There was a reason for it.
I wouldn’t talk her out of it.
Somehow I’d have to learn how to function with an ache that wouldn’t release.
CHAPTER NINE
ASHLYN
Asteady mist turned quickly to rain. Droplets clung to where my tears had been.
The canopy alongside us caught the brunt of it until it dripped down the sides of the road.
My cheeks burned from the way the wool cloak rubbed as it draped on the sides of my face.
“We should get off the road before you get soaked.” Fyn was the first to break the silence between us.
Thunder growled through the sky before it poured.
“I think it’s a little late for that.” Each drop prodded me until bumps rose on my arms.
Fyn quickly dismounted and reached for me. “Tree cover will be better than being out in the open.” His hand braced my back as I climbed down. “I’ll take the horses.”
Mud formed along the road. My boots struggled to break free from it as I made my way to the trees.
The mares didn’t resist as he yanked them further away from the open path. They didn’t move when he dropped their reins.
He was soaked.
I was soaked.
“If only it were a little warmer.” The towering trees did little to stop the rain. It would take far too long for the wool to dry.
I tugged the cap from my flask and raised it to my lips. Nothing hit my tongue. “Great.” I peered into the opening. It was empty.
“I ran out a while ago too,” he said it as if it would make me feel better.
It didn’t make me feel better. “It’s annoying how I never realize how thirsty I am until I’m without.”
“Well, water is falling from the sky.” He smirked.
“Are you suggesting I just open my mouth and get my fill?”
He turned from me, scanning the surrounding woods.
“Maybe there’s a stream or a lake somewhere nearby?” I was desperately hoping there was.
“Or something better.” He walked toward a large leafy plant that clung to the bottom of a massive tree. Each massive leaf curled upward. “Are you coming?”
I followed him toward it.
He pressed his fingers on the edge of a leaf, tilting it down toward his mouth. He drank from the waterfall it made.
I reached for one, mirroring his every action. The water crashed into the bridge of my nose and gushed down the front of me.
Fyn looked away from me, his fist over his lips. “I guess you are a bit shorter than me.”
Laughter pushed past my lips as I pulled the sopping part of my tunic away from my body. “I fear I’m only thirstier now.”
