They rose up together, passed goats with curved horns that balanced on ledges, and the nests of hawks and eagles. She saw a low cave and wondered what made its den there, and felt an odd thrill as they slid through thin clouds.
When they reached the top, they lowered onto a rocky plateau. One, from the scattering of goat droppings, the mountain goats frequented.
“How high?” she wondered. “Fifty feet?”
“Near to seventy. I thought high enough for this first time.”
“I don’t feel as rocky as I did after the waterfall, but maybe that was a combination of things.”
There was something… in the water, in the river. Something she couldn’t reach with her hand, and now couldn’t reach with her memory.
She shrugged it off.
“But it’s enervating. Even with this incredible view, I could take a nap right here.”
“Stay alert. Defend.”
Later, she’d think she’d become Pavlov’s dog. Keegan saiddefendand she drew her sword. And, she’d suppose later, that was the whole point.
But at the moment, she was too busy fighting off wraiths to think at all. Dark faeries, a Were that became some sort of mountain cat, two demon dogs, and a witch who hurled fire.
It surprised her to find herself fighting back-to-back with Keegan.
“We came together,” he said, “we fight together. In battle, you know who fights with you and against you. Duck,” he added, then astonished her by flipping over her back, landing on his feet, and taking the last two wraiths out with one strike.
“So that’s done.”
In response, she lay down on the rocks, closed her eyes.
“You’re lying on the shite of goats.”
“I don’t care. Everything hurts. My fingers sting, my lungs burn. You said it’s done, so we saved the poor innocent children and the sweet, tiny babies. I’m going to lie right here for a few minutes.”
He crouched beside her. “And what if more enemy are hidden behind the rocks over there?”
“You’ll take care of them. How do we get these imaginary children off the mountain?”
“It’s more hill than mountain, and we’d call dragons to fly them safely home again.”
“Good, consider I’m doing that while you destroy the last of the enemy.”
She opened her eyes, looked at him. She thought he was a little winded, but that could’ve been wishful thinking.
“Tell me the training’s finished for today.”
“Well, we’ve still got to get down, then there’s the ride back to the valley. But after that, it’s done.”
“Hallelujah. I want the world’s longest shower, a gallon of wine, and the flank steak Marco’s got marinating.”
“Then you’d best get on your feet.” Rising, he reached down to take her hand, pull her up. “You did well. There’s improvement. Small, aye, very small with the sword, but improvement for all that.”
“I’m trying to think less, act more. I’m never going to be a warrior—”
“A warrior trains. A warrior fights, risks death to protect, to defend. You’ve done that and will do that. You’ve earned the braid if you want it.”
Stunned, she stared at him. Emotion filled her, chased by a quick and unexpected thrill. She let it ride through her as she turned, looked out at the spread of Talamh, the rise and fall, the green and brown, the gold and blue of it.
Breen Siobhan Kelly, she thought, warrior for the Fey.