Snow Fields - Book Two of The Fields of Mendhavai Trilogy

Chapter Fourteen

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

A hand grabbed my shoulder and jerked me into wakefulness. I reacted instantly, grasping the forearm and throwing the man attached to it to the ground. I was sitting astride him with my dagger pressed to his throat before the fog of sleep lifted completely and Taphille’s face, drained of all color, and wide eyes swam into focus.

Behind me, Smythe and Yalli were laughing. I eased the edge of my blade away and slowly stood, reaching down to help the young man to his feet. I was relieved to see that I hadn’t broken the skin, but he had his hand to his throat rubbing it tenderly anyway.

“You’re lucky she shows some restraint, despite living with nightmares of murderers each and every night,” Smythe commented, slapping Taphille on the back. In fact, I had been dreaming of my slow reactions not that long ago to Danu's aggression by the river, something that had been troubling me deeply, apparently.

He said nothing, still staring at me with wide, frightened eyes. I gave him a one-shouldered shrug and sheathed my dagger. “I’d caution you against waking anyone who’s seen battle with more than your voice, but I think you may have just had that lesson driven home.” I wasn’t going to apologize – truly, that was what Taphille should be doing.

“A-aye, my Lady,” he said apologetically, dropping his hand to his side.

“The boy’s eager to get on with the next leg of our journey,” Yalli said, stating the obvious as I combed my fingers through my hair and rebraided it.

Smythe handed me a steaming cup of black tea which I took gratefully. Despite the warmth of the cavern system, a chill wind could be heard blowing outside, and wisps of it were making it down the entrance tunnel. I moved to the table where Hanosh was setting out a feast of a breakfast.

“Where did you get all this?” I asked him, eyeing the platters of eggs, meat, roots and greens.

“Dragon’s brought leftovers from last night, and fresh eggs one of the smaller ones nabbed out of the nests he said were up along the higher ridges of the mountain,” he explained, then sat down and started loading up his wooden trencher with food. The steam rising from the platters dissipated for a moment as another strong gust of cold wind managed to get through the tunnel system.

“Well, we best eat it before it gets cold,” I commented, looking over my shoulder at the others.

***

There wasn’t a crumb left on any of the platters a candlemark later, so clean up was easy and Smythe handled it, having already prepared for our trek to the Sanilan village. The wolves had come in, their sides caked in snow, while we’d been eating. They lay near the pool now, gnawing on the remains of their own breakfast, puddles spreading out from their bodies as the cavern's heat melted the snow coating their fur.

“Shaeto says its colder than a witch’s- uh, it’s wicked cold outside and advises we bundle up,” Taphille said, shrugging into his parka. He threw his pack over his shoulders and headed down the entrance tunnel, casting a look over his shoulder that clearly said, “Hurry up!”

I shook my head as I gathered up the things I thought might be needed over the next few days, then stuck my arms in my own parka, settled my pack on my back and followed the young man down the chilly corridor. The others followed closely.

As we neared the outside world, the wind coming into the tunnel grew colder and began to howl. Snow blasted into the entrance and drifted against the rounded walls; I shivered. I stepped up to the threshold and took one look out into the raging blizzard before stepping back further into the mountain where it instantly felt warmer.