"Care to wager on it? There are no spirits here to offend."
"And no sorcerers to steal it?"
"Is that true, then? Do they use hair and nail clippings?"
He tensed. "I have no idea."
"Then don't bring it up."
He relaxed again and she did, too, settled in against him, listening to the storm rage outside. He shifted his shoulder, making her more comfortable, and she felt the muscles of his chest, hard against her back, and saw his arm flex, too, muscles moving under his dark skin.
Her eye traveled down to the Kitsune tattoos. Perhaps it was their association with warriors, but they were, for her, as a woman's jewels might be to a man. Gavril's were among the best she'd seen, beautifully wrought, the dark-inked artwork amazingly intricate, the spot color bright green. There were few physical shortcomings a man could possess that could not, in her mind, be compensated for by good warrior ink.
She glanced over at him and had to admit there were blessed few physical shortcomings that needed compensating for. It was a shame to waste such a face and physique on such a surly--and, yes, exceedingly difficult--boy. Although, she supposed it was probably for the best, or being alone with him on this long journey might have pushed her to seek distractions they could ill afford. As it was, she'd be safer wooing a rock adder.
Speaking of rock adders . . . they did like to inhabit damp, rocky holes. She glanced over her shoulder.
"Stop that," Gavril hissed.
"I moved my head."
"Shhh!" Then, "Listen."
She did, and picked up the distant crack-crack of the thunder hawk's wings.
Thirty-five
"Now hush," Gavril whispered. "Before it hears us."
Though she was not the one who had instigated or perpetuated the exchange, she said nothing, which was usually the best course with Gavril.
The wingbeats grew louder. The beast seemed to be heading straight for them. Could it smell them? Did birds have a sense of smell? It wasn't anything she'd ever needed to ponder.
Then it landed. They couldn't see it--the cave mouth dipped down, and they were looking at rock. But she heard a thud that set the earth trembling.
The thunder stopped. The wind stopped, too. Then talons scraped against rock. A thump. Another one. The bird was walking, and the earth quaked with each footfall.
It stopped. Silence. Then the beast let out a deafening shriek . . . right outside the cave.
"No," Gavril whispered. "No, no, no."
His hands went around her knees, as if shielding them, yanking and tugging as he tried to shift backward, to get them farther into the cave. She could feel Daigo moving, too, trying to give them room. It was no good. They were in as far as they could go. And her legs were a hand's breadth from the mouth of the cave.
Thunder cracked as the bird flapped its wings. The wind swirled up. Gavril kept pulling her, trying to shift her, get her off to the side. But there was no room.
She took out one dagger, gripping it, then pried his fingers from her knee and tugged his hand to the hilt of his blade. He hesitated as if, for one moment, he wasn't sure what it was. Then he eased the sword from the sheath and up, over her lap, blade ready, if awkwardly held. Though he tried a few angles, she could tell it was no good--with Moria on his lap, he couldn't do more than feebly jab.
Moria unsheathed her other dagger. They sat there, holding their weapons in the dark, sand swirling in as the bird beat its wings, each crack of thunder punctuated by an earth tremor, as if it was hopping more than walking, using its wings to help itself along.
It's injured. Remember that. We hurt it and--
The bird stopped. Everything stopped.
A beak thrust into the cave, so fast that they both jumped. Gavril's free arm wrapped tighter around her legs, but the beak was right there, so massive it barely fit through. It opened just enough to reveal rows of small, blade-sharp teeth. The beak slashed at her legs as the bird worked itself in farther, rock crumbling to give it room. Gavril tried his sword, but only succeeded in enraging the bird, making it fight harder, those tiny teeth slashing and biting Moria's leg.
"Can you use anything else?" she said as she struggled to keep back from those teeth.
"I'm trying--"