by Tora Moon
Chariel sped into the tower. Wisah, right behind her, held the reins of Aistrun’s horse. Aistrun stood several feet in front of the tower, shifting into his warrior form while Jaehaas stood nearby, bow raised and arrow nocked. Wolves surged around them, snarling. Jaehaas let loose an arrow. A wolf whined, then dropped to the ground, dead. Beside him, Aistrun rose in his warrior form, snapping his huge fangs. He now stood seven-and-a-half-feet tall; his muscles bulged.
Aistrun howled and Blazel joined in. The highland wolves paused. Blazel had a moment of hope that the wolves would flee, only to have it dashed when a wolf snarled and lunged at Aistrun.
Blazel’s focus narrowed to fighting. Swipe, bite, claw. Over and over again. He heard yelps of pain as Rizelya sliced into the wolves. She was used to fighting the Malvers monsters, so these wolves weren’t a challenge. He stepped back, startled, when a severed head flew past him.
Not long after, the few remaining wolves fled into the trees. Blazel sagged against the tower’s wall, covered in blood. So were his companions, and some of it was their own. Rizelya had a gash across her cheek, and blood flowed down her leg. Jaehaas hobbled toward the tower with deep claw wounds in his flanks and a gash across his chest. Aistrun’s warrior pelt hid any wounds, as did Blazel’s.
“Is there someplace we can wash?” Rizelya said, her voice thin with exhaustion.
“Stream close, freezing,” Blazel’s jaws mangled the words.
“I don’t care, I just want to get this blood off me.”
“Meee tooo,” Aistrun growled out between his fangs.
“We can’t stay here too long with all this carnage around,” Jaehaas said.
“Not safe,” Blazel agreed. He pushed away from the tower wall.
“I’ll take care of it so we can stay here tonight.” Rizelya heaved a huge sigh and hefted her helbraught. She stumbled as she put weight on her injured leg.
“It wait.” Blazel took the two steps separating them and picked her up.
She yelped and pushed against his chest. “Hey, what is it with you boys thinking you can carry me?”
Blazel grinned and pulled her tighter. It felt so good to have her in his arms, even if they were covered in fur.
As soon as the fighters crossed into the tower, Chariel and Wisah stood up, their brows creased with worry. They had built a fire and had a kettle of water heating over it. Blazel carefully set Rizelya down on her feet by the fire. She swayed, but he caught her before she fell. She was out cold.
“Here, lay her down,” Wisah said, indicating a bedroll. “We need to take care of the gash in her leg.” She then saw Jaehaas. Her eyes went wide, and her hands clenched into fists. She slowly relaxed her hands. “You need to be seen to as well.”
Blazel laid Rizelya down and stepped aside.
Chariel looked over Blazel and Aistrun. “Do either of you have any injuries? I can’t tell.”
“None bad,” Blazel said. “Mostly wolf.”
“A few,” Aistrun said. “Can wait.”
“Neither of us are healers,” Chariel said, “but we’ve had first aid training. We can care for minor injuries.” Chariel knelt next to Wisah and began to wash the blood off Rizelya.
Blazel caught Aistrun’s attention and led him to the stream. Ice didn’t cover the surface, but even against his warrior pelt, the water was freezing cold. They both shook hard several times to get as much water from their fur as possible. Even so, when they shifted, their clothes were damp.
By the time he and Aistrun returned, shivering with cold, Rizelya was covered in a blanket, and Wisah was tending to Jaehaas’s injuries with a gentle touch. He looked down at her with soft eyes. Blazel smiled. It appeared love was blooming.
Chariel glanced up and her face paled. “You’re hurt!” She rushed to Aistrun and grabbed his arm. “Let me take care of that.”
The corner of Aistrun’s lip quirked up and he gazed adoringly at Chariel as he followed her to the other side of the fire. The cut on his arm wasn’t deep—a scratch mostly—which would heal quickly.
Blazel shook his head. There must be an epidemic of love. He was feeling it too. He went to the tent and found his pack, dug out clean, dry clothes, and quickly changed. Then he pulled out two warm cloaks. As he passed Aistrun, he threw one of the cloaks to his friend, then wrapped the other around himself. Chariel was tenderly caring for the cut.
