Soul Seeker

6: Companion

The gentle hiss of runners on snow had been lulling her into relaxation for a couple of hours when she spotted another sledder heading her way.

Immediately her muscles tensed. Was it Fell, the killer of Darius's brother? How fast could she reach for a weapon?

"Ciara!" a familiar voice called.

"Tonraq?"

"I haven't seen you much since the sled race." Tonraq brought his sled alongside hers. "Glad to see you're back to your old self! What are you doing out here? We don't usually hunt in this direction."

"I'm going to Jost."

"Why? There's nothing there, it's no better than Nome."

"I'm going on a hunt for..." A man. "A guardian."

"You mean those immortal souls the Suzerain wants? Bit of a step up from reindeer and rabbits, isn't it?"

"I'm serious, Tonraq, I'm listening to the decree."

"And you thought you'd head out on your own without a word?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't think."

"Yeah, you'd think this is something you should consider carefully. What's in Jost?"

"A lead."

"And you're going to do all of this on your own."

"Yes."

"Well, no," Tonraq said. "I'm coming with you."

"It could be dangerous, I can't ask you to come."

"If it's dangerous then you'll definitely need me by your side."

"Oh, please. I taught you everything you know."

Tonraq, being a little younger, had followed her around avidly when they were children.

"Then you know you can rely on me, don't you?"

"But – you're going to leave Nome just like that?"

"Magdal can cope without me. We go on long hunts all the time, why should this one be any different?"

If only he knew.

Ciara didn't know where to start. With the fact that Darius's life was on the line?

"Boulder ahead!" Tonraq called.

The dogs avoided it nimbly, but Ciara was grateful for the warning, which helped her redistribute her weight on the footboards as the sled swerved.

"See? You need me. You've never turned me away on a hunt before, so why start now?"

"I could never turn you away, Tonraq."

"That's what I like to hear."

Despite her worries, Ciara realised she had already grown weary of being alone with her thoughts throughout the morning, and being able to talk to someone after steeling herself for a long period of solitude had lifted a weight from her chest.

They fell into their old routine of sledding in single file like a wolf pack, with one person taking the worst of the wind while the other sledded in the tracks the first sled created. They swapped often. They debated when to stop for a break, and sat together sipping from their water flasks while the dogs played in the snow.

They made good progress throughout the day, but anxiety gnawed at her bones. She couldn't lead Tonraq blindly into danger. She didn't care too much about herself, but if she made a mistake and someone else got hurt, it was different.