Gilla had taken her warcats hunting. Others gathered fuel and water. Cadr’s still-healing wounds meant he wasn’t much for the heavier work. Instead, he tended a fire, with kavage and a kettle of soup, and bowls of flatbread near to the ceremony. He also offered to sharpen weapons for any that needed.
Sidian had the others watching for intruders and wyverns, seeing to horses, and packing gear and preparing. Lightning Strike and he had agreed that they would need to break camp and move once they had spoken to Snowfall.
Hours later, Gilla returned with a horse laden with two dressed deer.
“They are still at it?” She asked as she brought the meat to the fire.
Cadr nodded. “They take turns,” he said. “Whatever they do, it takes a lot of out them. They stagger out, exhausted, eat and drink, and then return.”
“It does,” came a new voice and Cadr looked to see Rhys approaching the fire. “It takes a tremendous amount of energy.”
“You can do that?” Gilla asked, a slight blush on her cheeks.
“Not that, exactly,” Rhys grinned. “That is wild magic, and it’s not something I can use. But I draw my power in different ways, and my skills are more—”
“Sidian!” came a call from the tent.
Sidian came at a run, and Cadr, Gill, and Rhys followed. In fact, everyone in earshot came, forcing them to roll up the tent sides.
Cadr peered around Sidian, and then gasped.
Snowfall stood over the bowl, or at least, the image of Snowfall, formed from water. She was frowning at Lightning Strike.
No. Cadr realized his mistake almost immediately. She wasn’t frowning at Lightning Strike, she was frowningwithhim.
“Let me try,” came her voice, like rippling water over stones. “Simus, stand here.”
And then the image folded and expanded. Simus of the Hawk took shape, a big man, taller than Snowfall. His arm was wrapped around Snowfall’s waist.
“Don’t move,” Snowfall said, looking up at him, her lips brushing his cheek.
“Why would I want to?” Simus laughed, rubbing his nose in her hair.
The room went silent, except for a strangled choke that came from Lightning Strike.
Snowfall and Simus were bonded.
Cadr huffed out a breath of surprise at their ear-weavings. He’d seen them together in the Heart, so it wasn’t that much a of a shock to him.
It was to the others, that much was clear.
“Snowfall?” Lightning Strike’s voice was almost a squeak.
Snowfall turned toward Lightning Strike, giving him a nod. “Yes. I have bonded with Simus of the Hawk. Wild Winds will want to know—”
“Wild Winds is dead.” Lightning Strike said harshly.
Snowfall’s lips parted in a small gasp. Even though her image was colorless as water, Cadr could see the pain wash over her. Cadr dropped his gaze, and he wasn’t the only one. Others looked away, reminded of their own grief.
“Dead?” Simus frowned. “How?”
Cadr took a deep breath and pushed forward, to kneel before Simus’s likeness. “Warlord, I would report.”
“Cadr,” Simus’s voice was deep. “What happened?”
Cadr described the attack, of not being able to find Hanstau, of taking up Wild Wind’s body and being led by the dead.
Lightning Strike started in then with the pyre lighting, the appearance of a portal, and Sidian and Rhys.
