Shadow Fire (20 page)

"Oh, I took the liberty of shifting the heavier items into my pack," he says, his smile fading as I continue to glare. "I thought it'd make the climb easier on you."

How thoughtful. I feel my ire rising higher at this kind act.

"I can shoulder my own burden." I try to growl at him in my fury, but it comes out more like an exasperated sob.

"I never said you couldn't," he replies through a clenched jaw. "Stop assuming I have some ulterior motive and just accept the help offered. Only a fool refuses assistance that's sorely needed." His eyes are still glittering but with anger now.

"Please forgive me," I whisper, throwing my arms around his neck. "You've been nothing but helpful and kind. I really appreciate everything you've done."

"I don't think you're useless, helpless, worthless, or whatever it is you assume," he says, pulling me closer against his chest. "I simply care about you and want to do everything in my power to ease your burden."

"I'm an idiot," I mumble into his shoulder.

"Perhaps. At times we all are." He releases me and I step away. "Are you ready to continue the hike up the mountain?" He makes it sound like we're on a pleasant excursion.

My eyes take in the long stretch of trail ahead. I can't help but sigh in resignation.

"We'll stick to the trail this time."

Relieved to avoid rock climbing for a while, I grin up at him. He takes my hand, and we continue up the path.

****

The sun is low in the western sky when Zane decides we've traveled far enough for the day. We make camp in a rocky alcove, shielding us from the elements. The view from this height is amazing, and I stand near the edge of the trail watching the light fade from the plains below. In all my life I've never seen such a spectacular sunset. As the sun dips lower in the sky, I can see the shimmer of light play off the water of the ocean in the far distance. Zane stands beside me in silence, allowing me the quiet solace offered by the beauty of nature.

Once the sun has set, the night air is cold in the mountains. Even with my cloak on, I can't stop shivering. Zane lights a small fire, and I hold my hands out over it. We have little tinder so the fire won't last long. He cuddles up next to me draping his cloak over both of us. I watch in silence as he pulls out a large cloth from his bag and spreads an impressive array of food on it.

"Bet you've never had this," he says, holding a strip of jerky out to me.

Blinking at him in confusion, I take the strip of meat and try a bite. While it is jerky, the flavor is worlds apart from the jerky I'm used to eating. It's lighter, tastier, and isn't as salty as the jerky I usually eat.

"It's fantastic. What's it made from?" I ask, reaching for another strip.

"Cockatrice," he replies, laughing.

"You mean the dragon monster with the silly rooster head that can kill with a glare?" I ask, doubt filling my voice.

"Yes. Cockatrices are common in the southern plains," he replies, tossing some different jerky to Shadow. "Shadow developed a taste for harriers," he says, explaining why Shadow has different meat. "I doubt you'd like the flavor of the harrier jerky." He hands me a strip and I take a nibble before throwing the rest to Shadow. The wolf gulps it down without even bothering to play with it, as is the norm.

"That was nasty," I say, between gulps of water. "It tasted more like something you'd dig out of the trash than something you'd actually pay for." Zane snickers at my comment as he throws more meat to the wolf. "What is a harrier anyway?"

"Remember your ugly bunny monster from the other night, the one with the fangs?" he asks winking. I nod fearing the worst. "That was a harrier."

"People actually eat those things?" I ask, a bit incredulous. "Why?"

"They're plentiful and quite easy to catch," he replies, popping more of the cockatrice jerky in his mouth. "They say it's an acquired taste, but it's not one I'd wish to acquire."

"Amen to that," I say, eyeing the blue and white cheese he laid out. "I've never seen cheese like this before."

"I'm sure you'll like it," Zane replies as I nibble at the cheese. It tastes just like cheddar, and I pick up another piece. "Did you know cockatrices don't really kill with a glare? Something in their gaze freezes their prey making it easier for them to devour it."

"Sounds even worse if you ask me," I say, poking through the assortment of berries. "Nothing like being eaten alive to brighten your day."

"You have a very sarcastic side," Zane comments with a smirk. "I find it rather endearing."

"And I'd comment on how cute that is, if I could shake the feeling of being nauseated," I reply, smirking back. He laughs and starts packing up the leftovers. I grab another handful of berries before he can steal them away. "Want some?" I ask when he finishes repacking the food. He lies down with his head on my lap, a big grin on his face.

