Except for the sound of the wind, everything was quiet for a while. Brin felt Siusan shift, and then shift again as she wiggled to get into a more comfortable position. Just when he thought she would be still, she shifted again and gripped her legs more tightly about him. He growled deep in his chest, drawing her attention.
“Brin? Is everything all right? Why are you making that noise?”
“Everything is fine,” he answered in a clipped voice.
She wiggled against him again. “Are you sure? You sound—Brin? Are your…are your wings turning purple?”
“No! And stop moving around like that!”
Siusan’s laughter rang bell-like in his ears. “My poor Brin, I am so sorry. I will try to be still. Is there anything I can do to make this easier?”
“No, but for the love of Tolah, don’t ever tell Dearra I let you ride me like a horse.”
Chapter 26
“Rocks, rocks, and more rocks,” Brint grumbled. Gabriel wasn’t kidding when he called it a rock desert, was he?”
“No, but at least I can see an end to it this time. Still, we will be spending one night in it, for sure.”
“It’s not the distance that’s going to be our undoing, it’s the terrain. We’re going to have to take it slow. I don’t want the girls hurt.”
“Again, you mean?” Logan said.
“Yes…again. We wouldn’t want to see that happen, would we?” If Logan thought Brint was going to take all the responsibility for Tabby’s injury, he was fooling himself. He could still hear the sound of his sister’s whimpers in his mind. It seemed like every stitch Holly put in her arm was a stab to his heart.
Logan flushed beside him, so it seemed the man did feel some responsibility for what had happened.
“At least this is the last leg of our journey. Once we get to the other side, it shouldn’t be far to the Etrafarians.”
Logan shot him a look. “I’m not so sure of that. You must admit; Gabriel was a little…off. He seemed to want to help us, but I still have my doubts.”
“What do you mean?”
“The swamp, for one thing. Why did he not mention it? It took us days to get through that wretched place. Much longer and more dangerous than where we are going now, if you ask me.”
“Maybe he really didn’t know.” Brint ran a hand through his hair and tucked some of it behind one ear before responding. “He was as nutty as a squirrel. No doubt about that, but I didn’t get a bad feeling from him.”
“So, he knew about a rock desert, but not the swamp that was miles closer to where he lived? I do not think so. And that is another thing. What was up with his house? Even you must have noticed that it looked brand new. There was a rose growing through the wall, for Rah’s sake! It was as if the whole place had simply popped into existence for our benefit.”
“Okay, that was strange, but hardly menacing.”
Logan gave a little huff. “Think what you will, but it would not surprise me at all if we make it to the other side only to find that we have been tricked. He seemed like the sort that would think it an amusing joke to play.”
“At this point, it no longer matters what’s waiting for us on the other side. Look.” Brint nodded back in the direction they'd just come from. A trickle of smoke wafted into the sky in a thin, snaking line. “They’re a lot closer.”
“Yes, they are,” Logan agreed. “And they are not even taking pains to hide their presence. You know what? I bet it’s Kellen and some of his friends.”
“What makes you say that?”
“His mother is on the council, and he would do anything for her. He fancies himself quite a tracker, but in reality, he could get lost in a lit room. Some of his friends aren’t too bad, though. I am not overly concerned about them. Anyone with a decent amount of skill would have caught up with us long ago. We have been moving, but not that fast.”
“I still don’t like it,” Brint said, brushing his hair back again.
“That hair bothering you? I could trim it for you, if you like,” Logan said reaching for the knife he wore at his waist.
“No, thank you,” Brint growled.
“Let me know if you change your mind. I would be happy to take off a few inches for you, any time.”
Brint thought about how much he'd enjoy wiping that stupid grin off Logan’s face, but the memory of Tabby in pain echoed through his thoughts, and he contented himself with a hard glare instead. Logan just laughed at him and walked away. Insufferable man. How could his sister have chosen someone like him?
