Cherin was ready to pounce when he heard the surly shifter’s voice raise when he returned to the wagon where Leika was sitting, hostage to their foul moods and banter. If he was angry about anything concerning her, he would be on the rampage in a heartbeat. Even if it got him kicked out of the army, he would do anything to defend Leika.
Soon it became clear that it was just a general dispute among friends, and Cherin relaxed. He took out his own small container of rations and ate moodily, watching the wagon for any signs that it might continue moving. He was going to trail them all the way to Rallah and make sure that nothing happened to them.
He was well aware of the things that went bump in the night. Many creatures found Kaldernon to be a hospitable place. Its environment suited many species, and the rich air and sweet water was favored by the majority of races that visited their humble planet. Many had stayed in secret, waiting for their chance to strike.
Fortunately, he was well trained for combat and had made damn sure that Leika was the same. She was too special and talented to be defenseless in a world like theirs. No matter what anybody said, it wasn’t a good idea to train only the shifters to be strong. The sensitive and artistic Lonis probably needed the training more than anybody. It took barely anything to rock their worlds right down to the foundation.
Leika had never been the sort to let things shake her up, though. It was part of what he loved about her. she took everything in and mulled it over, running every piece of information through a variety of filters in her mind. In a matter of milliseconds, she would be able to dissect, analyze, and sort any complicated data that came her way without forming too emotional an opinion about it. Cherin secretly guessed that she had an equal mixture of Loni and shifter capabilities, but he had never been brave enough to speak about such possibilities out loud. Especially not when her father was a very rigid conservative who believed in the idea that women should act as Lonis and men as shifters to protect their families.
The dogma was laughable to most, especially to broad-minded men like Cherin, but the older generations liked to stick with their mentality. The older they got the more convinced they became that the world was better when everybody had a role and knew their place in making the world go round. Simple labels were as good as personalities.
Still, Leika’s father had to admit his daughter was complex. That was part of the reason he had agreed to send her to Rallah for her studies. It worked out well for everyone involved, really, and had given her an opportunity to express herself outside the oppressive thumb of her father.
The old man had always intimidated Cherin. He was wild and well-respected for his noble efforts in physical battle. He kept the clans safe, that was undeniable. Maybe if Leika had been blessed with any other kind of father, Cherin would have felt free to explore his feelings for her in a deeper way. But the idea that her father could read his mind made him feel even more adamant about making sure his feelings and thoughts about Leika were as platonic as possible. He didn’t need a decorated hero giving him the look of death every time he wanted to come in and share a meal with his best friend. Keeping things simple this way was best. Even if it meant he would never have the chance to explore the jarring way Leika’s deep eyes made him feel, or the forbidden, sensual aspects of the dreams he had with her in them. It was all just funny and bizarre aspects of growing up. And that would be the lie he fed himself until one of two things happened. Either Leika would confess to ridiculous and secret feelings she’d had all along – which, he knew, was impossible and as laughable as saying her father would one day encourage Leika to explore her shifter lineage – or the old man would turn over a new leaf or die, leaving them both free to explore their options.
Without something along those lines happening, he would happily be the best friend and unavailable love interest of the hundreds of girls in the clan who hated Leika simply because he found her more interesting than they were.
Suddenly, the carriage began to move again and Cherin shoved the rest of his food in his mouth. He would have to keep it up as long as it took, and if she needed him, he would be there. If there was one thing Cherin wanted, it was that Leika would always know that she could count on him.
***
Night began to fall and the pull of the carriage was hypnotic and tiring. Leika had tried to fight sleep all day, but there was precious little for her to do. She had brought a few books along for the ride, but found out the hard way that reading while moving made her feel motion sick. She chose to occupy her time instead by staring out the window as the landscape passed behind her, making notes of the wild animals she saw frolicking in their habitats and the small, steady streams of water she found trickling unexpectedly along the way.
Eventually, sleep won out and she had no choice but to surrender to her heavy eyelids. They stopped for a couple other meals before finally making camp late that night. Leika was grateful for a chance to rest her legs, and couldn’t wait to try taking a walk. Unfortunately, the drivers wouldn’t let her go too far off without them, so she had to make do by walking circles around the campfire, coming up with new songs as she did so. The men were shifters, and enjoyed her musical abilities, so she hummed out loud and shared her gifts of song with them. A few times she could have sworn that she heard somebody in the distance whistling along with her, but that was common in a world full of Lonis. She was used to others joining her in song and sharing music.
Still, something about the whistle made her listen closely. It almost seemed familiar somehow. But that was impossible. Leika had never met anybody outside of her own hometown or outside of the capital city of Rallah. After dinner, she asked permission to go relieve herself. It had been a while and she had been trying to make sure the men guarding her would trust her when she asked. When Leika finished, she washed her hands in a nearby stream and was startled when a dark figure appeared before her.
“Cherin!” she exclaimed, her heart thudding hard in her chest. He looked handsome in the moonlight, his blonde hair silver and his eyes glowing kindly.
“My lady,” he said with a mock bow. She slapped him, feeling slightly hurt that he might make fun of her for her ridiculous attraction to him.
“What in the world are you doing here?” Leika demanded.
“I couldn’t just watch you leave!” Cherin exclaimed. “Not without any good reason. I’m here to protect you. Whatever the cost.”
Leika rolled her eyes. “I don’t need anybody to take care of me. You made sure of that yourself.”
“Still,” Cherin said, his eyes suddenly serious. “I would like to tag along. But don’t tell anyone that I’m here.”
“Are you crazy? They’d lynch me if they knew. What about your parents? Don’t you need to stay back and help them?”
Cherin grinned.
“They needn’t know I’m gone. I left a note saying I’m hunting for the week. I’ll be back before they know it.”
“Hurry back, miss!” one of the drivers shouted. “Dangerous out there at night.”
“See,” Cherin whispered. “Dangerous! There’s a reason I’m here!”
“You stay out of sight!” Leika hissed. “Better yet, go home!”
“Not a chance,” Cherin said stubbornly. Leika groaned in frustration and he beamed, causing her heart to flutter despite herself. This was the last thing she had expected.
When she arrived back at the camp, she stayed alert for any sign that they might have been overheard. Thankfully, the drivers seemed oblivious and soon they were all laying down beside the campfire, one man sleeping with one eye open in case of danger. But Cherin would take care of any danger that came their way during the night. Somehow, knowing that made her feel safe in a way that she hadn’t since she had been summoned by Lopu. One way or another, things would work out. And if she was going to be honest with herself, she was really glad to know that Cherin was there. It was nice to know that she wasn’t alone after all.