"Sure," he says, opening his mouth. With a small giggle, I place a raspberry on his tongue, watching as he closes his eyes and enjoys the berry. "Can I have another?" he asks, opening his dark eyes.

"I'm holding them ransom for a kiss," I say, grinning. He smirks and raises an eyebrow before twisting out of my lap and tackling me to the ground.

"Who's laughing now?" he asks in a husky whisper, leaning into my body.

"I am," I say, trembling beneath him as delicious warmth flows through my body. "Shadow ate the berries when you knocked me over."

He glances at the wolf sitting next to us on his haunches. When his gaze moves back to mine his fiery eyes are smoldering.

"I don't care about the berries," he says against my lips. My arms wrap around his neck, my fingers entwining in his auburn hair. "You taste divine," he murmurs, licking some stray raspberry juice from my lips. "And you look exhausted," he comments before lifting himself from the ground. He pulls me to my feet and spreads his cloak on the cold ground. "I wish I had something softer to offer you to sleep on," he says as I lie down on my side and cradle my head on my arm.

"This is fine," I mumble through a rather large yawn. He chuckles and lies down, curling up behind me. "Do you want my cloak to cover us with?" I ask between yawns.

"No. Keep it, I'm not cold," he replies, draping his arm over my body. "Go to sleep. There shouldn't be anything to bother us in these mountains. At least nothing Shadow can't handle."

My eyes focus on the dying embers of the small fire. Tiny
pops
crackle through the silence, the last of the tinder turning to ash. Pretty soon the image becomes blurry as my eyes lose focus. Closing my eyes, I allow my exhausted body to drift to sleep.

****

Zane wakes me before dawn, and we set out along the trail again in the dim light of the moon. My body is sore from sleeping on the hard ground; pain shoots through my injured ribs with every movement. When an herb appears in my line of vision, I take it from Zane grudgingly. It'll make me feel better though the taste might kill me. After I finish swallowing the awful herb, he hands me some raspberries to help rid my mouth of the bitter taste. I pop them in my mouth one after the other and sigh in relief as they drown out the aftertaste from the herb.

Hopefully we'll make it to the Zodiac Inn by nightfall. The thought of a warm bed pushes me to increase my pace. Zane glances over at me then speeds up to match my new gait. As the sunrise starts to spread over the plains below, I wander to the edge of the trail to take in the breathtaking view.

"We're so high up now!" I exclaim in surprise, taking in a deep breath of the fresh morning air.

We covered quite a bit of distance in the darkness of the early morning. The trail is still cloaked in shadow, the mountain blocking the sunlight from our position. Zane takes my hand and tugs me back to the center of the trail to continue the trek up the mountain. We haven't traveled far when a loud shriek pierces the silence. Zane pulls out his sword, ready for an attack. Spinning around wildly, I search for the source of the sound but don't see anything.

"Where is it?" I shout, backing up against Zane and drawing my sword.

We stand back to back waiting for the creature to reveal itself. Another shriek, much louder this time, tears through the air around us. With dread, I glance up toward the dawn-lit sky and the apparent source of the sound.

"Dear Goddess!" I exclaim.

"It's a griffin," Zane says in a breathless whisper. "I don't think we can fight such a mighty beast. Put your sword away and back up against the rock face."

Is he kidding? We aren't going to even try? I do as he says even as my heart races out of control. My body starts shaking when the griffin lets out another mighty screech. Taking me in his arms, Zane shields me from the creature as it lands in front of us.

"Don't move, Love. I've never heard of a griffin attacking humans before. Maybe if we stay still it'll go away."

"What if it's hungry?" I whisper, staring in wonder at the amazing creature only a few feet away.

"Hopefully we aren't on the menu."

Peeking around his shoulder, I watch the creature with wide eyes. The griffin's head is tipped to the side while it gazes intently at me. To my horror, Shadow walks right up to it. Before I can yell at him to back off, he starts sniffing at the griffin's golden flank. It's huge, as big as a horse but much more solidly built. Tawny fur covers its lion body while pure white feathers adorn the eagle face and wings. The back feet are lion paws, and the front feet are large eagle talons. It releases another screech from its eagle-like beak as it leans down to Shadow. My heart feels leaden, and I bury my face against Zane's neck. I can't bear to watch my beloved fenrir become this creature's breakfast. The air around us is silent; then there's a loud thumping sound.

