Page 117 of Guiding Desire

The conversation died when they entered the wall. The darkness was thick, but the vehicle’s windshield showed everything in night vision. The light from behind them eventually died as the gates closed again, leaving only what the windshield showed them. To either side of the vehicle, Orrey couldn’t see anything at all.

“It’s so dark,” he whispered, staring out his window.

“The tunnel has illumination if needed but keeping it dark like this is one more measure to discourage intruders,” Col said.

“You…you said if a young Guardian or Conduit ever came knocking, this would open for them though?”

Col chuckled. “I suppose they’d turn on the lights for them as well. There are bots outside there now, scanning our convoy and making sure everything’s in order. It’s not as scary as it seems, it’s just dark.”

“Huh.”

Orrey blinked against the slit of brightness ahead when the outside gate finally opened. It took a few moments for his eyes to adjust, but when they had, he saw blue sky, a flurry of clouds.At least the sky outside there looks the same,Orrey thought, not sure why that surprised him.

Col reached over, took Orrey’s hand, the same he’d run over his gun holster several times in a nervous need to make sure the gun was still there.

“It’s not that scary. It’s just like the city was, before it became our city.”

“It’s wild,” Senlas said. “Also pretty. Maybe you’ll draw it when we get home, kitten.”

Orrey nodded, nervous.It’s fine. I’m in a vehicle with two Guardians, in a convoy with eleven of them. I’ll be fine.

The brightness ahead grew, the gates opening further. Orrey could see the vegetation now, past an area that had been cleared, though even there, stubborn creepers worked their way across the otherwise bare ground.

“Surveillance is integrated into the walls,” Col said, pointing at a section that looked just like any other wall section to Orrey, gray and nondescript. “The wall can also offer defensive fire as a last measure.”

“Which he doesn’t say to worry you,” Senlas said, turning. “Wild Hunts attacking the walls of any city is actually incredibly rare.”

“True, but the cities are prepared.” Col tilted his larger mission screen toward Orrey. “Here. Tracking and comms work perfectly.” He zoomed out. “And it won’t even take us very long to get to the drop site. Two hours maybe. We’ll be back by early afternoon.”

Orrey nodded, only half listening, instead watching a world he’d never seen through the vehicle’s window.

It was a wilderness, leafy growth wrapping thick stems and covering the ground. Vin’s illusion hadn’t done this place justice, hadn’t managed to catch fern fronds swaying in a gentle breeze or leaves as big as Orrey’s torso roll themselves closed toward the branch from which they grew as the vibration of the vehicles signaled the approach of potential danger. Cream drop flowers, their tiny flower heads turned toward the sun, grew by the road, which was nowhere near as smooth or tidy as the least maintained one within the city.

“I can barely see into the undergrowth,” Orrey said.

“It’s really dense. In winter, it looks a lot different.” Senlas shut down a newsflicker that had sprung up on the windshield. “We have signal bots stationed at regular intervals. Maintenance teams hate replacing them when they get damaged.”

“By Wild Hunts?” Orrey asked.

“All kinds of things. Animals too. I saw a recording of a hask go at one once. But also, just the weather. Trees fall sometimes. Honestly, I hate the woods. There’s simply too much in there, and most you only see when it’s right in front of you, ready to eat your face off.”

Col chuckled. “Now who’s scaring Orrey?”

“I’m not scared.” Orrey was about to check his gun again, but Col was still holding that hand. “Hey, can we turn on the radio? Just on low?”

The vehicle fell quiet. After too long a pause, Senlas said, “Sure, kitten.”

“Fuck,” Vin said.

“Karmine will enjoy this,” Col said.

“What?” Orrey asked.

“It’s nothing.” Senlas turned, glared at Col. “They are just set on being annoying today and forgetting why I’m mission lead out here.”

“I’m turning on the radio now,” Vin said and did. “Wow. Nothing happened.”

Senlas slumped in his seat.