Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

Despite the adrenaline rush of the fight, I slept a dreamless sleep that went so deep that it took Fenling shaking me by the shoulders to make sure I was all right. I yawned, sitting up, pulling the pile of furs and blankets around my shoulders.

"The snow is raging outside. We're tying ropes to go outside to take a piss so that we don't get lost in the storm," Quen said as I stood, stretching. "Let me know when you want to go, so that I can anchor you from inside."

I nodded. My body urged me to go now, so he handed me a rope and I tied it around my waist, then slid through the dark cover of the cave to find myself in a blizzard. There had to be some magical force keeping the light from penetrating the entrance.

As I stepped out into the raging storm, everything vanished in the blur of snow. I couldn't see my hand in front of my face, but I was secured by the rope, so I felt my way alongside the rock wall until the rope tightened. I managed to relieve myself, then rubbed snow in my hands, and used the rope to find my way back to the others.

"It's blowing blind out there," I said. I was covered with snow—a thick layer had landed on my cloak. I shook it off and headed for the fire. While it wasn't large, it was enough to take the edge off and cook over. After the chill faded, San handed me a mug of hot tea and some bread with melted cheese. Grateful, I polished it off. I was still hungry, but given the severity of the storm, we might be trapped here for a while so I didn't want to eat up supplies.

Fenling and I headed toward the back area of the cavern, where the slope steepened.

"Where does that lead?" I asked. "Do you remember?"

"No, I don't know. I don't think my uncle explored it when we were stranded here before." She watched as I knelt to examine the slope. The grade was steep, more like a ramp than a path. "You aren't thinking of following that path? You'd never make it back up. The grade is far too steep to climb, and it looks like ice. Or crystal."

"What about using the ropes? We could tie off, like when we're going out into the snow to piss. Then, if something happens, the others can pull me up." I looked up at her, startled by the intensity of her frown. "What?"

" What ? Those ice scorpions had to come from somewhere, and that's the only place I can think of that they might be hiding. We do not need to bring the rest of them up here." She shook her head. "I'm in charge, Asajia, and I say no."

I thought I caught a distant glimmer of movement in the glowing light that emanated from below, but nodded. Fenling led the Lorani, and I wasn't going to argue. "As you wish."

We walked back into the main cavern as Lanlan and Exis took their places, guarding the slippery slope. As we entered the cave proper, a shriek echoed from outside, so loud I flinched.

"What the hell is that?" It wasn't a charimont, nor was it the growl of a bear.

"The Snow Witch, I'd wager. With this blizzard, she's probably very close." Quen headed toward the entrance and took up guarding the opening.

I could feel her near, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Her magic seemed so much stronger up here, above the Leanderial Line. The mountains must strengthen her powers, with the elevation and high winds and chill clime boosting her energy.

"Do you believe the story of how she began?" I asked.

Fenling shrugged. "I don't know. She's real, so there had to be some beginning, unless she's a goddess. Nobody knows how the gods came to be." She motioned for me to walk back to the fire with her. "Up here, in the Eiralpine Zone, there are dangers everywhere. The Snow Witch is merely one of many. Beyond the charimonts and the snow demons are other creatures that come straight from your nightmares. Creatures so dangerous that you would never survive an encounter with them."

I glanced back toward the entrance. "How do people live up here?"

"They're strong—in body and mind. You have to be to brave the elements. And they worship the snows, they worship the elementals, and they worship the mountains themselves. You'll not find a fiercer people around, not that I've met. And yet, most of them abide by a strict code of honor."

"Are you sure Bran would think to come this way?"

Fenling thought about it. "I think he'll remember it. He can't stay in the Bramble Fel, not with Karehl hunting him. None of us can afford to go back. Bran's traveling with a group of the Lorani. There were about thirty remaining in the city, but we have no way of knowing how many managed to make it out with him. All except the spies pledged their swords to Bran and they won't turncoat. But if they refuse to kneel for Karehl, he'll kill them."

"How long do we wait for him?" I had no clue what else we'd do, but we needed some form of plan.

"Till the storm lessens. If he's not here by then, we'll make for Swelan, a village two days' journey north of here. At worst, we can find work there and make enough for shelter and food." She brought her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. "I never thought we'd be in this fix. I kept hoping Karehl would straighten up and become a good leader. But he's nothing like his father. He's already got us in hot water with two other wolf packs farther west. They offered an alliance, and he laughed in their faces."

The more I heard about him, the more I saw Karehl as a danger to himself and his people. "Isn't he afraid of them?"

"I think he is. He's paranoid. Not only does he fear Bran, but he's convinced that the other pack leaders are looking to get their hands on Eleago—" she paused as we heard noise from the entrance. Fenling jumped to her feet, as did I, and we readied our weapons.

The next moment, loud voices echoed from the opening of the cave, and then, laughter. Quen came rushing back, with Bran on his heels. Another handful of men and women—about ten of them—followed.

Fenling let out a cry. "Bran! You're safe."

He caught her up and gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "I am. And grateful to be." But then, he caught sight of me and froze. "Asajia! You're… I thought…"

Without thinking, I rushed over to him and he swung me around, pulling me into his arms. I didn't think twice when he leaned down to kiss me on the lips. A wave of relief flooded through me as it hit that he was alive.

