it had a small pack. It didn’t take her long to go through it. She
found some food, a small knife, and other odds and ends they could use. The
best discovery was the sword. They’d only had two, and John had carried one of
them.
"Is it any good?" She set the sword in
Prince’s lap.
"Where did you get this?"
She shook her head. "It was on your horse. How
did you not notice it?"
He looked down, his brow furrowing. She’d been teasing.
However her comment seemed to hit him hard. He wasn’t doing well at all, and he
knew it, too.
Pulling it out of the scabbard he then tested for
balance and looked briefly at the blade and hilt. "It will do. I can
sharpen it for you later." He looked up again. "Or did you want to
give it to Bo?"
Prince carried the other sword. Kei had his claws when
needed. She bit her lip, wondering who could use it better. "We’ll give it
to Bo. I’m quick enough with my daggers. They will do for now."
He handed it back to her and she went and put it back
on the horse. She spent the rest of their stop trying not to stare at Prince
and worry about how awful he looked. At least her thoughts distracted her from thinking
about Cain.
They had started packing up again when she heard from
Garen.
I found your human.
Grinning, she quickly told the others. Is he hurt?
He is being very troublesome. I dropped your note for
him. He threw it at me. I'm not an over-sized dog.
She burst out laughing at the mental picture his words
brought to her mind.
Can he even read? Garen's mind voice sounded extremely annoyed.
She paused. She had assumed he could. She knew Kei and
Prince could read. So could Cain. During the long winter he had picked up books
now and then from somewhere and read to them all. She closed her eyes for a
moment, the memory of her lost friend bearing down heavily upon her heart.
Letting out a long, slow breath she got back to the problem.
She couldn't once bring to mind ever seeing Bo
actually reading. Rot it all. Apparently not.
What would you like me to do now? He won't follow me.
I'll send Kei. Where are you?
He told her and she quickly relayed the information to
Kei who set out immediately. She grinned at Prince. He had a rare smile on his
face. She just didn't know if it was from Bo being found, or from what he had
done to the Were.
The way his smile made her heart pound and face flush
irritated her. Now wasn’t the time to think such thoughts. Being happy Bo lived,
she could deal with. Anything else just felt wrong. She hurried him along so
they could meet up with the others quickly.
They rode silently for quite some time, keeping within
the trees, until she spotted Kei ahead of her further in the forest. He
beckoned her on and she turned her horse to follow him to the others.
A smile of relief spread across her face when she
spotted Bo washing up at the edge of a pond. He truly was alive. Pulling the
horse to a stop she slid off, carefully minding her twisted ankle. Kei took the
reins and she quickly limped toward her friend.
Bo grinned and came to meet her, pulling her into a
tight embrace. "I'm sorry, pup," he mumbled into her hair.
Nodding against his chest, she held him tightly and
fought back tears. Kei must have told him about Cain. She had been trying so
hard not to think about him. There wasn't anything she could have done. She
couldn't have saved him. He had died, like Kendric and Avery, and there wasn't
anything she could do about it.
Despite wanting to stay in his big, strong arms she
squeezed him once more and pulled away. "You hurt?"
"Nothing major, and all far from my heart,"
he said with a crooked grin.
She forced a smile, blinking away tears. "Good. We’ll
get you taken care of–"
Something thumped behind her and she turned quickly
when Bo cursed. Her eyes first found Kei where he stood a short distance away,
tending her horse. Just beyond him Prince's mount shifted beside a prone body.
"Prince!"
She and Bo raced for Prince. Surprisingly, Kei
found some food, a small knife, and other odds and ends they could use. The
best discovery was the sword. They’d only had two, and John had carried one of
them.
"Is it any good?" She set the sword in
Prince’s lap.
"Where did you get this?"
She shook her head. "It was on your horse. How
did you not notice it?"
He looked down, his brow furrowing. She’d been teasing.
However her comment seemed to hit him hard. He wasn’t doing well at all, and he
knew it, too.
Pulling it out of the scabbard he then tested for
balance and looked briefly at the blade and hilt. "It will do. I can
sharpen it for you later." He looked up again. "Or did you want to
give it to Bo?"
Prince carried the other sword. Kei had his claws when
needed. She bit her lip, wondering who could use it better. "We’ll give it
to Bo. I’m quick enough with my daggers. They will do for now."
He handed it back to her and she went and put it back
on the horse. She spent the rest of their stop trying not to stare at Prince
and worry about how awful he looked. At least her thoughts distracted her from thinking
about Cain.
They had started packing up again when she heard from
Garen.
I found your human.
Grinning, she quickly told the others. Is he hurt?
He is being very troublesome. I dropped your note for
him. He threw it at me. I'm not an over-sized dog.
She burst out laughing at the mental picture his words
brought to her mind.
Can he even read? Garen's mind voice sounded extremely annoyed.
She paused. She had assumed he could. She knew Kei and
Prince could read. So could Cain. During the long winter he had picked up books
now and then from somewhere and read to them all. She closed her eyes for a
moment, the memory of her lost friend bearing down heavily upon her heart.
Letting out a long, slow breath she got back to the problem.
She couldn't once bring to mind ever seeing Bo
actually reading. Rot it all. Apparently not.
What would you like me to do now? He won't follow me.
I'll send Kei. Where are you?
He told her and she quickly relayed the information to
Kei who set out immediately. She grinned at Prince. He had a rare smile on his
face. She just didn't know if it was from Bo being found, or from what he had
done to the Were.
The way his smile made her heart pound and face flush
irritated her. Now wasn’t the time to think such thoughts. Being happy Bo lived,
she could deal with. Anything else just felt wrong. She hurried him along so
they could meet up with the others quickly.
They rode silently for quite some time, keeping within
the trees, until she spotted Kei ahead of her further in the forest. He
beckoned her on and she turned her horse to follow him to the others.
A smile of relief spread across her face when she
spotted Bo washing up at the edge of a pond. He truly was alive. Pulling the
horse to a stop she slid off, carefully minding her twisted ankle. Kei took the
reins and she quickly limped toward her friend.
Bo grinned and came to meet her, pulling her into a
tight embrace. "I'm sorry, pup," he mumbled into her hair.
Nodding against his chest, she held him tightly and
fought back tears. Kei must have told him about Cain. She had been trying so
hard not to think about him. There wasn't anything she could have done. She
couldn't have saved him. He had died, like Kendric and Avery, and there wasn't
anything she could do about it.
Despite wanting to stay in his big, strong arms she
squeezed him once more and pulled away. "You hurt?"
"Nothing major, and all far from my heart,"
he said with a crooked grin.
She forced a smile, blinking away tears. "Good. We’ll
get you taken care of–"
Something thumped behind her and she turned quickly
when Bo cursed. Her eyes first found Kei where he stood a short distance away,
tending her horse. Just beyond him Prince's mount shifted beside a prone body.
"Prince!"
She and Bo raced for Prince. Surprisingly, Kei
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