Page 87 of Over the Emerald Valley
“The river it is.” Solon offered a smile.
Doubt crept in uninvited. “Unless, well…what do you think?”
“I think you made a solid decision, and I agree.” Solon adjusted the packs on the donkey’s back. “That’s this way.” He gestured through the valley toward the rolling hills, and the three of them set off. “Do you know how to tell the direction?”
Temaj looked up at the night sky and the shining silver crescent of the moon, which hung at its center. He huffed a sigh. “Only by the sun.”
“Then I shall teach you to use the stars as our guide. Are you ready for another decision?”
One down, many more to go. “Yes.”
“Our friend needs a name.”
Temaj studied the donkey, whose wary glare had softened to kind eyes as he ambled behind them. “How about ‘Chuma’?”
“I like it. Any particular reason?”
“I once lived on a farm with a three-legged barn cat the other children called Chuma.” Temaj shrugged. “He would sometimes sleep by my feet and once brought me a bloody, headless vole. I think that meant we were friends.”
Solon chuckled. “And now this Chuma shall be our friend. That is if I can keep myself from biting him.”
“Too bad he can’t bring you a vole.”
“I’d need a whole collection of them at this point.”
Jackals howled and yipped in the distance, the same direction they headed. “Solon?”
“Hmm?”
“Do you think we can move as fast as he did?”
“The viceroy?”
“Yes, the viceroy.” Another little thrill at putting the title ofmasterto rest for good. “Because if we can, we could go after whatever the jackals are hunting.”
“Or a jackal itself, I suppose.”
“Indeed. Shall we try?”
“You first.” Solon allowed him a chance at yet another victory tonight.
Temaj grinned, ran his tongue over his new fangs, and rolled his neck. Energy swelled inside his body, a feeling of potential he was eager to explore. New strength, new speed, new freedoms. But first. Heat crept along his cheeks.
“I have a confession to make.”
Solon arched his brows. “Yes?”
“I may have stolen more than a handful of gems.” Temaj dug his hand into his robes, where he’d used the cord to belt off several pockets. He unlaced the slipknots, and a small fortune in gold, silver, rubies, and emeralds tumbled out around his feet.
Solon shook his head. “I’ve gone from investigating a thief to bedding one.”
Temaj knelt and gathered the stash. “No talk of bedding me unless you intend to follow through,General.” He stuffed the hoard into Chuma’s saddlebags.
“The moment my more dangerous appetite is quenched, plucky, I will be on you like emeralds on a concubine.”
“Is that a promise?”
“It’s a threat. You’d better run.”
