8. Cato
Cato
The crunch of tires in the distance puts everyone on edge.
Sovran is expected back today, but that doesn’t stop the fear that someone else might have found this place.
We stand ready, then collectively relax when his golden hair becomes visible through the front windshield of an absolutely enormous cargo van.
“Damn, did he bring an entire city with him?” Reyes mutters.
“Clearly, you’ve never been to a city if you think it could all fit in there,” I say with a scoff. A heavy arm slings around my shoulder, and I turn to find Elas standing beside me.
He shakes his head as he gives me a jostle. It’s probably intended to be gentle, but he damn near knocks me off my feet. “Oh please, Cato,” he deadpans. “Tell us again how much better the city is.”
“And how there’s so much to do there,” Cameron adds.
“And how dull it is living in the woods,” Ego chimes in.
I shove Elas off me. “You guys can fuck all the way off. I don’t complain that much.”
“We sure about that?” Reyes mutters.
Elas chuckles as August leans into him, flashing me that blinding smile with his wide, curious eyes. “Ignore them. I love hearing your stories.”
“Thanks for not being a dick, August,” I say with a toothy snarl aimed at the others. Cameron opens his mouth, probably to argue, but before he can get a word in, Sovran steps out of the van.
Ronan and Aryn stand at the front of the group, damn near bouncing with how anxious they are to talk to him. If we were in a classroom, both of them would be wiggling in the front row, hands up and waiting to be called on.
Sovran’s eyes land on them. “Preparations have been made?”
I snort quietly. The guy’s never made small talk in his life.
Ronan nods. “They have. We’ve had daily drilling on weapons, defenses, and hand to hand combat. Everyone can defend themselves if it comes to it.” My eyes land on Cameron, wondering how true that statement is, but I hold back my commentary.
“We’ve also refreshed first aid and wilderness training,” Aryn adds, wanting to earn his gold star for the day. “Hunting, tracking, and the such.”
“Very well.” Sovran walks to the back of the van, and—just like I knew they would—Ronan and Aryn follow right on his heels. I huff another laugh, but curiosity wins and I trail after them.
“Ooh, what is all this?” Lillith asks as she peers into the cargo space. It’s packed to the brim with boxes and bags.
My brows shoot up. “We can’t carry this much.”
Sovran glances over his shoulder at me. “Since I was already gathering supplies, I brought some extra items for the village.”
Everyone pitches in to help unload, curious to see what he’s brought.
Several boxes hold basic clothing—socks, underwear, plain t-shirts and shorts—in a variety of sizes, including some hard-to-find larger ones a few of our crew need.
There are bags holding sheets, blankets, and towels, while a large tote is loaded with ropes and netting.
Behind those, a crate of culinary goods is packed with sugar, honey, flour, oats, rice, and more.
There’s also a collection of cast iron cooking equipment to replace a few of the weathered pieces we currently use.
Once those are out of the way, a bleat comes from the back of the van.
We all turn at once to stare as two matching sets of rectangular pupils peek through the stacks.
Nyx makes a noise somewhere between a squeal and a squeak as he wedges himself through the bodies to peer into the cage. “What is this creature?” he demands, stretching to pet them.
Reyes might as well have hearts in his eyes as he watches his mate, chuckling fondly. “They’re called goats.”
“Goats,” Nyx repeats softly as one of them leans in to nibble his finger. He glances over his shoulder at Reyes, absolute glee written all over his face.
“They are a mating pair,” Sovran explains. “There’s plenty of greenery in these woods to feed them, so they won’t be a burden. The female can be used for milk once she bears offspring.”
“Brilliant,” August says as Nyx opens the cage, not waiting for permission before he guides the animals to the ground.
They nuzzle against him, chewing on his hair and clothes as he kneels to give them both hugs.
After he talks to them in low whispers, he leads them toward the shade.
They follow him obediently, nudging his side and munching on the hem of his shirt.
Boomerang bounces excitedly at a distance, watching them with her nose in the air and trying to figure out exactly for herself what they are.
As she follows with her tail wagging, it’s safe to assume she deems them friends.
I shake my head with a quiet laugh. “Well, I guess they’re tame.”
“It appears so,” Sovran answers with a grin of his own.
“I should… probably help with that,” Reyes says, flashing us an apologetic glance before he takes off after them. He’s already mumbling to himself about building a proper enclosure as he eyes the space near the greenhouse and the trees beyond.
