Daughter of Rebels

Chapter 10 - A Hindrance

Eventually, the shrinking tunnel drove them to their hands and knees and forced a reconfiguration.

They left Nick to nap with his head on Mara's folded jacket while Eli unearthed a length of rope from his pack and bound it to the straps of Mara's.

Eli would go first, pushing his own pack ahead of him. Then Nick, who Eli would magically compel to stay calm and crawl between them. Then Mara, dragging her own pack behind her.

They took a longer rest than they had before, since it wouldn't be practical to take another until they reached the far end of the narrow section. Mara ate half an apple and roused Nick to eat the other half. She also forced him to drink some water, though she was growing concerned about the lightness of her flask. She and Eli each carried three, and she was already halfway through her second one.

When she voiced her concerns to Eli, he waved them off.

"Loftland is a hard place to go hungry or thirsty," he told her, flapping a hand. He sat against the opposite wall, knees upraised to fit in the narrow space. "There's snowmelt creeks in every culvert, wild berries on every bush, and the small game practically crawls into your lap."

"I thought it was a hostile place," she said thoughtfully, struggling to reconcile the dark Loftland legends with the fertile image he was drawing.

"It can be. Humans aren't the only creatures who find it hard to go hungry, there."

Mara took another, deeper sip of her water. "Did you take an oath that prevents you from providing clarifying details, or do you just enjoy being cryptic?"

For a moment, silence filled the oppressive emptiness of the narrow tunnel and Mara grit her teeth, glaring at her own knees and cursing her impulsivity. What was she thinking? Was she thinking? Her life was in this man's hands, and he'd already demonstrated more patience with her than she had any right to expect. What sweet insanity had inspired her to tease him?

The silence broke with his small, surprised huff of laughter, and Mara's muscles went slack with relief as he replied, amusement lifting his tone from its usual measured cadence. "Loftland is discerning, and she doesn't lack for defenses. If you entered the forest with intent to steal or do harm, you would discover a hostile, savage place populated by blood-thirsty beasts. If you enter the forest with intent to seek refuge, or to pass peaceably through, it's the safest place this side of the Shipway."

"See, that's a proper answer." Mara took another sip of water. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. How is your shoulder?"

"It's fine," she lied, averting her gaze.

"We'll be crawling for some time. If it's sore, let me work on it a little more."

"It's fine, really. It just aches a little."

"Mara."

"You've been keeping Nick calm all night," she blurted. "You're going to burn out."

His brows drew together, as if she'd said something absurd. Had she? It was hard to tell. Her mind wasn't exactly at its most sound.

"I just mean... I mean shouldn't you save your magic? What if we run into trouble and we need you for something more serious than a sore shoulder?" That made sense, didn't it? Did it not?

Perhaps it did, because the befuddled frown melted from his face.

"I'm nowhere near my limit," he said simply. "Nick slept the last few hours, so I had a break. And the stronger you are, the less energy it takes to heal you. Better to do it now, before you go crawling around and making it worse."