Page 84 of Silver & Smoke
‘Wilder and Thea,’ Kipp told him, his voice low.
Torj signalled for their company to halt. ‘Then we wait for their report. If the southern scouts aren’t back by then, we have to assume they’re dead.’
Kipp nodded grimly. ‘I think you’re right.’
Torj addressed the company. ‘We’ll make camp tonight when we find suitable grounds. For now, water your horses, see to your needs. As soon as we’re rejoined by Warswords Hawthorne and Embervale, we’ll ride hard. Be prepared.’
‘Someone is watching us,’ Darian remarked from his saddle.
Torj had felt it too – eyes on them from somewhere in the distance. But no attack came. No challenge. Just the weight of observation, growing heavier with each league. ‘I know.’
Stay close, Embers,he said through the bond, and her lightning flickered back in response.
Another hour passed before Kipp called out, ‘They’re back!’
Torj whirled around to see the married Warsword couple ride into the clearing, their cheeks flushed with exertion.
‘Well?’ he prompted when he reached them, with Wren and Darian close behind.
‘No enemy scouts or forces that we could see,’ Thea told them. ‘What have the rest reported?’
‘Our southern scouts haven’t returned,’ Torj replied.
‘So they’re dead,’ Thea surmised.
‘I’d say so,’ Torj agreed, his voice heavy with regret.
‘The good news is that you were right about what was on the map,’ Wilder said, lacing the words with meaning. ‘There’s also a decent flat area for camping, and the ravine is just beyond. An old trade route used to run through it, by the looks of things. Narrow passage.’
Thea chimed in. ‘You should see it, Torj – there’s enough there for Wren to make every kingdom its own batch of the cure—’
‘And what? It’s just sitting there, unguarded, untouched?’ he challenged.
‘As far as we could see,’ Wilder offered.
Torj turned to Wren. ‘Then that’s where we go. We move now.’
CHAPTER 45
Wren
‘The tree that cannot bend with strong winds will be uprooted. The tree that can bow and twist with the seasons survives’
– The Green Apothecary: A Guide to Medicinal Plants
THE RIVER ROAREDahead of them, swollen with the healthy rainfall that now blessed Delmira’s lands. Even from the bank, Wren could feel the spray on her face, could see how the water churned and foamed over hidden rocks. Her horse shifted beneath her, ears pinned back, clearly sharing her unease.
She had travelled this stretch of land before, only when she had last been here, the riverbed had been no more than a cracked depression in the earth, with not even a trickle of water to speak of... Now, it was a force that could sweep them away.
‘Zavier and I crossed here,’ Cal shouted, pointing to a dip in the river’s flow. ‘We were up to our waists, but it seems to be the shallowest point.’ His shirt was still soaked through from his previous crossing scouting the terrain ahead, but he didn’t hesitate as he guided his stallion back to the surging current.
‘Keep your horse’s head pointed slightly upstream,’ Torj called to their bannermen over the rush of water. ‘Let them find their own footing. If they start to swim, give them their head and keepyour feet free of the stirrups. Trust in their strength, in their instincts – they want to be on solid ground as much as you do.’
Wren watched as the first riders entered the water after Cal. The horses’ hooves disappeared beneath the surface, then their legs, their riders lifting their feet as the frigid water rose around them. Some of the mounts snorted and balked, but their training held. The current pushed at them, trying to sweep them downstream, but they fought against it, muscles straining.
After you, Embers.Torj motioned for her to start crossing next.
Wren braced herself for the icy impact. The moment her horse stepped into the river, the cold hit her like a physical blow. The current was stronger than it looked, tugging at her mount’s legs, making each step treacherous. Water splashed up around them, soaking through her boots, her breeches, stealing her breath.
