🔥 The Path of Fire (Path of Light and Fire Book #1)(Completed) 🔥

Chapter 4.1: Rianna Calls

The rest of their time in Jabez continued in strained silence. Turrent's led a black courser as they left the city. There were no sighting of the men from last night, so Sabin considered himself lucky.

They needed to get along, so Sabin tried a different tack. "Your horse?" Sabin asked.

"Midnight," Turrent said. "I've had him since he was a foal. I have been through a lot with him." He rubbed Midnight's back.

"What is it with you two and naming horses?" Leena said, shaking her head. She threw her hands as Sabin went to speak. "All right, all right, I'm playing nice."

Sabin shook his head. "You mind if I talk to your horse?"

Turrent and Leena must have shared a look, because it was Leena who answered. "He says he can talk to animals."

Turrent raised an eyebrow at Sabin. "Sure pup, tell me what he says."

Sabin rubbed Midnight's nose. He still found it difficult to talk to horses. They didn't speak like humans, but their feelings were projected in a way meant to get their point across. He'd grown used to Ares, the destrier's feelings were straightforward enough for Sabin to get the meaning. Midnight, however, was anxious. Given that Sabin had to feel what they felt, it was some time before Sabin navigated the source of the anxiety: Turrent.

That was followed by several emotions: fear, confusion, and pleading. Sabin tried to project the last emotion back at the horse. That calmed Midnight.

Help how? With Turrent?

The horse sent warmth and humor his way in return.

Was that a joke?

"The suspense is killing me," Turrent said in a monotone voice. "What did he say?"

"He made a joke about your sanity. I think."

"Careful, Midnight." Turrent smiled and rubbed the horse's back. "I'll have you turned into glue."

The combination of humor and warmth hit Sabin again. I guess you don't need words to understand each other.

Sabin realized that was the problem. Leena and Turrent were different people and he had to be the bridge. He couldn't let them retreat from each other. Sabin rubbed Midnight's nose one last time and went back to Ares.

"So Turrent," Sabin said. "Leena says the Tsuchina are feared throughout Acadia."

"The world," Turrent corrected. "We are known by different names in different countries, but we are all the same organization."

"Leena here is former Estala."

"Really?" Turrent arched an eyebrow.

"Apprenticed once," Leena said. She walked over to the space between Sabin and Turrent.

"Were you that good?"

"I could take the blades of a Tsuchinan before he slit my throat."

Turrent snickered. "I very much doubt that."

"Then where are your swords?"

Turrent patted the small of his back, where he kept his short swords. There were just empty sheaths.

Leena thrust the leather hilts of his swords into Turrent's outstretched hands.

"I can respect that," Turrent said. He put his weapons away, the hiss of blade and leather making Sabin appreciate how skilled Leena had to have been to take those off his person without either of them knowing.