"The halter," shewhispered. "I just remembered Lanpur Gorge."
For a minute his expressionhardened before he forced a smile. "You can't go back," he repeatedher words. "So stop thinking about it."
She shook her head. "It'snot possible."
"Everything ispossible." He glanced at Caleb. "What were his chances of living twodays ago?"
"Not much better thannow." Li Sung came toward them, carrying the canteens. "I see hemarked you. Truly his father's child." In spite of his harsh words, bothhis hands and expression were gentle as he knelt beside the baby and gentlypoured water into Caleb's mouth. "No doubt he will also grow into a killerrogue."
Jane was too weary and shakento argue with Li Sung. And if she was weary, what must Ruel feel like? "Goto sleep," she told both of them as she went to her own blankets by thefire.
"I believe I'll dothat." Ruel stretched out next to Caleb on the blanket and closed hiseyes.
Jane frowned. "You can'tsleep there."
"Watch me." He closedhis eyes. "Too tired to move… "
"I'll make up yourblankets for you."
"I'm fine… " Heturned on his side. "Four hours. No more. We can't afford the time. Wehave to get Caleb to… " He trailed off, and Jane realized he had falleninto an exhausted sleep.
Li Sung soon followed him inslumber, but she lay there unable to sleep in spite of her weariness. Ruel'swords and actions had thrown her into a turmoil of emotion—worry, tenderness,admiration, and a multitude of other fragmented feelings too dangerous toexamine closely. Just when she had thought herself free of the mandarin, he hadchanged and become a man, a vulnerable man whom she was beginning to find...lovable.
Dear God, what was she doingsearching her soul when she should be sleeping? she thought impatiently. Shehuddled down in her blankets and closed her eyes. The heat from the fire feltwarm and soothing, the crackling of the logs a cozy song in the darkness.
But an early morning chilllingered in the air.
Ruel was several yards distantfrom the fire.
She got to her feet, grabbedone of her blankets, and marched over to where Ruel and Caleb were lying. Ruelwas sleeping soundly, but Caleb opened his glowing eyes as she tucked theblanket over Ruel. The baby elephant's trunk lifted to touch her cheek."Shh." She patted his head, got to her feet, and went back to herblanket by the fire.
Caretaker.
Well, what if she was? Therewas nothing wrong with sharing a blanket with someone who had sacrificed somuch for her sake. Nothing wrong at all.
The crashing of shrubbery wokeJane, Ruel, and Li Sung from sleep on the second night of their trek back tothe crossing. Jane opened her eyes to see Danor standing, looking at them fromthe edge of the trees. His eyes glittered in the campfire, and she had anuneasy memory of that moment on the tracks when she had thought the elephant amad rogue.
Fear vanished as she saw Danorcome slowly forward to stand over the stretcher by the fire where the babyelephant lay. His trunk curled around Caleb's neck and then began probinggently, inquiringly, at his body as he had at that of his dead mate's.
The baby was too weak now todo more than raise his head, his trunk seeking and then locking with Danor's.
The sight was inexpressiblytouching, and Jane felt the tears burn her lids.
Then Danor disentangled histrunk, backed away, and lumbered past the fire and into the jungle.
Li Sung said sourly, "Hedisturbs our sleep and then leaves it to us to care for his child. We willprobably not see him again."
"He went in the directionof the crossing," Ruel pointed out.
"So he's rejoining theherd. That does not mean we will see him again." Li Sung lay down againand closed his eyes. "Which will be the most fortuitous circumstanceoccurring since we arrived in Cinnidar."
Jane shook her head inresignation as she pulled her blanket around her shoulders. She had never seenLi Sung as stubborn as he was being about the bull elephant. He was wrong. Sheknew Danor had been concerned about the baby.
He was not the only oneconcerned. Her gaze went to the baby elephant. He was growing weaker. They hadbeen feeding him water to assuage his hunger, but how long could he livewithout nourishment?
"He'll live."
She turned to see Ruel's gazeon her face.
