Page 245 of Sword & Shadow
Thom didn’t particularly care to discuss it himself. “Well...” He cleared his throat. “About time.”
After a deep breath, he tried to move forward. “I know this didn’t fix everything,” he promised. “I know I’ll have to regain your trust—or gain it in the first place, I suppose. And...I am going to try, Jonn. I want to be a better man, and now I know that simply means being a better version of myself. But I think I’ll need your help.”
Deckard met his gaze, a strong, caring smile on his face. “You’ll always have it.”
Heart full of burgeoning hope, Thom slapped Deckard’s arm. “You’re the worst,” he said good-naturedly. “Always so good and forgiving. You put the rest of us to shame.”
“I didn’t feel so forgiving at first,” Deckard remarked slyly. “I felt like beating you senseless.”
Thom laughed. “You could have tried. You haven’t beaten me in a fistfight since we were teens.”
“We haven’t fought since we were teens,” Deckard said, then lifted his brow slyly. “And I’ve been training with Rafferty.”
In mock worry, Thom eyed him. “Don’t tell me you’ve finally learned to fight dirty.”
He lifted his shoulder. “I’ve come to find fair play to be overrated.”
“Aha...” Thom let out a whistle. “Seems we’re both changed men.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
Upon Deckard and Thom’s return to camp, the troop made preparations to move out once again. Emmaas informed them that he hoped to ride through the majority of the day, putting as much distance as possible between them and Keale. “We’ll continue riding off the road,” he explained. “Though our path will lead us through denser forests, our spies have developed a secure route to ensure our comings and goings remain secret. There are a handful of campsites along our route, so we’ll stop at one before heading to our final destination tomorrow morning.”
“And where is that destination?” Deckard asked.
“Mouroc,” Isla said. “The capital of Wauld.”
“Isn’t that the most dangerous place for us to go?” Thom asked in surprise.
“No,” she said calmly. “It’s where the Alliance is headquartered within Wauld, making it thesafestplace you can go.”
Evylin’s eyes narrowed. “The Alliance chose to put their base of operations in the same place as the Waulden monarchy?”
Jarrad grinned. “Have you ever heard the old Auldan saying, ‘Keep your friends close and your enemies closer’?” he asked. “The Alliance takes that saying a bit too much to heart for my taste.”
“It helps us keep a close eye on our greatest threats,” Isla explained. “And it gives us opportunities to infiltrate the circles of the monarchy’s greatest allies. If I hadn’t come to the capital years ago, I never would have had the opportunity to work for Renaul.”
With the expectations of their destination in mind, they traveled through the thick forests toward the capital of Wauld.
Along the way, Emmaas kept his eyes on the trees. Ethenn—eyes as keen as ever—pointed out the hidden scraps of light gray cloth tied among the branches to Deckard. High among the boughs, each one took Deckard several tries to spot, even with the young hunter’s guidance. The Alliance had marked out the route in such a way that only the sharpest trackers or those they’d revealed the markers to could follow. Deckard wondered if it was by a Warrior’s design.
Exhausted from the past several days and a lost night of rest, the Ephrians and Calders remained subdued. Still in her weakened state, Ilain had taken to riding with Isla. Their combined weight made for an easier burden on the horses, which they switched every few hours. Jarrad kept to their side, chatting in his strange, direct manner. Though Auden fared better than his sister, he remained close to Emmaas, trusting the Warrior to catch him if he should prove too weak to stay upright.
At the back of the procession, Thom spoke with Evylin. Deckard had happily left them to ride alone, knowing that Thom wanted to offer his apology to her as well.
A warmth spread through Deckard that had nothing to do with his magic. He was truly grateful for this turn of events. While it didn’t change Thom’s past behavior, it did give Deckard the most profound hope for their future. His brother was changing. He was growing. And Deckard thought they stood a chance of finally attaining the relationship for which he’d always yearned.
Though Thom undoubtedly expressed all his regrets hours ago, he and Evylin still rode together, laughing and talking like they once had. But Deckard no longer felt any prick of jealousy or concern. Even if he and Evylin hadn’t confirmed their love, he could see it in Thom’s manner—he loved Evylin not as a woman but as a sister. She was his friend, their relationship easy and lighthearted, and that made Deckard happier than he had any right to be under their present circumstances.
Surprisingly, Rafferty didn’t join their antics, choosing to ride in front of Deckard and Ethenn toward the middle of the pack. The pairings suited Deckard just fine. Though Ethenn made occasional remarks, he otherwise left Deckard to his solitude. A courtesy that was a great boon, given the state of his pounding head.
When Emmaas finally allowed them to break for the evening, he offered for their troop’s members to rest while their rescuers set up camp. Though Ilain, Auden, and Rafferty readily took the repose, the rest of them offered their help anyway.
The rocky clearing they’d stopped in was, evidently, the Alliance-procured “safe location.” Hidden in the brush was a trunk stashed in a dug-out portion of the terrae. It held non-perishable items, such as clay jugs of fresh water, sacks of barley, and supplies for hunting, including two bows with a plentiful supply of arrows. Thrilled, Ethenn offered to hunt, and Evylin readily volunteered to join him.
While Ethenn gathered the hunting supplies, Evylin drew Deckard aside. “Here,” she said softly, slipping her hand under the loose collar of her shirt. “I think you should keep this.”
The Night Relic hung from her grasp, its amethyst glow contrasting with the late-evening amber of the sunset.