Blazel crouched down to check on Rizelya. Her eyes opened.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“I’m fine.” She frowned at the blanket and sat up. “The gash wasn’t that bad. I just lost too much blood. I’ll be able to burn off the carcasses after I eat something.”
A pot of taevo heated next to the fire, and mugs sat in a double row nearby. Blazel poured taevo into two mugs and handed one to Rizelya, then sat down next to her.
“We shouldn’t be bothered by any more wolves.” Blazel sipped on his taevo, letting the warmth thaw him out. “The survivors will spread the news.”
“Good.” Rizelya looked at him over the edge of her mug. “You fought well.”
“I’ve had a lot of practice.”
Blazel started telling her about the various twisted beasts he’d fought in the swamps. Soon the others drifted to the fire. He paused in his story while Chariel and Wisah put some soup on the fire to heat. Soon Aistrun began telling stories of his and Rizelya’s adventures, then Jaehaas added his. Blazel sighed in happiness. He hadn’t ever had so many friends at once.
Later, he went out with Rizelya to guard her while she burned the wolf carcasses. They paused on the way back and out in the dark, away from everyone else, Blazel snatched his courage, leaned in, and kissed her. He sensed her momentary hesitation before she kissed him back. He put his arms around her and drew her close, liking the feel of her body pressed against his. They continued kissing until they both shivered in the cold. He couldn’t wipe the ear-to-ear grin from his face as they walked back to the fire.
* * *
Rizelya touched her lips as she and Blazel rejoined the others at the fire. She hadn’t expected him to kiss her. There had been no flirting before he leaned in. One moment they were talking and the next, kissing. He had kissed nicely. She’d like to spend more time alone with him.
The fire burned low and the talking quieted.
“Who will take the first watch?” Rizelya asked. “Now that we’re in the wilderness we need to set a guard.”
“There’s no need,” Blazel said. “I can set a boundary ward to keep us safe.”
Rizelya looked at him quizzically. “Huh? I’ve never heard of such a spell.”
“I suppose since you’re always staying in safe houses, you wouldn’t have needed it. I’ve been traveling alone for so long, I had to find something so I could sleep.” Blazel went to his tent and came out a few milcrons later with his old beat-up pack. He gave Rizelya an appraising look. “The spell uses Brown Talent. You look like you have enough. Follow me and I’ll show it to you.”
Rizelya followed Blazel and watched as he crumpled a mixture of herbs in his hands and let them fall to the ground, forming a thin line as they walked the perimeter of their camp. He chanted as he did so, and the brown magic of earth trickled from his fingers to the herbs, forming a wall of protection in the circle.
“Nothing wishing us harm can pass through it,” Blazel explained. “It will stay until the line of herbs are scattered, even while I’m asleep or absent from the circle.”
Rizelya examined it, nodding in satisfaction. His shield took much less energy and focus than her fire shield. Rizelya decided that each night when they set up camp, either she or Blazel would set the warding spell.
The next few days were uneventful as they traveled deeper into the mountains. Flowers bloomed in sheltered valleys where the snow was mostly melted. In Rizelya’s home territory, summer would be in full swing by now. But this high in the mountains, the middle of Sandar meant the coming of spring, not summer.
The game was plentiful, a
nd Blazel and Aistrun occasionally broke off from the group to hunt. They came back with a couple of rabbits each for the evening cook pot. The fresh meat was welcome and would stretch their provision from the Sanctuary.
They had been traveling for nearly a chedan through the mountains. Rizelya glanced at Blazel riding to the side of her. His head was tilted back to catch the sun’s warmth on his face. He hadn’t tried kissing her once since the wolf attack. Every so often he’d hold her hand, but only when the others couldn’t see them.
She heard Wisah’s tinkling laugh followed by Jaehaas’s deeper tenor and smiled at their growing closeness.