***
The first few hours went well, better than Brint had hoped. They were making good time. The temperature was cool, but comfortable, and the air was blessedly dry. They were likely to spend an uncomfortable night on the rocky ground, but that was hours away, and it would have to be better than the wet swamp.
Holly was walking beside him, and he was enjoying her company. She hadn’t said anything more about her feelings for him, but she hadn’t said she didn’t care either, and he hung his hopes on that. He said he would wait, and so he would. It hadn’t been very long, after all. In truth, he felt a little pathetic. If she decided against him, he would accept it. What else could he do? But there would never be anyone else for him. People were always saying they would never love again, especially young people, but Brint knew his heart. Holly wasn’t some passing fancy. She had taken center stage in his thoughts for as long as he could remember, and he couldn’t imagine that would ever change.
As they made their way, small mammals popped up with increasing frequency to mark their passing. Logan had tried to speak to a few of them, but as soon as he uttered a greeting, they would duck back out of sight, and into one of their burrows. Logan said they were nervous. There had been a large number of birds of prey flying overhead, so Brint suspected that the animals were justified in their caution.
They decided to eat as they walked. The day was fine, and there was nothing with which to make a fire, anyway. Even in the swamp they had been able to have a small fire. The fuel was wet, but Logan was able to get a fire going under the most challenging of conditions. Here, there was simply nothing to burn. They contented themselves with the last of their fruit and a handful of nuts. Etrafa’s fall bounty had taken care of their needs, but they were running low on food. If they didn’t find the fairies soon after reaching the end of the desert, they would need to do something about that. Some meat was sure to go down fine. Maybe he could set a few snares. As long as the Etrafarians who followed behind them didn’t make up too much ground on them, there would probably be time. The fact that Logan winced every time they cooked meat was one more marvelous reason to see if he could get some.
Brint’s thoughts were suddenly interrupted by Tabitha’s sharp cry. It wasn’t the scream that made his blood run cold, it was the sickening snapping noise. He felt like he was moving in slow motion as he turned to find his sister. She was down on the ground. One foot was hidden from view where it had disappeared into a rodent tunnel. The apple she had been eating had rolled a few feet in front of her and come to a rest. Logan was already beside her. Brint made his way as carefully as possible to her, and Holly picked her way back as well.
Her face had lost all color. Even her lips looked pale. “I stepped in a hole,” she said in a shocked whisper, and promptly fainted dead away.
“Tabitha! Tabitha!” Logan was cradling her now, alternately tapping and stroking her cheek.
“She just fainted, Logan,” Brint said. “Let her be. It’s probably the best thing that could have happened to her. Let’s get that foot out.”
It was easier said than done. The hole had been just large enough for her foot to slip into in the first place, but now the foot was swelling rapidly, stretching the soft leather of her boot.
Logan unsheathed his knife, and Brint did the same, both of them working quickly yet carefully, while Holly held Tabby’s head in her lap. Once they managed to free her, they had to cut the boot away and ease the stocking from
her leg. It was her only pair of boots, but it didn’t matter. She wasn’t going to be walking any time soon. Brint saw Logan blanch. He assumed his own expression looked much the same. The ankle was obviously broken, and it turned grotesquely inward. It continued to swell, and bright blooms of bruises had begun to discolor her skin.
“You have to set it,” Holly said.
“What?” Brint’s eyes widened. “I don’t know how to do that, Holly. Can’t you? You’ve had some training, right?”
“Not much, and I’m not strong enough. It needs to be done quickly and with firm, even pressure.”
“I can’t, I tell you,” Brint protested. “I'll only make it worse.”
“I will do it,” Logan said in a hushed, strangled voice.
“Can you?” Brint asked. If Logan could do that, Brint thought he would forgive the man anything. Give the man anything.
“Grandmother has set bones. I have watched. I…I can do it.”
He had pressed his lips so tightly together that Brint thought they were in danger of disappearing completely.