"By the Goddess!" Zane exclaims.

I open my eyes and peek around his shoulder. Shadow is curled up next to the front feet of the reclined griffin, just inches from those massive talons. The beautiful feathered wings are folded back against its leonine body; the creature's large beak is resting on its talons next to Shadow's head. My breath catches in my throat at the magnificent sight.

The griffin stares into my eyes again holding them captive, its piercing green-hued gaze strangely hypnotic. An image is projected into my mind of the griffin flying majestically through the air, Zane and me riding on its back. I continue staring into the emerald eyes unable to draw my gaze away. A name rings through my mind.

"Freya?" I whisper.

The griffin responds with a humming purr. I pull away from Zane and walk toward the beautiful beast. Her eyes are still glued to mine as I approach, gulping down a quick breath to steady my nerves. When I reach Freya's side she closes her eyes, and I bury my fingers into the soft white feathers around her neck.

"Amazing. Simply amazing," Zane says, moving to my side. "You just tamed a griffin." Freya lifts her head and glares at him. "My apologies," he says, bowing his head to her, "I suppose you tamed us." The griffin seems mollified by his words and purrs in pleasure when he rubs at the thick fur below her neck feathers.

"She's so beautiful!" I exclaim, stroking the griffin's tawny fur. "Why do you suppose she came to us?"

"You," he corrects, "she came to you. I've read that people with light auras tend to attract all manner of creatures." He runs his hand down the back of her leonine body and across her wing. "I never thought I'd behold something this fantastic."

"She projected an image into my mind of us riding her," I say, glancing at him from under my eyelashes. "Care to try?"

"Are you kidding? Let's go!"

He sounds so much like a little boy, forcing me to bite back the laughter threatening to bubble out. He gives me a boost up onto Freya's back and then climbs up behind me.

"Uh, Zane, what should I hold onto?" I ask, swallowing hard around the sudden lump in my throat. "I don't want to fall off!"

"Hold onto her mane," he advises.

I lean forward, burying my fingers in the thick fur beneath her neck feathers.

"Wait. Give me your pack."

I take the bag off my back and hand it to him. He tosses it over his shoulder and wraps both arms around my waist. Then he hooks his legs under the griffin's wings to help balance himself. I lean back against his chest as Freya rises from the ground. Glancing down, I see Shadow streaking ahead along the merchant trail. He moves amazingly fast when we aren't holding him back. My pulse races as Freya beats her wings and flies through the air above Shadow's racing form. Freya picks up speed and the landscape blurs beneath us. I close my eyes leaning into Zane when vertigo threatens my equilibrium. His arms tighten around me as we soar toward the morning sun.

Chapter Seventeen

Zodiac Inn Sagittarius

To say we create a bit of a stir with our arrival at the inn would be a vast understatement. Freya alights in front of the main gate to the consternation of the two guards. They stare open mouthed as the griffin settles her wings back and lets out a cry somewhere between a shriek and a roar. Zane hops to the ground then turns to help me dismount. The flight up the mountain saved us a full day of walking. Moving to Freya's head, I give her a big hug along with my heartfelt thanks. She gives my shoulder a playful butt with her head. With a big grin on his face, Zane takes my hand and leads me up to the shocked guards.

"Good afternoon, gentlemen," he says. "We seek a night's lodging."

The guards part without uttering a word to allow us admittance. As we pass through the raised wooden gate, one of the guards stops us.

"Uh, what about the g-griffin?" he stammers, his wide eyes fixated on Freya.

"Oh don't worry. She can take care of herself. I'm sure she'll be just fine in the stable," Zane says, acting like arriving via griffin is an everyday occurrence.

I cover my mouth with my hand to stifle the chuckle bubbling up from within. It's obvious he's still exhilarated from the flight. It shows in his boyish grin and attitude.

"We're also expecting a large black wolf. He should be arriving any minute now. Please allow him through." He starts to lead me away.