Chapter 14 #3
Ekkire shrugged. “Juveniles, yes. They are both from nests hatched during winter. They’re both alone, though, and sleara like to flock.
He’s probably trying to entice her to be part of his flock.
” Hmm, interesting. Too bad Dove seemed more interested in the stick and my presence than anyone else.
Poor fellow. With a pang of guilt, I realized I hoped he wouldn’t actually entice Dove away from me.
I really liked her company, though it was probably better for her if she was with her own kind, wasn’t it?
“Here’s your string. Do you want to twist it into shape yourself?” He offered me the gathered fibers but didn’t quite lower them into my lap yet. I considered that, but in the end decided he’d done a perfectly fine job last time. We’d be quicker if he did that task.
“How’s your finger?” I tried after we’d worked in silence for a little bit. Dove had settled with her gifted stick, taking far longer with it than I’d ever seen her take with one. Like she was savoring this one a little extra. “The sleara bit you, didn’t he? I saw blood.”
Ekkire froze, eyes dropping to his lap, the string that was beginning to take shape draped across the glimmering green coils of his tail.
Then he lifted his hand and flexed it in front of me.
“I’m fine. It was a small nip that broke the scales on my thumb, but it will heal.
” He showed me the wound, and it was indeed a very small cut straight through the paler green along the pad of his thumb, partially covered by the sharp black claw jutting from it.
“Okay, good. Do you know where we are? What’s our course of action now?
” I pointed at the sharp, rising flank of the mountain next to us.
We’d come out of it from deep below, having traveled a significant portion through the ancient tunnel system.
There was no sign of the wetlands or the crashed ship.
The mountain peak Ekkire had been anxious to reach, however, was much closer.
It loomed beyond the trees and would perhaps only take us another day, at most, to reach.
“I think,” Ekkire said slowly, his busy hands stilling as he focused on my face.
“I think we should travel to the outpost together, look for survivors first. Sun Fang would have sent help too if they could spare it; a healer will be with that party.” I knew why he said that, but I bit my lip and wasn’t reassured.
Hadn’t Sun Fang been part of the gathering attack force?
Hadn’t they switched sides to join with Thunder Rock to destroy the ship?
And what about the people from Haven? A very large part of me just wanted to stay with Ekkire, to keep this easy company with a man—a male—who didn’t coddle.
That was so selfish, though, when Jolene and those at the crashed ship would be so worried.
Worse, I hadn’t even checked again to make sure that everyone had survived.
I should have asked that when we discovered he could understand me after all.
“I would like that,” I said carefully. “But what about the hunters at the crashed ship? I don’t want them to think they have to search for me.
” Zsekhet and Joxra would be worried; Corin would have communicated with Zathar, and then everyone at Haven—especially Jolene—would be distressed.
I did not want them to think I was dead.
“Oh, I sent them a message; they know you’re with me,” Ekkire said casually.
“Ready? Shall I string it?” I wordlessly handed him the bow I’d just carefully carved.
I hadn’t quite finished tapering the ends, but it bent right, I thought.
Much heavier than the bow Ekkire had made for me before, but not so heavy I couldn’t work it while injured.
He’d sent a message? What was he talking about?
I couldn’t quite picture it, because in my book, sending a message tended to involve a device, and I was pretty sure he didn’t own anything that complex.
“I made a kite with a note and sent it up where they’d see it.
They must have found it by now. Don’t worry.
Unless…” He hesitated, and something dark flashed in his eyes.
“You wish to return to Joxra?” he asked.
The possessive growl curling through the air between us instantly turned the mood dark, laden with untold things. Claims.
“Joxra?” I sputtered, confused. “No, I barely know the guy. I just want to make sure my friend, Jolene, isn’t super worried about me back at Haven.
” It felt nice to call her my friend, that’s what she called me, wasn’t it?
The more I thought about it, the more certain I became that Jolene considered me one of hers.
I really didn’t want to cause her stress; she’d just been through so much herself.
I wanted her to make her home at Haven with the guy she’d fallen in love with and his adorable kids.
She needed to do that, guilt-free. She deserved it.
“Oh… He’s not your, uh… He was very concerned for your safety, so I thought…
” Very abruptly, he cut himself off and shook his head.
His hands had worked even as he’d struggled to speak, carving the ends of my bow and attaching the string.
He tested its pull, then handed it to me with a grimace.
“Never mind that. If you are not opposed to traveling to the outpost and perhaps accepting healing from the Sun Fang Shaman, we will do that.”
“Ekkire,” I said, that smile, that bright burst of happiness from earlier, coming back.
“I’d love that. And for your information, there’s nothing and never has been between me and Joxra, okay?
He was probably feeling guilty because he allowed me to come, knowing Zathar forbade me… He’s a bit of a rebel, you know?”
“Oh… I see.” The small section of tail he had curled around my ankle squeezed, just the slightest bit. He still frowned, but I was pretty sure my answer had pleased him.