Page 28 of Sword & Shadow
Evylin sat in the cold foliage, Ilain lying at her side, for several minutes before realizing her mistake. The men didn’t know where they’d gone. They didn’t even know that the women had left them. And they wouldn’t be able to search for them until they were out of the guards’ sight.
With Ilain in her present state, Evylin didn’t think it wise to leave her. Not even to scout to see if the men had gotten through yet. She reminded herself that Ethenn would have noticed. He would know they were gone and be able to track them. All she needed to do was keep them safe until he found them.
Taking the time to rest, Evylin settled in. She reset her hood and straightened her coat. Then she made Ilain more comfortable, tucking the woman’s cloak more securely around her and brushing slick fire-bright strands off her cheeks while the woman rested.
She waited in the forest for a quarter of an hour, listening for any sound of Ethenn’s arrival. The braying of horses, the groans of wagons, and the chatter of travelers on the road were all she heard for a time. Ilain’s breathing had steadied. Evylin wondered if she’d fallen asleep. Then she heard the soft crunch of leaves in the distance.
Whipping around, Evylin saw Deckard and Ethenn emerge from the dark woods. Immediately, she smiled. “About time,” she lamented.
The men rushed forward upon seeing Ilain’s prone figure. Evylin rose to meet them. “She’s all right,” she assured them, then furrowed her brow. “I think.”
“I’m fine,” Ilain muttered, though she didn’t lift her head. “I’m just bloody exhausted.”
Ethenn knelt next to the Mage with a gentle grin. “Would you like help?” he asked with a small chuckle and held out a hand.
Her sharp green eyes flashed open, peering up at him. “Are you laughing at my misery?”
“Just pleased to see that you’re safe,” he promised.
“Mm.” Ilain pursed her lips, dubious, but she took his hand, letting him pull her up to a seated position. She eyed him with a wily expression. “I don’t think I have the strength to walk.”
Ethenn’s neck and ears burned red, and Evylin suppressed a laugh. However, the young man graciously offered to carry the highlady, at which point Ilain patted his cheek and accepted. While Ethenn cautiously lifted the woman, Deckard placed his hand on Evylin’s shoulder.
She looked up at him, finding his brows pinched together. She understood his worry. Their plan had come too close to failing. If she hadn’t acted quickly enough, they would have been caught, and she didn’t want to begin to think of what danger they would have faced.
Evylin set her hand over his. “I’m safe,” she whispered to him. “The Relics are safe. That’s what matters.”
Though Deckard looked about to argue, he nodded. “Come on,” he said, withdrawing from her. “Let’s get back to the others.”
After the long day of travel and the delay at the gates, they didn’t arrive at Blacklion until nightfall. The introductory terrain and landscape of Wauld proved to be the same as in the Reach. Vast, thick forests stretched across the countryside, the rain clouds constantly shielding the sky. Rather than travel on the muddy roads, they kept to the trees. While it protected them from the rain, it made their journey equally difficult.
Given Ilain’s exhaustion, Ethenn wound up carrying her not just to the team, but also for several miles. Rafferty and Thom teased him mercilessly, but Evylin wondered if the young man cared. After all, he got to be near the beautiful Mage, of whom he seemed to be growing ever fonder.
Once Ilain recovered enough, she walked with Auden’s continued assistance. They traversed steadily through the trees nearly the entire day, the forest turning dark and alive with the chirping of insects. They’d found another alcove to shelter in for the night, mostly walled in by large, intertwining trees. In Ilain’s exhausted state, they’d given her the night off watch to recuperate, which meant that Rafferty would take her place with Ethenn.
“We’re a mile from Blacklion now,” Auden informed them. “In the morning, we can restock and purchase horses.”
“Oh, thank the Heavens,” Rafferty exclaimed. “I could use a nice, soothing pint of ale.”
“You won’t be going in,” Deckard said.
“Why not?”
“We’re in Wauld now. We have to move with caution.”
Rafferty frowned. “I thought that was why we weren’t allowed fires.”
“It’s also why we need to take care in the settlements,” Auden said. “We should only take a small party.”
“So why can’t I be part of that small party?” Rafferty demanded.
“You don’t know Waulden customs, nor do you appear or sound Waulden. You wouldn’t know how to interact, and you’d be bound to make us suspicious.”
While Rafferty opened his mouth to counter, Deckard stepped in. “It’ll just be me and Auden going.”
Auden nodded approvingly.
Evylin smirked at Deckard, sharpening the blade of her boot knife. “I think you’re forgetting something,” she said.
