Page 82 of Tusks & Saddles
Four times,Beatrix thought with a pleasantly numb feeling.
Her body ached, but it was the kind of pain that she would gladly take over and over again if it meant having the kind of release she had. Flexing her fingers and toes, Beatrix shuddered against the cold ground. Her eyes were still closed when her pointed earsheard the shuffle of boots. Ordinarily, she would have drawn her weapon at the first sound, but Beatrix had long grown used to Welborn’s steps. However, she was completely unprepared to hear him talk.
“Hey, Boone!” The young man’s voice rang out. Firm, but not so loud as to disturb her. “It’s me! Welborn! Not sure if you could tell. This is new magic from the All Seer. I need some brotherly advice about women, and I think Dad is too far away for me to reach him this way. Actually, I’m not even sure if you’re close enough for me to reach. This whole thing could be a waste, just like how trying to move the rock I’m on has been a waste of time. I still don’t even know how I did it. I just panicked, and it happened. Oh, sorry, I’m stuck on a boulder…that I kind of made. I can explain later, but what I really need is some advice on how—”
Amusing as it was to listen to Welborn ramble helplessly, Beatrix quickly made her presence known with a slightly exaggerated groan. Welborn gasped, spinning on his heel as Beatrix made a show of rubbing her tired eyes.
“Miss Eaves!” Welborn exclaimed, pushing his smudged glasses up his nose. “I—you’re awake! Did you sleep well?”
The panic in his voice was adorable, and as much as Beatrix would have liked to tease him, the last thing she needed was for Welborn to wear himself out with worry.
“I slept wonderfully considering it was on a large boulder,” Beatrix pushed herself up, collecting the layers of her clothing as she did. “And you?”
“Good—” Welborn’s cheeks flushed. “I slept very well. I evenhad a dream about the All Seer.”
Beatrix lifted a brow at the confession. While her family had a connection to the gods, it wasn’t the same as being in commune with one. At least, she didn’t think her father had any dreams about the Dauntless Verity. From what little Beatrix understood, it was a rare thing to dream of a god unless the connection was strong.
“And?” she prompted, unsure as to what else to say in that matter.
“They whispered some divine secrets,” Welborn laughed, as if it was completely normal. “Taught me something new.”
“Oh, really? Don’t suppose your god taught you how to make a proper bowl of rice porridge with magic?”
“Ah, sadly, no…” Welborn said, sheepishly. “It’ll be more cheese and bread this morning… sorry.”
While magical in nature, it was somehow more satisfying to share the meager meal with Welborn. The intimacy between them hadn’t been planned, but now that it was here, Beatrix found herself reluctant to let it go. Once fully dressed with the exception of her veiled hat, she leaned against Welborn’s side. Beatrix pressed her head against his shoulder as her sharp eyes scouted the land around them. The movement appeared to have startled Welborn, drawing her gaze as the younger man choked on a bit of bread.
“Are you all right?”
“Me—” Welborn coughed, a poor attempt at clearing his throat. “I’m—I’m fine, please don’t worry about me, Miss Eaves.”
Beatrix shifted her weight again, fingers playing with the brim of her hat on her lap.
Perhaps it’s better to have that talk now.
“Welborn, I’m going to ask you a question, and I want honesty. Can you do that for me?”
“Of course.”
“You may have noticed I’m a no-nonsense kind of woman,” Beatrix said, gesturing toBad Companyat her hip. “Ordinarily, I don’t like mixing business with pleasure, but I enjoyed myself last night. And I feel like you did, too. With that in mind, I understand if you want to go back to keeping things professional—”
“No!” Welborn exclaimed with such a fierceness that it left Beatrix stunned. “No—I mean, that’s not—”
The cleric gently took Beatrix’s hands, his fingers trembling slightly. His expression was nervous, but his eyes were sincere. Welborn was always sincere, despite Beatrix’s initial opinion of him. A fact that Beatrix was grateful for and could admit endeared him to her. Apparently, she was a sucker for yellow eyes like his.
“Miss Eaves, last night was incredible…and if it was up to me, I would love nothing more than—”
It looked like the moment—whatever it was—was over. Beatrix hadn’t fully comprehended the strange shrill sound in the distance until Welborn paused. She bolted upright, fingers already aimingBad Companytoward the direction of the water tower. Welborn was quick to follow, standing close. If it was the mother…
“What the…”
Whatever Welborn was going to say, Beatrix didn’t know. However, she understood immediately why he had trailed off if his line of sight matched hers. There in the distance, perhaps sixty feet from the boulder and kicking up a long trail of dust was an iron ball. The image alone was enough to make her suspicious.It couldn’t have been bigger than a melon, and while it was fast, it was clearly not as fast as the—
“Sand Slithers!” Beatrix exclaimed.
Welborn cursed.
The trio that had been stalking the boulder for days had found the source of the noise and were headed straight for it. A distraction that the pair had desperately needed. It was an opportunity—one they couldn’t afford to lose. Beatrix’s mind was trying to piece together how long it would take for them to grab their things and bolt. The issue was how long that metal contraption would hold out before the Sand Slithers destroyed it. If they were lucky, perhaps it was an explosive and it would take the rest of them out while they made it to the water tower on—
