Healer's Touch (13 page)

As was expected in these situations, Llew brought her hand up behind her, found a gap between long-john buttons and slid her fingers inside, but as she touched the coarse hair the arm that was over her drew back and a strong hand gripped her wrist. He withdrew her hand and, linking his fingers with hers, resumed his casual embrace so that, instead of pleasuring him, she found herself captive to a warm cuddle.

Llew was confused. He was a man, she was a girl and they were beside one another. Usually that meant groping and nakedness. Was there something wrong with him? He shuffled back to remove the growing pressure against her lower back. Nothing physically wrong with him, then.

Pondering the quirks of men, Llew fell into a deep, pleasantly warm slumber.

***

She was woken by the morning stirrings of the rest of the camp. Shifting in her cocoon, Jonas’ arm squeezed her tight.

“Stay,” he breathed into her hair. She was happy to oblige. A faint glow was the only hint that the sun was due to make any sort of appearance and the night’s chill prevailed.

Anya, wandering by with the pot to collect water from the river, smiled at the two of them. Returning from his watch post, Alvaro stopped when he saw them, but he gave no smile. Nor did Aris, who showed his dislike by generally keeping his eyes averted; quick glances let them know they hadn’t escaped his notice, though. Emylia’s sensibilities did not consider an unwed girl and young man sharing a bed proper, and her disapproving looks didn’t hide this. Cassidy alone didn’t even appear to have seen them, and his concern focused, instead, on the slow progress of breakfast and the early rising after a too short night of broken sleep.

Llew luxuriated in the shared warmth, but she couldn’t stay long. For one thing, the party had to get on the road and make the most of the cooler morning air before the heat of the day kicked in; for another, she didn’t want to be the cause of bad feelings within the group. Reluctantly, she extricated herself from Jonas’ arm and slid from the warmth of his bedroll to start pulling her shoes back on. He watched her, with the hint of a smile.

“Brr.”

“Well, get up and moving, then,” she said as she shivered under the touch of her cold jacket. It would warm soon, but that was little consolation in the moment. “What happened to your rigorous military training? Aren’t you supposed to be used to early mornings?”

“Sure I am. But I’m on holiday.”

“Holiday?” She raised an eyebrow at him.

“You look cute when you do that.”

She scowled at him. He grinned.

Alvaro, walking past, muttered something under his breath. Llew stooped, collected up Jonas’ jacket and threw it at the prone figure.

“Get up,” she said, then rolled up her own bedroll and went to help Cassidy with the horses’ morning rations and with fitting their saddles.

As Llew passed him, Aris stood up from tending the fire and strode back to Jonas, who was untangling himself from his bedding. No matter how much she strained, though, she couldn’t hear their words. Whatever was being said, Aris didn’t look happy. His voice rose enough so they all knew Jonas was being reprimanded, but his words still weren’t clear to anyone not standing right in front of him. Jonas looked like a kicked puppy by the time Aris was finished. Llew watched Aris return to the fire and restrained herself from glaring at him when he looked up at her. His expression wasn’t clear. She still felt like she’d done something wrong. She supposed she had: girls in polite company did not share their bed with young men, and despite their need to sleep outdoors, she supposed she was in polite company.

Breakfast was quiet, with no one prepared to risk eye-contact with Aris or Jonas. Most of the group were civilians, and it was as though the experienced and highly trained Aris and Jonas were the backbone, providing structure for the rest of them to work from. To feel that support crumble was unsettling.

Llew kept her horse between her and Jonas while they tightened girth straps and tied saddlebags and bedrolls, but as soon as Aris was involved with getting the carriage horses hitched, she stooped under the golden neck to talk.

“I’m sorry I caused you trouble with Aris,” she said.

“It weren’t your fault.” He didn’t look at her, instead continuing to tie his bedroll in place.

“But if I hadn’t–”

“I said don’t, Llew.”

