“I’m so sorry, Talus.”
“No, Zerura,” he said. “Do not be sorry. We were grateful that you chose to sever our bond rather than permanently denounce us. We understood the favor you did us, and we know you did it to protect us even though you didn’t know we had Controllers at the time. We were grateful to you, and relieved to know that you wouldn’t be close enough to us, to the Controllers, for them to hurt you further.”
Salene didn’t want to think about that any more, so she returned to the main subject. “What does your ability to feel me have to do with Mali and Tab?”
“We felt your life force enter them. It was so clear to us that we could almost see it happen. You’re a part of them now, Salene. We feel it. I suspect it’s much like what parents feel for their children, though perhaps stronger since it’s your life force we feel inside of them.”
“Will they always have only my life force or will they regain their own?”
“I suspect that, in time, it will become their own, but there’s no way to know for certain. Does it matter?”
“No, as long as they are alive and well, it doesn’t matter to me at all,” she said. “I never really understood Rayne’s deep need to have children before. Maybe she always knew what it would be like, somehow.”
“You didn’t want children?” Talus asked, frowning.
“Oh, I wanted them, and I always knew I’d have them one day,” she said, and he relaxed. “I just never imagined it could feel like this. I loved them the moment I saw them, though it took me a little while to accept it. One moment I’d never laid eyes on them, and the next moment they owned a place in my heart for all time.”
“Yes, I know what you mean,” he said, his eyes on Tab.
“You do?” He nodded. “Did you feel that way when you first saw them, like I did?”
“No, it was different for us,” Talus admitted. “To be honest, the first time we saw them we barely noticed them. We were a little distracted by you and Tonka at the time. When Wolef appeared so suddenly and we saw you holding Mali and Tab, we understood how strong your feelings were for them, and we paid more attention. That’s why we made the oath to care for them always.” He clenched his jaw tightly for a long moment before continuing.
“It wasn’t until we saw that hybrid flying away with them that we realized our promise to care for them as our own came from a deeper place within us than we’d thought at the time. Next to the Controllers breaking faith with you, it was the most terrifying moment of our lives.”
“They were meant to be our children, weren’t they?”
“You’ve known them for less than two days, we’ve known them less than one day, and yet we all feel so strongly about them already that yes, I believe that they were meant to be our children. It’s the only explanation that fits.” He laughed softly. “A few short days ago we despaired of ever seeing you again. First because of the Controllers taking us away, and then when we couldn’t find your life pod. But here we are, the four of us together, with the bonus of two beautiful children. We’re so damn lucky, Salene.”
“We certainly are,” she agreed. “I do have one more question though.”
“Only one?” Talus asked, arching a brow at her.
“For the moment, yes,” she replied, smiling up at him. “You said Elka’s story is obscure. So why is it that you know it so well?”
“Because Elka’s sister, Junia, the one she saved from certain death that long ago day, is our ancestress,” Talus replied. “We can trace our blood line directly back to her. Of course, you have to go back a number of pages to find her name in our family tree, but it’s there.” Salene laughed, a soft, warm sound that made all who heard it smile. Except Tonka, who wagged his tail instead.
“I know Gryphons like to keep exhaustive records of every single thing that happens to them, but I can’t even begin to imagine how long your family tree must be.”
“Let’s just say I doubt you could lift it,” Talus said, glancing back to the children with a grin. “And, if Tab and Mali agree, it’ll soon be a bit longer.”
***
It was mid-afternoon when Salene noticed a storm gathering in the sky behind them. “We’re going to need shelter before that storm hits,” she said to Tonka when she stopped him so she could put the childrens’ hoods up. “If you don’t know of any caves nearby, we should stop soon so we can pitch tents under cover of these trees.”
“There’s a cave not far from here,” Tonka replied. “It’s not as good as the other caves, but it’s big, has a turning after the entrance that blocks the wind, and it’s close enough for us to reach before the storm hits.”
