Horde (Razorland #3)(97)

I understood more about Morrow’s odd fighting style, why it seemed more ceremonial and graceful than the purposeful killing the rest of us had learned. He came from a village where they fought for sport and to show athletic prowess, not for their lives. It was a distinction I’d never conceived until this moment.

“Have you ever seen anything like this?” Tully’s normally hard expression gave way to awe as she gazed around. I couldn’t ever remember seeing her without her lips pulled into a taut line, expecting the worst. But she was smiling now.

“We could just stay,” Spence whispered.

I wished the thought hadn’t occurred to me too. We could all be happy here, and the island was big enough that the village could expand. Trees could be felled to make room and Morrow had told me there was a quarry on the far end of the island where they dug their stones for the cottages. We could all plant gardens and fish in the river, learn to build boats and carve things out of wood and paint the clay tiles on our houses.

But Tully was a stronger woman than I was. She shook her head. “I wouldn’t be able to enjoy it, knowing I let everyone else die. I’m in this fight to the end.”

With those words, she sealed my fate. I turned to find Fade watching me. He read the renewed commitment in my eyes, and for a few seconds, sorrow darkened his. Sometimes I suspected he wished I would turn away, choose a different path, but like Tully, it would haunt me if I just gave up. Momma Oaks and Edmund were in Soldier’s Pond; they had given me a home in Salvation, and I wouldn’t rest until I could offer them the same.

Aloud, Fade only said, “It’s beautiful here.”

I nodded.

And when Morrow returned with his father, a lean older man with gray-shot dark hair and silver temples, I said softly, “I will never understand why you left.”

Reunion

The logistics took several hours to sort out.

First Morrow introduced us to his father, Geoffrey, the governor of the Evergreen Isle. Then there were a number of pertinent questions, like, “What the devil do you mean by arriving with a small army?”

At that point, I explained about the horde on the other side of the river and the governor paled. “You brought them here?”

“Not on purpose,” Morrow said. “But they would have come eventually, Father. Somehow I don’t think you want to be the last settlement standing.”

“Not at all,” his father said soberly.

The older man sprang into action then, organizing the hospitality for his unexpected guests. He sent runners all through the village, seeking volunteers to host a soldier or two. Soon the replies came back positive. So many people were willing to help, no questions asked, and it told me I was right about the spirit of this place. When the families came to show the men to their temporary homes, they glanced at me for permission.

“Go ahead. I’ll send a message if I need you to assemble.”

One of the men asked, “Should we treat this as leave time, captain?”

I nodded. “That’s fine. Be respectful to the locals.”

It was an unnecessary request; Company D was full of honorable soldiers, who would remember their manners and be thankful for the kindness offered. Before I got my house assignment, however, Fade stepped closer, making it clear we wouldn’t be separated. Tully and Spence had the same idea, and I think Morrow wished Tegan would look at him the same way, but she had wandered off to admire the bone carvings at a nearby stall. I went over to see what had caught her eye and Fade followed, a quiet shadow at my back.

“It’s called scrimshaw,” the vendor informed her. “My daddy taught me, his before, and so on. We’ve been working at this craft for a long time.”

Tegan touched a gracefully carved spine. “What is this?”

“It’s a dolphin, miss. You find them in the open sea. In good weather, the sailors head that way.” The man leaned forward in a confiding manner. “I went on a whaling voyage once. Never was so scared in all my life.”

“I’d love to see it all someday,” she said dreamily.

That was where she differed from me. With this war behind us, I could see myself happy here and never wanting anything more. But Tegan had a big, hungry mind that soaked life in like a sponge. She was the smartest person I’d ever met … and one of the strongest. She was also pretty as a spring day with her dark hair and coppery skin, her big brown eyes and her sweet smile. The vendor was clearly charmed as he pressed the carved bone dolphin into her hands.

“It’s a gift. Keep it.”

“I couldn’t.” But her fingers were already curving around the pretty thing.

“She has great skill at doctoring,” I told the man. “If you need any help while we’re here, she’ll be glad to tend you or your loved ones.”

Tegan gave a grateful nod. I knew her well enough to understand that she’d love to keep the carving, but she didn’t feel right about offering nothing in return. This let her salvage her pride and for the vendor to enjoy the generosity of his gesture. I stepped away from the stall to let them continue their conversation, and as I moved off, I heard her asking about whales.

A few minutes more wouldn’t hurt anything, I decided. So I passed among the stalls, admiring the shiny items. One woman made adornments like the necklace I had borrowed from Momma Oaks—and all of them glimmered in the sun. I touched a short coil of silver wire, interspersed with brilliant stones.