Sword and Veil (Everstone Series book 1 preview)

Chapter 4

The stars shone brightly against the night sky as Eva crested the dune which overlooked the valley where the Yaqar outpost lay hidden. It had been a three day hike from where she had engaged the Zentari scouts. It would have taken less than a day by horseback, but she wasn't allotted one for use.

Tired, hungry, and sore, she shuffled down the gentle slope toward what had been her home for the past eighteen months. Each step ached, her sore muscles arguing each step as the sand gave way to dirt and grassland.

The Yaqar outpost was strategically placed along the borders of the MidBar desert and the Modi'in plains. It was a moderately sized outpost, housing about a hundred warriors, settled in a gentle valley to avoid being seen from a distance. It was established to be an early warning for Ashdod if Zentari forces were moving their direction, assuming the other outposts hadn't already sent word.

As Eva neared Yaqar's perimeter, she held up the hand signal to the nearest sentry, indicating her as an ally. A minimum of three warriors were stationed around the perimeter at all hours, and the safety signal was changed every few days. There were additional two sentries hidden at the top of the ridge, but she didn't expect to see them.

The warrior returned the signal as Eva passed through the Southern gate. The outermost perimeter was lined with tents that encompassed the warriors' sleeping arrangements. The important supplies such as food and weapons were located more inward. The blacksmith, healers, and stable lined the innermost part. In the center, stood a larger tent which housed the Lieutenant in charge, along with the maps and more guarded information.

The outpost was constructed in the transition area between the sand of the desert and the higher grass and trees of the plain. Each tent was composed of strongly woven cloth and leather, strung tightly around larger logs cut from the local trees. Using natural structures as camouflage, Yaqar was quite hidden for its size– knowing the benefit of remaining hidden. They even kept larger fires to a minimum to reduce the possibility of causing a smoke signal.

Eva navigated the tight quarters between the structures from memory. Despite its size, Yaqar's tents were constructed close together. This provided a smaller footprint overall, as well as expedited movement of personnel along dedicated channels. As an added benefit, it made the outpost feel like a maze to the unfamiliar person.

Eva lazily navigated straight for her tent. Her military cot, cushioned only with hay, was insufferably uncomfortable, however, on nights like this, when her body screamed from exhaustion, there was no greater respite. Protocol demanded she report to the Outpost Lieutenant, Benton Drax, and debrief upon returning, but she didn't care. By all rights, he didn't know she'd returned, and there was little to report. She wasn't sure she wanted to explain what happened with that stone.

Before she could reach her restful oasis, a hand grabbed her arm and yanked her into a small space between two adjacent tents.

"Hey-" She stopped short upon seeing his smiling face.

Like a receding tide, all her exhaustion vanished as she embraced Lucas, his warmth surrounding her. His familiar scent of pine needles and wood fires carried her to a place of calm and safety– of home.

It'd been too long. Their embrace deepened as all the emotion she had tucked away erupted. He held her close, pulling her to him.

After a moment, he loosened his hold and met her gaze. His gentle smile, his stupid, crooked, perfectly white smile, filled her vision and warmed her heart. His dark blonde hair, his deep blue eyes, the sound of his voice, all of it drew her in.

"Sorry I'm late."

"LATE!?" She whispered loudly, smacking him on the chest, shoving him back. "You were supposed to be gone for a week, how did that turn into six?!"