“Sounds like paradise,” Salene said. “Is there a stack of firewood in that cave, too?”
“There may be some, but if so it will all be dry,” Tonka said. “It’s been many weeks since I was in it.”
“We shouldn’t have too much trouble gathering wood around here,” Salene said, glancing up at the trees that had towered over them all day.
Before long snow began to fall and the wind picked up. Salene struggled to keep Tonka in sight as she ducked her head into the wind. Kar walked beside Tonka, ready to grab the children if they showed signs of being blown off. Talus moved up to Tonka’s other side, and Jon walked close beside her, blocking the wind as well as he could. Thanks to the suits they were wearing they weren’t cold, but the wind, the snow, and the growing darkness made walking down the unfamiliar mountain dangerous. She glanced at Jinjie, glad to see that he’d attached a strap to himself and her suit to keep himself from being blown away.
“Do you want to climb into the pack?”
“No, do be fine,” he replied. She nodded and kept walking. She was so focused on following Tonka that she bumped into him when he suddenly stopped.
“This is it,” Tonka said. She reached up for the flashlight on top of her pack, but before her fingers touched it Talus had one already lit. He moved in front of Tonka, signaling the Brun to wait, then entered the cave alone to make sure it wasn’t already occupied. He reappeared a moment later and signaled that it was safe, much to everyone’s extreme relief.
There was an entrance that took a sharp turn back on itself before opening into a large cave, just as Tonka had described. The ceiling was much higher than the cave they’d used the night before, making it unlikely that they’d be able to warm it up. But it was out of the wind and snow, and a lot better than camping in the trees.
Salene lowered her pack to the floor near the circle of blackened stones in the center of the cave, then took her flashlight off her pack and turned it on. Seeing Kar lifting the children off of Tonka, she explored the cave, finding half a dozen dried out logs just as Tonka had said. She picked up two of them and carried them back to the fireplace, then reached into her pocket and pulled out the bundle of new bedding. She set it down and Jinjie waved at it, returning it to its normal size. She grabbed one of the blankets that had a thermal sheet attached to one side and spread it out for Mali and Tab, then put another on the floor beside that for herself and sat down. She pulled one of her knives from a sheath on her vest and used it to cut the wood, nearly smiling when she found it took no more effort than cutting a sandwich in half with a butcher knife. When she used the knife to shave thin curls of wood to use in place of dried leaves or paper she found that it was almost ridiculously easy.
She arranged the shavings, the kindling, and one very dry log in the center of the stone circle so that there was enough air flow for it to catch. Then she turned to her pack for the lighter.
“Allow me,” Kar said from a few feet away. She glanced at the children.
“You know how Jinjie does magic?” They nodded. “Well, Kar, Jon and Talus do some magic too, so don’t be scared when he lights the fire. All right?”
They both nodded quickly, their expressions eager and interested, not scared. She grinned at them, then pulled her pack toward her anyway. A moment later she felt the warmth of the fire, and something inside of her
relaxed even though she hadn’t been cold.
She removed the four big containers she’d used the night before, then stood up and headed for the cave entrance. “No, Salene,” Kar said, stepping in front of her. “You stay here by the fire, I’ll get snow for water.”
“All right, Kar, thank you,” she said. He leaned down to kiss her lightly on the forehead, then she went back to the fire while he left the cave. By the time Kar returned with all four containers filled with snow, the fire was burning well and, with Jinjie’s help, she’d set camp up the same way they’d done the night before except that she’d left room for the Gryphons by moving herself, the children, and Tonka closer together. “You ready to take those sheets off, Tonka, or do you want to keep them on? I know they keep you warm.”
“They do a surprisingly good job of it, actually,” Tonka said. “But yes, I believe I’d prefer them off now that we’ve stopped.” Jinjie waved his hands and the sheets fell to the floor. Salene collected them and set them aside while Tonka laid down on his blanket with a sigh.