“Do it quickly,” Holly urged. “If she wakes up before you’re done, the pain will be…bad. I’ll go get something to bind it with.” She was opening all of their packs, pulling things out, and scattering them on the stones at her feet.
“Brint, can you get behind her and hold her steady? I need to be able to pull to get the bones lined up again.”
Brint sat behind Tabby and extended his legs out so that she was between them. He had her leaned back against his chest, with his arms were firmly wrapped around her midsection. “Okay,” he said. “I have her.”
Logan nodded and lifted Tabby’s foot. He adjusted his hands until he found the position he was looking for. At first, Brint couldn’t even tell he was doing anything, but then he saw how tight his hands were held. He was starting slowly, being as careful as possible so as not to cause her more pain or do more damage. Beads of sweat trickled down the sides of his face as he strained to realign the bones. It seemed he couldn’t possibly pull any harder, and then the ankle shifted, appearing to slide back into place. A rush of air exploded from Logan as he eased her foot back to the ground. When he let go, Brint could see the way the man’s hands were shaking.
Holly had finished cutting her skirt into long and wide strips and was folding them in two so they'd be thicker. She held her hands over them and doused them in a freezing mist. “We’ll have to check these frequently. The cold should help, and the wrap will keep the ankle steady, but with the swelling, we'll have to watch to make sure it doesn’t get too tight. I’ll start clearing away some of these rocks so we can get her as comfortable as possible.”
Brint and Logan gave each other a brief look. They nodded at one another in agreement.
“Holly,” Brint said. “We can’t stop. We have to go on as long as we can.”
“Are you mad? Her foot is broken! We can’t go on.”
“It will be just as broken tomorrow. The only way out of this is through. Stopping now will only prolong it. Besides, we are being followed, and this is going to slow us down even more.”
Holly took a look at Tabitha’s poor, abused foot and grimaced, but she accepted his words with no further debate.
“Logan, can you give me a hand getting Tabby onto my back?” Brint asked.
“You mean my back.” Logan said, locking eyes with Brint.
“Don’t start, okay. I get that you want to take care of her, and after what you did, I owe you, but I’m stronger. Tabby’s a pretty solid girl. There’s no way you can carry her through this.” He made sure to temper his words so that they wouldn't sound like he was trying to disparage the Etrafarian in any way.
“You cannot float. I can.”
“But Logan—” Holly started.
“Not that far,” Brint interjected. “And certainly not carrying someone.”
“She’s light.”
“She is not! She’s as tall as you, for Cyrus’s sake! Why are you fighting me on this? I mean, besides the obvious reason that you fight me on everything.”
“Look, Brint, as much as I enjoy getting on your last nerve, it is not about that. I do not need to float the whole way. I can control it. I will levitate just enough to keep most of the weight off my feet. She will be no heavier than my pack, which I will gladly let you carry. If I work it that way, I will be able to go much farther before I tire.”
“But…” Brint swept his hair away from his eyes with one hand. He was about to do so again when he caught Logan’s raised brow, and he let his hand drift back to his side. Could he really regulate it like that? It seemed like it would take a tremendous amount of concentration to maintain the balance he needed. Still, if he could do it… “All right, Logan, but if you get too tired, we switch for a while.”
“Sure. Absolutely,” he said, waving his hand in an offhanded gesture that didn’t convince Brint of anything.
Brint sighed, hooked his arms under Tabby’s, and pulled her up, mindful of the ankle all the while. Logan took the burden from him and stayed bent slightly forward so Tabitha would not tumble from his back. He hooked his hands under her thighs and hefted her upwards so that she'd be in a better position. There was a moment when he closed his eyes, and Brint could see him rise fractionally. His feet still touched the stones below, but when he took a step, there was almost a slight bounce to it.
“There. Nothing to it,” Logan said with a grin.
“Uh huh,” Brint responded. He wasn’t fooled. There was a tightness around Logan’s eyes that betrayed the stress he was under. “Let’s go, before I change my mind.”