Chariel and Aistrun were riding close together and holding hands, their knees touching. Aistrun grinned happily as he told her a story. The corner of Chariel’s mouth turned up and she tilted her head toward him, listening. She had confided in the dark of their tent that she had never expected to have anyone interested in her. Besides being a Priestess, she’d believed no one would see past the charcoal-gray hair to the woman inside. As Rizelya expected from her friend, Aistrun didn’t care; he only saw a beautiful woman.
“How long before we reach the Phengriff territory?” Rizelya asked, needing to take her mind off the love life of her friend and the lack in her own life.
“Today or tomorrow,” Blazel answered. “If we’re lucky, scouts will see us soon and guide us through the pass and into their territory.” He pointed to a high peak in front of them. “That’s where we’re headed. If not, it could be dangerous; we’ll be crossing sabertiger territory. We should pick up our pace.” He kicked Lighzel into a canter.
Rizelya sighed and nudged Kymaya into the faster stride. They crossed the valley and began to climb the next mountain. The trees here weren’t the behemoths like where the wolves had attacked them. Tall slender pines, blue spruce, and dark cedar were mixed with silvery birch and ash. The streams were swollen from spring runoff. The retreating snow left the ground muddy. Outcrops of stone became more common the higher they climbed. Before dark, Blazel led them to a large cave with space for the horses.
Rizelya slid down from Kymaya and was glad to see the cave’s dry ground after all the mud they’d slogged through. A routine for setting camp had been established: horses were cared for, water located, and wood for a fire was scrounged. Rizelya used her fire magic to dry the damp wood so it would burn and not smoke. Blazel worked on lighting the fire—his control was much better since he’d been practicing—while she went to the cave’s entrance to create the ward.
As she sprinkled the herbs and chanted the spell, she felt someone watching her. She glanced up to see a huge sabertiger sitting on a rock pile across from the cave’s mouth. The ward flared to life. The sabertiger blinked and leaped from the rocks, disappearing with a flick of its tail.
“We need to set a watch tonight,” she said, stepping back into the cave. “A sabertiger was watching us a moment ago.”
“The ward should keep it out,” Blazel assured everyone. “It’s kept them and other predators away while I slept alone.”
“Hey, I don’t want to be eaten,” Aistrun said. “We’ll set a watch to be sure.”
Blazel shrugged. He put his hands behind his back and rocked on his toes. He reminded Rizelya of a child wanting to show a favorite adult something.
“I have a surprise for you,” Blazel said, grinning. “I think you’ll all love it. Follow me.”
He turned around and headed toward the back of the cave. Rizelya and the others followed him to find it sloped into a tunnel leading down. Ahead of them, Blazel balanced a small flame on his palm, lighting the way. The tunnel ended in a huge cavern. Blazel closed his hand to extinguish the flame. Phosphorescent moss growing on the rock walls illuminated a huge pool of steaming water.
“There’s a hot spring feeding the pool,” Blazel said excitedly. “Not quite as good as your hot soaking tubs, but they will get us clean.”
“How deep be they?” Jaehaas asked, uncertainty filling his voice.
“Last time I was here, it came up to my chest. You should be okay.” Blazel looked at the floor. “I wouldn’t have brought you here if I didn’t think we could all enjoy it.”
“Hey, this is a brilliant idea,” Aistrun said, clapping a hand on Blazel’s shoulder. “Don’t let the horse get you down. He likes it too, see?”
Jaehaas had thrown off his tunic and was stepping into the pool where naturally occurring steps led into it. The water came to the middle of his belly. He stepped farther into the pool until it covered his shoulders. “Aha…” he sighed. “This be lovely. Come on in.”
Wisah began sliding out of her clothes. Blazel’s eyes widened and he turned his head away so he couldn’t see her.
“Blazel,” Rizelya said, “let’s go get towels and clean clothes for everyone. These sillies didn’t think of how cold they’re going to be all wet running up to the cave.”
Blazel gave her a grateful look and together they walked back to the cave. When they returned to the underground pools, the others were in the water. Rizelya threw Aistrun a bar of soap, then started pulling off her tunic. She noticed Blazel blushing, but watching her with avid eyes. She slowly pulled the tunic over her head and stretched. Blazel gasped and turned around.
