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CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

IN WHICH THE PARTY CONTEMPLATES A LIFE OF DOMESTICITY

Despite my awkward trajectory, Luthri caught me. Of course, he did—what did I expect, that he’d pull his arms out from under me at the last minute, and I’d face-plant in the sand?

As it happened, we still ended up in the sand, as my weight sent Luthri to the ground.

We landed in a tangle of limbs, both of us loosing a harsh puff of breath at the impact.

I opened my eyes to his face inches from mine, lips curved in a sunny smile that did not seem appropriate given the situation.

Seabirds called to each other in the background, a symphony of sound—laughing at us, or egging us on?

Surely an outside observer would find this funny.

We don’t have time for this.

His arms, locked around my waist, thwarted my initial attempt to stand. I was tempted to “accidentally” knee him in the groin. Luckily, a pointed glare got the message across without having to resort to more barbaric methods. He’d softened my landing, after all.

As I dusted sand and gravel from my knees, I took stock of our surroundings.

The strip of beach went a few meters up the coast before giving way to rock formations half buried by the water.

It would be a challenging walk, but better than being trapped in tight quarters with literal nightmares.

Since venting my frustrations with a good, old-fashioned beat-down wasn’t an option, I settled for making a face at the opening in the rock.

Luthri cast an amused look my way.

“That was an experience,” I remarked as we started down the beach, avoiding the stretch that had been moistened by the surf.

I kicked a clump of seaweed out of my path.

My heart fluttered, but the crippling fear had faded.

The memory of that feeling was too raw, eliciting a shiver.

I could comfortably go the rest of my life without encountering a nightmare again.

“I should have figured something was strange earlier.” Luthri’s brows drew down. “The signs were there—we all felt it. I thought it was odd how our reactions were so visceral, but I thought… Well. There being nightmares living in the caves makes sense.”

“Come across them often?” A gust of wind, trapped by the wall of rock, whipped at my hair. I yanked my hair tie from its place and shortened it with a fleeting burst of mana .

Lu’s head tilted to one side, scrutinizing the new hairstyle as he answered me. “No, thank the Goddess. Only once before, a long time ago. I saw firsthand what they’re capable of, and that was more than enough for me. It’s not a pretty sight.”

The shadow that crossed his face kept me from asking more questions, so I turned my attention to our progress. Lu helped me over a boulder slicked by algae and seawater. As he went to follow, his boot slipped into a tide pool, sending him careening forward.

“Steady,” I chided, seizing his arm. “Do I have to tell you to be careful?”

Luthri flashed me a dazzling smile. “If I hurt myself, would you kiss it better?”

I would not reward such a cheap come-on by smiling back. “Glad to know that two near-death experiences in a row aren’t enough to put a damper on your charming personality.”

“Spoken like someone who hasn’t nearly died before. ”

“I didn’t say I haven’t.” I paused, hand on the rock I was climbing, to process. “But… wouldn’t it be a good thing if I hadn’t? Or does everyone live on the edge where you’re from?”

“There’s nothing like a near-death experience to remind you of the important things in life,” Lu insisted.

“Mm-hm. And what would those be?”

Luthri’s chest puffed as though he was prepared to give a sermon.

“Well, the sensual pleasures, of course, food and comfort,” he listed, counting on his fingers.

“A good night’s sleep. Quality company. Taking a moment to appreciate the beauty in the world around us and the endless possibilities each new day brings. ”

“Huh. That’s… nice.” I’d half expected him to pull out something like “gambling the night away and a tight pussy.” Pulling myself over the next obstacle, I considered what the important things were to me.

It wasn’t like my life had flashed before my eyes or anything, but this journey had me thinking.

If I didn’t have to work anymore, what came next?

“Do you ever think of settling down?” I asked without thinking.

“Why?” Eyes widening, Luthri put a hand on his heart. “Mar… are you proposing?”

“I’m making conversation,” I corrected him, shaking my head.

For the sake of his ego, I could never admit it, but his presence helped chase away the lingering chill of the caves.

Lately, I’d come to expect the teasing remarks and outrageous statements, and they almost put me at ease instead of riling me up.

It was a good thing he and I had gotten separated together in the collapse… He made a nice distraction.

Luthri’s expression grew serious as he contemplated my initial query.