And so, they set off. Brint led, Logan and Tabitha in the middle, and Holly brought up the rear. Brint didn’t like her back there, but someone needed to watch their backs, just in case, and Logan had enough to keep him busy.
A few minutes later and they were forced to pause when Tabitha began to moan.
Holly checked the bandages to make sure they weren't too tight, and she held her hands over them until they cooled to near frozen beneath her touch.
Tabby opened her eyes slowly. “What happened? Oh! Oh! That hurts!”
“Shh, love. You broke your ankle, but everything will be all right. We are going to get you out of here, just as quickly as we can.” Logan was able to stand upright as she wrapped her arms loosely around his neck and held on.
“I broke my ankle? This is seriously not my week.” She sighed. “Why is it so cold?”
“That’s me, Tabby,” Holly answered. “I’ve wetted and partially frozen the bandages. It’s the best we can do for the pain and swelling right now.”
Tabby nodded, leaned her head against the side of Logan’s, and closed her eyes.
“Are you okay back there?” Logan asked.
“Just a little dizzy. It’s the pain. Makes me feel kind of sick to my stomach.”
“I will try not to bounce you too much. I promise.”
Brint saw Logan rise slightly higher and take a few steps. It was easy to see that little more than his toes were now making contact with the rocks as he walked, just enough to propel him forward for the next step. There was absolutely, positively, no way, he was going to keep that up for more than an hour, two, at the most.
***
But he had kept it up. Hour after hour he had trudged on like that, without once asking for or accepting help. Tabby dozed on and off, but she was jostled awake any time Logan would take a heavy step, and she would emit a quiet moan of misery.
They had made camp only slightly earlier than Brint would have liked under normal circumstances, but he simply could not watch Logan struggle one step farther. He and Holly had cleared the area of the largest rocks so Logan could finally set Tabby down. Two packs were stacked one on top of the other and used to prop up the leg that had now swollen to the size of a jade melon. Holly removed the bandages and washed and dried the skin as carefully as she could. The bandages were laid out to dry, giving Tabitha a respite from the tight bindings.
They had eaten what little food remained in their packs in silence. Logan positioned himself crossways from Tabby so that she could rest her head back on his stomach. It was a testament to how lousy she must be feeling that she didn’t even think to object. He seemed not to mind, though. He had fallen asleep within seconds of lying down, completely and utterly exhausted, and Tabby drifted off soon after.
Holly moved to sit beside Brint. He looked down at her and smiled. “To what do I owe the pleasure?” he asked lightly, though his pulse quickened from her nearness.
“It’s chilly, and I thought…I thought we could talk.”
“Talk?”
“Yes, talk. Like we used to.”
“What do you want to talk about?” he asked her.
“I don’t know. Home, maybe. I miss everyone so much.”
“I do, too.” He quickly searched his thoughts for something of home that would make her smile. “I wonder what Harvest Celebration was like this year. Your mother and my mother always try to outdo one another. Do you remember, three years ago, when Aunt Carly came with that headdress of feathers? I thought I was going to fall off my chair, I laughed so hard.”
“Right! Right! And Father kept telling her over and over again that she was the prettiest bird he’d ever seen.”
“Mother was fit to split!” Brint smiled at the memory. “She finally gave up with a bow and declared Carly that year’s winner. She had thought she was going to outdo her, for sure, but you couldn’t argue the fact that the feathers were an attention grabber.”
“They sure were. I thought she looked like a little brown sparrow trying to pose as a peacock, though. I think mother looks best when she is just herself.”
“That’s how I feel about my mother, too. I don’t think she’s ever prettier than when she’s got a sword in her hand, dust on her face, and her hair in a braid. It’s so…her.”
“I want you to know something,” Holly said. Her eyes looked down. It was too dark to see if she was blushing, but Brint could have sworn that she was, based on the expression on her downcast face. Then she looked up at him and met his eyes, and she looked so suddenly serious that he took her small hands in his without even thinking about it.
Prophecy (The Destiny Series Book 4) Page 22