“Get out of my way,” Cropper growled.
Thealos tried to scoot over, but he wasn’t quick enough and Cropper kicked him hard in the chest. It hurt like fury, but he managed to bite back all but a grunt of pain. Thealos massaged his ribs, letting the air out of his chest slowly. He watched the ornery soldier stalk away from the night fire. Thealos swore under his breath, one of his favorite of Correl’s curses that he reserved for doing business with humans. His wrists were bound in front of him this night, offering a little more comfort than he’d had the last two nights. His ankles were hitched together and snagged to a tree. They trusted him with information, but not freedom. As confidently as they talked of their skill as a band and in fighting, there was an unspoken fear of the Shae in their eyes. That somehow, if he were left without bonds, he would manage to steal a knife and cut their throats as they slept. Thealos didn’t condone murder – it was certainly Forbidden. But he might have kicked Cropper in the ribs on the way out.
“He shouldn’t have done that to you,” Tomn said in a low voice across from the fire. He looked angry as he scrubbed the cauldron he used for cooking. Flakes of ash and hunks of soot were caked into the sides, making Thealos wince every time he ate the stew or broth that came out of it. The stew wasn’t burned, which would have been Forbidden, but the pot itself was disgusting.
“He must have hated pups as a child,” Thealos joked, earning a smile from the timid cook. “I’ve really tried not to yelp too often.” He gave Tomn a sad smile and rolled up against one of the thick maples in the grove. “You clean while the others sleep?” Tannon snored off to the left, his huge chest rising and falling with the ragged breathing.
Tomn shrugged, then scrubbed the inside of the small cauldron furiously. Dropping the blackened rag, he brushed his hands on his pants and went around the fire, closer to Thealos. “How do your eyes glow like that?” he asked, staring at Thealos’ face. For an instant, the cook looked as if he were tempted to put his finger in Thealos’ eye.
“It’s just the light from the fire. Have you ever seen a cat in the dark?”
“A mountain cat? Out here in the valley?” Tomn laughed. “Oh, there’s the little ones in the city. They’re expensive. Even in Dos-Aralon, and you can rarely find a good seller. So the firelight makes them glow like that? Do mine glow?”
Thealos nearly rolled his eyes. “Of course yours don’t, Tomn.”
“Why do yours then? Does it hurt?”
“No. What do the Druid-priests tell you?”
“It depends which Druids you ask,” Tomn replied, sitting comfortably. “The Council Druids say your eyes glow because you have knowledge and truth. But the Valley Druids, the ones down here, say you glow because you stare at the moon too long. I’ve been watching you the last few nights, Thealos, but I haven’t seen you stare at the moon more than once or twice. Just glances, really.”
Thealos laughed. “Do you know why they say we stare at the moon, Tomn?” The grubby cook shook his head no. “In our tradition, that’s where our people came from. There are other worlds out there, Tomn. Not just this one. We came from that world on a floating city,” he said, nodding towards the northern sky where the luminous blue crescent of Eroth could be seen through the gaps in the trees. Tomn smelled like cinders. “One day we’ll return home when the city comes back for us. But not for a while, I think.”
“You really believe that?” Tomn asked, his eyes betraying doubt.
Thealos nodded simply.
“The Valley Druids would say you’re mad then. They don’t believe in all those myths and things.”
“Why would they? They just forget that what they know about the world, they learned from us. We came to this world to teach your kind, Tomn.”
“Teach us what?” he laughed, amused.
“I’ll save that for another night,” Thealos replied. “If there’s going to be another night.”
Tomn’s forehead wrinkled. He started scrubbing on the pot again. “I won’t…I won’t let them kill you, Thealos.” He leaned forward, his face intense. “If you help us find that Sinew dragon treasure, I’ll talk Tannon into letting you go. We don’t want trouble with the Wolfsmen. We just need your help a little while.”
“I don’t think Tannon will listen to you,” Thealos said with a wary smile. “Cropper hates me. And Tannon listens to him.” He nodded towards the woods where the angry soldier stood watch.
“Tannon listens to me too,” Tomn replied, dejected.
“I hope so,” Thealos said, letting doubt syrup his voice.