Llew wanted to punch something. She had finally met a man who didn’t make her cringe when he looked at or touched her and for some reason known only to him and Aris he was supposed to do neither. She turned, fists balled, and nearly walked into the shoulder of her horse. The heat of humiliation mixed with her frustration and she raised a fist, but caught herself and instead ran her knuckles up and down the horse’s neck. His head extended and his top lip quivered, and she calmed.

“Aris would rather Llew rode up front with me,” Alvaro said as they were taking their places on the road, ready to head out. Behind him, Cassidy nodded and gave Llew and Jonas an apologetic shrug.

Jonas nodded too, and flicked his eyes from Llew to the front of the carriage, telling her to go. Her shoulders slumped, but she reluctantly led her horse to the front.

The clop of the horses’ hooves, the jingling of tack and the carriage’s creaks and groans dominated the morning ride. Llew didn’t know what to say to Alvaro. He turned to her a number of times, even opened his mouth and drew breath as though about to speak, but nothing was forthcoming. Anya pointed out the natural beauty of the passing landscape to those in the carriage, but otherwise even her usual carefree banter was kept in check. Aris’ mood affected everyone.

“You don’t have any brothers or sisters?” Alvaro finally found his voice.

Llew shook her head and Alvaro fell silent for a few minutes.

“I have a sister,” he continued eventually. “But she’s a lot younger, nearly thirteen.” He turned a knowing smile on Llew; she’d know what it was like to be a girl going into her teen years.

She did. But she supposed it wouldn’t be too bad having a family to go through it with. Finding yourself alone at eleven was something she wouldn’t wish on any girl.

“Cassidy and I grew up like brothers. When he and his mother came to stay in Kas, anyway.”

“Where was his pa?”

“Don’t know. Never had one, as far as I know.”

“Everyone has a pa.”

Alvaro coloured and then rallied. “I guess his ma got cold one evening . . . ”

“Nothing happened, Al.” She didn’t look at him.

“I didn’t mean . . . It’s just . . . Not him, Llew. Just . . . Don’t do that to yourself.”

Llew frowned at him.

“He can’t love you like . . . ”

“You could?”

Alvaro bit back whatever he had been going to say. “Just don’t give your heart to him.”

Llew blinked at him. Somewhere in there she got the feeling he was asking her to like him instead, but he hadn’t said it. It didn’t matter, anyway.

“It’s my own heart, Al. I plan to keep it to myself.” Didn’t mean she couldn’t play on the attraction Jonas seemed to have for her. Hopefully it wouldn’t come to it, but if things did go badly it wouldn’t hurt to have an ally as powerful and dangerous as Jonas. And his knife. Muscles in her back contracted at the thought of that knife travelling behind her. Perhaps after lunch she would suggest she and Alvaro took up the rear. Having that gryphon-handled knife at her back was unsettling.

It rained persistently for the next few days, making the journey less pleasant. Whether she rode alongside Alvaro, Cassidy or Jonas, they didn’t talk much, just kept their heads down, letting the rain pour from the brims of their hats. Anya and Emylia took up almost permanent residence under the canopy of the carriage.

Llew carried out her tasks like the men, catching fish when possible to break the monotony of their road meals. They stayed in inns whenever their day’s travel brought them to a township for the evening, and Llew now slept with the ladies. On the road she didn’t return to Jonas’ bedroll, despite the growing cold of the autumn evenings, especially after a day being soaked by rain.

They rode into Stelt – Population: Peculiar – just before dinner time. The sun was already behind the Aghacian mountains, though its rays would linger another hour. To make the stop, they had to veer from the main road and cross a bridge not much wider than the carriage. It was the only way into the town, and it made the sojourn feel like even more of a hindrance to their progress. All the other towns had simply been pauses. Still, Llew would much rather take the time to head into the town than sleep outside again. She pondered on that and concluded that she was getting soft.

