Farah sniffed, but nodded, turning away. Gavin rolled his eyes once her back was turned, knowing this wasn’t over. He idly wondered if the leaders from the stories ever dealt with things like this. Probably, but they weren’t parts that ever made it into the story itself. It wouldn’t do to show a leader being bullied by someone half his size.
“How are the aevians doing?” Gavin asked, trying to ease the palpable tension.
“They’re fine, for the most part,” Farah said, not turning around. “Nabil and the other grye seem to love the snow and cold, like I said before. They’re acting like hatchlings again.”
Gavin smiled at the thought. Nabil had been the aevian bonded to the previous Warlord of the Roterralar, a man Gavin had never met, but of whom only praise was spoken. From what Gavin knew, he was a hard, calculating man, slow to act until all possible options had been considered, weighed, and measured. Nabil shared that same nature, in his own animal way.
“And they’re getting enough food?”
“You already asked me that.”
Gavin scratched at his beard, feeling a little foolish as he tried to collect his scattered thoughts. He was supposed to be easing the tension, not making it worse. How did Farah always get him so turned around?
“You’re right. I just wanted to make sure.”
Farah shrugged, which was an odd expression to watch from the rear. “They go out hunting. None of them seem to be hungry. I’m not entirely sure what it is they eat, but they are eating.”
“Good. Is there anything we’ll need before we start sending out patrols? Leather for new saddles and harnesses, perhaps?”
Farah sighed and finally turned to look at him. Her expression was softer now and her blue eyes shone with at least marginal warmth. “I know what you’re trying to do, Gavin, and I support that. I just wish you had chosen someone other than Evrouin to do it.”
Gavin hesitated, buying time to switch his train of thought. How did Farah manage to avoid questions so well?
“He’s still the only one here who has real leadership experience. He was a Warlord before the Oasis even. Yes, I know he sided with Kaiden and did unspeakable things, but he leads the largest single faction of survivors. If Khari were still here, maybe things would be different. For now, though, we need him.”
Farah’s eyes narrowed and her lips formed a thin line. Her hands clenched and unclenched at her sides, but Gavin didn’t sense her pulling at her powers.
Her back straightened and she nodded sharply once. “So be it then. If Cobb declines, Evrouin can lead the aevian patrols. The first time one of them dies because of something Evrouin does, I’ll kill him myself.”
“I can live with that.” What else could he say?
Gavin reached out and took one of Farah’s hands with his, and then smiled a soft smile at her. After a moment, Farah returned it.
“So will we need anything before we start sending out patrols?” Gavin repeated after a moment.
“You mean besides you talking to Brisson?”
Gavin glared at her, though he was glad to see the streak of sarcasm again. It meant she was close to forgiving him again. At least, he hoped that’s what it meant. He was never entirely sure where Farah was concerned.
“Alright, alright. You win. We should be fine for now,” Farah said, “but we’ll run out of harnesses and saddles soon. A lot of the ones we brought with us didn’t handle the cold very well. The leather is splitting or cracking.”
“How soon?”
“A couple of months. Depends on how many men you send out at one time.”
“I’ll start figuring out where to get the leather. We’ve got time though, so that’s good,” Gavin said, running a hand through his beard. With a half-contained sigh, he stretched and then suppressed a yawn. Farah concealed a smiled.
“Evrouin and Cobb should be here soon,” Gavin said. “I’m going to go find Nabil and take a look around.”
“I’ll send them your direction if I see them before you do.”
Farah gave him one last small smile and walked off toward the other side of the narrow cavern opening where, Gavin was surprised to see, a group of women were busy working—on what he really couldn’t tell. Gavin smiled after Farah, enjoying the view for a long moment before shaking his head and hiking deeper into the narrow cavern.
