Season of the Wild Hunt(Book 1 of The Seventh Gate series)

A Complicated Truce - pt1

"Aedan, what in the name of Danu were you thinking?" It was Donn, and he did not sound pleased.

Nyani opened her eyes a crack. Grey light told her that dawn must be close. Her head hurt, so she squeezed her eyes closed again, disgruntled. Insufferable, miserable son of a she-bear. Aedan made no reply, and Donn's voice continued on.

"She was drunk as a sailor on shore leave, man! Puking her guts out, raving, and crying into the bargain. Those beasts are still out there somewhere - she could have wandered off and been attacked again, or fallen down the hill and broken her bloody neck. You're supposed to be keeping an eye on them, not getting them out of their heads on poitín!"

Oh, keeping an eye on us, is it? Nyani felt her venom rising, but Aedan's voice interrupted.

"Now, Donn, I've told ye I'm sorry for giving her the drink. I didnae see the harm. I'd thought she'd have a stronger head for it. And I did nowt to make the lassie cry. But I ken my duty, and I've no yet failed ye, have I?"

"All right." Donn let out a sigh. "Forgive me. I didn't mean to imply otherwise. You've a big heart, man, that's all I'm saying. I know you've taken a liking to them, but she...I mean they are...what I mean is, they're strangers. We should all be more cautious. I've taken a great risk on all our behalves as it is. We shouldn't become too entangled, until we have discovered more. "

"Fair enough, lad. Sensible. But I'll say this, then ­- if it's tangling that's got ye bothered, be sure to take your own advice."

There was a loud slap, followed by Aedan's rumbling chuckle. Nyani slitted her eyes open again to see him patting Donn heavily on the shoulder, and both of them looking at her. Aedan appeared to be highly amused. Donn did not. She didn't care why in either case, and rolled over with her back to them, cocooning herself in her blanket. So what if they knew she had been listening.

Entangled? To hell with all of them. She didn't need them. They were a downright nuisance. It was high time she and Ashira parted company with them. They had their own mission to attend to. No matter what, today they would have to force these strangers to let them go, or else find a way to slip away.

Nyani felt satisfied with her decision. If they wanted to leave before the sun was up, let them go galloping off on their stupid damn horses - she was going back to sleep. She heard Donn issuing quiet instructions to the men, and the movement of hooves and boots about the cave, but she stubbornly ignored it all, drifting gratefully back into oblivion.

Sunlight reflecting into her face from the cave entrance woke her several hours later. She sat up slowly, and groaned. Her head felt like she had been pounding it against the floor all night and her mouth tasted foul. She drew up her knees and laid her head on them, waiting for her stomach to settle. The cave was quiet. Good. Maybe they were all gone.

"Ah! Alive after all, I see."

Nyani lifted her head carefully. Ashira sat a few feet away, legs stretched out comfortably and her back propped against the rock wall. She radiated self-satisfaction.

"Water?" She offered a skin to Nyani.

Nyani snatched it out of her hand and gulped it down. "Where were you last night?" she snapped irritably.

"Doing the job I'm here to do. Trying to keep you out of the, er... trouble... you seem to have a knack for stirring up. Does that sound familiar, perhaps?" Nyani eyed her. Ashira sounded more than a little sarcastic. "While you were off falling about drunk and howling at the moon - and throwing up on our leader's boots, I believe. Unusual strategy, that."

"Hmph. I'm fairly sure I missed his boots. Pity. And I was not drunk." That was not quite true, but Ashira was making her feel defensive. She was also feeling ashamed of her bout of self-pity. "I notice you still haven't said where you were, though."