The Wind's Call

by T. A. White

  Eva waited until she deemed it safe before she straightened. "You're not supposed to be flying on those wings!" She propped her hands on her hips and glared after him. "I guess that means he's feeling better."

  He'd better not have damaged his leg any further. Not after she'd spent the day soaking it to take some of the inflammation out.

  She wished she knew more about birds and their wings. There had been little she could do for Sebastian besides put more ointment on the cuts and scrapes.

  "Must be nice to have spent the day relaxing while the rest of us worked," Jason observed, coming up to stand beside her.

  Eva didn't respond, biting back irritated words as she stalked away.

  "You'll make more friends if you're a little nicer," he called out to her back.

  "What makes you think I'm interested in friends?" she retorted, unable to help herself.

  The other man was like a splinter continuously working his way under her skin. She should turn the other cheek, but sometimes the wisest course was not possible.

  Her angry steps carried her to the edge of the camp.

  Eva raised her hands to the sky, stretching out a back that had grown tense from riding in the wagon all day. Her body protested, warning her of its unhappiness as she twisted one way and then another to work out some of the kinks.

  She dropped her hands and looked around the temporary camp. It bustled with activity as the warriors prepared for nightfall.

  A gradual awareness that she wasn't alone filtered through her. She straightened, her shoulders going back, her expression composed. "Can I help you, commander?"

  She glanced behind her to meet Caden's inscrutable gaze.

  Eva controlled her instinctive need to retreat, wanting as much space between her and the Hawkvale's sword as possible.

  "It was dangerous to travel with the Kyren," he said in an even tone. "Tomorrow, you will not do that."

  Eva's raised her chin, even while she outwardly remained calm. "I'll do what needs to be done. If I think the Kyren needs me to sit with him so he can remain calm and not injure himself further, that is what I'll do."

  She hadn't forgotten his threat from earlier. It would take little effort on his part to break her, but that didn’t mean she’d allow him to impede her purpose here. Otherwise, why was she even here?

  He stepped closer and Eva held her breath, watching him with the instinctive caution of prey when faced with a predator bigger than themselves.

  "I know you feel important now that the mythologicals have shown they need you, but don't let it go to your head. You're not the Battle Queen, and you won't get away with the same things she did," Caden cautioned her.

  "I have no illusions of how I fit into this. If I fail, the Trateri will cut me loose. Which is why I can't fail and will do whatever is necessary to make this work."

  Caden studied her for several heartbeats. She let him see her resolve. He could threaten her again, but it wouldn't change things. Her duty was to Sebastian. She'd carry out her purpose to the best of her ability, even if it meant going through Caden.

  Caden shook his head and shoved her saddlebags into her arms before stalking off, leaving an Anateri behind. The woman, tall and lean, watched her with inscrutable eyes. Jane, Eva thought she’d heard her called.

  Eva ignored the woman and shifted the bags so they were more comfortable in her arms.

  "You have quite an effect on him," Fiona said, coming up and slapping Eva on the back. Eva fought not to wince; the warrior woman's blow felt like getting hit with a battering ram. "I don't think I've ever seen him retreat so quickly."

  Eva rubbed the offended shoulder. "I'm not quite sure what you mean."

  Fiona looked Eva over, her gaze considering. "No, I imagine you don't. I have faith you will, soon."

  Eva didn't know what that meant and after the long journey she wasn't into guessing games.

  "Don't you have somewhere to be?" she finally asked the Anateri who still hadn't moved from her position.

  "Don't mind her, she's doing what she's told," Fiona said.

  "And that is?"

  "Protecting you."

  Eva snorted disbelievingly at Fiona as the warrior stepped past her and indicated for Eva to follow.

  "What is that supposed to mean?" Eva asked, shifting her bags again. They hadn’t seemed heavy when she’d lifted them to the saddle earlier, but now they felt like they increased in weight with each step.

  "What do you think it means? I know our people are different but there's really only one way to take that."

