Page 20 of Skalterra By Nightmare
“Galahad is getting the other Nightmares ready,” Ferrin said through a low laugh. He jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “You’ll find him that way.”
The old man’s silhouette stood out against the river through the trees where he was busy giving instructions to a line-up of pack-laden Nightmares. Tiernan and Fana stood nearby in robes of yellow and red that caught the setting sun.
I shoved Ferrin out of my way to march towards Galahad.
“At least she’s not running away,” Orla mumbled behind me as she and Ferrin followed towards the riverbank.
“Hey!”
Galahad turned at the sound of my shout, and his wrinkled face worked into a scowl.
“Wren Warrender, I told you to be ready when I called—”
“You said you’d only need me at night!” I stopped inches from his face and pointed at the sinking sun that peered between the tree trunks. “It’s still daytime. I barely finished dinner!”
“We need to put extra distance between us and Cape Fireld before the Grimguard wakes and continues his hunt.” Galahad’s beard was braided into a simple plait that rested on the chest of his leather armor, and I resisted the urge to yank on it.
“You said nighttime!”
“Should I take this arguing as a sign that you finally believe me to be real?”
I froze, mulling over the words. He made a good point. WhywasI arguing with him? I curled my fingers over the scar on my palm. I was arguing because he felt real, but that didn’t mean that he was more than a dream.
“No,” I finally shot back. Galahad smirked and turned back to his line of Nightmares.
“Real or not, Iamcurious. You have to feed the cats in Keldori?”
My face warmed. “Just the ones that live inside.”
“They don’t feed themselves? Are there no mice?”
“There’s mice, but we still have to feed the cats.”
“Strange,” Orla whispered. “What is the cat’s primary function if not to eat the mice?”
“Companionship?” I was far from Jonquil’s biggest fan, and I didn’t like the sudden defensiveness that rose in my chest on her behalf. “Or so I’ve been told. Mostly she gets in the way.”
“Then the cats are as useless as the people.” Tiernan helped Fana onto the back of the beefiest Nightmare in Galahad’s line-up.
“Yeah, well,” I muttered so he couldn’t hear me, “you’re not even real.”
“Orla! Wren Warrender!” Galahad barked. His Nightmares, each in leather and chainmail, formed a circle around him, Fana, and the Nightmare who carried her. “Take the rear guard. Ferrin will go on ahead to make sure the path is clear. Tiernan, with us.”
Ferrin gave Orla’s shoulder a pat and pulled his goggles down over his eyes.
“I’ll see you in Trawler’s Bay.” An emerald longsword formed in his hand. “Take care of Just-Wren. Don’t take it personally when she says you don’t exist.”
“Of course, Uncle.”
He gave the side of her face a fatherly peck, and then surged forward to lead the way into the darkening forest. Orla gave his back an ostentatious salute, but her mouth turned downwards in a slight frown.
“Is something wrong?” I asked.
“No.” She shook her head, watching Ferrin disappear into the lengthening shadows. Galahad’s team followed at a slower pace while Orla and I stayed put on the riverbank. The gentle rush of the river whispered behind us, and a frog croaked to a steady beat nearby. The level of detail in this dream really was astounding. “It’s just, last time Ferrin went ahead with someone…”
Orla hugged herself around her shoulders, and I remembered Ferrin slumped unconscious against a wall flecked with his blood and the woman dead on the floor.
“Her name was Caitria, right?” I asked. Real or not, my heart dipped at the sad smile on Orla’s face. “Were you close?”
