RETH

During the second night of travel, the scout bird maneuvered into the hammock with them, shifting to slide in at their feet. The others that were flying screeched their complaints but kept flying.

Reth stared at the male curled into the end of the large hammock.

"What's wrong?" he asked quickly.

"We can see the human convoy. Sometimes. Their shield is dropping at times and we can see the lights."

Reth growled, his arms tightening around Elia who'd sucked in a breath.

"Are we out of range of their weapons?"

"Too high for arrows," the bird replied, his voice almost whipped away by the wind of their passage.

Reth knew some of the human weapons were far more powerful, but he couldn't be sure whether it was even possible for the birds to fly out of range of them. "Where are they? How close to the portal?"

"They've traveled much further this way than we anticipated," the bird said grimly. "They'll reach the plains around dawn."

"Can you see how many of them there are?"

"Not accurately, but enough if they have these shields that hide them from sight and smell."

"Stay well away," Reth growled. "Don't let them see you against the moonlight."

The bird agreed and shifted as he dropped back out of the hammock to lead the others. Within the confines of the hammock, Reth and Elia clasped hands and began to pray for their children and their mates. Pleading for their safety, for the Creator to protect them.

"We have to get this right," Elia whispered at one point. "We can't let any more of them come through, Reth."historical

"I know, Love."

They stared at each other and Reth huffed the mating call.

Elia buried herself in his chest and they clung to each other.

*****

At camp that night a pall of fear lay over all of them.

They were at the edge of the desert, where the plains gave way to the sands and the mountain rose out of the ground like a pillar to the sky. It was the last time they would have a water source until they were almost at the portal itself, so the birds spent much of the evening at a swimming hole a small distance from the campsite, bathing in beast form to clean their feathers. The Protectors, too, though they were quiet and didn't seem to want to speak to anyone else, so hurried off apart from the others.

Reth and Elia shouldn't have strayed far, but he'd been so tense he'd wanted to pace. And? Elia had continued to dissolve into tears. So Reth had spoken with the Lieutenant that led their little sortie. The bird knew of a sandy riverbed not far up the river, hidden by the low trees and scrub that hugged the sides of the river here.

"The mountain rises in cliffs above it. There's only one way in and out, which makes it easy to protect, but also easy to be trapped if your enemy comes in numbers."

"If our enemy comes in numbers we're all screwed," Reth muttered, and the bird agreed. Reth sighed. "I have to get her away. She needs the privacy and rest."

The bird nodded and looked over his shoulder. "You'll be in earshot if you raise your voice. We'll keep a guard out at all times. Call for us if there's a problem."

"Thank you," Reth said genuinely, clasping the male's arm. "Thank you."

*****

While Elia had bathed in the river, Reth had rushed to set up a camp, of sorts. Little more than their furs thrown into a small thicket of trees near the riverbed with some food and waterskins. Their bags lay alongside the furs. They kept them packed in case there was the need for a hasty retreat.

But he'd rolled one of their jackets each at the end of the furs to use as pillows, and they'd be hidden from casual eyes on all sides.

He stripped off quickly and trotted out to the riverbank where Elia stood to her waist in the water. They were on the edge of the desert, so the air was warm, but there was a slight breeze and wet as she was, her nipples pricked to pinpoints as she stood, arched back, lathering soap into her hair.

"You know," she said in a shaky voice without turning her head, "I had to ask myself if it was even worth washing. I meana€| I'll be dead in two days. Does it really matter?"

Reth stopped mid-step, almost falling face-first into the water.

Elia froze for a moment and her face went blank. Then she swallowed and straightened, turning, her lathered hair sticking to her back and shoulders.

"Eliaa€| Lovea€|" he said hoarsely, utterly lost. What could he say?

But she just shook her head and dropped down into the river, letting it wash over her, her hair trailing out behind her like a flag, slowly disappearing into the dark as the soap was rinsed from it.

Then she burst out of the water again, sucking in a breath she'd been holding, her eyes red, but water trickling down her entire body so he could tell if it was river water or tears on her cheeks.

This wasn't the time for words, he realized. Striding heavily through the water to her side, he stopped just in front of her. Swallowing hard, as she watched his face, her eyes wide and sad, he reached for her, sliding his hands under the sheet of wet hair that had slicked to her neck and back, pulling it out, then twisting it to wring it out.

She didn't say anything as the water from her hair pattered back to the river, and down her back, over his hands.

When he'd gotten enough out of it that it hung in loose curls instead of that sheet, he let it go, stifling a groan when it fell against her shoulders and tickled at her collarbones.

"What are we going to do, Reth?" she whispered, sounding more lost than he'd ever heard her.

"I'll show you," he rumbled, then pulled her close, dropping his chin to kiss her gently, and very, very slowly.

His lips traced hers so softly, marking every line and texture, his tongue hardly touching hers, just barely teasing her upper lip.

She'd dropped her head back and closed her eyes when he kissed her, and now she relaxed against him, her hips pressed against his, her back arched into his hand, and her lips dancing with his.

After twenty years, Reth didn't have to ask anymore. He knew his mate's signals, her heart, like he knew his own. So, without breaking the kiss, he leaned down, lifted her out of the water, and carried her back towards the bank and their furs.