Finally, she stripped down, put her weapons within easy reach, and climbed into the nest, covering both of them with her remaining blanket.
She put his cold hands crossed on his chest, and then covered his body with hers. She shivered at the touch of his frigid skin, but she pressed in tighter, willing her body heat into him.
There was no way to figure how long it would take to warm him. A fire wouldn’t do much good in this cavernous space, but she’d see to that later. For now, this was her best choice.
His breathing was soft against her neck, and his heart beat was steady in her ear. She’d have answers when he woke.
How in the name of all the elements had he come here? Amyu frowned as she shifted a bit, trying to get more comfortable. How could he have climbed the mountain ahead of her, leaving no trail? Even if he had, where was his gear and supplies? And the cloth? Where had that come from?
Amyu let out a slow breath, and tried to rein in her impatience. Answers would come, once Joden woke.
She’d every intention of keeping watch, alert and awake. But the climb had been long and the blankets were warm. As Joden warmed beneath her, her eyelids kept closing… closing…
The call ofa night-flyer roused her at dusk.
Joden was now on his side, wrapped around her warmth, his head cradled on her breasts. He was warm, his arms lax. His breathing was strong and regular.
Amyu sighed, enjoying the moment. She needed to waken, to hunt and get fuel for a fire. But she stole a few precious moments wrapped in the warmth of another.
Especially this man. After the confrontation with the Council, she’d only caught glimpses, or served him kavage when he’d talked with Keir or Simus.
And she’d best stop mooning over him, and get to work.
She eased out of their nest, trying not to let the colder air touch him. Joden frowned, but did not waken, curling into the warmth she’d left. He didn’t waken.
Amyu dressed and armed herself as quickly as she could, eyeing the setting sun. “Joden,” she said softly, just in case he could hear. “Joden, I must hunt, for fuel and food, if I can find prey.”
To her surprise, Joden sighed. “P-p-prey,” he lifted a shaky hand to point off to the left. “T-t-there.” he whispered as he fell back asleep.
“Joden?” Amyu asked, but there was no response this time. She studied the man for a moment, and shrugged. “I will return as quickly as I can.”
She climbed down swiftly, and then hesitated before heading in the direction he had indicated. It couldn’t hurt. One place was as good as another.
Amyu crawled backup to the passage much later, then heaved up her pack using the rope she had tied to it. It was heavy, with a full waterskin, firewood, and six dressed mountain rabbits.
Her fear eased when she saw that Joden still lay in the cocoon of bedding, clearly warm and sleeping. He stirred at her arrival, but did not waken.
She bit back all her questions, and set to work.
First was starting a fire. She’d found two flat rocks that she’d brought back with her, so she built the fire on top and around them. Once the flames rose, she filled her pot was water and placed it close to boil.
She unbuckled her sword, keeping it close beside her. Then she knelt and finished cleaning the rabbits. The meat would cook on the flat stones, the bones would go for a broth. Her stomach rumbled at the thought of fresh meat.
She had a thought that they could use the uncured skins to protect Joden’s feet, secured with strips of cloth. Not much protection, but better than nothing for the trip down the mountain.
She eyed the white cloth. She’d cut it, make a kind of tunic from it for Joden, belted at the waist. She bit her lip. What if it was sacred cloth of some kind, for a ceremony?
She shrugged. Well, if it was, it was too bad. It would have to serve their needs.
She shook her head, and focused on her work. The animals had a series of burrows on the side of the mountain, and had been easy targets for her rocks. They hadn’t seemed to even recognize her as a threat. That thought made her shift uneasily, and she glanced over at Joden, still fast asleep.
How had he known? And he’d mentioned airions. How did he know of them?
Once the meat was ready and the bones simmering in the pot, Amyu cleaned her dagger and her hands and indulged her curiosity. She rose, and went to examine the passage.
It went back into the mountainside a fair way, only to end in a sheer rock wall, reminding her of the mountainside at the top of the highest tower of the castle. She searched, but it was all stone, the bricks of the wall going right up to it. No doors, no openings. Silent, solid rock.
Amyu knew the dead were sometimes buried in stone in Xy. Othur’s body had been placed in something called a crypt. But there were no dead here, no places in the walls for bodies in boxes.
