Page 107 of Kingdom of Embers and Ruin

“What’s going on, Gunnar?” Herrick asked his oldest friend.

“Nothing, I’m fine,” Gunnar pushed everyone off him before standing.

Maude stood as well and stormed off to where Liv still stood, looking out over the edge. Herrick watched her walk away for a second before turning back to his friend. Eydis was handing Gunnar his pack’s back and some jerky to eat while Hakon continued to scrutinize him.

“Maybe we should camp here for the night,” Herrick began to suggest, but Gunnar stopped him.

“No, we will continue until we find a stable structure to camp near Ljosa’s center,” Gunnar said, waving Herrick off. “That was always the plan.”

Hakon nodded, also impatient to get on with the rest of this journey. Sighing, Herrick grabbed Maude’s packs and walked over to where she stood with Liv.

“We need to keep moving,” Herrick said as he handed Maude her belongings.

Liv said nothing and only walked down to the beginning of the outcropping of natural stairs leading down to the ground, eyes forward as if she was captured in a trance. Maude looked over the edge at Liv’s quick movements.

“What’s her problem?” she asked as she shouldered her pack.

“I’m not sure; she hasn't said much since we got off the river,” Herrick shrugged. “Are you well?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Maude responded, not lookingat him.

“You just stormed off from Gunnar, and I thought you might’ve been worried about him,” Herrick said carefully as they followed Liv.

“I’m not,” Maude brushed off.

They were silent for a time as they navigated the narrow stairs that would lead them down into Ljosa. The hot sun was beaming down onto Herrick’s neck, the skin there beginning to radiate the same heat that wore them all down. Ahead of him, Maude maneuvered the natural stairs with a light step. Her graceful movements made Herrick feel like he was the blundering beast she always called him.

As the afternoon stretched into evening and the sun finally disappeared behind the rocks, Herrick found his friends spread out along the wall of the cliffside in broken groups.

Liv charged ahead, her focus on the city limits of Ljosa unwavering, while Maude and Herrick were close behind her. Hakon and Eydis had paused for a time to catch their breath behind him while Gunnar had trailed behind them all, pausing for more breaks than he usually would have needed.

“So, what is your grand plan?” Maude asked him as they paused to drink from the canteen Herrick had on him.

“Grand plan?” Herrick asked, gasping slightly as he came up for air after a long drink.

He handed the canteen to Maude, who only looked at him expectantly.

“To find thedalkr Hela,” Maude said as she rolled her eyes and brought the canteen to her lips.

Herrick watched her movements, unable to look away from her mouth as it wrapped around the opening of the canteen.

He shifted slightly on his feet before clearing his throat. “The full moon is in two nights and should provide the protection we need to get into theCaverns, but there isn't a lot of information to go on about what to expect inside.”

Maude nodded as she wiped her mouth with the back of her wrist, handing the canteen back to Herrick.

“In other words, you have no real plan,” she said flatly.

Before he could respond, Maude turned away and made her way down the last hundred steps. Liv had reached the bottom a few minutes before and was currently tapping her foot on the hard ground impatiently.

“Once we settle somewhere in Ljosa, you and I will go to the shoreline and try to gather as much information as we can about the Knotted Caverns,” Herrick replied, catching up to Maude.

She scoffed. “Go with Gunnar.”

“But I want to go with you,” Herrick insisted, plastering on his wide smile that he knew brought out his dimple. “You have a talent for sneaking around places you aren't supposed to be.”

Maude shot him an innocent look that only made Herrick grin wider.

“Don’t pretend like I don’t know that you snooped through the Palace of Ocean and Clay in Veter,” Herrick said as they both stepped off the last step onto solid ground. “You were very good. You never made your presence known, but I always knew when you were close,minn eldr.”

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