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She snaps her beak a few times.
“It’s Atlys. He said he would meet us last night, join us in this mission.”
Is this not a mission you can accomplish without him? You are stronger than you think, rider.
“I hadn’t thought of that possibility. Every time I pictured myself attempting to reach the Cave of Silence, I never imagined I would be alone. From the memories that I’ve gleaned from the stars, it’s a treacherous climb.” One that Atlys could be able to help with. Make stairs, fly, anything.
An image of me stuck at the bottom of the Pits at the Watch flashes through my mind. Like the stars are warning me themselves, as if my heart doesn’t spontaneously break into sixteenth notes every time I think about it. I squint at the sun rising in the distance.
You will persevere, as you always do, Heru says before taking off into the sky. Stretching my wings, then we should leave.
My friends wake shortly after, and within an hour, we are airborne once more. As the day goes on, the land stretches into the desert. By the end of a full day of riding, we camp once more near the Great Dried Lake. We’re close now. Should arrive tomorrow, just in time for the Spring Equinox.
We set up camp and snuggle together for warmth as the sun goes down. Leaf casts a small orb of sunfyre above us while we sleep. Just enough to keep us warm, but not enough to signal our location.
My dreams are interrupted by the sound of hooves. “Did you hear that?”
Leaf jolts upright, immediately casting out the light. “Myrage,” he whispers, and a whoosh of magic slips over me like silk. We are completely invisible from underneath the vale of magic.
Voices echo in the distance. Men.
Esther reaches for me, and I squeeze her hand, cursing myself for letting her come along. I reach above the lumpy pillow for my staff. The hush of metal scraping from my other side tells me Ramona is prepared with her daggers.
Shapes emerge from the darkness. Large mounts kick up gravel and sand.
“I thought I saw something over here,” a man’s voice says.
“You had to be imagining it. The desert does that to you,” another replies.
My breath hitches as I recognize the voice, but before I can say anything, the myrage falls and Leaf flips open the tarp.
“Hi, Castor.”
46
Unspoken Understanding
Iscramble out of the makeshift tent. Castor dismounts Lux, and approaches our camp. His gait has a slight limp to it. Dried, dark splotches of blood soil his silver Moon’cher armour.
“Castor! Are you okay?” I run toward him, then stop abruptly, unsure how I can help.
His bright blue eyes squint in the corners in the faintest of smiles. “I’m alright. Been through worse.”
Worse? My eyes scan a tattered Watcher-blue cloak and bloodied, dented armour.
Castor surveys the area like a hawk as Ramona and Esther step out from under the tent. “What are you all doing out here?”
Leaf looks to me, waiting.
I cock my chin, gesturing to the man standing next to Castor.
Castor turns to the Watcher next to him. “Tarrick, go check on the rest of the company. I’ll need a few minutes.”
“Yes, Commander Washington.” He hits his chest twice in a sign of respect, then walks away.
I step closer, unwilling to let others hear. “We are on our way to get the Star Stone at the Cave of Silence.”
“But that’s—” Castor starts.
