Page 21 of Shadow Wings
Tyrrik reached into his aketon pocket, drew out a small burlap sack, and then tossed it tome.
Smelling the brak, I tore into the bag as soon as I’d caught it. I stuffed a handful of broken pieces into my mouth then paused and looked in the bag. Empty. I chewed and spoke around my food. “Um, did you wantany?”
Tyrrik snorted. “If Ido?”
I chewed again, pushing the food to the side of my mouth. “I’m not sure, honestly. I was hoping you’d sayno.”
He grinned, teeth flashing white in the dim cave light. From his belt, Tyrrik unhooked a water skin and held it out to me. “Have some nectar before we getstarted.”
I accepted the drink but groaned. Still speaking with my mouth full, I whined, “We’ll be traveling in daylight?”Why?
“Because that’s when the emperor is least likely to be in the skies. He patrolled all night,remember?”
We’d seen his flames in the sky from this side of the caves too. Tyrrik had pointed it out when I’d stumbled toward the entrance last night.Right. That goes to show you just how tired I really am. I chewed a few more times and swallowed then pushed out my bottom lip again as I double checked the bag for more brak. Maybe there was more in the saddlebags. “What about ourhorses?”
The horses will meet us in Zivost. They left as soon as we got to thecave.
They did? I shook the bag upside down and threw it away when nothing came out. I sipped at the nectar, knowing I’d have to share withTyrrik.
Don’tbackwash.
His thought hit me, and I choked. If a little of the nectar happened to go back into the water skin, it served him right.Har-har. You’re such ajester.
I sighed, handing him back our only form ofsustenance.
I know you’re tired and hungry. This isn’t how I would’ve planned your transformation time. But, soon, you will get both sleep and food. Ipromise.
I got to my feet. “Let’s get this show on the roadthen.”
If there wasn’t a steak the size of a horse waiting for me when we reached the forest, I was going to find one. Even if it meant my fangs made an appearance. I stompedforward.
As the dot of light at the exit grew larger, Tyrrik reached out to touch my elbow. I nodded at his cautionary look and lightened my steps. And my breathing.Mistress Moons, did I really breathe thatloud?
“What can you hear, Ryn?” Tyrrik murmured in myear.
Now that I was breathing like one person instead of one hundred? I focused on the sounds rising beforeus.
Squirrels barking? There’s a larger animal out there. And . . . a stream.We could refill the water skin if we needed.Tumbling rocks.A gust of wind blew into the cave.There are birds playing in the air. But no Drae.My amazement echoed in my mind as I conveyed it all to the silent Drae by myside.
“Your senses are good,” he purred. “Verygood.”
My chest swelled.I have a golden trinket,too.
“It’s a beautiful trinket. You will take good care ofit.”
“Thank you,” I said gravely. “I will.” The weirdness of the conversation didn’t elude me, but, somehow, it was important that Tyrrik knew I could take care of preciousthings.
“When you are able to shift back and forth, you will have your ruby. When you canpartialshift . . .” He stepped out of the cave, and I flung an arm up to block some of the light as I hurried afterhim.
“What were you going tosay?”
He glanced back from a boulder several feet away. “What?”
I dropped my arm as my eyes adjusted and jumped from massive boulder to massive boulder after him. “You were going to say something after the partial shifting bit. I thought you might be offering something else. Maybe moretreasure.”
Hegrinned.
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