  "I mean, why?" Eva said, waving the insult away.

  Fiona raised an eyebrow at her as if asking if she was stupid, as well as obtuse. "Your Sebastian is one of the few Kyren we’ve gotten to interact with. He’s the first to indicate a willingness to ally with the Hawkvale, and he's made it clear you're an important reason for that. Like it or not, you've become the most important person except for Shea and Fallon to the Trateri. Your success isn’t possible if you die. Caden and his people are here to make sure that doesn't happen."

  They approached the peak of a hill, and Fiona started down a slightly worn path. She was halfway down when she realized Eva still stood at the top. She raised an eyebrow. "Are you coming?"

  Eva hesitated. It seemed safer up here. It'd definitely be quieter. She wasn't sure how much more of the other woman's truths she wanted to listen to.

  Fiona tilted her head at the path. "The pathfinder said there’s a natural hot spring down there. I'm told it is a decadent luxury few have the opportunity to experience. I thought you could use some refreshing."

  "I should stay and help set up camp."

  "Leave it to the rest. They've got it well-handled." Fiona pointed to a spot near the side of camp. “Set your bags there. No one is going to take anything.”

  Still, Eva hesitated, looking back at where Ollie and Jason checked over the horses. They did have things well in hand. What was the harm of visiting the hot spring for a quick dip?

  Reluctantly Eva followed Fiona’s advice and set her bags down before squatting to rummage through them for her bathing supplies. At the sight of a perfectly formed green apple, she paused. That hadn’t been in her bag earlier. Had it been one of the things Shea had left her?

  She thought she’d seen everything Shea had slipped into the pack, but she must not have.

  Eva picked the apple up, admiring it for a moment. The fruit was a rare treat and was one of her favorites. How kind of the Battle Queen—if that was who had left it—to include it in her belongings. Eva took a bite before grabbing the items she needed.

  The narrow dirt path Fiona led her down was more treacherous than it seemed. Twice, Eva’s feet almost slid out from under her but each time she caught herself just in time.

  It belatedly occurred to her that following the Trateri woman, a stranger until a few days ago, without telling anyone where she was going might not have been in Eva’s best interests.

  Stupid Eva. Didn't she know better than most how people could turn on one another? What did she know about Fiona? Really?

  She'd seemed nice, even kind when she'd questioned Eva over the deaths of those men, but the cruelest of beings often hid behind the most innocent of facades.

  "There you are. I've been waiting forever," a throaty voice said from the ground.

  A woman uncurled from where she'd been sitting partially concealed by some surrounding rocks and shrubs, startling Eva.

  The stranger was Trateri, her face heart-shaped and her eyes a dark brown. She was short with a softer form than Fiona's, even as her clothes declared her a warrior.

  The woman paused when she caught sight of Eva and sent the other Trateri a questioning look.

  "Sorry, this one was harder to convince than I thought she’d be." Fiona tilted her head at Eva. "You would have thought escaping setting up camp would have been incentive enough, but she's surprisingly stubborn."

  "Stubbornness isn't always a bad thing," Eva pointed
out.

  The trait had saved her life a time or two. The inability to give in had gotten her to the Trateri. It had enabled her to create a place for herself. Stubbornness was why she was standing here instead of rotting in the ground.

  Fiona shot her a considering look. "I never said it was. You'll find most of us are stubborn in one way or another.”

  "Some more than others," the stranger remarked.

  Fiona swatted at the woman's head without looking. The other woman ducked.

  "Someone will likely have something snide to say about my absence," Eva said. "I had to carefully weigh whether this jaunt was worth the trouble it'll no doubt bring."

  It was the curse of being considered a throwaway. Everything she said and did was weighed and judged.

  "Don't put too much stock in what the nags say," the stranger advised. "The people who run their mouths the most are usually the ones with the least of import to share. Sometimes you only need to let them talk. They'll wear themselves out eventually."

  The other woman examined Eva. Her face might be sweet-looking, but her eyes were watchful. This was a woman who didn't trust easily if at all.

