girl?”
His pauses were starting to irritate her. It was as though he was taking his time forming a response so as not to insult her. Every inch of her was subject to his censure, it seemed. “Perhaps it is because I see things most humans don't.”
Her cloak grew heavy from the rain, and she stared at her horse. She hoped he wouldn’t expect her to ride as fast they did yesterday. “I, um, might need some help mounting my horse.”
He held out his hand to her. “No, you'll be riding with me again today. We don't have the time to allow you to ride at a pace that doesn't terrify you.”
Shame seared her skin so that she no longer felt the icy rain. She took his hand, and he lifted her up into the saddle behind him as if she weighed next to nothing, even though she felt like her shoes were made of lead. Not only was she wet and muddy and dressed like a boy, but she was also causing him more problems than he intended. “I don't mean to be a burden,” she mumbled.
He urged his horse forward. “You're not a burden—yet.”
The swiftness of the horse surprised her. The rolling hills of the Cove became a blur. The rain drops disappeared into a haze, indiscernible due to the speed at which they moved. She leaned against him, comforted by the feeling of his back in front of her, and tried to hold onto something while they rode. Her hand settled on the corded muscles of his thigh, feeling them tighten and relax with the horse’s stride, and lingered there until he cleared his throat. She snapped her hand back to wrap around his waist instead.
His hand tightened around hers. “I have you,” she heard him say. It served as a balm for her anxiety, and her shoulders loosened. Leaning further against him, her body began to move in harmony with him and the horse.
“Were we riding this fast yesterday?”
“Yes, elvan horses are faster than your human ones. Didn't you notice?”
She shook her head. “I kept my eyes closed most of the time.”
The distant rumble of laughter sounded from his chest. “I thought you had fallen asleep.”
“You must think I’m nothing more than a stupid human.” She heard some of her disappointment carry over into her voice, and she tried to make herself seem smaller than she already was.
“Not exactly.” She waited for him to elaborate on his cryptic response, but after several minutes had passed, she realized he was keeping his thoughts to himself. She closed her eyes and willed the ride to end soon.
Within an hour, the horse outran the rain, and by early afternoon, they had crossed the Great Cove and were beginning to climb the coppery hills that flanked the southwestern border. The horse slowed, careful to pick its way through the brambles and loose stones. Sparse trees dotted the landscape here, and the wind reminded her of the blast of hot air she felt every time she opened an oven. Winter had forgotten this place.
They stopped in front of a cave. Galen surveyed the land, making sure this was the exact place he wanted to stop before he dismounted. Satisfied, he turned back to Kira. “Aren't you going to come down?”
She tried to slide from the saddle to the ground, but her foot got caught in the stirrup, and she landed on her back.
He came and freed her foot before helping her stand. “Are you always this clumsy?”
She stopped brushing the dust off her tunic long enough to answer, “Not usually.” Only around you, it seems . She kept her eyes down, not wanting to see what he thought of her, and walked closer to the opening of the cave.
It was similar to the other caves she saw around her. They all looked like holes punched into the dry clay of the hills, as though some giant had stuck his fingers into them before they hardened. She stood at its edge and peered into the darkness that stretched before her.
He came up behind her. “You're not terrified of caves, are you?”
For the first time that day, she found a reason to smile. “Master Tyrrus and I spent the
His pauses were starting to irritate her. It was as though he was taking his time forming a response so as not to insult her. Every inch of her was subject to his censure, it seemed. “Perhaps it is because I see things most humans don't.”
Her cloak grew heavy from the rain, and she stared at her horse. She hoped he wouldn’t expect her to ride as fast they did yesterday. “I, um, might need some help mounting my horse.”
He held out his hand to her. “No, you'll be riding with me again today. We don't have the time to allow you to ride at a pace that doesn't terrify you.”
Shame seared her skin so that she no longer felt the icy rain. She took his hand, and he lifted her up into the saddle behind him as if she weighed next to nothing, even though she felt like her shoes were made of lead. Not only was she wet and muddy and dressed like a boy, but she was also causing him more problems than he intended. “I don't mean to be a burden,” she mumbled.
He urged his horse forward. “You're not a burden—yet.”
The swiftness of the horse surprised her. The rolling hills of the Cove became a blur. The rain drops disappeared into a haze, indiscernible due to the speed at which they moved. She leaned against him, comforted by the feeling of his back in front of her, and tried to hold onto something while they rode. Her hand settled on the corded muscles of his thigh, feeling them tighten and relax with the horse’s stride, and lingered there until he cleared his throat. She snapped her hand back to wrap around his waist instead.
His hand tightened around hers. “I have you,” she heard him say. It served as a balm for her anxiety, and her shoulders loosened. Leaning further against him, her body began to move in harmony with him and the horse.
“Were we riding this fast yesterday?”
“Yes, elvan horses are faster than your human ones. Didn't you notice?”
She shook her head. “I kept my eyes closed most of the time.”
The distant rumble of laughter sounded from his chest. “I thought you had fallen asleep.”
“You must think I’m nothing more than a stupid human.” She heard some of her disappointment carry over into her voice, and she tried to make herself seem smaller than she already was.
“Not exactly.” She waited for him to elaborate on his cryptic response, but after several minutes had passed, she realized he was keeping his thoughts to himself. She closed her eyes and willed the ride to end soon.
Within an hour, the horse outran the rain, and by early afternoon, they had crossed the Great Cove and were beginning to climb the coppery hills that flanked the southwestern border. The horse slowed, careful to pick its way through the brambles and loose stones. Sparse trees dotted the landscape here, and the wind reminded her of the blast of hot air she felt every time she opened an oven. Winter had forgotten this place.
They stopped in front of a cave. Galen surveyed the land, making sure this was the exact place he wanted to stop before he dismounted. Satisfied, he turned back to Kira. “Aren't you going to come down?”
She tried to slide from the saddle to the ground, but her foot got caught in the stirrup, and she landed on her back.
He came and freed her foot before helping her stand. “Are you always this clumsy?”
She stopped brushing the dust off her tunic long enough to answer, “Not usually.” Only around you, it seems . She kept her eyes down, not wanting to see what he thought of her, and walked closer to the opening of the cave.
It was similar to the other caves she saw around her. They all looked like holes punched into the dry clay of the hills, as though some giant had stuck his fingers into them before they hardened. She stood at its edge and peered into the darkness that stretched before her.
He came up behind her. “You're not terrified of caves, are you?”
For the first time that day, she found a reason to smile. “Master Tyrrus and I spent the
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