I had never gotten the chance to speak with Kael about what had happened between us. But it seemed like water under the bridge since he wasn’t giving me the cold shoulder. So we had come to a common understanding somewhere in the night, and we wouldn’t speak of it.

When we stopped for lunch Kael insisted on running me through training drills. He’d once been my arms instructor at the Citadel, and we bickered constantly. I had felt that he was being tougher on me than the other students, and so I resented him.

Now he was no less tough on me. In fact it seemed as if he was trying to make up for lost time by beating me around the camp in circles. My anger rose, and I was determined to show him that I would not be so easily bested, but I dropped my sword on the ground.

Kael kicked it over to me and I bent to pick it up.

“Wait,” he snapped.

I froze in a crouch. Without warning, Kael attacked again, and I threw my arm up to block the downward strike of his palm. Kael sheathed his knives, so now we were sparring hand to hand. Hemi and Darren had stopped everything they were doing to watch us fight.

Kael wasn’t giving me any openings, and I had to work hard to get a strike in. Too late, I left my side open and he feinted with a kick. Stepping and bringing up my leg and arm to block, I missed the feint, and he punched me in the solar plexus. Dropping to the ground, I grabbed my middle and fell forward face first into the dirt.

“What the heck do you think you’re doing?” Joss yelled at him.

“Saving her life.” Kael spoke stiffly, refusing to look at Joss.

“It looks like you’re trying to kill her, not save her,” Joss growled back angrily, stepping in front of my prone body to challenge Kael.

“Move aside. This is none of your business.”

Joss kneeled next to me. I pushed him away as I struggled up from the ground. I glared at Kael, shifted my weight to my back leg, and brought my fists up to the ready position. I wasn’t going to quit.

Kael wasn’t harder on me because he hated me. He was harder on me because he was scared for me. He knew what I went through in the prison; he’d gone through it too. He wasn’t trying to punish or demoralize me. Kael was trying to make me into the best fighter he could, because he cared about what happened to me. The least I could do was take what he had to offer and dish a little back.

We continued fighting until Kael called a halt and told us it was time to get back on the road. My muscles ached and I had numerous bruises to show for my stubbornness—sitting in the saddle was a constant reminder of it—but I was happy. I grabbed my water bag and took a long drink out of it when I heard a horse draw near.

Fanny rode up to me, her brows knit with worry. “Thalia, I’m not even going to pretend to understand you young ones, because I don’t. But all I have to say is that letting a young man beat you to a pulp is no way to let him know you like him.”

I choked and spat the water all over Faraway’s neck. None too pleased, Faraway stepped sideways in shock and rode into Mona’s horse. Still coughing and wiping my mouth, I noticed Mona’s disgusted expression.

I had to clear my throat a few times before I was able to speak without coughing. “I think you are mistaken.”

Fanny raised one eyebrow. “Am I now? Well I guess you can’t believe the observations of an old woman like me. I mean, it’s not like I was ever a young girl who held the admirations of a few gentlemen either.”

“No, that’s not what I mean,” I tried to apologize.

“Thalia, you have to be careful and pick one. Otherwise you could end up hurting both of them.”

“That’s nonsense. Nothing could hurt Kael.” I meant to go on but Fanny raised her hand to stop me.

“Listen to yourself; you mentioned one and not the other.”

My mouth dropped open in shock at her quick observation.

“But I don’t feel that way about Kael, and he doesn’t feel that way about me. I love Joss.”

The look that Fanny shot me read that my statement was plain preposterous.

“Your head loves one but your heart loves another. That’s never a good mix, my dear. Think about it.” And Fanny dropped back to ride next to Hemi.

And I did think about it. I thought about it for hours, and I came to the same conclusion. Deep down, I knew Fanny was right.

Now if only I could figure out which one to follow.

Chapter 4

We came upon a farm when we were still three-days ride from Haven. Darren had suggested we knock on the farmhouse door and ask if we could pay to sleep in their barn for the night.

Hemi looked at the farm skeptically. “I don’t think they would even open the door to us.”

Darren waved his hands in the air. “Nonsense. They wouldn’t open the door to you. A strapping young man like myself who is traveling with his wife and children on the way to Haven—yes.” Darren held out his arm to Fanny who laughed and latched on to it playfully.

“Yes, my darling husband,” Fanny batted her eyes at him. Hemi looked at the exchange and his face darkened, turning red.

“The rest of you would do best if you stayed back out of sight. Kael, that includes you. Your whole body language reads trained killer. Hemi, you look…uh...hmm, well.” Darren paused as he took in the huge muscular frame, the wild red hair, his long beard and fur pelt Hemi wore around his shoulders. “Umm let’s just say, you look like you could scare them into saying yes, if it comes to forcing them to let us stay the night.”

“Darren, you don’t really think we would force them?” Fanny looked up worriedly.

“Of course not. Watch and learn.” Darren had Kael and Hemi lead Mona into the woods along with two of the horses. While Fanny rode one of our horses, Darren led Faraway, and Joss and I walked demurely behind.

“Joss, now remember you’re my devoted son who wants to grow up and be just like his good ol’ dad.”

Joss snorted and his shoulders shook in mirth.

“Shhh, stop laughing. You’re blowing our cover,” Darren admonished.

I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing as we tried to play the parts that Darren assigned to us. Fanny the worried mother, Joss the devoted son and—Darren spared one look at my skeptical face and deemed me the mute daughter.

No way on earth would this scheme actually work. But sure enough, Darren slumped a shoulder, ruffled his hair, and took on the persona of a worn out father who was looking out for his family. He knocked and we waited.

The elderly farmer and his plump wife were slow to open the door, but once they looked at Darren’s face and saw Fanny and her children, the door opened wider.

“What can I do for you?” the farmer asked, his eyes crinkled in concern.

“Well, good sir. We only wish to take shelter in your barn for the night. We are on our way to Haven, to take young Jon here to my brother’s to become his apprentice. Our horse threw a shoe and we’ve lost the light. We had hoped to make it to an inn by now, and my wife and daughter don’t wish to sleep out in the open again.”

“Oh, the poor dears.” The farmer’s wife looked at us with understanding, leaving me to believe that she had been in a similar situation. Faraway played his part perfectly by favoring one hoof.

“We would be willing to pay for the use of your barn, hay, and some feed. We have our own food stores so we won’t need anything else.” Darren spoke slowly and calmly.

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