Sparse light filtered into the narrow expanse of dark grey stone, a denser level of shadow than Gavin was altogether comfortable with. Yet the aevians themselves didn’t seem to mind the darkness that much. Their dark eyes regarded him from crags in the rock or from the floor of the sloping cavern. Far fewer of them than Gavin remembered now rested here, but that wasn’t altogether unexpected. They’d lost some when the volcano erupted. Others had been missing since before that and fewer were born than before, according to Farah. It was a sad, sobering thought, one Gavin hoped to change in the future, but for now he had other tasks at hand.
The rush of wings and a sudden gust of air signaled Nabil’s arrival a moment before Gavin noticed the massive white bird descending upon him. Gavin smiled as the aevian landed, talons scraping on the rock, and bent down slightly to allow Gavin to scratch him beneath the beak. Nabil’s eyes shut in obvious pleasure as Gavin scratched him beneath the feathers.
“How are you, Nabil?” Gavin whispered. “Still the lord of this cavern, eh?”
Nabil gave a small noise as if in agreement and Gavin’s smile deepened. Gavin had formed a strong, solid bond with the creature in the weeks they’d been together. Gavin hadn’t experienced that level of companionship and friendship before. It was a refreshing relationship. He looked toward Farah at the entrance to the cavern, still running his hands over Nabil’s head and neck feathers. He and Farah had a relationship forming between them as well, though Gavin wasn’t sure what exactly it was. He was attracted to her, but she was also the most frustrating and confusing person he’d ever met.
Nabil chirped, a small, bouncing noise that echoed oddly in the narrow space. Gavin drew his attention away from his own inner thoughts and looked up at the aevian. Nabil’s head was turned in the direction of a pair of younger aevians, kistriels by the look, fighting not far away. Nabil hissed at them and hopped in their direction, wings outstretched and flapping just enough to give his jumping the needed force to travel the distance in only a few leaps. The pair of kistriels broke apart and launched into the air, each flying in separate directions before Nabil even got close. Gavin chuckled as Nabil ruffled his feathers and waddled back to Gavin, looking far more awkward just using his feet than with the aid of his wings.
“You really do rule the eyrie,” Gavin said with a chuckle.
Nabil chirped softly, and looked over Gavin’s shoulder, dark, beady eyes expressionless. Gavin followed his gaze.
“This sure is a dark and gloomy place, isn’t it?” Benji said, carefully climbing up the side of one boulder. The boy caught sight of Nabil towering over Gavin’s head and his eyes went wide, showing the whites. Behind the boy, Evrouin grinned and Cobb grunted.
Gavin suppressed his own smile and, ignoring Benji, looked to the two men. They were about as different from each other as they could be. Cobb was short, well-muscled—despite his age—and had a grizzled toughness to him which defied the lingering limp from when he’d been wounded rescuing Gavin and Lhaurel. Evrouin, on the other hand, was tall, lean, and had a stringy toughness to him that reminded Gavin of the whipcord strength of a bow. Both were warriors, if warriors of differing natures.
“Welcome,” Gavin said formally. “We’ve got a lot to talk about.”
Cobb grunted. “The boy is right, you know. This is a dark and gloomy place.”
Behind Gavin, Nabil hissed and clacked his beak. Benji’s eyes widened even further and he took a small step backward. Evrouin chuckled and shook his head at Cobb.
“I’d be careful what you say around these creatures, old man,” Evrouin said. “They’re as fierce as a sandtiger caught in a genesauri’s nest.”
; Cobb ignored him. “What did you want with us then, Gavin? Did Brisson give you leave?”
Instead of answering, Gavin turned to Benji. The boy was still standing, staring open mouthed at Nabil, though his gaze occasionally strayed to the other aevians flitting about above him as well.
“Benji,” Gavin said. When the boy didn’t respond, Gavin said his name a little louder. “Benji!”
The boy jumped and slipped on the rock. He teetered for a moment, arms flailing. A look of panic washed over Benji’s face as he started to fall, then Evrouin was there. The tall warrior put a steadying hand on the boy’s back and pushed him back upright.
“Careful, boy,” Evrouin said, shooting Gavin a hard look.
Benji swallowed hard and wiped the back of his hand across his sweaty forehead.
“Are you alright?” Gavin asked.
