Ash Between Us

~13~

Rynn stepped out into the Haven's Rest common room, the faint scent of last night's ale still clinging to the wood beams. The morning light streaming through the warped glass windows felt far too bright for the pounding in his head, but Gerrick was already waving him over to the long table near the back.

Darric, with his weathered face and ever-present leather satchel, leaned over a crudely drawn map spread across the table. Verrin sat opposite him, tall and wiry, his fingers drumming against the wood in restless impatience. Tollis, the youngest of the group, was hunched forward with his elbows on the table, chewing a strip of dried meat as if it were a lifeline.

"Glad you decided to join us," Gerrick grunted, sliding a mug of water in Rynn's direction. "We've got a narrow window before Malachi's bloaks shift positions again."

Rynn took the seat between Gerrick and Tollis, forcing himself to focus. "Where's the gap?"

Darric pointed to the northern edge of the map, where a thin trail cut through jagged terrain. "Here. Scouts say Malachi's army keeps a patrol line moving along these cliffs. The bloaks don't like the steep ground-it slows them down. If we time it right, we can slip a team through before the next rotation."

Verrin leaned back, arms crossed. "Timing it right means we've got maybe twenty minutes, if that. One mistake, and we're trapped between two waves."

Tollis swallowed his mouthful and spoke for the first time. "And what exactly are we scouting for? Supplies? Weapons?"

"Numbers," Gerrick replied flatly. "We need a real count on how many bloaks Malachi has stationed in the eastern quarter. Guessing isn't cutting it anymore."

Rynn's gaze drifted to the crude sketch of the cliff pass, the jagged ink lines marking the danger points. "We'll have to split into two groups," he said finally. "One to draw attention on the lower road, the other to slip past up here." He tapped the higher route on the map. "If the bloaks bite the bait, the second group gets through clean."

Verrin smirked faintly. "And I'm guessing you want the dangerous job?"

Rynn's eyes narrowed. "I'm not asking anyone to do something I won't."

Gerrick gave a short nod. "Good. Then we move at dusk."

But as the plan solidified, Rynn couldn't shake the flicker of distraction still clawing at the back of his mind-because just over Gerrick's shoulder, in the far corner of the room, Kali had appeared. And she was watching him like she knew every thought he was trying to bury.

The six of them spread across the clearing outside Haven's Rest, boots sinking into the packed dirt where others before had trained. The trees closed in around the space like silent witnesses, and the air carried the weight of tension rather than calm.

Gerrick's voice cut across the circle.
"Two hours. We're not here to win-just to learn how the others move. In the field, hesitation gets us killed."

They broke into pairs, steel and bows, fists and rifles. For two hours they worked, and in those two hours Rynn and Jace managed to fight about everything.

First it was footing.
"You're standing too square," Jace muttered, circling him with his knife.
"And you're too loose," Rynn shot back, bracing his rifle. "One shove and you're flat on your back."

Then it was timing.
"You telegraph every swing," Rynn snapped after parrying a strike.
"At least I move," Jace barked, knife flashing dangerously close. "You wait so long I could gut you twice over."

Even their breath turned into an argument.
"You're winded already?" Jace taunted, grinning through the sweat on his brow.
Rynn's glare was sharp enough to cut. "Keep talking, and I'll make sure you're the one gasping."