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*****

~ TARKYN ~

All the nerves and apprehensions of that night before the peace talks came rushing back—that insidious conviction that they were about to face war and death and—

They’d been trotting for twenty minutes—not a huge distance, he could make it back in his beast in five or six—when Harth suddenly changed course. “There’s a little cave up here,” she murmured. “I used to visit it sometimes when I needed to get away.”

He’d forgotten how much she’d explored this area before they met. “You came this far west?”

.....

“Not all the time, but sometimes. I was… restless,” she said dryly, then gave a sigh and pulled him forward again. “Over here.” Then she threw a look at him over her shoulder—full of heat. But also of fear. His heart squeezed.

“Harth, love… I want this time with you, but I can’t be distracted—”

“Stop it, Tarkyn.”

“I need to stay alert—”

“It’s just up here—”

“But I can’t—”

“Tarkyn you’re going to fight!” His mate turned on him, raising her voice, her eyes wide and frightened. And for the first time, he paid real attention to her scent.

He’d been so focused on keeping her close, on getting things done and keeping her safely close, that he hadn’t actually studied her.

She stood in front of him, her hands white—probably shaking if she let him go—cheeks pale, eyes shining, but shadowed.

She was terrified.

“Harth,” he breathed, and stepped up to cup her face. But what comfort could he give? He felt the same way—the same tremulous terror. Because he was going to fight. He had to.

“I didn’t bring it up to make you talk about it. I don’t even want to think about it,” she whispered. “I just… I just wanted some time with you. Just us. Just in case.”

Tarkyn’s heart broke at the look in her eyes then—the welling tears she blinked back, and the way her hand trembled in his.

He pulled her into his chest and tried to breathe. Tried to be reassuring, to make his voice strong so that she’d feel comforted, not even more afraid.

Not like him.

“Love… I’ve done this many times,” he said, wishing the words didn’t sound so hollow. “I know what I’m doing and I can—”

“Tarkyn, I’m not a child. And I’m not na?ve. If I had to go to war or fight, I’d want you on my side. I’d want you leading my side. I won’t stop you. But right now, before you go… I’m so scared. And I can’t bear it. I don’t want to even think about what might—”

He pulled her closer, burying her head in his chest and curling himself around her so that she wouldn’t speak, because he was afraid that the moment she said those words his courage would fail him.

She cried then, and he held her, eyes screwed tightly shut, arms around her, his very heart breaking in two pieces at the sounds of the sobs she tried so hard to hold back.

“Love… love… He didn’t bring us to each other just to take us away so quickly.”

“Tarkyn, that’s bullshit. You can’t know that. No one ever dies at a good time. No one ever dies when it suits them. Especially not in some kind of battle!”

She pushed back out of his arms, her chin quivering. “You are strong, Tarkyn. But you’re not the Creator. You don’t get to choose!” She sucked in a long, deep breath through her nose, clearly trying to stop crying—then she froze.

Tarkyn immediately tensed. What had startled her?

What had he missed?

He looked around, pulling her behind him and studying the trees. ‘What is it? What did you scent?’

‘Sasha. It was so faint and… Tarkyn…’ she pushed his arm away from blocking her and walked forward towards the hills, casting around, turning her head seeking a scent.

She was a tracker, he remembered. She’d been frustrated when he’d been able to sneak up on her because she was known for her skill in staying silent and following a trail.

So he left her to do what she knew best—moving slowly, silently, nose into the wind, but eyes on the ground, seeking, seeking, seeking.

And as her sweeps grew smaller and her focus narrowed, he held his breath. Was it just an old trail? Had Sasha been out here in days past and so left the traces out here.

‘Tigers,’ Harth said suddenly in his head, her tone half-elated, half-horrified. ‘I don’t get it, Tarkyn. There were Tigers out here, and I keep getting the faintest whiff of her scent. But if she was with them, wouldn’t she be as strong as them? And what were they doing out here? I thought she was taken from the Tree City?’

They’d all assumed that—Rika had been taken from South-West of the Tree City. The assumption was that when Sasha went out looking for Zev in the night, she’d been disturbed by the Bears—or the Tigers—and taken then.

But what if she hadn’t?

‘Remind me, Love—you said our link is longer and broader than the others. What’s usual? What distance do Sasha and Zev enjoy?’

‘I don’t know for sure—I know they could talk between the village and the City… that’s an hour’s travel in a beast, almost two on foot.’

Tarkyn frowned. Technically they were three hours from the Tree City, though closer than that in their beasts. What if she’d come this way, looking for Zev? What if the Tigers had taken her from this direction?

He closed his eyes for a moment and tried to envision the land. He’d seen it from the summit of the mountain more than once, and this area from the heights when they’d been testing their bond from the Lagoon.

If the bears came from the south and west, and the Tigers came from the north and east, were they going to simply meet in the middle? Or was there something else—

Tarkyn sucked in a breath.

“What?” Harth asked quickly.

“That scent we caught at the Lagoon.”

Harth nodded.

“You thought that was a creature, correct?”

She nodded again.

“I caught more when I was up in the mountains overlooking the valley, when we were testing the bond. Harth… what if this is where the Creatures have gathered. What if they’ve taken to the mountains—the higher altitude and cooler climate, like they’re used to in Thana? Pegg said he was above the cave where he left Rika when he found the body—he can fly. He went much higher than you’d walk. The bears prefer cold as well—especially this time of year. They’re due to hibernate soon. What if… what if the bears are killing the creatures, and the Tigers are going to protect the bears and they’re all… they’re all…” He looked up to the mountains. “What if they’re all up there, watching us?” he breathed.

Harth turned and looked up in the direction he was facing.

“I have to go find them,” she said.

“Wait, what?!”

“I have to follow the trail—none of the scouts went this way, Tarkyn! They’re all headed north and west. That means the tigers are moving freely right now and they have Sasha! I have to follow this trail!”

Tarkyn’s heart thundered. “No.”

“Tarkyn—”

“I can’t let you go alone, and I can’t go with you. Let’s return to the valley—”

“Tarkyn, stop! Don’t be ridiculous! You know we can’t afford to lose more time. Send the hares. Send a whole legion of soldiers after me. I don’t care. They’ll follow my scent easily. I leave it as much as I can. But I have to get in there and see where they are—you and I can link over this distance. I can show you exactly where to send people!”

He knew she was right. Knew she was absolutely right. But he shook his head.

‘Tarkyn!’ she stepped up to him. ‘I was going to let you fight! Now you have to let me do this!’

He stared at her, despair and pride twisting in his chest, tangling so that his heart fluttered then banged.

But a moment later he opened his arms and she threw herself into them and they held each other so tightly, neither of them could breathe.

‘I love you, my fierce, brave mate,’ Tarkyn breathed in her head. ‘I love you. Please… please stay safe. Find the trail. Follow it. I will run in my beast but be out of the link only for minutes—just a handful of minutes until I can get soldiers and return to follow you. I promise. I won’t let you down.’

‘I love you too, Tarkyn. And please… don’t pick a fight. Stay back. Teach and guide. Stay safe. Please.’

‘I will do my best, mate, but don’t believe I won’t be leading the force that comes for you. Don’t believe it for a moment.’

They embraced one more time, then both turned, leaping into their beasts and running for all they were worth.