Eamon knew it too and shook his head. He didn’t even have the courtesy to look regretful.
She huffed at him. “I’ll remember this.”
“You do that. As long as the warlord remembers it too.”
She made a rude gesture at him.
“Hello, hello,” a voice called from the entrance of the tent. Seconds later a man popped his head through the door way. Seeing the two of them, he stepped in.
Blond, with a sly look in his eyes that said he got into more than his fair share of trouble, the man crossed the tent towards them. He had a broad forehead, an angled jaw, and moved with a dynamic energy.
“Look who it is. Our prodigal daughter come to visit the small folk.”
“Buck.” Shea greeted him with a smile as he clasped her on the shoulder. Buck’s real name was Gerard, but only his superiors and boring people—his own words—called him that. “Where’ve you been?”
“Oh, you know, about. Old slave driver there had me and my team scouting the forest to the east.”
Shea fought the wistfulness she felt at his words. She was happy for him. She was. It was a big deal to be given your own squad, and she knew how hard he’d worked for it. He deserved it, but she couldn’t help feeling left behind.
“Find anything interesting?” she asked.
Buck took a seat on a pillow next to her before setting a pair of maps down on Eamon’s desk.
“As a matter of fact, I did. A herd of giant elk nearly trampled my team. We would have been goners if we hadn’t found a nice boulder to wait out the stampede on. Craziest thing I ever saw. They came out of nowhere, and I didn’t see any predators driving them.”
“Where was this?” Eamon asked.
Buck leaning forward and gestured to the map. “A few days east of this stream. We didn’t see any sign of humans up that way, but with how thick this forest is and how good these people are at hiding, that’s not saying much.”
Shea leaned forward to look at the map. It was a strange story, but then strange things tended to happen in these lands. Until they had more information, it was considered peculiar but that was about it.
“I’ll make a note of it in my reports.” Eamon looked up at Buck. “There’s been several sightings recently that are out of the ordinary. I’ll have the men keep an eye out for similar occurrences.”
Buck snorted. “Since when aren’t there odd things about in this land?”
Eamon’s expression said he half agreed.
Buck seemed willing to let that be the end of it. He leaned back and smiled at the two of them. “It’s like old times. If we were on the trail, it would be exactly like them.”
“We’re heading out with a small group tomorrow if you’d like to join,” Eamon volunteered.
Shea blinked, not expecting the invitation. Normally, Eamon kept things closer to the vest. It made her wonder if he missed their old team.
“What? Both of you?” Buck asked, looking between them.
Eamon and Shea nodded.
“I’m in. This’ll be exactly like old times. Let’s just hope Shea doesn’t have to jump onto the backs of any shadow beetles.”
“That was one time,” Shea protested. “And it saved your worthless hides.”
Buck snickered. “I’ll never forget the sight of you free falling through the air. I was sure you were going to bounce off and get stepped on.”
“That was a controlled fall. I knew what I was doing.” That last part might have been a bit of an exaggeration. To this day, she wasn’t sure how she survived that stunt. “Besides, Eamon is making us take the Anateri. They’re not going to let me do anything even remotely dangerous.”
Buck’s face brightened. For a moment he looked like a child about to meet his heroes. “They’re coming? Even better.”
“Maybe for you,” Shea muttered.
“How can you say that?” Buck asked. “They’re the elite of our elite. I don’t know anyone who has even come close to joining their ranks.” He paused. “Well, except for you—before Fallon discovered you were a woman.”
“Shea’s just chafing at the fact that there’s somebody who questions the more reckless decisions she makes before she has a chance to act on them.” Eamon gave her a censorious look, having counseled her on similar topics when he was her squad leader.
She stuck her tongue out at him.
“You think they’ll give me a few pointers?” Buck asked.
“I thought you were happy as a scout.”
He shrugged. “I am, but if an invitation ever came to join their ranks, I wouldn’t pass it up. Besides, I’ve never seen better swordsmen. Getting tips from them might prolong my life out there.” He made a gesture meant to encompass the world outside.
Shea stood, preparing to take her leave. “You’d be better served spending your time studying the beast board. If it comes down to a fight against beasts, you’re more likely to lose no matter how skilled you are with a blade. Better to study and learn so you avoid danger in the first place.”
He blew a raspberry at her. “You’re no fun. There’s nothing to say I can’t do both. Right, Eamon?”
One side of Eamon’s mouth quirked up. “Don’t get me involved in this.”
Shea shook her head, chuckling, as she walked away.
“That means you’ll do it, right? You’ll put in a good word for me?” Buck yelled at her back.
She lifted a hand and waved. “You’ll owe me one.”
“Just put it on my tab.”
CHAPTER THREE
SHEA STEPPED out of the tent she shared with Fallon when he was home—a tent bigger than any house she’d lived in. It had to be to accommodate his guests on the occasions when he entertained. Shea had only been present for a few of those occasions, but she was glad to have the space.
She took two steps forward and stopped.
Daere waited for her, arms folded over her chest and an implacable expression on her face.
Shit. Trenton must have informed Fallon’s cousin of Shea’s planned activities for the day.
Shea hesitated before straightening her shoulders and meeting Daere head on. She was an adult and fully capable of letting Daere know that she was riding out to meet Fallon. The other woman could argue as much as she wanted, but it wouldn’t change Shea’s plans.
“Going somewhere?” Daere asked. Her expression left Shea no doubt that Daere already knew the answer to that.
“I’m joining Eamon when he rides out this morning to meet Fallon.”
“Are you now?” Daere’s eyebrow lifted.
“Yup. That’s what I’m doing.”
“And when were you going to inform me of this?”
Shea thought the answer to that question was fairly obvious. Instead of giving a response that would have guaranteed Daere’s wrath, she said, “I’m informing you now.”
Daere’s jaw tightened, a vein throbbing in her neck. Shea waited.
“You are a stubborn, stubborn woman.”
Shea nodded, acknowledging the claim. She was. There was no getting around it. She was also hardheaded and horrible with people. She fully acknowledged her failings.
“If I didn’t know Fallon as well as I do, I would question his sanity in choosing you, of all people, as his telroi.”