Earthstone by P.M. Biswas

Author:P.M. Biswas [Biswas, PM.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Young Adult
ISBN: 978-1-64405-205-1
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Published: 2020-04-06T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Four

MISSION

IT WAS only Loren’s presence that kept Tam from being accosted by a flock of those carnivorous, people-faced birds. They followed Tam and Loren overhead, flitting from branch to branch, rotating their heads all the way around to keep Tam within their sights. The head-rotating was almost as creepy as… everything else about them.

Tam categorically refused to edge closer to Loren, even if some instinct within her spurred her to do so. “Why do I get the feeling they’re fantasizing about plucking my liver out with their claws and eating it?”

“Don’t be absurd,” Loren disdained her. “They’re just being protective of me.”

“Of you? Against who, me?” Tam pondered it for a while. “So they’re sure you’d lose to me in a fight. Heh. That’s kind of flattering.”

“That’s not… I wouldn’t lose to you.”

“Really?” Tam taunted Loren. “Let’s test it out, then, shall we?”

“Are you suggesting we engage in armed combat while our rulers are negotiating a truce? Because that seems counterproductive, to say the least.”

“Sayeth the princeling who’s using excuses to avoid a good, healthy spar.”

“It won’t be very healthy when my arrow pokes a hole in your eye.”

“Thinkin’ of poking holes in me, eh?”

To his credit, Loren managed to stop himself from spluttering. He did go roughly the shade of a tomato, though. “Are all humans this lewd?”

“No, and normally I’m not either. But you’re just too easy to get a, ha, rise out of. And I figured Nala was prickly, but I can’t rile her up like this. She’s ten times more stoic than you.”

“Nala is a Sentinel. Sentinels have to be stoic.”

“What, is it in the job description?”

“In a manner of speaking, yes.”

“There’s way too much manner in your speaking,” Tam remarked. “How about some genuine cussing every now and then?”

Loren sighed the deep, protracted sigh of the fed-up. “Like I said, explicitness and honesty aren’t the same thi—”

“Yes, they are,” Tam steamrolled right over him.

“Do you ever let anybody complete their sentences?”

“Not if I can help it.” Tam sidestepped a spiderweb that curved inward like a silvery gossamer bowl, dotted with small black specks that must be other insects. “By Astar, Kay would love cataloging and classifying all these species.”

“Who’s Kay?”

“The human prince. Queen Emeraude’s son.”

“But you’re on close enough terms with him to be familiar with his hobbies? Are you not a peasant? I was given to believe that human society was more striated than ours.”

“Firstly, only Kay would know what ‘striated’ means. Because I don’t. Secondly, yes, he’s my friend even though he’s a prince. He isn’t a prat like you are. He wouldn’t stuff up a healing like you did. He’s been researching healing potions all his life.”

“So have—” Loren broke off, flushing. “Never mind.”

“Oooh. Oooh, but I have to mind. Is the elven princeling dissatisfied with his rank as prince? Would he prefer being a healer? Is that why you went so far to save me, because you had the chance to heal somebody?”

“I’ve… I’m… I’ve looked into herbs. Somewhat.”

“Somewhat, as

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