Page 69 of Faeling
“I’ll be fine,” she reassured him right back, finding his fussing rather endearing.
Ravenna kept to his tent and to herself. She’d thought the time alone—including having his big bed all to herself—would feel like a treat, but she quickly grew bored. When she slept alone in the bed, she was more than a little annoyed to find that she already missed his burning heat at her back. She’d slept alone most of her life, but after a mere fortnight of sleepingbeside herazai,she found herself tossing and turning.
Her only consolation was that he wasn’t likely to sleep very well, either. Which meant he’d be awake and aware of any other attempts at seduction.
—white eyelashes fanned upon a pale cheek—saltwater burned her eyes—a scream of anguish—a battle cry—
Ravenna rolled over, woken from her afternoon doze. Fates, that was the third one today, all of the same or similar images. Her power was trying to tell her something, but from the images she saw, she wasn’t sure she wanted to listen.
Without much else to do than lay around and relieve her tired feet as she and the rest of the camp awaited Vallek’s return—any time now—Ravenna attempted to doze, making up for her poor night’s sleep. Her visions had other ideas, however, as they so often did.Impudent little buggers.
Rubbing her head, she sat up in herazai’s bed, feeling…melancholy. Fates, did she truly miss him that much? It’d been just over a full day without him, and he wasn’t far. She could expect his return at any moment.
Really, she should be enjoying her time alone. She hadn’t had much of it on this journey, and safely ensconced in his bedroom, she didn’t even bother with her glamour. While she did appreciate the reprieve from her false face, there was no quarter from the boredom. She told herself that the sharp pain in her side from missing Vallek wouldn’t be so acute had she anything to do. Even a bit of embroidery. Boredom made everything worse.
She wasn’t sure she entirely believed it, though.
Ears trained for any sign of his arrival, she jumped up from the bed when she heard someone rush inside.
“Hurry!” someone said. “They’ve spottedunicorns!”
A gasp met the announcement, and two pairs of feet hurried from the tent.
Ravenna’s stomach dropped to her toes, which she quickly shoved into her boots. Hesitating only long enough to don her glamour, she didn’t even waste time grabbing her cloak, just went running out of the tent.
No no no no…
Obi, where are you?she asked desperately, arms pumping. She followed a curious crowd moving north, heart racing faster than her feet pounded the ground.
Nearby. Why? Is something amiss?
Someone says you’ve been spotted.
I hardly think—
Oberon!
A handful of berserkers were keeping the curious orcs back, but Ravenna didn’t stop. Putting on speed, she used her magic to encourage the warriors’ gazes to look elsewhere as she swept past. She couldn’t truly make herself invisible, but she could ensure no one was looking for her.
Dry pine needles crunched beneath her boots as she wove between trees, mounting a steep rise. The slope went nearly vertical near the top, forcing her to claw her way up. At the crest, chest heaving, she spotted a small party of orcs just down the other side of the slope, pointing. Following their line of sight, Ravenna could just spy the silvery glint of Oberon’s flank.
They’re on a ridge! To the south! You have to move!
Are you in danger? Should we—
I’m fine! Just go!
The silver flashed between the tree limbs, like sun glinting on the surface of a lake, and then disappeared into the denser brush.
“They’re on the move,” said one of the party’s hunters.
Ravenna’s heart lurched when she saw him draw an arrow from his quiver.
“No!” she cried. Without thought or worry, she slid down the slope, nearly crashing into the hunter. Reaching for his burly arm, she stopped him from nocking the arrow. “You can’t!”
The other orcs—two more hunters, three berserkers, and Ulrich—grumbled unhappily, eyes shifting back to where the unicorns had been in the valley below.
“Those beasts are dangerous,kone,” said one of the berserkers. “They wouldn’t hesitate to attack a stray orc.”
