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The following day, Tarkyn led Harth out to the valley. He found himself still stunned that she was there. Still instinctively checking that she followed, or watching her walk to remind himself that this was real. So their progress was slowed. But through the morning he set snares, then showed her several of the safe plants for food–though there was little fruit on the branches this time of year, and only those protected from frost were still edible.

His use of herbs was limited, but he had a soldier’s knowledge. Practical. Functional. Generally focused on the management of a crisis. He showed her the Bloodclot leaves in case either of them was injured. And the thick blades of a specific thistle that seeped clear sap which would soothe burns, bites, or skin that had reacted to something.

It was, in Tarkyn’s mind, a morning of simple pleasures. Harth was fascinated by this land, continually exclaiming over the differences from her previously wet, cold climate.

Tarkyn imagined she would fare well in the mountains should they ever have reason to venture into them.

His mate’s curiosity and delight over new discoveries was a joy. He hadn’t had a chance to see her truly relaxed. Here, without threat, she grinned like a child and whooped with triumph when she got something right.

She made him feel very young, and very blessed.

They stopped foraging when the sun grew high enough to beam directly into the valley, and Tarkyn ushered her under the shade of nearby trees.

There were none of the Great Trees in this place. They tended to thrive where water was more sparse, leaving the banks of rivers and lakes-and the base of mountain waterfalls-to the smaller, faster growing trees.

.....

So they lay in the shade under the boughs of a large pine, years of needles creating a cushion under them.

As they shared some of the dried meat and the small berries they’d found, they were both quiet. Thoughtful.

Harth sat right against his arm, her warmth pressed into his side and it felt... right. He sighed with relief.

“Are you okay?” she asked quietly.

“Yes. More than okay. It’s... this is joy, Harth.”

“I know. Me too.”

They were both quiet for another minute, then she sighed. “Do you think the Queen will forgive you?”

A tiny chill threaded in Tarkyn’s chest. Normally he would have answered that question with a resounding yes. But Elreth was fierce, and not herself. Reacting in fear, rather than strength. She’d seemed... imbalanced about many things over these few days. And yet, he’d sensed her softening before that debacle back at the prison.

So would she walk out of that with greater understanding and perspective? Or would she be tipped over the edge into ruthlessness?

“I don’t know,” he answered honestly. Harth tensed, but he leaned into her to reassure her with his warmth. “I do know that she didn’t react in the moment. She had opportunity. So my hope is that she’ll see it clearly. It might have happened to any of the males-even to her.”

Harth nodded quickly. “My people, too. We’re always more attentive to our mates. It’s instinct!” Her voice was a little higher than usual.

Tarkyn put a hand on her knee and made himself smile. “Don’t fret. Gar knows where we are. If I’m needed, they’ll call me. If I’m not called, then all is well.”

“Is it?”

He nodded, confident of that much. “She won’t face war without me,” he said, only the tiniest niggle of doubt in the back of his head. “She may want to punish me. She might demote me, even. But she won’t face an actual conflict without me. If they aren’t calling for me, either they’ve found a way forward to peace, or nothing has been decided yet. I’m sure of it.”

Harth chewed on that for a moment. He watched her from the side, her pretty face tight with concentration. He traced the line of her jaw with his eyes and imagined laying his lips in that little hollow at-

“Is peace possible?” she asked suddenly. “I mean for real, Tarkyn. Will our people ever unite?”

She turned to look at him then, her eyes shining, pleading with him. He reached up to cup her chin and hold her gaze.

“It’s more than possible, Harth. It’s necessary. We will get there. If we have to be the ones to achieve it ourselves.”

She nodded, though she only relaxed a little. She looked down, brushing a pine-needle off her leg. She’d just opened her mouth to tell him something when a flutter of wind washed over them, bringing with it a scent Tarkyn didn’t recognize.

Harth’s head snapped to the right as she inhaled. “What is that?”

“I... don’t know,” Tarkyn said, his heart beating a touch faster. The scent was odd... animal, but an animal he didn’t recognize, which raised the hair on the back of his neck.

They both got to their feet, following the breeze which rose and fell. When the air was still, there was no scent, which meant the trail wasn’t on the earth around them.

“I think...” Harth murmured, frowning as her nostrils flared. “I think it’s one of the Creatures.”

“Creatures?”

“The Chimera I told you about. The ones the humans abandoned because they weren’t purely human in their form. They... they combine their human and animal species. They look different. Some of them are very different,” she said nervously.

“And what is this one?”

“I don’t know,” she said, still testing the scent. “Not one that I’ve met before. It could be anything. For a while they were mixing human DNA with a variety of animals, looking for more strength and speed. They even made a spider.” She shuddered.

Tarkyn’s chest tightened and he turned to examine the land, his eyes sharp and ears perked for any sound, any indication of a watcher.

But even as his soldier stepped forward to ensure the safety of his mate, his heart began to beat faster with a thread of anger.

These humans and their endless power. They encroached even on his rest here. He ground his teeth and inhaled the wind.

No matter what, he would see his mate through this. All of it.