Luc looked grim. “We shouldn’t have let you get so far behind.”
“I’m just not as at home in a saddle as the rest of you.” She flashed him a smile. “And it had the benefit of making them think we’d all gone past, and they made a mistake.”
“It won’t happen again.” He turned as Deni reached them. “We’re going to walk slowly to join the others, as if Ava’s horse is unable to go faster than a walk, and then we’re going to find a place that’s out of sight of anyone on this side of the hills, and set up camp for the night.”
“What about those of us who’re going to the river?” Deni asked.
They had all traveled together, but they had planned to split up a little way ahead, with one group staying in this area, the others heading for the massive Bartolo River to check the Kassian ambush spots there, one on each side of it.
Catja passed a piece of flatbread to Deni and he broke some off, then threw the last bit to Luc.
“The group that was going to stay here obviously can’t do that anymore.” Luc rose up in his saddle and waved, and Ava realized he could see far enough ahead to hail the others. “Not with the Kassian right here. They won’t use this as their ambush spot if they know we’ve already identified it.”
They rode the rest of the way in silence.
One of the Rising Wave scouts, Oscar, had noticed an outcrop around the back of one of the hills, which had a waterfall nearby, and they urged their mounts up the gentle slope until they found a place flat enough for the tents.
“They can’t see us, but that means we can’t see them, either,” Deni said. “I don’t like them behind us.”
“Neither do I, but we have to let them think we’re just stopping for the night on our way somewhere else.”
“Are we going to try find out how many of them there are?” Varik, one of the Funabi faction of the Rising Wave, swung off his horse and began untying his tent.
“Ava and I will go later, when it’s dark.” Luc took the tent he’d brought for both of them, and set it up in quick, economical movements.
“You and Ava?” Hector, another Cervantes soldier, didn’t hide his surprise.
“Ava’s worked as a spy for General Ru.” Deni’s defence of her was edged in annoyance. “She’s proven her abilities.”
“A spy?” One of the women from the Funabi army, Talura, tilted her head. “I hadn’t heard that.”
“That’s how she and the Commander met.” Catja dropped to the ground herself. “They were imprisoned together.”
“I’ve heard the tale.” Oscar suddenly grinned. “Aren’t you one of the Venyatu’s sparring champions?”
Ava nodded, then flicked a smiling, sidelong look at her lover. “When Luc isn’t whisking me away from the fights.”
“I’ve lost some money because of that.” Deni shook his head, and started setting up his tent.
Oscar chuckled, and gave him a commiserating thump on his shoulder as he walked past.
No one said anything more, but Ava thought the mood shifted a little, became less edgy.
Because they were stopping so much earlier than they’d planned, there was still plenty of light, and Ava settled down to embroider her cloak.
She had given the thin scarves she’d worked to Deni and Catja this morning, as a gift of good luck, she’d called it, and both had seemed delighted, exclaiming over the Venyatu designs.
The two of them made up the Venyatu faction, Hector and Oscar were Cervantes and Varik and Talura were Funabi. A nice even representation of the columns.
Ava and Luc had skewed that dynamic, and she understood they needed to readjust.
At least everyone had some protection.
The stores master, Pearl, had given out the vests to the four scouts from the Rising Wave and Ava was glad to see them wearing them.
She pulled out her small sewing pouch and threaded her needle.
She had managed to fit her knitting into her saddle bag, but her first priority was to work on her cloak. She felt naked without all the protections she’d once had.
“Why are you stitching on the inside where no one can see?” Catja sat beside her and started setting up the campfire.
“I’m practicing new stitches.” Ava looked up from her work, hoping the lie sounded natural. “I don’t have the right colors, either, and all the traders say they won’t have what I’m looking for until they get to a big town. So I’m playing around where no one will see it.”
Catja peered closer. “Your practice stitches look better than anything I’ve ever seen for sale.”
Ava lifted her shoulders. “Thank you. I want it to be colorful, though. Oranges, blues, greens. Flowers, birds, leaves. The dark gray of the cloak will be a good background for it. So I’ll play around until I can buy the thread I need.”
The others had been listening in to their conversation, and Ava hoped they accepted her excuse. She didn’t look at Luc, who was putting up a tent for them to share.
He would know she was lying, and it made her uncomfortable, but not enough to change her story.
She was stitching the part of her cloak that centered down her spine. Even if the wind blew the sides back and exposed the lining beneath, no one would see a single stitch.
She liked that idea. Liked it a lot.
“What are you humming?” Varik sat on her other side and began to help Catja stack logs.
“Nothing specific. It’s a habit I’ve got into when I sew.” Ava hunched her shoulders.
She could feel too many eyes on her now. Not in an unfriendly way, but she didn’t like being the center of attention when she was doing a working.
“Why don’t you sing for us, Varik?” Luc found space beside Ava and slung an arm around her shoulders. “I’ve heard from your captain you’re considered one of the best.”
The others began to tease the Funabi about his voice, and eventually he was persuaded to sing.
The fire was going, and Hector and Oscar began setting up the small pots they’d brought along, getting dinner on the go.
Ava leaned closer and gave a quick kiss to Luc’s neck.
He’d seen her discomfort and distracted the others for her. She felt as if her heart could not be contained in her body as she relaxed against him, sewing in quick, sure movements as the last of the evening light washed over her.
She was working protection into her cloak, but her feelings for Luc kept creeping in, and she had to try and concentrate on deflecting arrows, and swords, and blows with fists.
Eventually dinner was ready and she set her cloak aside, eating and laughing with the others.
In a way it was good they could pretend they didn’t know the Kassian were skulking about. They could enjoy themselves with a warm fire and hot stew, while the Kassian would have to stay quiet in the dark.
The fire burned lower, and Catja started yawning.
“When are you going on your little excursion?” Oscar asked, voice soft.
“Now. Make sure two of you are always on watch. If we get into trouble we can’t get out of, we’ll call.”
Ava went to her saddle bag and got out the two scarves she’d woken before dawn this morning to embroider for herself and Luc, and slid them into her pocket.