Page 25 of Trapped to Tame
Drax shrugged. ‘You were the leader then. You didn't have to follow my counsel. It's your own fault, Brother, as was losing your command.’
Fie watched Priest stare at Drax and wondered, not for the first time, how long it would be before their unit fractured.
‘Not here,’ Fie snarled, losing patience. ‘Bad enough that Priest and I were arguing in the fucking street. We show no more weakness despite our small Fourth. When do we leave?’
‘Soon,’ said Drax, looking at Eve. ‘Eat your fill now, woman. We will not be stopping until late tonight when we get to the next town.’
‘Where are we going,’ she asked almost timidly.
‘To the Ice Plains.’
Her eyes widened at Drax’s admission. ‘Why?’
‘That's not your concern, Fourth. Be silent. Eat. Ready yourself. We leave within the hour.’
Fie got to work, stowing the rest of their supplies, and ensuring they had everything they needed for the journey into the far north. He included some salve for the female as Drax had mentioned she was not as fast at healing as they were.
Priest had gone to get the horses ready and by the time he returned, everything was packed up and Eve had eaten practically half the contents of the table, stuffing food into her mouth as if there was no tomorrow.
They met Priest outside and saw that he’d procured a fourth horse. Eve stared at it and, as all three of them climbed onto their mounts’ backs, she simply stood in the mud beside them like a lost child.
‘Let's go, Fourth,’ Drax said, not hiding his impatience to be gone.
She glared at Drax. ‘I can't ride.’
‘You can't ride?’ Priest echoed disparagingly. ‘Of course you can’t. Fucking useless female.’
Her cheeks reddened and Fie reached his hand down to her before he could think better of it.
‘You can ride with me.’
Hesitantly, she took his wrist and he gripped hers, pulling her up behind him. She straddled the horse and grasped his waist as hard as she could, squeezing him.
Amused, he glanced behind him. ‘Don't worry,’ he said, ‘I won't let you fall off.’
She was shaking slightly, and he realized that this was the perfect opportunity to learn more about her.
‘How many times have you fought in the rings,’ he asked her in a low tone just for her ears.
‘Hundreds,’ she replied.
‘What manner of men? Dangerous? Murderous? Lecherous?’
She inclined her head absently, looking down at the ground as if she stood at the edge of a cliff.
He caught her eye. ‘This is just a ride on a horse,’ he said meaningfully, trying to make her understand that this was nothing to fear, nowhere near so dangerous as the men she had fought.
She nodded stiffly, swallowing hard.
How could she have done all she had and still be afraid of a little ride? He caught himself grinning and frowned. He was not really her friend, he reminded himself. She was their enemy. He had to remember that. He thought about his deep hatred for her father instead, stamping out any softness he felt for her.
He glanced back again; this time eying her coldly when she wasn’t looking at him. He’d find out what he could about her and relay it to his Brothers as needed, but that was all.
They began to plod along through the Camp, reaching the outskirts quickly as their tent had been so close.
‘Good riddance,’ Priest muttered, not looking back. ‘Next time we have to come to this place, be sure we’ve paid our dues, Brother,’ he said to Drax, who pointedly ignored him.
They did not stop for an afternoon meal, nor when the sun set. By the time they reached the walled town they had been making for, Fie was half frozen. The weather had surely turned these past few days. It was definitely full winter now.