Smiling, Rizelya finished undressing and hopped into the pool. Blazel’s reaction made her think he’d never seen a woman naked before. She turned to see him walking to the pool, a towel held around his hips. He dropped the towel and quickly jumped into the pool. She caught a glimpse of a well-endowed man. She glanced at the others, who were trying to keep a straight face. The poor boy was unused to naked bodies. Blazel’s face was bright red and he turned away from everyone.
She gasped when she caught sight of the four parallel scars covering his back from shoulder to waist.
“Sweet Mother!” Chariel exclaimed. “What happened to you?” She reached out to gently touch the scars.
Blazel hunched his shoulders and pulled away from her touch. After a moment, he turned back to face them.
“You never told me about them,” Chariel said. “I always wondered how you got the scar on your face, but didn’t want to intrude.”
“They both happened at the same time.” A haunted look crossed over his face. When he spoke again, his voice was distant. “I was nearly seventeen, full of myself, and ready to leave the Sanctuary. Chariel, you had a vision and sent me to the Deep Mountains. I didn’t know about Histrun wanting me to go with him. I believed I didn’t have anyplace else to go, so I went.
“I knew nothing about the mountains or living in the wilds. I may have felt alone in the Sanctuary, but there were cooks, and healers, and gardeners, and—well, people. I had done some hunting near the Sanctuary, but not much. Usually when I did, someone like Histrun was with me. I found out my wolf had strong hunting instincts, otherwise I would have starved.
“I was so engrossed in finding a place to stay one evening, I didn’t realize I was being hunted. A sabertiger jumped me.” Blazel put a hand over his shoulder and touched the scars on his back. “I got those the first swipe. I must have moved just as he jumped. I was in so much pain I couldn’t shift to either form and so had to fight him as a man, with only a helstrablade.”
“Sabertigers are big,” Aistrun interrupted. “How did you win?”
“I didn’t.” Blazel touched his face and followed the scars down his shoulder. “These I got when it tried to eat me. The sabertiger had me on the ground, his jaws inches from my neck, when he was tossed from me. A Phengriff saved me. The same one we’re trying to find now. Graak took me to his flight and I lived with them for five years. They taught me how to live in the Deep Mountains.”
“When was the last time you saw your friend?” Rizelya asked.
Blazel paused, thinking, then said, “Eight years now. Graak could be mated and a father by now. It will be good to see him again.”
They continued to soak and chat until Wisah stood up. “I’m wrinkled to the bone,” she said as she made her
way to where the steps were, “and starving. I’m going to go eat.”
Rizelya and the others quickly followed Wisah’s example. This time, Blazel wasn’t quite so shy about being naked in front of everyone. He was, however, the first one to get dressed. When they returned to the main cave, the fire had burned to coals. Wood added to the coals quickly caught, and the rabbits were put over the fire to roast.
After dinner, Rizelya took the first watch sitting just inside the cave’s mouth, a heavy cloak thrown over her shoulders and the fire at her back. The sound of people bedding down for the night soon gave way to soft snores. She thought about Blazel alone in the mountains at seventeen. She had been fighting monsters for four years by the time she had reached that age. It reminded her how sheltered Blazel’s childhood had been. The glorious sight of him fighting the wolves came back to her. He’d grown up to be a powerful warrior. Now, if he’d just become a grown man and take her to his bed.
Chapter 12
Blazel looked down at the tracks in the mud and swore, unconsciously rubbing the scar on his face. Quite a few fresh sabertiger prints littered the ground, enough to make him worry. If a pride was stalking them, they were in trouble. The huge felines fiercely protected their territory and weren’t afraid of humans, only the much larger Phengriffs. He’d hoped their party was large enough to deter the cats, but the various paw prints proved him wrong. He scouted the area around the cave while he waited for the others to get ready to leave. Jaehaas came out and joined him.
“What be the matter?” Jaehaas asked.
“Sabertigers.” Blazel stopped his prowling. “Several of them were out here last night.”
