Page 45 of Sun Warrior

“Okay, no problem. I’ll find it, and I did watch you and Sora do this, so I think I can safely bring up the rear.” Nik dug around under the dagger-tipped thorns, quickly finding the second stick. “I’m ready if you are.”

Mari rallied her strength—almost home, I can almost rest—and then she moved to the hidden entrance. “All right. Antreas, you and Bast follow right behind me, as close as you can. Then Davis and Cammy. Nik, you and Laru bring up the rear.”

“No problem,” Nik said as Antreas and his Lynx moved to stand beside Mari.

“Uh, hold up just a second,” Davis said.

Mari and Nik turned to him. He and Cammy were a few feet fromthem—both Companion and Terrier were eyeing the enormous bramble thicket dubiously.

“Yeah?” Nik asked.

“We’re not actually going into that mess, are we?”

“Oh, sorry,” Mari said. “My mind isn’t working like normal, or I would have explained. Yes, we are going into that mess. That mess protects and camouflages my burrow—my home. It’s perfectly safe, but only if you know the way through, so stay close to me.”

Bast finished her toilette and padded over to sniff the area directly in front of Mari. She made an odd little coughing noise that Mari thought sounded out of place for such a graceful creature.

“Yeah, like Bast said—your den’s safe, hidden, protected, and I’m assuming dry?” Antreas said.

“Of course,” Mari said, trying not to sound too defensive. “Contrary to what most of the Tribe of the Trees think, Earth Walker burrows are actually very nice.”

“Well, I’m not part of the Tribe of the Trees, so I don’t have any preconceived ideas about your den or, as you call it, your burrow. I’m really just curious,” Antreas explained.

“Mari’s home is cozy and beautiful,” Nik said.

“Thank you, Nik.” Mari smiled wearily at him. “Okay, so I’m going to go first with Rigel. Antreas and Bast, come right after me. Like I said, stay close to me. Also, keep your arms tight to your sides—those thorns can really cut you up. Davis, you might want to carry Cammy if he’s as nervous as you are.”

“How about I stay out here? Cammy and I’ll rig a cocoon in a tree. I saw a big cedar not far from here that should work. Maybe, um, maybe Nik could bring us out some dinner if it’s not too much trouble?”

Mari just stared at him, wishing she could concentrate better. Davis hadn’t shown any hesitation about following them to her home, but now he had gone pale and his voice sounded strained and strange.

“Did you say a cocoon? I don’t understand,” Mari asked.

“It’s why Companions, especially Hunters, always carry rope andwear travel cloaks. If any of us get caught outside the Tribe at night, we can wrap up with our canine and tie ourselves to the arms of a big tree. It looks kinda like a cocoon, which is why we call it that. And we’re safe,” Davis explained.

“But you’ll be safe in my burrow, too. And dry. And warm.”

“I’ll—um—be fine in a tree, too,” Davis said nervously. “And Cammy and I don’t need to stay dry. We won’t melt.”

“What’s this about?” Nik asked Davis.

Davis wiped a hand across his damp face and blurted, “I’m claustrophobic!”

Mari frowned. “But it’s a burrow, a home—nothing to be claustrophobic about.”

“Dens are good things, man,” Antreas said. “Way better than tying yourself to a tree in a thunderstorm.” His gaze went up to the sky above the huge bramble thicket. “Here’s hoping we can start a hearth fire and cook up something hot for dinner. Don’t see any hearth smoke up there.” He sniffed the air, looking oddly Lynx-like. “Don’t smell any, either, though the damnable forest fire might still be messing up my nose, especially since I could swear I caught the scent of baking bread a second ago.”

Mari stared at him, at first confused. Then with a start she realized what he was saying. “Oh no, forest fire or not, you wouldn’t see my hearth fire from here, but let’s hope you do smell bread.” Just thinking of Sora’s fresh-baked bread had Mari’s mouth filling with water.

“You have to come out here to cook?” Antreas shook his head. “No, that won’t do. It’s raining like crazy. I can show you how to make a chimney flue that will work great in a den—if I don’t have to dig through too much rock.”

“Oh, I have a hearth, and many flues. So many that my smoke dissipates all around here. You’ll never track a single Earth Walker hearth fire to a burrow. Instead, if you’re careful and observant, you might notice areas of smoke, drifting foglike around the lowlands, and once in a while you might smell baking bread, or rich mushroom stew—though I promise you’ll never be able to follow those scents to an individual burrow.”

“Huh! That’s a convenient system. Obviously excellent for keeping your den hidden. You’ll have to show me how they’re made sometime.”

Mari raised a brow at the feline Companion. “Only if you get permission from the Great Earth Mother.”

“Guess I’ll have to work on that,” Antreas said, scratching under Bast’s chin while she stretched languidly.