Page 35 of A Storm Rises
He shrugged, not knowing if the Shadowblood’s bite was deadly. They’d know soon enough. “He should survive.” He scooted back, then rose to his feet. “But I need something to close up the wound.”
Vines, ferns, and moss-covered rock covered the cave’s entrance. He walked the perimeter of the cave, searching for spider webs but found none. He’d have to go back into the trees.
Avalynn approached with Stormy, her new best friend, trotting at her side. “What are you looking for?”
“Webbing. For the cut.” He shot Stormy a glare and then went outside the cave. He didn’t have to walk far to see thin, silky threads stretched between two limbs of a giant oak. He grabbed a handful.
“How do you know about that?” Avalynn followed and observed.
“Because, princess, I am a Sublander and a lowborn. We are survivors. We don’t have servants kissing our bruises and mending our wounds.”
She grabbed his arm. “Will you stop, please? We are trying to survive this cursed hunt and must work together.” She paused as if carefully crafting her next words. “Or we will all end up dead.”
There it was. She needed him again. He stepped closer. Her sweet scent of roses and jasmine drifted around him, tempting him like sirens on a dangerous sea, her melodic call drawing him into uncharted depths and possible death. “No matter what we do, princess, one of us will surely end up in the Passing Place. And it won’t be me.” It couldn’t be him. Too many people counted on him.
He went back to Eiric, who was sitting up and leaning against the cave wall. “This webbing will help seal your wound and prevent infection.”
With Selene by his side, Eiric nodded. “Thank you.” He gulped. “Mateo.”
He smirked. Now that a lowborn Sublander could help, he had a name. It figured. He applied the spider threads and pressed them into the wound. When everything looked the way he wanted and the blood stopped spilling out of the bite, he went to the edge of the cave’s mouth and inspected the trees. From the length of the shadows filtering through, the sun had passed over. If the Shadowbloods were like regular foxes, they had found a den to hunker down for the remainder of the day. They would come out at night. The cave offered some protection, but not enough.
Avalynn came up next to him, rock in hand. “We need to talk about what happened.” She tossed the rock from one hand to the other. “And our next move. I say ‘our’ because it’s us against those foxes.”
“How did they know to work together?” Finnian approached with his satchel. He took out a piece of fruit. “Like they were part of one larger pack.”
Eiric added through labored breaths, “I have neither seen nor heard of anything like it.”
“I want to get out of here.” Selene opened her satchel. “I never wanted to be in this wretched hunt anyway.”
She did not even want to be here? Back home in the Sublands, his people were dying for a chance at the hunt. Mateo studied her foolish, whiny face. “You are the worst of the worst.”
Selene recoiled and huffed. “No one cares what you think, lowborn.”
“Stop.” Avalynn glared at Selene. “Right now, we are not lowborns or highborns.” Her voice rose. “We are not even hunters.”
Mateo folded his arms. He hated to admit it, but the princess had a point. “You are right. We are now the hunted.”
The silence returned like a shadow, dark and menacing. Tired of silence and tired of talking, Mateo wanted action. “We need to get back to being hunters.” He drew his dagger. “We need more weapons.” If they acted like prey, they would continue being that.
“Spears,” Avalynn said. “You can make spears with your dagger.”
“You could probably make some with the tip of your arrow too.” He pointed to her quiver. “How many do you have?”
“Only three.” She kept one, handed one to Finnian, and the other she held out in front of Selene and Eiric. “Who wants to make spears?”
Selene took the arrow. “I will.”
“I can fashion a defensive perimeter using whatever you all make,” said Eiric.
Now they were getting somewhere. Mateo explained how the branches should be sturdy, straight, and at least eight feet long. Growing up in the Sublands certainly showed its advantages in this moment. And the highborns were actually listening. Survival mode at its finest.
Everyone took to the trees and started breaking branches. When they had about two dozen, they cleared the side branches and began whittling the ends to points. They handed their finished product to Eiric, who placed them around the cave’s mouth.
When their hands ached and the sunlight had all but disappeared, they retreated back to the cave. “Now what?” Selene paced, her eyes darting as she scanned the surroundings.
“Now we build a fire, gather logs for seating, and take turns sleeping.” He avoided Stormshroud, who stayed close to Avalynn still. “I will take the first watch.” He would use the time to think about his next moves.
“I will join you,” Avalynn offered right away.