  Eva was used to such reactions and didn't let them bother her. The Trateri were suspicious of anybody who wasn't them. Her life was one successive instance of having to prove herself over and over again.

  This woman would eventually decide whether Eva was worth knowing or not, of being kind to or not. She'd decide what she would. It meant Eva was free to be herself. She'd treat the woman with the caution she deserved until her mind was made up. Eva would then be the one to decide if the woman was worth getting to know or not.

  "What are we doing down here?" the woman finally asked, her attention returning to Fiona, dismissing Eva.

  Eva mentally shrugged. Being ignored was better than the snipes and jabs. She'd take it.

  "I thought this was a good bonding opportunity," Fiona said with an easy smile. "As some of the only women on this expedition, it's important to get to know one another."

  "You're forgetting Hanna and Jane," the stranger pointed out.

  "I forget nothing. Jane is busy guarding us from above and Hanna isn’t important."

  The stranger rolled her eyes. "You're still hung up on this? When will you let it go?"

  "When my body has burned until nothing is left," Fiona shot back.

  "That would be an interesting sight. Please let me know when you decide to take the plunge so I can watch," an amused voice said from behind them.

  Eva twisted, startled at the newcomer’s presence. She hadn't heard anyone approach.

  A woman, more beautiful than any Eva had ever seen, stood behind them. Her features were delicate and refined, her eyes bright, and her expression amused. Her hair was long, shiny, and without a hint of wave—a fact Eva was jealous of, considering her own hair tended to be unruly and wavy when it wasn't in its customary braid. The only thing that seemed amiss was the fact the woman’s head was shaved on each side, the hair on top creating a long sheet. If it was tied back, it would look like a horse's mane.

  Like the other two, she was dressed as a warrior, and moved on silent feet down the hill Eva had stumbled over.

  "I saw you sneak off with the herd mistress and wondered what you were up to," Hanna said, her lips curving up in the slightest smile as her eyes sparkled with glee. "So, I followed you."

  "Of course, you did," Fiona muttered.

  Eva stayed quiet even as her curiosity rose. These two had a history, if the animosity wafting from Fiona was anything to judge by. The other woman was harder to read.

  A pleasant expression concealed the woman’s real thoughts and feelings, even as amusement glinted in her eyes at Fiona's obvious dislike. Eva recognized her at last. She'd been with Darius the day Caden had taken her to the Keep for the council meeting.

  Hanna's gaze shifted to take in Eva, curiosity filling her expression. "I see you've taken another broken dove under your wing."

  Fiona narrowed her eyes at the insult.

  Eva didn't particularly appreciate it either.

  "Word of warning—Fiona is a good friend to have, fierce and loyal, until you do something she disapproves of. Then she cuts you off without a word. Forgiveness isn’t in her nature," Hanna instructed, her attention sliding slyly to where Fiona had gone still.

  The first woman sighed. "You two never change." To Eva, she said, "Come on. This happens every time they cross each other's path. Next, they'll want to settle their differences with blade or fist. Best to give them room until they work it out of their system."

  "Ever the peacemaker, Laurell," Hanna murmured.

  "Someone has to be, with you two going at each other’s throats for something that is almost a decade past," Laurell said grumpily as she moved away. She lifted a hand and waved it over her shoulder. "When you're done being idiots, come find us."

  Eva followed, thinking Laurell had the right of it. Better to let the two work out whatever differences they had without getting in the way. Whatever problems they had were nothing to do with her. She didn't plan to get tangled up in them.

  Eva had only walked a few steps when there was the clash of blades. "Are they going to be alright?"

  "They'll be fine. They both just like fighting."

  Like stallions battling for dominance, Eva supposed. She hadn't realized there were humans who did the same.

  "Is that the best you've got?" Fiona growled. "You're slipping, Hanna. Time in Darius's service has made you soft."

  There was the screech of metal on metal and then Hanna's exultant laugh.

  "What was that about me being soft?"

