Page 82 of The Savage Vow
Orlena believed her.
They reached the bottom of the mountain where the air felt heavier and damp. The earth was softer beneath her boots. They finally stepped outside of the thick forest where the moonlight was once again shining down on them.
Nargol paused and lifted two fingers to her mouth and gave a piercing whistle. Orlena glanced around, unsure of why she was whistling.
Soon it became known why.
The sound cut clean through the forest. The ground trembled. Orlena stiffened. From between the trees burst a massive shape, running at full speed toward them.
A shukan.
Its thick fur fluttered in the wind as it ran. Its eyes were fixed on Nargol. It slowed down and came to a stop. If huffed once then nudged Nargol with its head.
“Miss me?” Nargol asked. She gave the shukan a pat on its shoulder. Nargol mounted the beast then reached down for her.
Orlena hesitated for only a second, placing her hand in Nargol’s. Strong fingers wrapped around hers and pulled her up effortlessly. She settled against Nargol’s chest, acutely aware of the solid warmth behind her.
Nargol gave a sharp command, and the shukan launched forward. Everything became a blur. Wind tore at Orlena’s hair, but she barely noticed. She clutched Nargol’s forearm, and they rode deeper into the wild.
It felt like hours had passed since they’d taken off from the mountain. Eventually, the shukan slowed down to a trot. It pushed through a grove of ancient trees whose trunks were so wide it would take five men to encircle one.
Nargol guided the creature toward one in particular. Orlena glanced around, unfamiliar with the area.
“We aren’t going back to Soza?” she asked.
“No, we are not going to the village. It would be too dangerous for the both of us,” Nargol murmured near her ear.
Orlena nodded. She didn’t want to go to Soza now anyway. She didn’t want to face the aftermath of everything that had happened. Yambul had marched her through the village, and no one had dared step in to help. Her cries had gone ignored. They had literally turned their backs to her when she’d begged and screamed for help.
Nargol stopped in front of a tree. It had been hollowed out by time, its center burned out long ago. The opening was tall enough for Nargol to step inside without having to bend down.
Orlena stared at it. Surely, Nargol wasn’t planning for them to use this as shelter.
“We are sleeping in there?” Orlena asked.
Nargol slid down from the beast and held out her hands to assist Orlena down. A small smile appeared on Nargol’s face.
“We are. It will shield us from the wind and from anyone who may look for us.”
Orlena’s legs wobbled when her feet hit the ground. The adrenaline was starting to wear off. She inhaled and tried to get control of her body. Nargol removed her saddlebag from the shukan and led the beast away a short distance. She murmured to it in low tones. It settled down nearby with a grunt, folding its massive body beneath the trees.
Nargol came back to her and took her hand. The went inside the hollowed trunk. The air was cool, dry, and smelled of fresh earth. Not that it was a bad smell, but it reminded her that they would be sleeping in the elements.
Orlena had never slept anywhere but in a bed. Never under the open sky, and certainly never in a tree. A shiver slid down her spine. She took in the shelter that would be theirs tonight. She released Nargol’s hand and wrapped her arms around herself.
Nargol noticed immediately.
“You are thinking too much,” Nargol murmured.
“I almost died,” Orlena sniffed.
Nargol went still. A moment passed. She moved closer to Orlena. The memory of how her body was weightless once Yambul had tossed her over the side of the ravine filled her mind. The air had whipped through her hair, her body had slammed hard into the dirt- and stone-covered ground. Her fingers had raked the side of the ravine until she’d latched on to the large root. Her vision blurred from unshed tears.
“Yes, you did.” Nargol’s voice was steady. There was no dismissal in her tone for what Orlena had experienced. No attempt to brush it aside either. She rested a hand on Orlena’s shoulder. “And you survived. I thought?—”
She cut herself off. Orlena blinked the tears away and looked up at her.
“What?” Orlena asked.