Entering the saloon, Llew felt as though she had been there before. Like the inns from previous nights, it was predominantly wooden, with fittings supported by heavy steel plates and bolts; it housed a few tables and chairs, and several patrons. A couple of girls wearing little more than under garments fawned over whoever was winning a game of cards at a corner table, and a few lone drinkers were scattered about other tables. One man slouched over his ale, alone in a corner. Another observed the newcomers with brief curiosity before returning his attention to his drink.

One man sat at the bar cradling a sniff of whisky, as many a man had done at the saloons, inns and bars they had previously visited. Only this man seemed more interested in the new arrivals than any before. He was dark, with most of his features hidden behind a scraggly beard and shoulder-length hair. His light brown eyes were surprisingly pretty under long eyelashes.

He continued to watch them as they stood at the bar while Aris negotiated their rooms.

When the rooms were booked and the group was turning to head up the stairs, Cassidy approached the man. Llew looked to Aris for his reaction, but he seemed satisfied that the blond young man knew what he was doing.

“I don’t mean to be rude, mister, but may I ask what’s caught your interest?”

“I was just noticing your friend, there.” The man inclined his head toward Jonas.

Cassidy followed the man’s gaze.

“I don’t know why. He’s not much to look at, and I don’t think he would reciprocate your interest.” He turned back to the bearded man, his piercing blue eyes warning that the man should lose interest. Quickly.

The man didn’t laugh, but a few whiskers at the corner of his mouth lifted as he appraised Jonas, who stared back with an unreadable expression. The man pulled his gaze away from Jonas and took in the rest of the group, lingering on Llew. She felt uncomfortable being scrutinised, and looked away.

“Surprising company you keep.”

Llew turned back. He was looking at her. He was talking to her. “What?”

“I said, ‘Surprising company you keep.’” The man seemed to smile at her confusion, though it was hard to tell through the beard. “A fan of the great Syakaran of Quaver, are you?”

Jonas went to lunge at the man, but Aris’ hand on his arm kept him in check. The bar fell silent, though an under-current of murmurs continued.

“Oh. You didn’t know. Interesting.” He took a sip of his whisky.

“I suggest you finish your drink and move on,
friend
.” Aris gave the word ‘friend’ an ominous tone.

“
Friend
, is it, Aris?” The man sneered. “No love for a long lost son? Oh, but I was never your son, was I? Not once my brother came along.” His eyes shifted to Jonas. “You’re a long way from home, brother. I trust you’ll keep out of trouble. Wouldn’t want you flying off the handle. Again.” The man threw back the last mouthful of whisky, then stood, patting down his leather coat as if checking he had everything. He had an easy manner and seemed unconcerned by Jonas’ glowering; Jonas seemed unable to act.

The man scooped his hat off the bar and his sleeve pulled back, revealing a chunky metal bracelet. He afforded Llew a wink as he pressed the hat onto his head.

“Good to see you, Jonas. You’d be proud of your brother’s achievements. I’d love to tell you about it, but it would be so much better to show you. Why don’t you come find me later tonight? I’ll wait for you by the bridge.” He turned for the inn door. “I’m sure I don’t have to tell you to come alone.” He took a step toward the door and then backtracked, one finger in the air. “On second thoughts, bring the girl.” He looked at Llew.

Her hand flew to the hair at the back of her head. She looked down at the front of her shirt. There was barely the hint of breasts.

The man laughed.

“Your costume is fine. But you are the spitting image of your mother.”

Something in his demeanour changed when he said it. Some hint of emotion. Llew shrank back from the over-familiarity. Something about him scared her to the core, and when he looked at her, he seemed to know her.

“No wonder your father was so protective.” His voice was filled with a sorrow Llew couldn’t understand. She was too rattled to make a move and knew she had to pull herself together before Jonas took her to the bridge.

Aris continued murmuring to Jonas under his breath. Only the respect he had for the older man kept Jonas under control.

“I’ll let you folk settle into this fine establishment. But I do hope you’ll find time for family while you’re in town.” This time, the man made it to the inn door. He gave them one last smile and a friendly wave before pushing his way through the door and disappearing into the night.