Benji nodded.
“Good,” Gavin continued. “I didn’t mean to startle you. You see that group of women over there? Run over there and ask a woman called Farah to come over here. Tell her Gavin asked her to let you help the women over there with their tasks.”
Benji’s eyes narrowed. “I can see what you’re trying to do. I know when I’m not wanted under foot.” The boy put on a look of severe affront, but turned and walked away. His steps were far more cautious this time.
Farah arrived a few minutes later.
“Alright, Gavin,” Cobb said. “What’s with all the secrecy? Did you speak with Brisson or not?”
Gavin snorted. “He was too busy to see me. So I decided to ignore his assignments.”
Evrouin grinned in open approval, but Cobb frowned. “You know that’s treading on loose sand, Gavin,” Cobb said.
“I need the two of you to start organizing your patrols and getting a lay for the land around here,” Gavin said as if Cobb hadn’t spoken. “Cobb, you’ll be in charge of the aevian casts. Evrouin, you’ll lead the foot patrols.”
“Casts?” Evrouin asked, brow furrowing.
“Patrols. That’s what the Roterralar called a group of aevian warriors.”
Cobb grunted. “I can’t walk fast, but I’d rather be on the ground, if it’s all the same to you.”
Gavin nodded and felt a momentary glimmer of satisfaction before glancing sidelong at Farah. Her glare would have slain a sailfin pack, but she met his eyes and gave him the faintest of nods. It was the single most grudging acceptance Gavin had ever seen.
“Fine. Evrouin, you’ll be in charge of the aevian patrols under Farah’s direction and Cobb will be in charge of the foot patrols,” Gavin said.
Evrouin didn’t look too pleased, though Farah’s glare softened slightly. They all nodded to show their agreement, though Cobb spoke up after a moment.
“Are you sure we should be doing this? Maybe we should just do what Brisson wants. There’s peace and safety here.”
Gavin frowned at the man. Hadn’t the two of them already had this discussion? Cobb was an organized man, not a cautious one. Though the two traits were often mistaken for one another, they weren’t the same.
“Just give in,” Evrouin asked, voice hard. “Submit like cowards just because we’re tired? Where is the strength or honor in that?”
Cobb’s face darkened and he scowled at Evrouin. “That’s not what I’m saying. There’s no honor in doing things just for the sake of doing them. There’s no strength in letting the few of us who still live as the legacy of the Rahuli die in the vain attempt to protect complete strangers.”
“We’re not protecting strangers,” Gavin said softly. “We’re protecting our own people.”
“These here are not our people.”
“I’m not talking about Brisson’s people, or any of the former slaves of the Orinai,” Gavin said, his voice hardening. “I’m talking about our actual people. The Rahuli. How long do you think these untrained, former slaves would last against the armies of the Orinai? How long do you think it would take an Honor Squad to cut through these people and get to ours? Do you really think they stand a chance at all without us?”
“Well said, Gavin.” Farah didn’t look at Gavin as she spoke, but her expression had softened even further, as she sat down on a boulder near him
“Fine, Gavin,” Cobb said. “You’re right. But I still say caution is needed. Don’t do anything foolish.”
Evrouin rolled his eyes. “We’ll do it, Gavin. Brisson will give in if he has any sort of intelligence. We’ve got things he needs.”
“Such as?” Farah asked. Her voice was neutral, but Gavin knew her well enough to hear the hints of frost coalescing around each word.
“Warriors, the aevians, and mystics.”
“Exactly,” Gavin said. “Those are our leverage. We’ll organize and, before too long, he won’t be able to ignore us. Farah will be in charge of the eyrie and the mystics. She’ll train those she can and send some of them out on each of your patrols. They’ll answer to you during the patrols, but, in the end, they follow Farah. The aevians are also hers to assign to those who are unbonded.”
Gavin expected Evrouin to protest, but he simply nodded and then inclined his head toward Farah, an act which surprised Gavin. Perhaps he hadn’t given Evrouin the credit he deserved.