"Bran, you're safe!" I held on to him, unable to believe that he was here. Deep in my heart, I knew that I had feared he was lost—that Karehl had caught him and murdered him. When only Fenling had responded to Ashera's summoning spell, I had lost all hope without even realizing it.

He held me tight, burrowing his face in my neck. A warm glow began to spread through me, one that I'd never felt before except for a few moments around Bran.

"I thought my brother would catch you," he whispered. "He told me when he imprisoned me that he would find you and kill you."

"He can't kill me without killing himself," I said, suddenly realizing we were being watched by everybody else. I discreetly pulled away, stroking his face. "I'm so grateful you managed to escape."

Fenling swept in at that moment, bidding Quen to start cooking some stew, and Forth began to melt cheese for bread. Bran turned back to me.

"I have a surprise for you," he said. "Come with me."

He led me toward the entrance and I followed. There, standing with the other horses as Exis and Lanlan watched over them, was Yaran. His saddle was missing, and he looked a little roughed up, but there was no blood on him, and he let out a loud whinny when he saw me, pulling at his tether to break free.

"Yaran!" I rushed up to him and buried my face in his mane, throwing my arms around his neck as he knelt on his front legs and pressed against me. I started to cry as I checked him out. "Are you all right?" I whispered to him. "How did you ever find him?" I asked Bran.

Bran leaned against the rock wall. "He found us. We were making our way out of the Bramble Fel when he broke into the clearing. His reins were broken, and his saddle was gone, but I recognized him. He came directly to me. That's when I thought Karehl had found you." His voice grew thick and he coughed, tears in his eyes. "I thought you were dead."

"Karehl did catch me. I'll tell you how later. He imprisoned me in a tower, but I found a way out, and managed to find a witch in the forest to stay with?—"

"Not Giselda ?" He looked alarmed.

"No, though she played into my capture. She's dead now," I said. "This woman's named Ashera, and she saved my life and helped reunite me with Fenling. But Yaran was gone—Karehl took him with them when they left to hunt you down."

"Did my brother…did he…" Bran glowered, and I knew what he was asking.

"No, love. He would have, had I not escaped. But he didn't get a chance." I kissed Yaran on the muzzle again. Then, with Exis leading him over to eat, Bran wrapped his arm around my waist and walked me back to the fire and food.

By evening, we had filled Bran in on what had happened to Fenling and to me.

"But you… How did you escape?" I asked.

"The jailor is incredibly loyal to my father. I hadn't realized he was still working. When I was young, I spent a number of afternoons with him, talking about the gods and stories of heroes and villains gone by. I loved listening to him, and he was a fair man and treated our prisoners the way they should be treated. He was kind to those who made simple mistakes, and he was watchful and cautious around those who shouldn't be allowed out into the public."

"Geoff! Is he still running the jail?" Fenling asked.

"Yes," Bran said, "although it's become much more of an actual dungeon now since my brother took the throne. Geoff told me he's kept his job, even at his age, to make certain no one is treated unfairly. Karehl isn't known for his mercy."

"Did he help you escape?" Quen asked.

Bran nodded. "Yes. He waited until midnight on the second day and then he freed me and asked me which men I wanted to go with me. I gave him the names of the men who were with me when we were arrested that I absolutely know I can trust. I asked him what he was going to do—my brother would likely punish him and I doubt if Geoff could survive. But he assured me he had a plan to escape. He knew that he wouldn't survive Karehl's wrath, but he felt he had to let me go since he believes I should take the throne."

"So…the other Lorani?" San asked.

"Still locked away, unless Geoff decided to let them go as well. But he wanted to see me out of the castle and away before taking a chance on freeing the others. Since there was at least one spy in our midst, there may have been others."

By the time he finished talking, night had fallen. The snow was still howling, and everyone was exhausted.

"What do we do now?" I asked.

"We make for Swelan, where I talk to the government. They're honorable and I think they may help us, at least with lodging until we can decide what to do." Bran spread out his blankets and looked at me. I knew what he was thinking, and I was thinking the same thing, except this wasn't the time or place. And I wasn't going to embarrass the others by bedding Bran in front of them. This was the first time I wanted to sleep with a man, but it could wait until we had privacy, and until I was certain that it was the right thing for me to do.

Fenling and I shared a space on the floor, huddling together as the chill of the cave grew even colder. As we lay there, waiting for sleep, she turned to me.

"You love my cousin, don't you?" she whispered.

I hesitated, then leaned closer to her so that no one else could hear. "Yes, I think I do. And I think he might care for me too. During the time we've been separated, I've realized that I can't deny my feelings. If we come out of this alive…would it be so bad to have me as a cousin-in-law? Although Bran seems more like your brother than a cousin."

She laughed. "I'd like that. I like you, Asajia. You're as much Lorani as the rest of us. You carry the spirit of the bear, rather than being a wolf shifter, but you fit in with us and I was so worried when you just vanished."

"I feel more at home with your people—with the Lorani—that I ever have with anybody else. I'm a huntress by nature." I paused. "But what happens if Bran usurps his brother and takes the throne?"

"Then he'll live in the Castle Eleago. But Bran's rule would not be his brother's. Worry about that when we get there. There may be a chance we'll end up living above the Eiralpine Line for good." She patted my hand, then kissed me on the cheek and turned over.

As we huddled back to back under the covers, I couldn't help but watch Bran, who was snoring lightly. He was safe, and back with us, and he had kissed me. And that…that filled my thoughts as I finally fell asleep.