Page 177 of Sun Warrior

“Sora, is there a problem?” O’Bryan approached Sora, sending Jaxom a suspicious glance.

“No problem at all,” Sora said, leaving Jaxom to stare after her as she continued to walk up the column beside the tall Companion.

When she reached the head of the Pack, Sora faced her people. She raised her voice so that the whole Pack could hear her. “We’re going tohave to move fast to get to the Channel by dusk. If someone weakens, let a Pack Member know. You won’t help us by keeping silent and then falling on your face when we most need you to move and move quickly.”

“What if we can’t make it?”

Sora looked around until she saw Sarah, who still wasn’t able to put much weight on her ankle. O’Bryan had fashioned a walking stick for her, and Sora had wrapped Sarah’s ankle, trying to provide as much support as possible for the wound. Sora had given her tea for the pain, but not too much—the girl did have to be conscious to walk.

“We won’t leave anyone behind, if that’s what you’re asking,” Sora told her.

“I’ll take turns with her,” Claudia said, and then struggled through a coughing fit.

“As will I,” Wilkes called, his voice sounding unnaturally high and weak.

“Thank you,” Sora said.

Both Claudia and Wilkes were very ill. They were also full of poppy tea and had numbing poultices wrapped around the oozing sores that wept from the creases of their elbows, wrists, knees, and ankles. But neither Companion would die. Sora would see to that as soon as it was moonrise, so they both could walk for a ways and let Sarah rest her ankle. Sora looked around the Pack, taking pride in what she saw. From the chaos of the morning, the Pack had pulled together to be ready for this moment, and Sora had watched her people go from being hesitant and sometimes even uneasy around one another to truly joining together in a common cause—a cause that should have been impossible.

Yet here they were, ready to leave what they had believed would be their forever homes.

Sora raised her arms, high and wide, and in a strong voice, filled with the pride she felt for her Pack, she prayed.

“May the Great Mother Goddess bless our journey, and watch over us, as well as Mari and Nik, Laru and Rigel, and may we be reunited with them soon and safely!” Sora said.

“Blessed Earth Mother!” the Pack intoned.

Then Sora, with O’Bryan close on her heels, strode to the front of the column, where Antreas waited with Bast beside him—and Danita, as always, beside the big feline.

“Show us the way, Antreas!”

“Yes, Moon Woman!” he shouted, bowing to her. Antreas stepped out confidently, heading north.

***

They made better time than Sora had expected, mostly because Antreas—or, rather, Bast—was a genius in picking out the fastest, easiest paths.

Sora glanced up at the sky. The story the Sun told said that it had moved from afternoon to evening. She looked back down the column. Claudia had switched with Sarah, allowing the girl to ride in the litter, foot elevated. The Companion walked beside the litter, hand resting rather heavily on the frame, her big female Shepherd, Mariah, staying close beside her.

Wilkes looked to be asleep, and Sora wasn’t surprised. He’d allowed Lydia to take a long turn resting on the litter while he staggered beside it—so long that Sora had insisted he get off his feet straightaway. The Warrior had protested until Sora had reminded him that he was the only one of them who knew for sure exactly where the Tribe’s boats had been banked, which meant he had to save enough of his strength to lead them when they reached the Channel.

Her gaze went from the sleeping Wilkes to Jaxom and Mason. Jaxom was sweating, but he appeared to be strong. Mason didn’t look as healthy as his brother, but neither of the young men had stumbled or asked for a break.

“The Pack is moving well,” O’Bryan said, coming up beside her and ruffling the fur on Chloe’s head. The pup licked his hand and wriggled a greeting.

“Yes, they are. But are they moving well enough? Will we make it to the Channel by dusk?”

“Antreas says yes, as long as nothing gets in our way. And I don’t see that happening. I’ve never known the forest to be so quiet. It’s like the fire has caused a mass desertion.”

Sora nodded. “Seems like it to me, too. It’s creepy, really. I can’t say that I’m looking forward to traveling on the river, but I am looking forward to leaving this part of the forest. The closer we get to Tribe territory, the stranger things seem.”

“It’s a sign,” Davis said, joining them. “I can feel it. It’s as if the forest is holding its breath, waiting.”

“Waiting for what?” Sora asked. She’d already come to respect this young Companion’s unique bond with the Goddess, and it only made sense to listen to what he was feeling.

“I’m not sure. There’s something here, though. Something that is out of place,” Davis said.

Sora snorted. “We are. We’re a group of mostly Earth Walkers decidedly outside our territory.”