“Where are Jon and Talus?” she asked Kar. They’d been gone for a long time and she was getting worried.
“They needed to shift,” Kar said. “Don’t worry, they planned to run a couple of miles away from the cave first. They’ll collect some wood before they come back.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll shift later.”
“All right,” she said, sitting back down on her blanket and reaching for her pack. She opened a new container and began putting ingredients into it and the one she’d used for stew the night before, doubling the amount so there’d be enough for all of them.
Talus and Jon came in just as she was getting ready to put the containers on the fire, both loaded down with firewood. They stacked it neatly, then Talus stirred up the fire and added a couple of green logs, making space for the two containers in front of her. She gave Tonka his wooden bowl of melted snow and he thanked her before lapping it up thirstily. She used some of the water for the two containers of stew, and the remainder to make hot drinks. She started to get up to get more snow, but Kar stopped her again, took the containers and left the cave.
“You look worried,” Talus said as she settled back down.
“I am, a little,” she said. “I’ve noticed that the lower our elevation, the wetter the snow gets. Once we leave the mountain we’re going to have to deal with rain. I have a one man tent in my pack that the children can use, and I’m sure each of you have the same, but that isn’t going to help Tonka and it leaves me and Jinjie out in the rain, too. I suppose we can get more tents from the Aegl, but even if we had one just for Tonka, I doubt he’d fit inside of it.”
“We thought about all of this,” Talus said. “Instead of tents we brought a nine man shelter.”
“But those things are heavy,” she objected.
“They’re not that heavy and besides, we’re each carrying a portion of it,” he said with a shrug.
“Will a nine man shelter be big enough for all of us?”
“Yes, Zerura, it will be big enough for all of us,” Talus said, smiling. “It’s made for three Clan Jasani male-sets and you, Jinjie, Mali and Tab altogether aren’t as big as one of us. That leaves plenty of room for us and Tonka. Plus it has a raised floor so we’ll be off the ground. It’ll keep us all warm and dry.”
“That certainly solves that problem,” she said with a relieved smile. “Thank you for thinking of it.”
He nodded, and reached for his own pack. A moment later he handed her a small squeeze bottle of coffee concentrate, then another of hot chocolate. She looked at them in surprise, then smiled again.
“Thank you,” she said, blinking away tears as she stared down at them. “Who wants coffee or hot chocolate?”
“What’s hot chocolate?” Mali asked curiously.
“You’ll see, honey,” Salene said. “I’ll make some for you and Tab but if you don’t like it, you don’t have to drink it. Talus, Jon, coffee?”
“I’d love some,” Jon said.
“Me too,” Talus agreed. “And don’t worry, we brought about a dozen of those things with us, and half of them are flavored with cream, no sugar, just for you. I have about ten of the hot chocolates too.”
“Why do I smell bribery?” she asked archly.
“Because you’re a smart woman with a good nose?”
Salene laughed softly. It was the first time she’d laughed in so long that she startled herself. She’d been smiling a lot with Mali and Tab, but she couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed. It felt good, she decided.
She lined up six cups, filled them with hot water, then opened the hot chocolate bottle and squeezed two drops into two of them. She stirred it gently, smiling at the chocolate scented steam that rose from them. Then she passed them over to Mali and Tab. “Careful now, it’s hot. You should blow on it a bit before you try it.”
“Thank you,” Mali said, her eyes wide as she breathed in the scent of the liquid in her cup. Salene quickly made four cups of coffee and handed them out before picking up her own since Jinjie had already fixed himself a tiny cup of tea. Just one bottle of concentrate would make about fifty cups of coffee so she wasn’t sure why they’d brought so many, but it warmed her a little to know that they had.
She inhaled the rich aroma of what could have easily been fresh coffee, then took her first sip. It tasted like the real thing, too. She looked over to see Mali tasting her chocolate, and grinned when the girl’s eyes grew wide.
