Page 51 of Tharn's Hunt
I scan the horizon, searching for signs of water, of shade, of anything that might ease her burden. The dunes roll endlessly before us, broken only by a dark line in the distance—a ravine cutting through the desert floor.
Beyond it, the land rises into rocky foothills. A better place. Higher ground often holds water, and the rocks will offer true shelter from Ain's light.Good. But to reach it, we must first cross the scar on the land.
I gesture toward it, catching Jah-kee's attention. She follows my gaze, chin jerking in understanding.
"Is that where we're headed?" she vocalizes, her voice thin with tiredness or maybe thirst.
I tilt my head, pointing to the waterskin at my side, then to the ravine.
“Water.” Maybe. I hope.
She smiles, the expression brightening her face despite her exhaustion. "Lead on, Tharn."
My dra-kir speeds up at the sound of my name on her tongue. By the time we reach the edge of the ravine, Ain has climbed to her zenith, her light brutal and unforgiving. I scan the steep walls of stone dropping away before us.
The path across is barely wide enough for my feet, the ground unstable with loose rock and shifting sand. My instincts scream to find another way. But I know this is the only path. For me, it is a risk. For her, it is a death sentence if she falls.
Jah-kee steps forward, peering down. "Well," she vocalizes, "that's going to be fun."
I gesture for her to stay close, pointing to the path and then to myself to indicate I will guide her. She should follow behind me, where I can best protect her from what lies ahead.
But she shakes her head, jaw setting stubbornly. She points to herself, then to the path. She wants to go first.
Worry tightens my chest. My dra-kir pulses an urgent warning. She is tired, weakened by heat and thirst. Her steps have been unsteady for the last half-sol. If she slips?—
But the determination in her eyes stops my protest before it forms. There is pride there, and something else. A need to prove herself, perhaps.
I cannot deny her this. Not when I feel the strength of her will pulsing across the strange connection between us.
So I tilt my head in affirmation, though every instinct rebels against it. I gesture for her to proceed, but indicate I will stay close behind her.
She takes a deep breath and steps onto the path. I follow so close my chest almost touches her back.
The ground crumbles slightly beneath her first step. She steadies herself, her breathing quickening, before continuingforward. One careful step after another, her arms slightly extended for balance.
We make slow progress, the ravine yawning wide beneath us. The wind picks up, whistling through the stone corridors below, tugging at Jah-kee's garments. She sways slightly but continues forward.
A section of path gives way beneath her foot, loose rocks skittering down into the ravine. She lurches forward, arms flailing as she tries to regain her balance.
My body moves before thought, an instinct faster than reason. My arm wraps around her waist, pulling her hard against my chest as her feet slide out from under her.
For a single dra-kir beat, we teeter on the edge, my own balance precarious from the sudden movement. Planting my feet, my claws dig into the stone, anchoring us.
Jah-kee gasps, her small hands grasping my arm where it holds her. Her dra-kir races against my forearm in a frantic rhythm.
The thought of her falling, of her fragile body shattering on the rocks below, sends a surge of pure fear through me. She looks up at me, her water-blue eyes wide, her breath coming in short gasps. Her scent fills my senses—fear, yes, but also trust. Complete, absolute trust that I would not let her fall.
She trusts me. With her life. With her safety. With everything.
The glow beneath my skin pulses brighter, responding to the surge of... something... that floods through me at this understanding.
I set her carefully back on the path, though my hands linger on her shoulders longer than necessary. She's trembling slightly, the fear she hid now visible in the fine shaking of her limbs.
"Thanks," she vocalizes. "Guess I should watch where I'm stepping, huh?"
I rumble softly, a sound of comfort, and move closer still, my arm a ready shield as we finish the crossing.
When we reach the other side, she collapses onto a flat rock, her face pale beneath the flush of heat.
