A Court of Wings and Fate

53. Teamwork

    By the time the sun had risen, they were beyond the foothills of the mountain and making their way through a thick snowy forest. Mikael had been silent for the past several hours. He'd shielded himself from the Bond too, so Estelle couldn't feel what he felt.

    It worried her, especially when she recalled the story he'd shared. Anger burned in her gut. Ronan had torn out Mikael's feathers. How old had her mate been at the time? He hadn't said, but he was certainly very young if he didn't know what bastards and whores were. She guessed he might've been around eleven or twelve. Possibly older, maybe younger.

    Estelle stared at Mikael's back as they walked. Her shadows rested along the curve of his wings and dangled around his neck. They were unusually quiet and lethargic. She guessed it was due to the wards around the mountain.

    I wonder if they'll be affected like this during the Illyrian Blood Rite, Estelle thought. She had never asked her father that before. Perhaps she would the next time they were in the Night Court.

    "Do we have a certain amount of time to reach the Fountain?" Estelle asked, finally breaking the silence.

    Mikael shook his head. "The Rite takes most warriors eight days in total. Four days to the Fountain and four days for the trip back down."

    "I bet we can make it sooner."

    A small smile flickered across his lips. "We'll see, Batsy. It depends on the conditions we'll face."

    Undergrowth snapped nearby and Estelle drew closer to Mikael. "Well, at least with spring coming, we know more animals will be active. That will make hunting easier."

    "And more dangerous. Animals will be hungry and territorial now."

    "We need to make weapons of some kind."

    Mikael lifted his gaze to the cloudy sky. "We'll find shelter first. It might snow tonight, or rain at least."

    "Freezing rain will kill us faster than snow," Estelle pointed out. "Devlon taught me that."

    "We'll be safe from snow and rain after we pass the cloud level. For now, snow will help us freeze meat. We won't be able to hunt very much once we're past the treeline. There won't be as many animals up there."

    Estelle nodded her understanding and kept her senses alert. She could hear branches rustling in the wind and stale animal scents permeated the air. Her hand reached instinctively for Znaniya, even though she knew the blade wasn't there.

    Her stomach clenched with anxiety, but she attempted to stifle it. She knew how to survive in the wild while unequipped. Devlon had taken groups of Illyrians into the mountains and taught them how to live on the land for several days as part of their training.

    Azriel, Rhys, and Cassian took her and the Boys on several similar trips as well. When they grew more capable, the males left them alone to fend for themselves at night, returning only when absolutely necessary. She knew what she was doing, and so did Mikael. They would work together and survive.

    The day seemed to stretch on slowly. Dismal gray clouds hung thick overhead. Estelle knew Mikael was worried about rain. He kept checking their progress and the position of the clouds every few minutes. Estelle kept track of the time by catching glimpses of the sun when the clouds parted briefly.

    By now, Thesan and Ameer had to know where they'd gone. Estelle kept expecting her mother to reach out to her mentally, but Seren was silent. Perhaps Lysander hadn't told their parents, or maybe Seren couldn't speak to her because of the wards around the mountain.