“This is so good!” Mali exclaimed, then smiled widely. “Thank you, Mom, and thank you Mr. Talus, Sir.” Salene hid her smile behind her cup as she watched Talus’s expression from the corner of her eyes. Except for Izzy, who used the term as a form of endearment, she doubted he’d ever been called mister in all the years of his life, and certainly not mister and sir at the same time.
“Mali, it would make me really happy if you’d just call me Talus, without the mister,” he said once he got his shocked expression under control. “Or sir.”
“That goes for me too,” Jon said. “Just Jon, please.
“And Kar.”
“Okay,” Mali agreed, dropping her eyes shyly before sipping her chocolate again. Tab was enjoying his hot drink too. So much so that Mali was trying to get him to slow down before he burned his mouth. Salene added a little cold water to his cup to cool it down and he rewarded her with one of his big smiles.
Talus rummaged in his pack again and pulled out a sealed bag filled with foil wrapped packages no bigger than the palm of Salene’s hand. She knew from the packaging that it was dehydrated food, but was surprised when Talus held the bag up and smiled at Tonka. “Do you like cooked meat, Tonka?”
“Yes,” Tonka replied. “I prefer it, actually. Why?”
Talus opened the bag and removed one of the foil packages, then resealed it and returned it to his pack. Then he removed a thin package and opened it up, expanding it to a cooking container like those Salene used, only this one was a roasting pan. He tore open the foil packet, placed a small brownish block in the center of the pan, then picked up the hot water and poured a measured amount over the brown thing.
Salene smiled, already knowing what Talus was doing though she kept quiet, not wanting to ruin his surprise. His thoughtfulness and generosity put a bit of a lump in her throat as it usually did. It was one of the things she’d always loved best about them.
Once Talus had enough water in the pan he covered it, then placed it in the fire. “Give that just a few minutes, and I think you’ll have a dinner you’ll enjoy.”
“I’ve discovered these past two days that I’m extremely curious, something I never knew about myself before,” Tonka said, resting his chin on his paws, his eyes on the covered container. Even his nose had failed to tell him what was in the pan, something that rarely happened to him. They all watched the fire while sipping their drinks in silence for a few minutes.
“What’s the terrain like once we reach the
bottom of the mountain?” Salene asked Tonka.
“Not too difficult. There are hills, but not steep ones, and lots of woods and valleys. My biggest concern is time.”
“I know,” she said. “We didn’t make good distance today. I’m sorry about that.”
“It couldn’t be helped,” Tonka said. “The weather cannot be controlled or, if it can be, I’m not capable of it.”
“How far are we from the silo?” Jon asked.
“It took Oberto two full days, in the summer, to get from this cave to the silo, but he had a limp and had to rest often. When the snow isn’t too deep, I noticed that we’re moving nearly twice as fast as he could manage. I don’t think there’ll be any snow on the ground once we leave the mountain.”
“How long do you think it’ll take us to reach the foot of the mountain?” Kar asked.
“I think we can reach it by mid-morning at the speed we’ve been traveling today. We’ll probably have a lot of rain to deal with though, which causes its own set of problems.”
“If it rains, it won’t matter much to us so long as we wear our hoods and gloves,” Talus said. “Unfortunately, we don’t have a suit that’ll fit you, Tonka, so the parts of your body not covered by the thermal sheets will get wet. I’m sorry about that.”
“Do not be sorry,” Tonka said. “I don’t mind getting wet, and those thermal sheets are comfortable to wear. I’ve no complaints.” Silence fell as they watched Salene stir the containers of stew on the fire.
“We brought a wide variety of freeze dried meals from the Aegl,” Jon said. “We should have told you before we went to get firewood, but you’d already started the stew before we returned. It certainly smells good, though.”
“Maybe we can break into what you brought tomorrow,” Salene said. “This is the third time we’ve eaten stew and while we like it well enough, something different would be nice.”
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