A Trickle of Soulfyre

Chapter 17 - Premonition

Lyrani's eyes may have strayed from Agent Phen as she draped the rain guards over her tent and then her partner's, but her ears were as keen as ever. She heard every consolation the junior agent murmured to Revenus, every crinkle of the leaves in the cool breeze.

The night's darkness had deepened around Lyrani, cool and comforting. Or perhaps that was only because her blood had finally slowed to a normal pace as it flowed through her veins.

As Lyrani pinned the rain guards in place, the shadows stood at attention around her, as ready as she was for any threat that should come barrelling at her from between the darkness-drenched trees or even from behind friendly lines.

Just because she was willing to give Agent Phen the benefit of the doubt didn't mean she was going to let her guard down around her, and just because they had left the orcs behind in some distant clearing of the forest didn't mean something even nastier wasn't tracking her and Agent Phen at this very moment.

Even a second of complacency on Lyrani's part could doom Nash. It could ruin her mission, and he and the kingdom would pay the price for it. She couldn't let that happen, even as she blinked at the fatigue that weighed down her eyelids and stifled a yawn behind her hand.

At a glance, the tents would look like mounds of earth that had risen in the middle of the forest, hopefully unremarkable enough not to arouse the curiosity of any passers-by. The gurgling of a stream trickling nearby struck Lyrani's keen ears as she stood to admire her handiwork.

Lyrani suddenly became aware of how scratchy her parched throat was, and how painful it would be to speak, but she did so anyway. "There's a stream nearby. I'm going to drink some water and wash my hands for dinner."

"Sure." Agent Phen turned with a business-like nod. "I'll be done soon, then I'll join you."

Lyrani waded through the night with shadows trailing in her wake like protectors. She wove a path around gnarled tree trunks and over exposed roots that grasped at her feet. Stars shone in the stream that appeared in front of her, like glitter on that dress she had worn the night she had poisoned Nash, the night his surprise return to his bedroom had foiled her misguided assassination attempt, the night she had started to fall in love with him.

She fell to her knees on the damp riverbank and dipped her grubby hands into the slow-flowing water. It reminded her of those languorous, sparkling nights she spent with Nash in Vlitavia. She smiled to think of him as she gathered water in her cupped palm and brought it up to her thirsty mouth.

Loving him gave her a lot of joy, but it was fraught with as much fear. Even so, she wouldn't give it up for the world, for all the safety in the realm, for all the riches the earth held because nothing could make her as happy as he did.

Satisfied with the cleanliness of her hands and having had her fill of water, Lyrani opened the flask hanging from her belt and dipped it into the river so its hollow insides filled with water. She stood, clipping the flask to herself once again and wiping her wet hands on her coat.

The walk back to the camp was quicker now that Lyrani was familiar with the way there and all the hazards that might try to stop her from returning. She arrived in the clearing where the griffins rested in time to see Agent Phen get to her feet. She swiped at her forehead before giving Lyrani a faint smile that looked as tired as the senior agent felt.

She packed the healing supplies away with far less care than she had taken them out earlier, but Lyrani didn't blame her. She knew first-hand how exhausted she must be after such a long day of travelling. Without a word, Agent Phen disappeared between the trees leading to the stream.

In the meantime, Lyrani rummaged in her bag of rations and withdrew a roll covered in brown paper. Unwrapping it, she saw that it contained a slice of cheese, a leaf of lettuce, and three semicircles of tomatoes. Her stomach growled at the delicious sight. She couldn't sit down and sink her teeth into it quickly enough.