Besieged by Verity Moore

Author:Verity Moore [Moore, Verity]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-06-29T22:00:00+00:00

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Birds chattered in the pre-dawn darkness. Dew beads rimmed every leaf and drenched all who brushed against them. The tall grasses clung to Cierra’s legs as she followed Thorson and Hezzor up a trail only he could see. The lead werf stayed one step behind the bridge man and kept a front leg on his shoulder. The two felines paced next to him while the two canine werfs followed behind Kyam and Castoff. Thorson led them through a section of forest that had been spared the axe.

Trees, black pillars in a dark gray world, rattled their branches. But she walked without fear since seasoned warriors surrounded her. A chill breeze ambushed them from behind. She snuggled into her cloak. Byssop nudged her thigh. His inquisitive furry face studied her. Cold, my queen? Would that I could give you my fur.

Cierra shook her head. “It looks far better on you. But thank you for your giving thought.”

Thorson and Hezzor stopped at the crest of a hill. “I had forgotten. We must wait for dawn. It’s too treacherous.” The bridge man swept his arm across the valley filled with rotting logs. “In our urgency to find the treasure, we produced wanton waste. And a great hazard.”

Kyam rested his hands on Cierra’s shoulders. “Agreed.”

Cierra gasped. Kyam was never so blunt and maladroit with his words. Thorson looked crushed. She jabbed her elbow into Kyam’s stomach.

“Oof. What displeases you, my queen?”

“Other than being referred to as a queen, you need not have agreed with Thorson.”

“But we did have difficulty navigating his obstacle course midday.”

“You agreed about wanton waste.”

“Ah. Now I see the difficulty. I focused on his wisdom in choosing to wait for daylight. While you latched onto his self-derision.”

She narrowed her eyes. “It was the last thing he said. Even Thorson thought that was what you referred to.”

Kyam swiveled to look directly at the bridge man. “My apologies, friend, for words mistaken. Instead of seeing first people, I saw strategies of how best to proceed. Hence my bumbling harmful word.”

Throson threw himself against Kyam’s chest. “I would not have misunderstood if I were not such a simpleton. Such a gracious apology for what was not your fault. Thank you.”

Kyam patted the bridge man’s back. “You are most welcome.” Over Thorson’s head, he cocked an eyebrow at Cierra.

Did that expressive lift speak to “only simpletons (which must then include her) misinterpreting his words?” or asking if his apology was acceptable to her? She had no intentions of floundering any deeper in that quagmire. When first she painted Kyam, that eyebrow would be most prominent, probably exaggerated. Or not. “Well done, my king.”

Hah. That lowered both eyebrows. She allowed her smirk to spread wide across her face. If he was permitted to call her queen, then…

Hezzor intervened. ‘Light comes stealthily. Soon we can proceed.’

She crossed her arms against the cold. Standing still greatly increased her discomfort. “How soon?”

Hezzor’s antenna touched her forehead. Tesmore has a proverb: Peace begets patience.

“Delays are difficult to accept.” Kyam kneaded her shoulders.

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