The Seer by Rowan McAllister (reading comprehension books .TXT) 📕

“I think so. Are you all right now? You seemed a little out of it back there.”

Ravi huffed and moved farther away from him. “I’m fine.”

“Okay then, let’s go.”

He didn’t grab Ravi’s wrist this time; he just took off at a fast walk in the opposite direction the searchers had gone, hoping he could swing back, once they’d gotten out of the town proper. He spared one glance to make sure Ravi was following before he broke into a jog.

By the time they reached the trees past the edge of town, they were both puffing like bellows, but at least he was pretty sure no one was following them.

“The horse,” Ravi wheezed.

“I know. He was. Amazing,” Daks panted absently, scanning the darkness around them and trying to get his bearings.

“No. The mare,” Ravi continued. “I left her. At the. Edge of town.”

Daks groaned and let his head drop back for a second as he struggled for breath. Too late to cry about it now. They’d lost two horses tonight, since he’d left that gorgeous, wonderful, life-saving white stallion behind as well.

“Don’t worry. We probably shouldn’t take the road anyway,” he replied as his heart settled a little. “We have the one for our packs. She’ll have to be enough. We can lead her through the woods on foot.”

“To where?” Ravi asked, his tone dismayed.

“Away from here. North, probably.”

“Probably?”

Daks ground his teeth. “We’ll talk when we catch up with Shura.”

“Why? Because she’s the only one with a brain?” When Daks made no reply, Ravi growled. “So, that’s it? That’s all you’ve got? Just run into the woods? I swear, you must pray to Ruko, god of mischief and bad luck, every day of your life, because he certainly loves you.”

“I don’t pray to any gods, particularly not Rassan ones. And I have some ideas of what to do next, but I’d rather talk it out when we’re all together, okay? Does that work for you?” he snapped back.

Ravi sniffed but didn’t say anything else, and Daks set off into the woods without another word. Luckily, the trees hadn’t filled in with summer growth yet, so he could still catch a glimpse of the moon and stars often enough to keep his bearings.

“I hope you at least know where you’re going,” Ravi grumbled behind him.

Daks held his tongue and his temper for two reasons and two reasons only. One, he was tired and had to save his breath. And two, Ravi had saved Shura’s life tonight, possibly twice. For that, Ravi would have his eternal gratitude… or at least enough gratitude to let the sniping roll off his back.

Their trek to the cabin was blissfully uneventful—not that you’d know it by the grumbling and swearing going on behind him every time Ravi stumbled over a bit of uneven ground or an exposed root in the dark. But as the cursing went on, Daks found himself fighting a smile more and more, his humor returning. The skinny Seer had a mouth on him when riled, Daks had to give him that. He could also admit to finding that a little bit sexy… but again, that might just be the aftereffects of the fight still coursing through his veins.

He made sure to hide his smile any time he glanced back to make sure Ravi was keeping up, though. No need to add any more fuel to that fire. Ravi might need that energy to make it through the rest of the night.

When Daks finally stepped out of the trees and into the clearing with the cabin, he skidded to a halt, making Ravi stumble into him from behind.

“What are you doing?” Ravi griped.

Daks didn’t reply. He was too busy blinking in disbelief.

All three of their horses waited placidly for them beside the cabin. The mares had been grazing but lifted their heads at his and Ravi’s approach. Horse stood apart from the others, keeping watch. The beast eyed him with unsettlingly calm eyes that almost seemed to glow in the moonlight, and Daks was helpless to do anything but stare back. Then Horse lifted his head, breaking contact to glance beyond him, and Daks shook himself and turned to find Shura and Fara coming up the track.

The women were both breathless, their faces anxious, but neither looked injured.

“Are you all right?” Daks asked, glancing between the two of them.

“Barely a scratch on us,” Shura replied, narrowing her eyes at him. “But I should probably be asking you that, since you’re the one bleeding.”

“What?” Ravi exclaimed.

He stepped in front of Daks, pushed the hood of his cloak back, and studied every inch of him until his gaze locked on something, and even in the moonlight Daks thought he paled.

Daks glanced down at the spot on his side that had complained for most of his flight from town.

“Flesh wound,” he said with a shrug as it began to sting now that he’d acknowledged it. “One of ’em got a lucky hit. I don’t think it’s bleeding anymore, and we have bigger things to worry about.”

Shura pressed her lips together unhappily but didn’t bother to argue. They’d been through this before, and she trusted him to know when a wound was serious enough to need tending. Ravi, on the other hand….

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Ravi snapped. “If you faint from loss of blood or the wound putrefies, who’s going to make sure I get safely to Samebar? You owe me. You promised.”

“It’s fine,” Daks argued tiredly. “It’s nothing that can’t wait until we’re a safer distance away and holed up for a rest.”

Ravi turned to Shura. “And you’re okay with this? He’s your partner. Shouldn’t we at least bind the wound, just to be sure?”

Shura pursed her lips and regarded Ravi with steady, unblinking eyes until Ravi looked away and threw up his hands. “Fine. Whatever. I don’t know why I bother. You’re all crazy.”

In the dark, Daks was the only one who caught Shura’s lip twitch as she fought a smile. She stepped past both of