“To answer your question, it depends on your definition of ‘settling down.’ Do I want a life of domesticity, kissing my wife and broodlings goodbye every sunrise to go do the same thing I do every day? No. But there is something to be said for security. A stable nest, a steady income, and consistent companions. ”

He glanced my way on that last point. I met his gaze to show I was listening, and he averted his, busying himself with scaling the next arrangement of rocks.

“You’re still young,” I commented, parroting a phrase I must have heard a dozen times myself. “You have time to figure all that out. Priorities change too, you know.”

“Oh, I’m not worried. And I’m well aware that priorities change.” A subtle smile graced his lips as some unknown thought came to mind.

Why did he put it that way? Have his priorities shifted recently? I almost asked about it, but movement in the distance took precedence over our conversation.

“Ho!” someone shouted. Luthri’s head swiveled around. Two bulky figures stood on an outcropping, arms waving emphatically. There was no mistaking the twins.

A relieved grin split my face, and I waved back with a murmured, “Thank the Goddess.”

We found our way to the far side of the cave system where Hohem and Vyrain waited for us and, after some cooperation from all parties to ascend the final incline, had a touching reunion. The boys clapped each other on the back as I doled out heartfelt hugs.

“We were going to circle back for you,” Vyrain said as we pulled apart. “Luckily, Hohem remembered that hole in the wall we passed. I thought we’d have to dig through all that rock.”

“Fate was smiling on us,” Luthri agreed, patting Vyrain’s shoulder.

“It’s a blessing no one was hurt. That could have been bad.” I hated to think of what might have happened if we’d been caught under the brunt of the collapse. None of us had a useful amount of mending magic, and the chances Luthri had a recipe for a salve that treated head trauma were slim.

Hohem wore a solemn expression. “Well, we were mostly untouched. As for Vyrain’s face…” Gesturing to the visage in question, he continued, “I don’t know if he’ll ever recover. It’s a go od thing I’ve always been the handsome one, or the loss would be truly devastating.”

“Stuff it,” Vyrain responded with a scowl. “I wasn’t even hit in the face.”

“No?” His brother feigned innocence. Vyrain tackled him, resulting in a brief tussle.

“The nightmares didn’t give you any trouble?” I asked as Hohem broke free from his brother’s hold. The questioning look he gave me was enough of an answer. “Never mind.”

No need to worry them if they hadn’t.

“Shall we find a place to set up camp before going on to the city?” Luthri suggested, examining the horizon. “It’s been an eventful day. Perhaps we could use time to recharge.”

As much as the drive to finish this job nagged at me, I had some bruises to nurse.

And a dull burn in the pit of my stomach reminded me that we hadn’t yet had the chance to eat the late morning meal.

“That’s a good idea,” I admitted. “We can take the evening. But we should figure out our angle of attack first thing in the morning.”

After another hour, we found a quaint area nestled beside a rocky plateau that would shield us from the wind and keep us out of sight from anyone approaching from the city.

Given that we now traveled parallel to the fields that Danagil had mentioned, I prepared for the inevitability of coming across a resident.

Asking probing questions while keeping responses short would be best. That way, we could get a handle on the situation while giving away as little about us as possible.

I didn’t look forward to walking that line.

The twins set down their packs and began pulling out supplies—an extra water canteen, a waxed canvas tarp, pots and utensils, and prepared goods for a quick meal. While Luthri and Hohem put together a temporary shelter, Vyrain and I cleared the space and dug out a fire pit.

As the boys finished up, I announced, “I’ll find us some kindling. ”

“I’ll come with you,” Luthri volunteered, nearly tripping over the half-empty pack on the ground in his haste to join me. An unexpected image sprang to mind—a young, overly eager puppy bounding after a treat. I disguised a laugh by coughing into the crook of my elbow.

“We might as well all look.” Hohem surveyed the bare ground with doubt.

“We’ll look over here,” Vyrain offered, nodding in the direction of the field. Grass the height of a man’s waist would make it difficult to find anything useful, but maybe the seeded crests on top of each frond were edible. Or perhaps the grass itself would burn well.

“By all means.” Indicating that Luthri should follow, I turned toward the shoreline. The swish and crackle of boots in the grass signaled his compliance.

As he drew beside me, Lu had a knowing glint in his eye. He led with, “You didn’t have the chance to express your thoughts on settling down.”