His body relaxed, grimace slackening, and he more lethargically arranged himself in a sitting position to face her. He didn’t look so different from Grrake, not only in their Sanonyan features but in countenance. Exhausted, tormented. His usually icy eyes were dull, looking more like an overcast sky, and bloodshot. Face haggard. It was still hard to believe he was only twenty-four, when he looked ten years older. A short beard, more facial hair than she’d ever seen on him, didn’t help.
“You look beat,” she said without thinking.
He didn’t seem to mind. “I feel it.”
“What…” She eyed his back. For some reason she felt nervous asking him how it happened. “Well, it’s a little past nine, Grrake said we’d better get going.”
Yhkon only nodded, rubbing a hand over his jaw, the beard making a scratchy sound. “I should have asked Grrake to wake me up in time to shave.”
She flashed him a smirk. “Oh, you weren’t just aiming for a caveman look?”
Her teasing earned the slightest of smiles. She stood up and, after a moment’s hesitation, offered her hand. Rather to her surprise he accepted it, allowing her to help him to his feet. The movement made him wince. If the burns were even half as painful as they looked, it was no wonder. Not sure whether or not she should stay, Talea folded her hands behind her back and stood at the entrance of the tent while he painstakingly got into his shirt and gear. Before he did, she couldn’t help noticing the collection of scars all over his upper body. One was large and gruesome on his stomach, maybe a stab wound. Others she suspected were from various sword fights. But some were strangely…orderly. In rows, or perfectly straight. How those would have occurred in a fight, she didn’t know.
When he was ready, she held open the tarp flap for him with a smile. “We saved you some breakfast.”
“Good,” he put a hand to his midsection, though she couldn’t tell if it was a display of hunger or if he was in pain, “I’m famished.”
“Then hopefully it will taste better than it actually does. It’s Larak’s definition of oatmeal.”
He peered at her sideways, one corner of his lips curling upward. “Mmhmm. Larak is actually a decent cook, as you know perfectly well…”
That was true. A playful reply that she knew was potentially risky was spilling off her tongue before she had time to mull it over. “Well, I was told you were being moody as a cold yuley this morning, and what have I got to defend myself but some humor?”
To her relief, his reaction was a smirk. “I believe a lady defends herself with her principles.”
Talea feigned a sigh. “Too bad I’m no lady.”
“Too bad indeed, considering I think I’m expected to bring you to Calcaria as one, yet I’m having no luck in getting you shaped up. Help me out, would you?”
She laughed, kneeling by the fire to dish out the rest of the oatmeal for him. He accepted the heaping bowl from her with a “thank you” and sat down to eat it, acting oblivious to the rest of the group that worked, or at least pretended to work, around them. It didn’t take much observation to see that the wards and Wardens were giving their leader a wide berth until they were sure it was safe to approach.
Except Ahjul. Upon finishing what appeared to be a genuine task, he joined them, giving Yhkon a concerned smile. “I’m glad you’re back! What happened? How’d you shake them? Tarol seemed to think you were injured.”
“Nothing serious.” Any merriment she had conjured up from him was dwindling. In its place, tension. Even with Ahjul? “I took down enough of the force and set loose their coliyes, so they couldn’t chase me back.”
Ahjul’s head tilted slightly, eyebrows drawing together, as if he were trying to see into Yhkon’s mind to discover what was wrong. Clearly, whatever had happened at Yhkon’s arrival during the night, Ahjul had not been involved. “Hey, I just wanted to say…I heard you and Grrake talking, some, when you got back. Not much, I just…well, you know he only wants—”
Or maybe he was involved.
Yhkon stood up, clutching the mostly empty bowl tightly. “Whatever you heard, I suggest you forget. Grrake had no business saying the things he did.”
Talea cringed, seeing Grrake, only steps away, stop in his tracks. Yhkon must have sensed his presence, because he spun on his heel, as if ready to snap at the new prey—until he saw who it was. She thought there was a flash of regret. If there was, it was quickly swallowed by a hard frown, before he walked away to Eclipse.
~♦~
“Exactly how many times do I have to tell you that I don’t want to talk about it?”
Talea recoiled from the rigid back of the man in front of her, brows drawing together and lips pursing. The rising frustration was what she wanted to respond with, but she spoke softly instead. “I just thought it might be a relief to, to, share it. Get it off your chest. I’m not trying to—”
“To what, pry into matters that don’t concern you? Or oh, let me guess, you’re just trying to help me. Fix me.” He stopped a fidgety Eclipse without warning and dismounted, glaring up at her. “Here’s some news for you: I don’t want fixing, from you or anybody else. Everyone,” he raised his already heated voice to address the rest of the group. “Get down, we’re walking.” He tossed Eclipse’s reins in her lap and marched away, quickly pulling ahead of the others.
Talea remained in the saddle, motionless, watching him go. The wards and Wardens gradually passed her, some giving her questioning looks. Grrake looked at her for a long moment, expression strained, before hurrying to catch up with Yhkon.
Of course. Catch up with Yhkon. Cling to him like a loyal dog to an abusive owner.
Struggling to resist the hot stinging behind her eyes, she climbed down, taking the reins to lead Eclipse along at a plodding pace, at the back of the group. The group. Ki with Tarol, Kae with Haeric, Terindi with Ahjul, Rikky with Larak. Even Resh and Gustor walked together. The only ward without their Warden, was her.
It was then that she realized one person was missing. Wylan hadn’t passed her. He was walking slightly back and to the side, head down and hands in pockets. Me and Sir Secrecy. Though I suppose he’s not the true secretive one around here. He caught her watching him, and caught up to her. “Let me guess, he doesn’t want to talk about it?”
The only response she could muster was a dry laugh. Apparently someone has been observant. They walked in silence. Mostly comfortable. Maybe she wished she were walking with her mother, or Brenly or Naylen, or her father, or Alili. But Wylan was a surprisingly good alternative.
Still, conversation might be better. “So have you heard anything about our soon-to-be newest recruit? Um, Skyve?”
A classic Sir Secrecy shrug. “That he’s smart, has two little sisters, upper class.”
That was all the more she’d learned of him either. Skyve Lagat, the seventh ward. Before she’d ruined his mood by so heinously invading his privacy with an unacceptable question about his childhood, Yhkon had told her they would be arriving at Skyve’s city the next day. Now I suppose I’ll be lucky if he ever tells me anything again, after such an abominable intrusion…Frowning to herself, she let her gaze return to Yhkon’s distant figure. His irritated, brooding demeanor was still conspicuous. And Grrake, trailing a few paces behind him, broad shoulders drooping. How did the man have such an untiring patience? She knew he received much harsher retaliation from Yhkon than she did, and he’d been getting it for years, not just months. Yet he kept trying, and trying, never losing his temper. Grrake probably never, just for a moment, glared at the lead Warden’s turned back and secretly thought that he was aloof, callous, even cruel, and undeserving of such compassion and support if he couldn’t for one moment appreciate it, but rather spat in the faces of those who offered it.