Farah, for her part, didn’t acknowledge the movement.
“Keep it small at first, only five or so men you trust, then add over the coming weeks.”
Cobb grunted and Evrouin nodded.
“What if some of Brisson’s lot try and stop us?” Cobb asked.
“Don’t let them.”
* * *
Farah watched Cobb and that monster Evrouin clamber back down the rocks with Gavin, feeling a rush of emotions course through her, most of which conflicted with each other. She would never have let Evrouin anywhere near her aevians or even the eyrie itself if Gavin hadn’t asked.
Idiot man.
Farah wasn’t sure if she meant Evrouin or Gavin at that exact moment. She tossed her hair, letting the blond tresses flip back over one shoulder and blew out a long breath through her nose. Gavin could be so sands-cursed frustrating sometimes. But she loved him anyway.
“I love him,” Farah said in a whisper, bringing a hand to her mouth.
This was the first time she’d ever put it in those exact terms, though now that she thought about it she realized she’d loved him for a while now. The thought terrified her.
She turned and headed back to the other side of the eyrie, being careful of where she stepped. Despite the fact that she was as nimble and agile as any of the Rahuli, she was distracted and didn’t want to slip on the loose stones. The rock itself was slick and strange, nothing whatsoever like the rough, red sandstone with which she was familiar. Though the Sharani Desert had been a hard, hellish life, Farah missed it.
But Gavin is here.
Gavin is here. She really didn’t understand how the man had come to be so important to her. From a small girl, Farah had never had any intention of falling for any man, let alone one who had been an outcast. No, Farah had spent her entire young life working hard to master her relampago powers and be the best mystic she could be. Sarial, sands take her, had been the hero Farah had always wanted to be. Her betrayal had hit Farah harder than Kaiden’s had. And then she’d lost her family—
No.
Farah dismissed those memories, skirting around an area of loose rock and dirt. They were still too painful. Too fresh. Their death had only reaffirmed her design to remain alone and focus on her powers, on her ability to protect and defend. She’d seen the Rahuli clanswomen in the Oasis and even her own mother and sisters, huddled and waiting to be protected.
Waiting to die.
Farah wouldn’t be that. When her time came, she would go kicking and screaming, clawing her way through whatever stood in her way.
That was why being with Gavin, being in love with him, was so troubling. Love was the purest form of trust, of understanding. It was like standing there, waiting for your heart and your emotions to be saved by someone els
e. It didn’t make any sense at all. And yet, it felt right.
Farah sighed and pushed those thoughts away. The jumbled emotions were harder to tame.
“Is that Gavin?” an unfamiliar voice asked.
Farah started and slipped on the rock. Thankfully, she didn’t slide far and landed on her feet on a smaller rock beneath the boulder on which she’d been standing.
“I’m sorry!” a small boy said, rushing up to her with wide eyes and fidgeting hands as if he was about to reach out to steady her but wasn’t sure if he should. “Are you alright?”
Farah frowned at the boy—he’d been the messenger that had come with Cobb and Evrouin and had been sent to fetch her earlier—then held out a hand and waved him back.
“I’m fine. Sands knows, it will take more than slipping on a rock to do me harm.”
The boy nodded and shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He still looked nervous and Farah softened her expression.
“Really, I’m fine,” she said.
“I’m glad,” the boy said, then looked past her to where Gavin and the other two were heading out of the eyrie. “Master Gavin told me he would show me around this place, here. Do you think I should go after him?”
Farah smiled. “He told you that, did he?”
“That’s right,” the boy said, shifting his weight forward, as if he were about to run. “Should I go run after him, do you think?”
Farah laughed. The boy had a sense of earnestness that reminded her of Gavin, in part. In all honesty, it was probably one of the reasons why she loved him. He was earnest, stubborn, and positive, a strong counterpoint to her own grim outlook at life. So different from anyone else she’d ever met . . . Farah trailed off, realizing that the boy was still waiting for an answer and looking more and more anxious by the second.
Sharani series Box Set Page 75