"I will." Caden looked at Reece. "You're with us."
"But—" Reece waved his hand at the clan leaders and the hundred Trateri waiting a short distance away.
Caden's smile was sharp. "You said it yourself. The mist is still a threat. You wouldn't want us disappearing now, would you?"
Reece's glare was fulminating.
Eva looked down, hiding her smile. She did so love when Caden made other people speechless.
"Eva and Drake can escort the clan leaders," Caden continued. "They'll be safe enough when they reach camp."
Caden refrained from mentioning that even if they were swallowed by mist, the fire fox would come and retrieve them. He'd done it once before.
The secret wasn't widely known, and Eva could see from Caden's expression that he wanted to keep it that way.
It was also the reason they'd felt comfortable with Reece's departure for Wayfarer's Keep and why they hadn't felt it necessary to have a replacement before he left.
Reece's exhale held frustration—and surrender.
Taking that as their cue, Roscoe and Ghost swung onto their horses.
At a look from Caden, Fiona stopped Roscoe, patting his horse on the neck. "Change in plans. I want you to accompany Eva to camp."
Roscoe's mouth dropped open in protest.
Ghost wiggled his fingers at Roscoe as Fiona strode over to her own mount. "Have fun playing with the rest. I'll be sure to save you some killing for later."
Roscoe sputtered as Ghost wheeled his horse, touching the sides lightly with his heels. The horse plunged forward, Fiona's following close behind.
Caden was the last to swing onto his mount, a piebald stallion by the name of Nell who was as sweet as Caia was stubborn.
Caden and Eva shared one last penetrating look, before he touched his heels to Nell's sides.
"Let's go, Nell."
Nell started forward at a walk that quickly turned into a canter.
"That was enlightening," Van said as the rest disappeared over the hill.
Roscoe's expression was still a touch disgruntled at being ordered to remain behind as he glared at the clan leader.
Van ignored him to focus on Eva. "So—you're the throwaway I've heard so much about."
Eva stiffened at the subtle insult. Throwaway was a term the Trateri called those Lowlanders whose villages gave them up as a tithe to the Trateri.
Even if they'd been the ones to suggest the terms, the fact the villages accepted them was a big part of why the Trateri looked down on them. They saw it as cowardly.
They liked to believe the clans would never act in such a lowly fashion.
Eva wasn't so sure about that. It was impossible to know what you'd do until confronted with the reality of your own short comings.
People, in her experience, trended toward prioritizing their own survival. The Trateri were no different—though their very capability meant they were far less likely to find themselves in a situation where survival depended on impugning their honor.
Roscoe frowned, knowing Eva's thoughts on that word and started to speak.
Eva shook her head at him.
Some things she needed to handle on her own.
Perceptions could only be changed by the person in question.
Eva had learned a lot caring for the herd and seeing how stallions and mares established dominance. The Trateri might be human, but many of their behaviors mirrored what Eva saw among animals.
This was a test. A subtle one aimed at establishing who she was and how far she could be pushed.
Allow it to pass unremarked and he'd come at her twice as hard next time, thinking her soft.
"Perhaps you're mistaken, Lion." Eva's expression was remote as she met Van's eyes. "Or maybe you're simply ill informed."
Van's mouth twitched at the intended insult.
That's right. He wasn't the only one who could use words as weapons.
It wasn't her preferred method, but when dealing with animals you sometimes had to communicate on their level. Humans were rather similar in that fashion.
"I threw my own people away. Not the other way around. If anything, that makes me a tagalong." Eva smiled at him, the expression not quite reaching her eyes. "Please be sure to get it right next time."
Gawain's eyebrow lifted in cool amusement. Respect moved through his eyes before it was gone again, leaving behind only watchfulness.
Roscoe slapped his thigh and let out a bark of laughter. "I'd listen to her, Lion. Or not. It'll be more amusing that way."
Van's cheeks creased in a slow smile. "I'll consider myself warned."
Despite his assurance, Eva had a feeling this wouldn't be the last time she'd have to correct a Trateri's perception of her.
"I won't hold my breath." Eva moved toward Caia and swung onto her back. Once settled, she looked down at Gawain and Van. "We should get moving. The Kyren aren't big fans of being kept waiting and we have at least an hour's fast ride ahead of us."
The sooner they arrived, the sooner the headache that was them would be gone.
She could hardly wait.
"There's no need for an escort if you're in a hurry, little tagalong," Van said. "We have scouts in our party. I'm sure we can find our way."
Roscoe scoffed. "Not a chance."
Van sent him a mild look. "Are you afraid we'll try something? If I didn't know better, I'd say you and the Anateri commander view us as enemies."
Roscoe made a tsking sound. "Wouldn't that be nice. Then we could kill you and this whole mess would go away."
Eva fought to keep her agreement off her face.
Van lifted a lip in disdain. "In your dreams, puppy."
One corner of Gawain's mouth twitched as if in full agreement.
Roscoe and Van stared each other down, tension transmitting into the air around them. Eva unconsciously held her breath, her gaze moving between the two in concern.
Drake's gaze turned watchful. Catching Eva's eyes, he tilted his head in an unspoken request for her to put distance between herself and the two warriors.
Eva's face remained blank as she guided Caia away with the pressure of her knees, keeping her movements casual so as not to spark something between the other two.
"I don't like being treated as an enemy by my own side," Van said with a roguish smile that did nothing to hide the threat inherent in his warning.
"Then I guess you should be careful not to act like one," Eva said, losing patience with all the grand standing. "While here, you play by our rules. Understood?"
Van examined her, his thoughts veiled.
Gawain stepped forward. "We've got it. It'll be as you wish."
They'd see about that.
Eva clicked her tongue at Caia, the mare's head bobbing as she started forward. Eva left the others to follow—or not.
At this point she wasn't sure which of those options she preferred.
A short while later, Eva watched from her vantage on Caia's back as the long train of horses and riders wound their way along the path. Slabs of giant stone made their passage nearly untraceable as they worked their way over the uneven footing.
The path was perilous. One of the biggest reasons Eva had chosen it.
Trateri these people might be, but she still didn't fully trust them. And judging by the fact Drake and Roscoe hadn't disagreed with her decision, they didn't either.