  After that, Eva and Laurell moved out of hearing range.

  "You're rather quiet," Laurell observed.

  "Is that a bad thing?" Eva asked.

  Laurell thought about it for a moment. "No, it's rather refreshing. Most throwaways tend to chatter."

  "I'm not most throwaways." And she could argue that Trateri tended to chatter as well. At least the ones who came to her for their horses did.

  Laurell slid a glance Eva's way, her expression thoughtful. "No, I suppose you're not."

  They came to a small spring bubbling up from the ground. Near it were several meandering pools of teal blue water surrounded by white calcification—the likes of which Eva had never seen before.

  There was a strange odor in the air and she could see steam wafting off the water. Stone and rock lined the pool as a thin stream dribbled down the side to fill another pool below it.

  "How is this hot?" Eva asked as Laurell stopped and began disrobing.

  "Something beneath the earth heats the water," Laurell explained. "At least that’s what the pathfinder said. I didn't really understand most of it, but he seemed to think it should be safe enough as long as we don't linger too long."

  Eva gave her a wide-eyed look. "You're going to trust your life to such a thin endorsement?"

  Laurell shrugged. "It's as good a reason as any."

  Eva didn't comment even as internally she scoffed. That sounded like a good way to die to her.

  "What are you two waiting on?" Fiona asked as she stumbled into view. The warrior was disheveled, her hair coming out of its binding to tangle loosely around her face. One eye had evidence of a bruise under it, but her expression was fierce and satisfied.

  Hanna appeared behind her, equally disheveled. Her lip was split, but somehow that only enhanced her beauty, making her look like a delicate waif. She had dirt on her face and clothes, but other than that you wouldn't have been able to tell she'd just been in a fight. Her expression was curious and placid, no hint of the feral happiness present on Fiona's.

  Eva didn't know what to make of the two.

  "The throwaway is scared," Laurell explained.

  Fiona cast a glance at Eva, her eyebrows climbing. "Really? I'd pegged you as being braver."

  "First, I'm a tagalong; not a throwaway." They might as well use the correct term if they were going to be insul
ting. "Second, it isn't wrong to be cautious when I don't understand something. I'm exactly as brave as I need to be."

  Hanna cocked her head as her lips curved. "I like her. She's no pushover."

  Fiona smirked. "You should have seen her defending her herd from a pack of bandisox. Her horse was just as fierce. I’ve never seen anything quite like it."

  Horses weren't considered predators. Most didn't have the temperament for it. Some were vicious, yes, but they were the exception rather than the rule. That didn't mean they were helpless. Their large size and deadly hooves meant they didn't need claws or fangs to kill.

  Caia preferred fighting more than most—especially when Eva was threatened. She'd make a good war horse if she could tolerate anyone other than Eva and Hardwick on her back. Where other horses might have reared or taken off at the first whiff of bandisox, a rodent-like creature that grew to monstrous size in the forest of the giants, Caia had waded in with hooves flying. Eva had had no choice but to follow suit in defense of her friend.

  Laurell gave Eva a considering look. "Did you train her that way?"

  "Hardwick does most of the training," Eva said. "I help out where I'm needed."

  It wasn’t exactly the truth, but Eva doubted Laurell would believe her even if she shared.

  Laurell didn't look quite convinced at her explanation but she let it go.

  While they'd been talking, Fiona had finished divested herself of her clothes, her lean, muscled body flexing as she lowered herself into the steaming hot water with a low groan and a look of bliss on her face.

  "There's nothing better than a hot bath after a long day's ride." Fiona sank into the water until it reached her collarbone.

  Laurell wasted no time following her, leaving Eva and Hanna standing on the edge.

  Eva eyed the pool with a hint of reserve. Did she really want to go in? Reece had struck her as capable, but she'd seen a vicious edge to him too. Who was to say this wasn't an elaborate prank? For all she knew, the water might turn her into something monstrous or boil her alive. Stranger things had happened in these lands.