A few more boxes are intended for the village. There are first aid supplies and medicines that are almost unheard of outside the cities. August is thrilled as he digs through the bottles of pills and bags of supplements, enlisting Elas’s help to carry everything to the storage building.
Soon everyone is sorting through goods and wandering off to put things away. Only the six of us remain at the van with Sovran and the last of the crates.
“That’s still a lot of stuff,” Cameron says.
“It is,” Sovran agrees. He pulls the largest one out and sets it on the ground in front of us. Inside are six identical large leather packs with thick padded straps and bundles of rolled fabric already clipped on with buckles. “Elyra is cold.”
“It was always colder than here,” Ronan says.
Sovran shakes his head, gesturing towards the supplies. “The weather you remember has long changed. The temperatures are extreme. It’s no longer a matter of being uncomfortable, it’s a matter of survival.”
“It’s that cold?” I ask skeptically.
“A few hours unprotected in the elements could shut your organs down. Your body will burn calories much faster than usual, and your limbs won’t be as agile. If you don’t prepare for it, you will die.”
“A simple yes would’ve been sufficient,” I mutter. Aryn tosses me a half-amused glance, trying to fight his smile. I guess he’s gotten over his hero worship of the golden pain in the ass.
Sovran ignores me and grabs another crate from the van.
“None of us know how hard it will be to hunt or what edible plants have survived the weather. You’ll need to eat more than usual to keep your strength up, so you need to carry enough food to last between sources.
” He pulls the lid off the crate to show a massive stack of industrial-wrapped meal replacement bars.
“These are calorie dense and travel well. There are MREs underneath for when you’re able to stop. ”
Lillith picks up one of the bars. It’s not any bigger than her palm and disappears completely as she closes her fingers around it. She chuckles as she opens her hand again. “This is only a snack.”
Sovran’s lips twitch as he watches her. “Two per meal for you then, perhaps.”
Lillith seems satisfied with that solution and lifts a pack. She spins it around, gesturing at the rolled bundle underneath. “What is this?”
Sovran helps her to unclip it and unrolls the long stretch of thick fabric.
It’s lightweight, but the inside is lined with some sort of artificial fur.
“These are the best sleeping bags available. They’re rated for extreme cold.
” Lillith opens her mouth, but like he anticipates her question, he says, “Yes, they’re big enough.
It took me a few days to source them, but these will serve you well. ”
“Think we can both fit in there?” Lillith whispers loudly to Taryn, whose cheeks burn as she rests her head against Lillith’s shoulder with a sigh.
Ronan glances around at the group, then back into the van. “I don’t see a tent.”
“There isn’t one,” Sovran agrees. “Tents take up too much space. There are several tarps and ropes if natural shelter cannot be found.”
“Thank the gods,” Cameron drawls, nudging me with his elbow as he hikes a thumb toward his mate. “Can you imagine that one trying to build a tent? Damn thing would be ripped to shreds within ten minutes.”
Ronan crosses his arms, gesturing in my direction. “And you assume the brute would be any better at it?”
I flip Ronan off. “Absolutely not. I’m the first to admit I’d end up snapping it over my knee when I couldn’t get it to work. Aryn would be the hypothetical tent builder.”
Cameron nods. “Yep, agreed. Or Taryn. They’re the only ones I’d trust with my beauty sleep.”
Aryn tries to hide his smile, shooting Ronan an apologetic glance. “While I appreciate the vote of confidence, it sounds like it’s a moot point.”
“I guess,” Ronan grumbles.
Aryn focuses on Sovran as he purses his lips. “If the weather has gotten as extreme as you say, we’ll need plenty of protection from the elements. You’re sure these provide enough warmth? Ronan, Lillith, and I will adjust more easily, but the humans aren’t accustomed to the cold.”
“Are you worried about little ol’ me?” I ask, batting my lashes a few times.
Aryn’s tail flicks behind him as he meets my eyes, getting that confused furrow in his brows like he does at night after we train.
It’s become our unintentional secret. Neither of us mentions it during the day, and we don’t discuss it afterward.
He just prowls out of the darkness, grabs a sword, and joins me in the ring until we’re both sweating and exhausted.
It’s not friendship between us, exactly. More like a mutual understanding we can’t fuck this up. His calm presence isn’t the annoyance it used to be, and I’ve started to view him as something steady.
Someone I have to rely on.
A cautious smile spreads on his mouth as he shrugs. “We need to be prepared for everything, and the weather could kill us much faster than an enemy.”