“She’ll make a good leader,” Willow admitted.
Sage had to agree. Out of the three of them, Raven would be the best leader. Yet as her sister, there would still be times when Sage would need to put Raven in her place.
“We’re all in this together,” Willow said softly. “No one is alone. Depend on us.”
Sage had the feeling Willow was referring to the directions, but she pretended it was about Raven. “At least Raven doesn’t insist we practice all the time as Father did.”
“We should take this time to practice,” Raven announced as she strolled into the camp.
Sage locked eyes with Willow from where she sat and leaned back against the tree, grinning.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve used our weapons, and this would be a perfect opportunity,” Raven said.
Instead of arguing, Sage pushed herself to her feet. Willow shot to her feet enthusiastically. Marcus and Christian followed.
Raven’s brows rose in surprise. “No argument?”
“We could all use the training,” Willow said, bouncing toward the clearing where the horses were.
Raven glanced at Landyn in shock.
Sage followed Willow with a resigned sigh. “What would be the point in arguing?” she mumbled. As she passed Raven, Sage conceded, “You’re right.” She wanted to see Raven’s expression at her unexpected show of submission. But truth be told, it would be wonderful to feel the sword handle in her palm again.
Chapter Thirteen
Marcus felt the icy rain piercehis skin and saturate his clothing. He hunched his shoulders against the chill. Sage insisted they keep moving, and with the squadron of men tracking them, it was a good idea. The horses’ hooves sank into the mud as they traveled the road, and within minutes, the rain had filled their tracks and erased any trace of their journey. While it was uncomfortable to be wet, it was safer for them to travel in the rain. Their men trailing them could no longer follow their trail.
Marcus glanced back, squinting through the downpour. The group lagged miserably behind him; their clothing clung to them like limp flags. He blinked the rain from his eyes as he focused on Sage, who rode ahead of them. In the distance, a low rumble filled the air.
Sage’s back straightened. She heard it, too.
As soon as they rounded the curve of the road, Marcus saw what was causing the noise. A river had burst its banks, and brown waters churned and gushed angrily. The flow had spilled so far beyond its banks that it seemed as if the waters had swallowed the road.
“Don’t get too close,” Landyn warned.
The muddy river cut a deep gash through what used to be the road. A lone tree perched precariously, its roots still desperately grasping the edge.
Raven turned her steed, trying to control him, and stated, “This looks like the end of the road.”
“Or the road was washed away.” Marcus raised his voice to be heard over the splashing rain and thundering river.
“Go east,” Sage replied. “That’s the next passage.”
“East?” Landyn turned in his saddle to look back toward the town. “That has to be wrong. We just came from there.”
Sage gritted her teeth. “Maybe the English countryside has messed with your sense of direction,” she mumbled sarcastically, loud enough for only Marcus to hear.
Marcus shot her a knowing grin. Landyn’s doubt was heavy in the air, weighing down the confidence she had gained from her past successes, and Marcus hated that Landyn made her feel like that. Unfortunately, in this one issue, he thought Landyn might be right.
A deafening crash echoed as the massive tree swayed and lurched forward. The ground beneath gave way in a mud shower, and the tree tumbled into the river. It floated downstream, buffeted by the surging current.
Marcus’s horse whinnied and pranced as it backed from the water, its hooves throwing clumps of sodden earth. The other horses shifted uneasily, the group guiding them away from the river. “The water could have washed away the road. We should cross the river to be sure the road doesn’t continue on the other side,” Marcus said loudly over the rushing waters.
“Go ahead,” Christian said cynically.
Sage cast a furious glance at Christian. “We should at least wait until the rain stops.”
Marcus agreed with a nod, staring at the churning water. It was too dangerous to attempt a crossing now. “I’ll go when the rain stops and search the landscape. There’s no need for everyone to go.”
