The path to the city was narrow, along the side of a cliff, and to our left was a steep dropoff that overlooked a rugged rockslide below, now covered with snow. The path was wide enough for two horsemen, but we rode single file, taking no chances of anybody slipping over the edge. The snow was so thick that it was difficult to tell whether there was ground below it, or whether it had frozen into an overhang.
Around noon, the skies cleared and the sun broke through, sending pale, warmthless rays down to dazzle against the snow. I caught sight of a great bird, watching us from a craggy peak, and pointed it out to Fenling.
“That’s an osaga—it’s a predator and it feeds on small creatures that have burrowed deep into the soil before the snows,” she answered. “They have to come out to eat, and the osagas wait and watch. They’re territorial, and are few and far between. The People of the Winds consider it bad luck to shootone, so under no circumstances—unless one attacks you—take it in mind to kill one.”
I nodded, my bow strapped to my back for easy access. My quiver was attached to the saddle and I fastened the dagger sheath to my belt. I thought about Ashera and how much she’d done for me, and decided if we made it out of this, I’d go back and make certain she was all right.
“What are you thinking about?” Fenling asked, glancing back at me.
“Ashera, and how much she did for me. If I ever get the chance, I want to make certain she’s safe. I keep thinking what Karehl would do to her if he found her and found out she helped us.” I sighed, shading my eyes against the glare. We’d been in storms for so many days that the weak sunlight was blinding me.
“She’ll be all right,” Fenling said. “She’s probably far more powerful than you know. But once we have the chance, I’ll go with you to make certain she’s all right.”
“How far to the town?” We’d been riding since early morning.
“We should reach Swelan by tomorrow night. We’ll have to bivouac tonight, but we can dig into the snow and the cliff face on our right, and pray that no one comes down the mountain.” She adjusted her cloak, blinking.
“Is something wrong?” I asked.
“I haven’t had a good run in ages. In my wolf form.” She said it shyly, and I realized that she must truly trust me.
If I had learned anything about wolf shifters, it was that they were private in their shiftings—most of the talk was kept in the family, or community. Anyone who saw them in their beast form was considered either an honorary family member, or it was unintentional. That Fenling would eventalkabout that side of herself meant she trusted me.
“I wish I could experience what it must feel like—to run like a wolf,” I said, feeling shy myself. “It must be incredible.”
“It’s such a freedom,” she said. “But I’d love to fly—that seems like true freedom.”
“I guess we always want what we don’t have,” I said, laughing as we went back to riding in comfortable silence.
Up ahead, Bran led us, followed by Quen, then San. Then came Fenling and after her, me. The rest of the men followed behind me. I stared at the snow on the ground, watching as the sun melted a thin layer, even in the chill that surrounded us. It would freeze during the night and become slick, and tomorrow, the road would be that much more dangerous. The dropoff to the left was a dizzying drop, and anybody who went over the edge would be bashed to pieces on the rocks below.
“This is going to be a mess tomorrow morning,” I said.
Fenling nodded, not turning around. I wasn’t offended—one misstep could lead to death. “We’ll have to be cautious tomorrow, but at least we should reach the town by tomorrow night. But we have to pass through Fenkar’s Pass first, and that’s where we face the most danger.”
“Fenkar’s Pass? I’ve never heard of it.”
She paused, halting her horse, and turned around. “Fenkar’s Pass is the home to rock elementals, and they hate people. We’ll have to hope they’re asleep. So tonight, sleep as well as you can. We have to be alert.”
By evening, we found a place that was a little more level to our right, on the side of the mountain, and did our best to make camp. It wasn’t very comfortable, but we were able to make a small fire in one of the fire buckets and heat water for tea and warm our hands.
Bran settled down beside me as Fenling went to help Quen feed the horses. Apparently, they had devised some sort of food that was so concentrated in nutrients that a handful could keepthe horses going, but Quen had told me it was difficult to make, and so they kept it for extreme situations.
Bran leaned back on the hides we’d spread out against the chill of the snow. We had all done our best to erect a shelter—more of a lean-to against the wind, and it offered some protection. But the chill still penetrated every bit of skin open to the elements.
Bran slid his arm around my shoulders. “Lean in. It’s going to be an uncomfortable night. I wish we’d had time to bring more supplies.”
“Did he hurt you? When you were in jail?” I asked, leaning my head against his shoulder. He was warm, and I leaned into his heat.
Bran hesitated, then shook his head. “Geoff was ordered to beat me, but he didn’t do it. I fear for his life, but if he’s still standing when I…ifI am able to supplant my brother, then I’ll make him retire, give him a pension fit for a lord, and see that he’s comfortable for the rest of his days.” He paused, then quietly said, “I need to ask you something, and it’s uncomfortable. I know you told me my brother didn’t touch you, but if he did…it’s okay to tell me. I want to know the truth.”
I paused, then said, “Karehl didn’t rape me. He kissed me, and I let him because I didn’t want to give him a reason to go further. But eventually, he would have. He said he’d be coming back. I wasn’t about to let it happen. If I hadn’t found a way to escape, I would have killed him when he returned. By the way, that tower that he trapped me in? Has a secret stairwell that leads outside.”
Bran relaxed. “Thank the gods. I’ll make sure he never gets another chance. I give you my word. It’s dangerous to leave your enemies alive.”
“Do you really think you can take the throne from him?” I shivered as, somewhere, a nightbird shrieked from higher up. “This is a barren land. Do the winds ever stop?”
