The Steele Wolf (The Iron Butterfly) by Hahn Chanda

Author:Hahn, Chanda [Hahn, Chanda]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Word Circus
Published: 2012-12-31T05:00:00+00:00

***

The next morning I awoke alone, cold and a little disoriented. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw that I was the only one left in the way station. Sounds from outside attested to the whereabouts of Hemi, Joss and Kael. I was glad for the moment’s reprieve as I had the privacy to get dressed and ponder over last night. I was originally under the assumption that it was Joss comforting me during the storm, but now that I’m awake I’m not so sure.

Rushing to change into fresh clothes, I packed up and ran outside to find Joss who was clearing the path to the way station of broken tree limbs. It was an unmentioned code to users to leave the station as you found it. Clearing the path of debris and restocking the wood was expected.

I snuck up behind Joss and sat on a stump and waited until he saw me before speaking. “That was quite a storm last night, wasn’t it?” I quipped more cheerfully than I actually felt.

Joss turned and grinned at me. “I love thunderstorms! It always reminds me of home. You will see why shortly.”

I pasted a fake smile on my face as I asked him as carelessly as I could, “So how did you sleep?”

“Like a baby; nothing could wake me during a thunderstorm. How about you? Did you sleep okay?” He asked, handing me a long branch to haul to the side of the path without sparing me a second glance.

My smile wilted in confirmation that Joss was definitely not the one who chased away the terror last night. Otherwise he wouldn’t be acting so carefree this morning. “Um, fine,” was all I was able to spit out, as my stomach churned with unanswered questions. I flung the branch to the side of the road and went to find Faraway so we could get on the road and leave this way station as far behind as possible.

I had no sooner stepped into the stable when I felt Kael’s presence behind me. Turning to him, I looked at him hard with question in my eyes. His blues eyes were calm this morning, with no hint of hardness; the dark shadow that I could sometimes see following him when he was angry was gone. I couldn’t figure him out. It was as if he was hiding behind a mask. One moment he was hard, uncaring and acted like he hated me, while the next, he would be polite, soft-spoken and nice. He confused my senses. I was about to open my mouth and ask him about last night but I saw in his eyes a slight fear as if he knew what I was going to say. He spoke first.

“I’ve brought you breakfast. We are eating a cold meal today so that we can be on the road.” Kael handed me biscuits and a slice of jerky.

My stomach quelled at the thought of food and I took it without words and put it in Faraway’s saddlebag.

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