SIAN TURNED BACK TO SEE Cat gaze at Alek in a somewhat awed manner.Ooh no, she thought and marched over, giving Cat a shake to snap her out of her reverie and shot Alek a hard look.'You'll have to forgive her, she's useless with lack of sleep. We're digging our packs out of the shelter we'd been sleeping in when those things attacked.' She indicated to Loi who'd just retrieved a bag and tossed it over.PACKS. ATTACKED. RIGHT. NODDING, I got a grip on myself and turned back to help. Alek walked back to the men and they spoke rapidly to one another in a foreign tongue.Our packs now retrieved I rummaged through mine until I located the loaf of bread and tore it into chunks. I wasn't about to use the daggers to cut food until I'd boiled them. I grimaced in disgust at the muck that coated the once silvery blades. I passed the bread along to the others and we slumped to the ground, leaning on each other. Exhausted, we chewed while watching the men set up a shelter.A shadowy moveme
IN A MURKY DREAMLAND I tried to beat off horrible little creatures that wanted to chew on my legs, but my arms felt too heavy. I tensed, ready to whack one, when a firm hand on my arm startled me out of sleep and I jumped.Alek's blue eyes once again stared into mine. I blinked rapidly and tried to collect my thoughts. The gentle, almost affectionate smile he gave me didn't improve my scrambled brain and I just stared as he lifted me to my feet with ease.'The tent and beds are ready. C'mon, let's get you and the others into bed.'Nodding dumbly, I staggered alongside Alek, who kept a firm grip on my arm while he led us into the tent. The sight of four cots set up with blankets almost made me cry in relief. I made a beeline for the closest cot and about to fall into it, halted, when Alek's voice interrupted me.'Sabyn is bringing in a bucket of hot water for you all to wash and there's a robe for each of you. We'll talk properly after breakfast tomorrow.' He smiled at us, 'Sleep we
SABYN AND DARON EXCHANGED A glance when Catherine headed off to the river. As their second in command Gredel usually stayed calm and ready. Then he'd met Citaan. It was odd in a way, he'd never appeared to really notice women before, probably the reason Elena had assigned him as Citaan's bodyguard when the Sorceress sent Citaan into the Scrodian Mountains. After that short, week-long trip, the change in their friend had stunned them. From a man who'd looked to be a life-long bachelor to a man so smitten he'd take every word his father-in-law said as absolute fact.Sabyn shook his head; he liked Gredel's wife and so did the other guys, but he couldn't understand why Gredel's brain seemed to stop functioning at the thought of her.Muttering under his breath he followed Daron into the bush after Gredel.THE TRACK QUICKLY LED TO the river and I dropped my stuff near the edge. Kneeling, I dunked my top in the water and scrubbed it full of soap, smiling when I heard splashes further out
OUTSIDE GREDEL STARED SUSPICIOUSLY AT the tent as hysterical laughter wafted out from within it. He felt somewhat stupid after Daron and Sabyn talked to him, he hadn't realized it until they'd pointed it out. It wasn't like him to act so daft, then to have to have his friends point it out? An embarrassed flush climbed unpleasantly up his neck. He grumbled and sighed then stomped over to Phroma, leaning against the violet winged griffon.Phroma arched her head down toward him. 'What's wrong, friend?'Gredel gave her a smile. 'I miss Citaan,' he sighed again. 'And I don't know what the guys are doing and I can't leave those cackling creatures alone to find out.' He glowered at the tent.Phroma made a soothing noise, 'We'll see Citaan soon and I'll ask Loushka what the others are up to.'Gredel waited patiently while Phroma chatted with Loushka. As a griffon rider he'd been linked to Phroma from his birth and from puberty had been able to communicate with her via telepathy. The bonus
'NO, WE LEFT THE CASTLE at dusk on the evening we found you,' Alek could see the surprise on their faces. 'Elena told us she had seen your arrival and that you either were, or soon would be, in grave danger and she needed us to protect you.'Sian spoke up, 'But that's only a matter of hours? How did you do that?'Alek explained, 'It only takes moments for us to travel that far, but it took a bit longer to pinpoint where you were.' He took a seat and the other men settled themselves comfortably, they knew the story well.I WATCHED WHEN HE CLOSED his eyes for a moment, a slight frown on his forehead. A lock of his dark hair fell over one eyebrow and my fingers tingled with the urge to brush it away. I decided to sit on my hands for the moment, it seemed the safest course. Kassie caught the slight movement and smirked. I gave her my best innocent look. Alek cleared his throat and we turned our attention back to him.'Were you aware there are dragons in this realm?' Alek stared quest
SIAN SAT UP IN THE saddle when Daron smoothly leaped up from Nesha's bended knee. For such a muscular man he's really agile, she thought, impressed. I'll have to learn how to do that, I want to look like I know what I'm doing. Daron settled into the front seat easily and turned back to Sian.'You'll want to hold onto me until you're used to it. Once you're confident enough you can use these hand holds.' He pointed at the sides of the saddle. 'At least at first if you're holding me, I'll know you haven't fallen off.'When he turned back to Nesha she scooted forward and slipped her arms around his waist, her face pressed against his back.'READY?' DARON CALLED BACK TO Sian. He felt her nod against his back.'Okay, Nesha, let's go.'Nesha growled in excitement, making Daron smile. No matter how aloof Nesha liked to hold himself, he was always like a pup when flying.SIAN HUNG TIGHT TO DARON when Nesha crouched low, his muscles bunched underneath them, then sprung up at least twe
BACK AT THE CAMPSITE RUMAL and Kassie sat deep in a conversation about which creatures that she knew of that existed in this realm. Kassie felt vaguely comforted to discover lions, tigers and bearsoh my!existed here. Cats, dogs and chickens did too. Ridiculous as it might seem, but right at the moment Kassie needed those familiar things, little as they were. The sky still showed blue and the people seemed normal-ish. The enormous griffons lazing around them, enjoying the sun, thrilled one part of her mind and terrified the other. What else could be here? What if we can't get home? What's happening at home?'Pigs?' Rumal suggested breaking her panic for an instant. Kassie blinked then nodded with a half-smile, relief and fear making her more anxious. Making an effort to relax, she let a breath out.'Yes. We have them too.'RUMAL SMILED AT KASSANDRA, AMUSED at how relieved the girl looked to recognize some of the species he'd rattled off. Is where they come from so very different, h
TOMIAR SEEMED TO REGARD HER in amusement which made Loi feel a tad uncomfortable. Then Sabyn came back out the tent, carrying something. He gave her a broad smile.'Why don't you place your findings over here,' he indicated and he dug a hole in the ground with the heel of his boot. 'Then I'll walk with you to the river so you can wash your hands,' he waved the soap he'd fetched at her.She gave him a long look, then gingerly dropped her findings in the hole and resisted the urge to wipe her hands on her pants. 'Okay what are they?' She demanded when he covered the hole over.'Ifanip droppings; rather noxious. Next time you spot funny coloured stones, I suggest you leave them where they are and ask one of us to identify them for you first.'Her look of disgust made those watching laugh. Sabyn bowed to her and said. 'I would offer you my arm but-'Rolling her eyes at his bad joke, she grabbed the offered soap. 'C'mon then, walk me to the river. You can mock me on the way.'THE OT