Out of Evenfall (BOOK 1)

Chapter 42

YUVEN

"Any Derelicts on the rails ahead?" he asked as he stood over the map.

"It's clear for once, Captain Traye," a young Warden reported with no small hint of relief. "We're coming up on the Burning Abyss in thirty chimes." They reached forward to point its forked scar on the map, following the set route of the train. "Once we've reached the edges, we'll strengthen the wards on the middle cars. If any Derelicts do begin to crawl out of the abyss, we'll be ready for them."

Yuven nodded. "Good, then get back to your posts. Switch Watchers out as we come closer. If the star wills it, our..." He licked his lips and frowned at the wall behind the young Warden. "Our fortuitous luck will continue up until we're through the Summit's wards." Behind one of the Wardens, Fenrer narrowed his eyes at him in curiosity. He clicked his teeth to dismiss them back to their posts, and the milling Storm Wardens bustled away. Save for one, who held a letter close to their chest. "What is that?"

"It's a letter, Captain Traye," they said and held it out to him. "It arrived just before the train left the station. I only managed to get here in time, but couldn't find you until now."

"From...?" Yuven thumbed the edges of the envelope, testing the magick sealing it. Winter's warmth called out to him, and he knew who penned it before it left the courier's throat.

"Captain Lotayrin."

Yuven gripped the edges of the envelope, where the wintery touches crawled against his fingertips and unsealed the letter. "Thank you for bringing this to me. You're dismissed." He looked down at it as the Warden left him and Fenrer alone in the meeting car. "I'm surprised a letter got here before we left. The courier paths must be having the same good fortune that we are." Yuven turned to one of the windows which gave him a viewpoint of the distant crack in the world.

"You sound skeptical, Yuv."

"And you are not? It wasn't so long ago that we had to deal with a horde and a hatching Goliath." Yuven waved his hand at the distant family of gorges. "It would have sent a ripple effect through the rest of the echoes."

Fenrer joined him at the window. "I can take a look when we pass over the abyss, if it'll help."

"You should sleep, or at least make sure the Ani— Adara isn't up to any trouble. She's more responsive to you than she is to me."

Fenrer pursed his lips and said nothing in response to the truth. "I truly do wonder why that is," he mumbled. Yuven sent his fist into Fenrer's shoulder, causing him to smile at him. "I'll get some sleep after I've confirmed your suspicions. You should read that letter." Fenrer sent his own fist into Yuven's arm, and he tried not to stumble as he couldn't make Fenrer. "If you're going to scold me about not resting, one should make sure their sails are not impeded by the same." His hand clapped his back, and he ignored the rust crawling back into his throat to mix with the rainwater of new springs. "I'll see you topside when it's time."

Yuven opened his mouth, though Fenrer had turned away and headed through the car and took the suppressive rainwater with him, but it was too much to ask his Oathbound to take within him the darkness which followed his life. He sucked in his lips and huffed. "'Make sure sails are not impeded by the same,'" he attempted to copy Fenrer's way of speaking, but again, potatoes were left in his throat instead. "Please." Yuven stuck his tongue between his small fangs before slipping open the letter.

No, I will not ask that of Fenrer anymore. He already intakes too much by simple proximity... What is to say my darkness has not already imbalanced his soul beyond any sort of help? He peeled open the letter, where scratched Navee scrawl greeted him from his Guardian, whose penmanship was not as neat as his. It was the usual worries, his mother hen of an adoptive parent had, but with a new twirled pair of words.