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“I don’t remember these parts of the forest being so dangerous,” she whispered, just for him.
He glanced sideways at her, brow raised. “They’re not.”
Iryana smirked. “How conniving.” But perhaps it would help.
Pyetar held out the map, and Iryana was instantly drawn to the pathways and charts. She loved the patterns. It also let her lean close to him as they walked, pretending to debate which way they’d go.
When Pyetar put the map away, they led the others quietly for a while, just focusing on the sounds of the forest and gazing out at the thinning mass of pines. The groups behind them were behaving well enough, though the unintelligible hiss of whispers occasionally reached them.
“Did it go that badly, then?” He broke their silence, still looking out at the forest. They were just far enough ahead that the others wouldn’t hear if they spoke softly.
“Did what?”
He looked at her knowingly. “The visit from the conclave. You would have brought it up if it had gone well.”
“Ah.” She knew he’d ask eventually. “They had lots of questions and few answers. Sounds like they’re going to do more research before they consider letting anyone else try it.”
“At least they didn’t try to make you go back with them.” His voice was tight. “I didn’t fancy the idea of having to break you out of Lake Vrasho.”
Iryana rolled her eyes at him. “You wouldn’t make it up on your own without air forgings.”
“I’d be sufficiently motivated to figure it out, I assure you.” His gaze was so intense she had to look away, biting her lip.
The whispers of the soldiers behind them grew to muttering complaints, and Pyetar turned around suddenly.
“Focus,” Pyetar ordered them, voice harsh enough that the unforged charges shrank a bit.
She was still recovering when he turned back, walking alongside her again.
“Well, luckily for you, they didn’t.” She fumbled for the right words. She didn’t want to hide anything from him, not after what they’d been through. But she couldn’t bring herself to fully disclose how serious the situation was. “And they’re going to find a way to help my magic settle.”
Hopefully.
“Has it been getting better at least?”
“No,” she said as casually as she could. “The metal and water magic are not settling in me the way they should, according to them. Something about them not being in harmony with each other. That’s why they fight each other when I use them.”
“I didn’t realize your forgings had gotten so difficult to summon.” He sounded worried, brows furrowing above blue eyes as he watched her intently.
“It’s uncomfortable, but I can still form them easily enough.” It was perhaps a bit of a downplay, but true enough.
“And they couldn’t do anything to make things easier for now?”
She opened her mouth to answer, but one soldier stepped up beside Pyetar.
The nervous-looking man with a tan belt around his center swallowed. “General, what do you intend the unforged guardian to do if we’re attacked?” The soldiers asked. “We aren’t sure…”
Iryana couldn’t see Pyetar’s face since he was turned away from her, but she assumed he glared based on how the soldier flinched.
“Is the guardian not a fighter?”
“Uh, I suppose yes.”
“So why wouldn’t the guardian fill the role of anyone else in that formation?”
“I—uh,” the soldier stammered. “We weren’t sure if he could fight. Or if any of them know what to do in formations…”
She’d be more comfortable if she’d gotten the groups to train together on the formations and tactics fighting out beyond the wall, but she had shown them what she’d learned at least. They weren’t dead weight.
