Hounded [Wild Hunt Series: 2]

21: understandable

I didn't come out, but I did move closer as her boots hit the mud and then more stable sand. Shail hadn't moved a muscle; I didn't even see him breathing, but that wasn't unusual for the crag cat.

"How did you find me?" I asked, switching the knife into my left hand to wipe the faintest gleam of frost from the handle. I was okay, I told myself. No need to panic-freeze.

Dakota smiled. "Chiro entrusted Gabe to me."

I frowned. Dakota + Gabe was not a common combination. In fact, I couldn't remember the last time she'd hung with the wolf if he wasn't lazing about near Chiro or myself. But Chiro had left, and it was possible he'd surrendered care of Gabe to someone else, knowing where I was and what was happening to me, knowing Dakota could not do what she wanted on her own.

"Where's Gabe now?"

"With the other girls. We found you a couple hours ago. Didn't want to approach in case there was anything else going on or anyone else afoot. Wouldn't want to startle you with a loud troop, either. We're smaller, Tay, than we were straight out of the Hunt. Not everyone chose to come looking for you."

"Understandable," I said, nodding. "Did the King set them up alright?"

"When we left, everyone was being brought out to Prince Chiro's lands. The Walrus vouched for the guy responsible for taking them to his palace."

"Chiro has his own palace?"

Dakota shrugged. "I don't know what you call it, considering he's a prince and not a king. A manor? I don't have the vocab for this stuff. Didn't go see it, either, so I've got no clue what kind of hellscape your husband lords over. Those of us with hearts and not some empty black hole in our chest put together a group to rescue you from the tower, which by our conversation here today you know we failed hardcore at. Those who'd rather watch out for themselves were alive and well when we saw them loading up on horseback to make the journey to his lands. Supposed going to live in the main building, be watched over by some of Chiro's monsters. With you AWOL, I can't say for sure they're safe now, but fuck 'em. After what you did-"

"If you aren't Dakota, you've sure got her language down pat," I said. I didn't want to think about what I'd done, any part of it. "How many strong are you?"

"There's ten of us left, plus Gabe and the Walrus," Dakota continued. "We lost Kimiko, Roux, and Amara near the Tower, almost the Walrus, too, if Gabe hadn't barked and alerted us one night. Between the King's henchmen and that awful witch we couldn't get to you. We couldn't get anywhere near you. I'm so sorry, Tay." Her voice cracked. "You've gotta know I tried my damnedest to save you from this bullshit." 

In the long pause between us, Shail emerged from the reeds about three feet from the damp hem of Dakota's cloak. The woman stiffened, covered her mouth before she could scream. He took several deep, rumbling scents of her, then bumped his head against her hand and wormed his way against her chest for a petting. She cooed and stroked him. My shoulders dropped. Then I dropped, sat at the base of the tree with relief-flooded muscles and heavy red eyes.

Dakota, lost for a moment in the cat's demand for attention, caught sight of me higher on the bank and jogged hurriedly over with a soft cry of, "Oh, Tay! No!"

Shail trailed leisurely behind, ears pricked, eyes bright, anticipating many more pats (and from how hard his nose was working, food) if he should only follow the best friend I had in this place.

"You're okay," Dakota promised as every horrible emotion and the feeling of being alone rushed out of me. Something rough and faintly sharp rubbed against my arm.

Startled, I looked up and over to see Dakota sitting three feet away, gently attempting to stroke my back with a fallen branch. I looked down at my feet- a soft halo of silver surrounded me, sparked along the branch and up toward Dakota's hand like a crackling match. She dropped it, looked at me, and stretched for another one. Somewhere in me I found the strength to laugh, and the spell was broken. The frost melted into the warmer earth and after a couple unnecessary prods with a fresh stick, she had scooted around and hugged me tight.

"Stop," I said, wiping my eyes on the crinkled, stiff fabric of my sleeve. I leaned away from her. "It makes me feel bad."

Dakota grabbed my hand, smoothed the sleeve and lowered her head to meet my downcast eyes. "Hey, hey, look at me, Tay. It's okay to feel bad." Her blue eyes were tinted pink. "You can feel bad. I don't mind. I'm not gonna stand a million feet away staring into space though. I'm not gonna let you deal with this alone."

Shail's purring head dropped onto my shins. "Yeah," I said, running my head over his thick hide. "It's just, I don't know. I don't know, 'Kota. I'm not supposed to be like this. I'm not supposed to be in this situation."

Dakota leaned over and kissed my forehead, smoothed my hair. "I know," she said softly. "But you're on the other side now. It's gonna suck and go on sucking. You know sometimes there's moments walking through the forest when the air smells old and still, or the earth trembles or a branches snags my shirt . . . And I'm there in the harpy's roost again. You don't have to talk now or at all; fuck knows I never do, but if you need it, I'm here." 

Choked with emotion, I reached out and patted her knee.

She sighed and looked into the starlight. "You know what's good about tonight, Tay?"

I looked at her.

Her blue eyes were filled with fire. "Tonight's the start of change. You feel it in the air? You're going to fill us in on everything that's happening and we are going to find a way to stop it, or own it. Or both. I know my bones are rotting in a grave back home, but I'm going to try and get back. And if I can't do that, like I'm thinking, then we're going to burn this place down and start from scratch." She looked across at me. "Or, you know, generate the next ice age. The Walrus sure wouldn't mind."

I didn't feel up for seeing everybody, not yet, not until I had a little more rest and understanding. It had been such a nonstop journey, going, going, going, always looking out for myself and then Shail- to have a moment where I could just sit was the most beautiful thing in the world. Dakota stayed with me, and it was only after some time that she gave me a little nudge.

"Say, we'll have to be going soon. I don't like staying in one place longer than it takes to pee. I thought the Hunt was bad, but the further into the Oaks we've gone, the scarier and stranger it's gotten." 

"You've seen things?"

"It's getting a little depressing that an ankylosaurus cat is the most normal thing in this place,"  she said. 

"Hey," I said, getting to my feet and helping her up with me. "Did Chiro tell you where he was headed?"

Dakota shook her head. "Not so much where. He's looking for your mom. Going to try and stop her from coming through if I understood things right. Why's the Witch want her dead?"

"Not sure," I said. 

Dakota put her arm around my shoulder and together we started off back across the street. "Thing is, I don't know where Chiro's gone, but we've got Gabe and we've got the Walrus. The Walrus has all these stories, Tay. I've been listening and learning a lot from him. There used to be all these spots where you could cross from one world to the next no problem. That's why there was a lot of mythology out in the world- stuff coming through, going away, going back into the world through a different tear and coming out in a new location. The Witch has been shutting down all those spots, so there's only a few left. But that means there's only a few left, Tay. Chiro and your mom are gonna be at one of them." 

"That's great," I said. "But have you heard anything about my escape?"

She shook her head. "Not a word. We've stuff, more activity, things looking out for you, but-" she stopped, pushed her bangs from her face and added, "That's a lie. I wish I could say I heard nothing and let you come on out with it, but that's not true at all. We know, Tay. We all know. There's word out to capture you but capture you gentle because you're pregnant. Of everything that's happened so far, I hate that most of all. I know you don't want to hear how sorry I am but-"

Shail, who had splashed ahead of us and out the other side, shook himself off, licked a forepaw and stopped. His head turned abruptly to the right. There were voices, branches, the dim flare of torchlight.  Dakota and I exchanged glances. 

Not mine," she said, thumbing the other direction. 

I thought back to the peddler and grimaced. "I might know who," I whispered. "We've gotta get out of here now."