Nyori shakily tried to dismiss the notion as she washed her face and rinsed her mouth. The water was shock-cold, but still did nothing to clear her clouded mind. She dressed quickly, pausing only to brush the stubborn tangles from her hair and pull it into a long braid before she swung her cloak around her shoulders and stepped outside.
The chill struck her immediately, turning her breath into misty ghosts. The sky was crimson as if the sun had awakened behind the Dragonspine in a furious mood. Dew shimmered on the shifting sea of grasslands that surrounded the camp, liquid rubies that reflected the fiery sky.
Nyori was not the only early riser. Nando and Ironhide were fully dressed and had their weapons girded. Rhanu and Meshella stood with them. They all held battered mugs, but the steaming liquid was largely neglected. They looked unusually alert, as though expecting something. Or someone.
"Something is wrong."
Nyori turned in surprise at the echo of her thoughts. Han sat cross-legged on a frayed mat behind her with his hands on his knees and his eyes closed. Despite the cold, he was bare-chested, his lithe muscles taut, his chest rising and falling in perfectly even breaths. When his eyes opened, they were those of an ancient sage.
"You should travel with us, if only for the day. A storm is brewing."
Curious, she drew nearer. Is it possible that he has any of the senses I have been trained to develop? "How do you know this?"
His eyes closed again. "The Sovereign Ones speak of harmony. Harmony is essential. In kingdoms. In nature. In ourselves. Without it, there is only chaos. Today there is a fog, obscuring the natural. Bringing disharmony."
When his eyes reopened, he was once again the young man she met the previous day. He stood and donned his shirt with a light laugh. "You must excuse me, Shama. Sometimes I feel things, is all. You should eat something. Come — we have hen eggs, bacon, and hot tea. Come." As he seized her by the hand, she shook her head wonderingly and allowed him to lead her.
Soon she ate with the rest of the waking band and drank the green-tinted tea that Han had brewed. It was different from what she was used to, the flavor more potent, almost bitter. Han handled the kettle and glazed pottery with great care and prepared it with an air of ceremony
"Tea is special in my homeland. There are some that train for years in the formalities of preparation and serving it appropriately."
"It's good." She hesitated for a moment. "Your band came from the direction of Bruallia, didn't you?"
Han took a sip from his bowl. "Yes. Much disharmony at that place. War is the religion of the land."
"I don't know anything about war."
Han smiled, but his eyes were surprisingly neutral. "War is for warriors. For a Shama, not so much. Count yourself lucky."
She was aware of Nando listening closely, and Ironhide pretending he wasn't. She lowered her voice. "Did you happen to come across any cities or towns when you crossed the Dragonspine? Any old villages or temples?"
Han looked at her wonderingly. "No, Shama. Why would anyone try to live in the Dragonspine? Sheepherders sometimes bring flocks to the foothills, but to live in the Dragonspine…" He looked to the horizon where the jagged mountains rutted from the ground in a sinister fashion. Han shook his head. "I am not from these lands, but I would think that no man would willingly dwell there. Those mountains are full of darkness."
They finished their meal in silence. Afterward, the camp gathered and prepared to depart.
"I wish you would change your mind." Rhanu's face was regretful. "Nothing lies east but war and peril. It will only get worse from here."
"Yes, stay," Meshella said. "It would be nice to have another woman around for a change. These men need someone to look after them."
"Her decision will not change, not even for my charms," Han said. He gave her a knowing smile. "She is determined to find what she seeks."
"So I see." Rhanu seemed disappointed as he bowed formally. "Very well, my friends. May peace shadow your steps until we meet again."
They went their separate ways. Nyori rode Lively while the men jogged alongside. Ironhide often looked back at the departing band with a somewhat regretful look on his face.
"Something wrong?" Nyori asked.
Ironhide shook his head. "Wrong? No, just strange. Did you sense it, Nando?"
"Sense what?"
"Their leader. Rhanu. He has the potential."
"The foreigner?" Nando scoffed. "You must be mistaken."
"Truly, your many years must have given you extraordinary wisdom," Ironhide said, causing Nando's face to redden. "How do you think he knew where we were when he could not see us? He caught wind of our scent. After I drew closer, I could sense it. Trust me. He can learn."
"You mean he can become a Nahgual and change his form as you do?" she asked.
"It is quite possible," Ironhide said. "At the very least, he can learn the basic talents. Not all have full potential. There are fewer every generation. The gift fades like autumn leaves chased by winter winds. Such is the way of things."
"Will he find a guide?"
Ironhide shrugged. "Who can say? We are not many and are scattered across the realm. The chances he will run into another are slim at best outside of Halladen. It is too bad we are going opposite ways."
"You might get your chance because some of us will meet again." She was quite sure, though she could not explain how. The certainty of knowing, as Ayna explained it. One of the gifts of the Shama. Not to be doubted or questioned.
"Will we? That is well, then." Ironhide seemed satisfied.
Nando, of course, was not.
"One of your prophecies?" He sneered. "Like looking for a city or village in all of this?" His gesture took in the wide plains around them. He had been listening. She had forgotten how keen their hearing was.
"This is a fool's errand if I ever saw one, for truth. Don't give me that look, Ironhide — you know you're thinking the same thing! There's nothing east but the Dragonspine, and the Great Mistress damn us for fools should we cross that line."
Ironhide folded his arms and sighed. "I find myself in the unlikely position of agreeing with our outspoken friend. The eastern sky was blood red when I awoke. It is an ill omen for traveling in that direction."
Nyori looked at the older man. His voice was light, but his eyes were disturbed. Was there something he was not telling her? She thought of her intuition when she awoke. The certainty of knowing. She hesitated. Mistress Ayna had warned her to say as little as possible about the events at the Eye. But Nyori did not want her escorts to be completely blind, either.
"We are not seeking any ordinary place. Asfrior is our destination."
The men exchanged one of their unreadable looks. If anything, Nando appeared even more disgusted. "I should have known things could only get worse. We're wasting our time chasing a black moon. How in Divia's light are we supposed to—?"
He continued his grumbling as Ironhide looked at Nyori consideringly.
"If the Shama says we go to Asfrior, then that is where we will go."
Nando stared. "You can't be serious, Ironhide. The place is just a legend. Many have looked for it, and not one has found it. Just a moment ago you said—"
Nyori didn't give him time to finish. "I have been given my instructions. I will seek Asfrior. Should your nerve fail you, then return to Halladen." She nudged Lively forward. Ironhide fell in step beside her; any uneasiness vanished from his face. Nando stood where he was, muttering under his breath. After a few moments she heard a bestial snarl, and a gray shape startled Lively as it bolted past, half hidden in the tall grass. Nyori had never visibly seen the Nahgual change forms. They were surprisingly private about their ability.