That was partly true. Even though countless dangers lurked in this world, she only had to listen to her inner self and immediately she could feel the familiar pulsing of the dragon youngling. And this feeling was... fulfilling.
Strange that the youngling had chosen her of all people. What was the deal with this prophecy Kilian had talked about? How had the egg traveled through the portal into her world?
It was a good thing these questions were darting through her head like high-speed trains, because otherwise her body would have gradually demanded sleep. This way she stayed awake, observed the surroundings, and held down the fort.
At some point, she couldn't stand anymore. She slid down with her back to the cave wall and leaned against the cool rock. With her legs drawn up, she looked outside and granted her limbs the desired rest. Just as she was wondering when Rob and Allan would finally return with provisions, two shadows appeared at the cave entrance. They had sneaked up silently—they hadn't spoken a word, hadn't set a single stone rolling. It was incredible that Ava hadn't noticed them, even though she was on watch. No doubt about it, they were seasoned fighting machines. Good thing they were on Ava's side. They were, weren't they?
"We've brought you everything you need. Where'sthe girl?" Allan reached out his hand to her so she could pull herself up. As soon as she was standing, he handed her his backpack.
She nodded over her shoulder. "Lilly fell asleep. Earlier I thought something moved in the forest, but I neither saw nor heard anyone."
Allan let his watchful gaze sweep over the trees and bushes while Rob approached Lilly and looked down at the girl and the egg. When he said nothing and didn't move, Ava realized that he was seeing the dragon egg for the first time.
Driven by the urge to protect the youngling, she walked over to them and studied his expression. Perhaps there was disbelief on his face, but she couldn't say for sure.
"Did you bring something to eat? Lilly will be hungry when she wakes up." Ava said this in a whisper, both to make sure no one would overhear them and because she didn't want to wake Lilly. But as Rob took another step towards them, the little one startled awake. Immediately, she was on the defensive.
"Who's there?"
Ava bent down and put a hand on Lilly's forearm. "It's alright. Rob and Allan are back."
Lilly rubbed her eyes and blinked sleepily. "Did they bring something to eat?" Her voice sounded high and vulnerable.
Ava looked quizzically at Rob, who pulled off his backpack. He took out a piece of ham. "Here. I'll give the rest to Ava, otherwise it'll all be gone in a moment." He winked at the little one. Did one corner of his mouth twitch?
She had guessed it. The girl could soften even the toughest men with a single look.
"All right." Lilly grabbed the snack and took a hungry bite. Rob handed the backpack to Ava. Though she'd thought the ice between them had been broken thanks to the girl, she'd been mistaken—the look he gave her was anything but friendly.
"The supplies will last for five days. If the little one is very hungry, maybe only for three. But they have to last at least that long because we won't be back any sooner. Otherwise, we'd draw unnecessary attention to you."
Ava didn't know if she should be relieved about this or not. The prospect of not seeing him again for three days had its advantages. "Okay, thanks. Is there a water source nearby?"
"There are several in the forest. You should only leave the cave in the dark so that no scouts discover you. Anyone riding a dragon can easily observe the entrance from the sky."
Through the forest at night? Great. Ava wasn't really a coward, but this prospect wasn't particularly appealing.
"Where is the nearest source?"
He pointed to the left. "Less than a hundred meters south. Follow the rocky slope, and you'll go right to it. It's a steady little stream, it will be enough."
Probably not enough for showering, but such mundane matters probably played only a minor role for the dragon fighter.
"There are also blankets, knives, and a lantern for safety in the backpack. I recommend you never light it. It's only for absolute emergencies."
Allan spoke up without taking his eyes off the surroundings. "Before we leave, let's do another round. I want to make sure no one has already noticed the two of them."
Rob nodded, Allan waved to Lilly and Ava, and the men silently left the cave. Lilly immediately rushed to the backpacks. Ava couldn't blame her. By now, she was so hungry that she would have even gone hunting or berry picking in the forest.
When she saw what the warriors had brought, she shook her head. A loving cook had definitely not packed the provisions. There was dried meat, dry bread, cheese, and morsels resembling cookies that didn't look particularly appetizing. Just the sight of it made her mouth bone-dry.
"Yummy!" Lilly grabbed a handful of the cookies and bit into them. They crumbled and gave off dust, and countless crumbs landed on her pants. But she collected them all and stuffed them into her mouth.
"What is that?"
"Butter crunches. A specialty from Talus."
Lilly's enthusiasm was convincing, so Ava reached for a butter crunch. She took a bite and made a face. "You could break your teeth on these!"
