Shadowguard

Everna dismounted and guided Esazia through the curtain of rainwater spilling over the entrance. Once inside, she realized the cave wasn't as large as she initially thought. The roof was just tall enough to accommodate the horses, and barely large enough to leave their riders enough room for comfort with all three inside.

A brilliant flash of blinding white took hold of the world, the supercharged air crackling. Everna felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end, and she only just clamped her hands over her ears when the ensuing blast struck. The cave floor trembled beneath her.

"This is all your fault!" Vina flung her soaked bags onto the ground with a resounding plop, which echoed off the stone walls. "You stupid bitch! You made this happen!"

"While I'm flattered that you think I have the power to control the weather, you're an idiot if you believe I had anything to do with this," Everna said as she unbuckled her saddlebags.

"I don't know who you think you are!" Vina continued, throwing her curled fists down ike a petulant child. "You show up uninvited, like some filthy scavenger rat and everyone suddenly has to accommodate you! You think you're something special, don't you? Well, you're not. You're nothing but a stupid lowborn whore!"

Over the last week, Everna realized Vina's issue was less the danger she posed to Shadowguard and more of a convenient excuse to hide her true grievances. What those were, Everna couldn't say. She didn't care enough to figure it out, either. Vina's issue with her was of her own design, and Everna had more important things at hand.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you!" Vina barked.

Everna ignored her and loosened the last of the saddlebags.

It was then that Vina made her mistake. The shriek that escaped her this time was a primal thing, guttural and enraged. Then she lunged.

Everna might not have a talent for the blade, nor experience to speak of, but scrapping with snot-nosed brats was one of her specialties. She spent most of her childhood rolling in the dirt with bruised knuckles and split lips, tugging at hair and biting at hands. Her parents encouraged it, so long as it was in defense of herself and not during school hours. They knew it was merely something children did; she'd spent many a day scrapping with Corden as well. By the time she turned sixteen, those days trickled down until she could no longer remember the last time she'd been in an altercation.

But though she may have out-grown those habits, she was not afraid to fall right back into them when necessary.

Vina was slow. Faster than the average person, perhaps, but nowhere near as quick as Wil. With no effort at all, Everna avoided the brunt of the attack.

Vina's hand missed by mere inches, her nails raking harmlessly against the sleeve of her leathers. Before she could regain her balance and strike at her once more, Everna jerked her knee upward and slammed it into her stomach. With a pained gasp, Vina stumbled to her knees, her arms cradling her midsection.

That one strike should be enough, Everna suspected. Perhaps if Vina were wearing something more practical in place of her skin-tight dress and heeled shoes, she might have lasted a few moments longer. Maybe.

"Try that again, and next time, I'll flatten that nose a little more," Everna hissed.

With a loud sigh, Lisette slumped against the cave wall. "And people wonder why I hate working with others."

"She started it," Everna defended. Sparing Vina one more glance, as to be certain it would be a moment before she recovered, she hefted her saddlebags and moved them to the other side of the cave.

"Never said she didn't," Lisette said. "It's about time she got what she deserved."

Everna threw her a dubious look and thought, As if you're not running your mouth behind my back? At least Vina has the balls to say it to my face.

"I'll kill you for that," Vina wheezed.

"Get in line," Everna shot back.

No longer interested in entertaining Vina's drivel, she unloaded the last pack from Esazia and set her belongings out to dry.

Outside, the tempest raged on, growing more intense with each bright flash. Soon, the winds howled, screaming as they ripped past the mouth of the cave. The thunder became a constant rumbling drone as the seconds between each flash of lightning dwindled. Along with the rain, now so thick she couldn't see beyond the entrance, large chunks of ice tumbled from the angered heavens.

While in the capital, Everna noticed the stark difference between the thundershowers that frequently doused Inversa and the violence of the storms that formed in the mountains. The scholars attributed it to the flow of winds in the region; they carried frigid air from the mountain peaks into the warmth of the plains below, and the drastic contrast in temperature lent itself to stronger storms. Though they could say little else on the subject, it was a theory that held true for much of the lands bordering the Scintillating Peaks.

In the countryside south of Pendel, that collision of air masses resulted in intense storms, often bringing violent whirlwinds. Watching massive funnels of swirling dirt and cloud matter drift across the plains was a spring pastime for the townspeople — as was running for cover when the storms suddenly changed directions and barreled towards the town. Everna had spent many a spring afternoon perched on the roof of Lyra's farmhouse, watching the storms blow through, marveling at the thin ropes as they danced across the hills.

This storm carried much of the same intensity, and after the first two hours, it showed no signs of slowing. At some point, Lisette built a small fire with the meager collection of dried leaves and twigs tucked into the crevices of the walls, the contents of their saddlebags now scattered around the flames to dry. Vina remained blessedly silent, sulking in the far corner of the cave. Every so often, she shot her a venomous look, but Everna glanced past her and to the storm.

After the third hour, sunset further darkened the sky. The storm slowed, the winds dying and the lightning not as frequent, though the deluge continued uninhibited. Another half-hour later, the thunder vanished, and the world beyond the mouth of the cave fell into utter darkness.

Lisette fed the horses, then retrieved their rations from the saddlebags. Though meager — a slice of cold bread and lukewarm cheese — it was filling enough. Everna took a swig from the waterskin and passed it on.

She wondered then if this was what much of her parents' adventuring days involved; camping in odd places and choking down scraps of food until they found their way into trouble. Her mother once joked that adventurers spent more time stumbling through the harsh wilderness or being drunk by the fire than rescuing fair maidens or fighting terrible beasts.

It wasn't so bad at the moment, if she ignored how uncomfortable her armor felt and the rock digging into her rear, but she couldn't imagine living every day like this. Eventually, she'd crave the warmth of a bath or the comfort of a bed. She'd want a roof over her head — stability and security.

Everna couldn't understand how some people desired to live like beggars, while beggars would give everything they had for the comforts so many took for granted.

Pushing the last slice of mushy cheese into her mouth, she retrieved her coat from beside the fire and balled it up against a small protrusion on the floor. It wasn't an ideal pillow, but it would have to do. The bedrolls hadn't yet dried, and the thought of having another sopping wet layer thrown over her was just as unappealing as sleeping on the rocks.

Just as she moved to lie down, something pricked the back of her neck. It felt much like a gnat bite, but a little more pronounced. Whatever it was, it had weight to it.

She lifted her hand towards her neck, and the floor tilted. Her vision blurred, the cave an indiscernible mess of gray and two blobs of brown that vaguely resembled a pair of horses. The rain faded, silence ringing in her ears. Her eyelids drooped, heavy with sleep.

She wasn't awake long enough to feel her head slam into the floor.