We finished dinner and returned to our caves for the night without seeing Gahn Thaleo. Valeria and Grim confirmed that they hadn’t seen him, either, and they’d had to get an account of the borog news from Arton and Jael this afternoon.
My sourness about Gahn Thaleo’s absence was quickly morphing into worry. He’d never been gone all day before. As soon as I thought it, I realized how stupid it was. Who was I to know what he normally did? Just because he’d shown up at least once a day while we were here didn’t mean that was his usual custom.
But still, I found myself chewing the inside of my own cheek, wondering what had become of him. Unfortunately, thoughts of Gahn Thaleo plagued me all the way into my bed, and they weren’t the sexy ones from last night. I tossed and turned, imagining him injured somewhere in the mountains alone, bleeding, or with a broken limb.
Goddamnit.
I couldn’t sleep like this. Even with my tiredness from last night, I was restless beyond measure and driving myself out of my own head by just lying here doing nothing.
I stole quietly out of bed, sliding on my pants, socks, and boots. I had no trouble getting through Tilly and Fiona’s cave without waking anyone, but I should have known better of Oxriel and Zoren. As soon as I set one foot inside the sleeping quarters they’d been assigned (which I needed to walk through to get to the rest of the mountain) they both sat up at once. Oxriel had a knife in his hand before I could blink.
“What is it?” he asked, rising to his feet as Zoren kicked off the hides that had been wrapped around his legs.
“Nothing, Ox,” I whispered. “You can put that away.” I jerked my chin towards his knife, which he dutifully sheathed.
“Why are you out of bed?” Oxriel asked.
“I just… I couldn’t sleep. I was thinking about taking a walk.”
I hadn’t actually been thinking about that at all. I’d come out here with no plan or sense of what I wanted to do, helplessness clinging to me like clammy fog. But now that the words were out of my mouth, I knew that they were true. Subconsciously, that’s exactly what I’d wanted to do. I would wander this mountain, all night if I had to, until I knew that Gahn Thaleo was back.
Until I knew he was alright.
“At this hour?” Zoren piped up, looking at me askance.
“I must agree with Zoren,” Oxriel said with a grave thwap of his tail. “You should not be out in the mountain alone. Especially late at night.”
“What do you think would happen to me?” I asked, both comforted and exasperated by the chivalric levels of protectiveness in these two. “I wouldn’t go outside the mountain. And I wouldn’t go anywhere I wasn’t familiar with. There are lanterns to light my way.”
“I am afraid that I cannot allow it,” Oxriel said, determination to protect me warring with bashfulness at defying my wishes.
“You won’t allow it?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. I took an experimental step towards the cave’s exit. Quick as a whip, his big body blocked my way. “Move, Oxriel.”
“I cannot,” he said, and he sounded genuinely pained about it. “Perhaps a few quiet laps in your own cave would satisfy your desire for a walk.”
No, that wouldn’t do it. Because that wouldn’t mean running into Gahn Thaleo.
I set my shoulders and took another step towards him – and the exit beyond. Instantly, his knees bent slightly, his hands splaying out to the side like a football goalie’s.
He really wasn’t going to let me out of here.
There was nothing for it. I’d have to take the big lug with me.
“I don’t suppose you’d want to come on a walk too, Ox?”
Instantly, he brightened, straightening up to his full height once more. “I would be most delighted, Nazreen!” he said, beaming. “Thank you for choosing me!” His sight stars slid to Zoren somewhat victoriously, and I cringed a little.
“You’re invited too, if you want,” I said hurriedly to Zoren. “But I assumed one of you would have to stay behind with Tilly and Fiona.”
“That is correct,” Zoren said, resettling himself in his hides. “I will remain here.”
“Let us go, Nazreen! I am ready!” Oxriel chirped, already striding to the door. He really was a golden goddamn retriever. Getting all tail-waggy at the prospect of walkies.
“Thanks, Ox,” I said, grateful that he’d agreed to come with me instead of just forcibly confining me to my cave, which he was more than capable of doing.
“I will reiterate my thanks to you as well,” he said jovially as we walked through the mountain hallways. “It is always a great honour to be chosen as a special friend to one of you new women!”
I snorted at the choice of words –special friend– but I knew he didn’t mean anything weird by it. He was just ecstatic at the chance to go for a walk with me, the sweetheart.
