“I am,” I assure him. Sitting, I reach over to stroke Tindera’s snout. “I wasn’t sleeping well, and she helped me.”
“She’s a very good backrest when she wants to be,” Fhord responds with a smile. “She likes you.”
The comfort that blossoms within me at his words surprises me. Suddenly, I’m back in Midgard, riding Lia’s dragon, Zaria. I feel protected, safer than I thought would be possible this close to the Nest.
“She’s a remarkable dragon.” I drag my hands along her snout, standing to reach up and scratch behind her horn, wondering if she’ll respond as the dragons on Midgard did.
I can’t suppress the grin when she does. A loud purr rumbles from her chest, echoing through our chamber. The horses shuffle their feet for a few seconds then settle down. The only sound in the chamber is Tindera’s hum as she leans into my hands, letting my nails find their way beneath feathers to the sensitive skin below.
“By the gods, she’s yours now for sure,” Fhord says with another smile. “My nails can’t do what yours can.”
Tindera grunts, staring at Fhord. After a moment he returns the grunt, the tips of his lips dropping down as his eyes flare. “You should go,” he says abruptly. He turns to me, his words clipped. “Tindera shouldn’t have come back to us. She needs to return to the Nest before she’s missed. We can’t take a chance they’ll connect her to what we’re going to do.”
I nod as I watch him, wondering what words they exchanged. But it doesn’t matter. We both know this odd relationship will end when we’re done. The less I know about him and Tindera, the better.
Pulling back my hands, I rub her snout one more time, then step back while Fhord gives her a quick pat and sends her on her way. I turn to our packs to pull out food while Fhord stores our blankets. Within twenty minutes of waking, we’ve eaten and are following Tindera into the cavern.
Fhord’s torch brightens enough of the cave to dredge up memories of my last time here. My heart is skipping in my chest, beating faster the farther we go, and I have to struggle to keep down the cold breakfast I ate before we left. Each step takes me deeper into my thoughts, my senses responding by amplifying every sound, sight, and smell. When I hear the water rushing through a tunnel above us, I know we’re close. And I’m not sure if I’ll be able to do this.
When they held me here before, I spent weeks wriggling into the thoughts of one of my captors, finally persuading him to release me and then Toffer. He’d been one of our crueler guards, so I had little regret for the price he’d pay when they found him. I had no idea how we’d escape, but Toffer’s a troll and can sense changes in cave systems. I’d traveled through enough hidden doors in caves in my worlds to find an escape where Toffer told me to search.
Still, it was the most terrifying journey of my life. I’m still not sure how we got out alive.
And now I’m willingly entering these same caves.
I am a foolish, foolish elf. I’d laugh at myself if my stomach wasn’t so twisted in knots.
When we stop for lunch, Fhord sits close enough for me to feel the warmth of his skin. I hate that he can sense my emotions, knows how terrified I am. The last thing I want is for him to see me as weak.
“I’m frightened,” I tell him as we finish eating, my voice matter-of-fact. “This place has a bad reputation. But I’ll be fine. Stop worrying about me.”
The torch throws shadows across his face, hiding his eyes. Still, I can see the corners of his lips tick up.
“Does that make you happy?” I demand.
“No, rabbit,” he responds as he turns to catch my gaze. “I’m impressed. I can feel your fear. And yet you go on.”
“We have to do this,” I remind him, my voice still cold. “I won’t let any jitters interfere.”
“I know,” he tells me, letting the smile crease his cheeks. “I trust you.”
“Good. That’ll make this easier.” I watch him for a moment, willing my heart to slow even more. “What happens next?” I ask at last.
“We’ll be at the entrance soon. Tindera will be close enough to sense if anyone is nearby.”
“And if it’s clear?”
“The horses will wait here while we go into the prison alone.”
“And this is where I come in? I’m going to traipse in there, find and free Thyra, and leave?”
“That’s the plan.” Now Fhord’s smile is forced. I can sense his unease too. “Bevin sent you for a reason,” he reminds me. “He said we’re the perfect team for this.”
The torch flickers all around us, throwing dancing shadows on the cavern’s walls, drawing me back into the weeks I spent here. My breathing is accelerating, and I can’t do anything about it.
“I don’t want to just sit here,” I explain as I stand abruptly. “We need to go and get this over with.” I throw our things into a sack, tie it to Hilde, and then start to pace. Fhord still hasn’t stood up. “What?” My tone is anxious.
“Rabbit, look at me.” He’s much calmer than he should be as he rises and places his hands on my cheeks. “We can do this.”
