Page 66 of On Broken Bonds

He looks at me like the idea is absurd, shakes his head, and turns. I try to use the glimpse of his face to read his thoughts about what just happened, waking up cuddled together with Fenric and I, but Thorian is, as per usual, unreadable.

Thorian completely extinguishes the fire and I kneel down, bundling up the bed roll and slipping it back into the nap-sack, which I wish had more in the way of utility, and less in the way of comfort. I won’t be surprised if we abandon the bed roll later in favor of keeping food, water, or other supplies in the bag, but at least it kept us warm last night.

Well, Thorian and Fenric kept me warm.

“Found these,” Fenric announces, bursting back into the clearing and dropping a shirtful of berries onto one of the stumps. Thorian crosses to him and picks one up, examining it carefully.

“How do we know these aren’t poisoned?” he asks, turning the berry from side to side.

“My family and I foraged all the time,” Fenric says. “These ones are safe.”

The two of them fall into an argument about the berries, debating whether they're safe and whether they're worth the risk. After several minutes of listening to them go back and forth, my patience finally runs out. Before either man can make another point, I reach forward and pop one of the berries into my mouth.

Thorian whips toward me, eyes widening in alarm. Beside him, Fenric merely arches a brow, the corner of his mouth twitching as though he's waiting to be proven right.

My heart pounds as my teeth break the skin and the berry bursts open, delicious and sweet. I swallow it down.

“Well,” I say, smiling at them, “it doesn’t taste poisonous.”

Fenric lets out a smug little laugh. “I told you it wasn't.”

“You don't know that for certain,” Thorian says grumpily.

“I do know that.” Fenric reaches forward and plucks several more berries from his pile. “We had these growing all over the woods near my village. My sister and brother used to stain their fingers purple picking them every summer.”

Thorian’s expression softens briefly.

Without hesitation, Fenric pops a berry into his mouth. “My mother made jam from them when we could spare the sugar. Most years, we couldn't.”

“Unless the gods decided to make these poisonous specifically for the Trials,” Thorian says, brow lifted.

“If we think the gods made everything poisonous to trick us, we’ll die of hunger out here long before we die from anything else,” Fenric argues, eating another berry.

I can see it on both their faces. Fenric has won this particular battle, and they know it.

Despite his grumbling, Thorian reaches over and eats a handful of the berries.

Fenric immediately points at him. “Tasty, right?”

“I really don’t like you,” Thorian mutters under his breath.

The berserker grins. “You don't mean that.”

Thorian gives him a look. “I absolutely do.”

I laugh and keep eating, knowing I’ll need energy for what’s to come.

The day that stretches out before us is surprisingly pleasant. Sunlight spills through the trees in brilliant shafts of gold, birds call high in the canopy, and a cool breeze keeps the heat from becoming oppressive. If not for the weapons strapped to our bodies and the distant sounds of monsters moving through the woods, it might almost feel like an ordinary journey.

Almost.

Because every snapped branch makes my pulse jump. Every distant roar reminds me that we're surrounded by things that would happily tear us apart. The forest is beautiful in the same way a venomous snake is beautiful. The appearance is real enough. It's the danger lurking beneath it that's the problem.

We move carefully, heeding Thorian's warning about attracting attention. Even with Fenric joining our team, our goal remains the same: avoid unnecessary fights. The monsters are dangerous enough without adding rival competitors to the list.

For a time, the journey is almost enjoyable.

The forest around us takes on the colors of deep autumn, the trees exploding with shades of red, gold, and orange so vivid they scarcely seem real. Leaves drift constantly from the branches overhead. One lands in my hair, and Thorian removes it with his usual no-nonsense efficiency. A few minutes later, Fenric plucks a leaf from Thorian's shoulder.