My turn to smirk. Quain opened his mouth to retort, but Kerrick silenced him with a single raised eyebrow.

Belen had the fire roaring in no time. The smoke vented through a natural chimney in the ceiling. I wondered how Kerrick had found all these caves. Water had eroded parts of the bedrock, forming them. I’d think sensing holes in the ground would be part of a rock magician’s skills and not a forest mage’s. However, I wasn’t an expert. I’d learned the eleven different types of magic—forest, earth, water, fire, air, life, rock, death, moon, sun and healing—but my education hadn’t gone beyond the basics.

I could ask Kerrick, but that question would have to wait until we were alone. Not likely now that we were “home.” Considering he hadn’t said more than a few words to me since that night we talked about Ryne, I doubt he’d talk to me.

“We’re getting low on supplies,” Kerrick said. “There’s a market in Grzebien, but a few of us would be too recognizable.”

“The monkeys can go,” Belen said.

“Except they made quite an impression on the town watch the last time we were here.”

The monkeys exchanged confused glances.

“Whiskey Wendi,” Kerrick said.

“Oh, yes,” Loren said. A slow smile spread on his lips. “That was Grzebien? Wow that was…a wild time.”

“That was also over a year ago before Estrid and when the Booze Baron ruled the town. Do you really think the people would remember us?” Quain asked.

“Whiskey Wendi,” Loren repeated, looking at Quain with a gleam in his eyes.

“Oh, yeah.” Quain grinned. “Yeah, they’d remember.”

“We have enough provisions for a week,” Kerrick said. “Then Flea can take her if…” He focused on me. “If she can learn how to move through the woods without sounding like a buck protecting its territory.”

“I think she sounds more like a brown bear defending her cubs,” Loren said.

“You guys are nuts,” Quain said. “She sounds exactly like a troop of watchmen after some poacher.”

With a wide grin, Flea joined in the teasing. “When I hear her, I’m always reminded of when we were chased through Horse Shoe Forest by that pack of wild dogs.”

Everyone turned to Belen. “I think she does pretty good considering she hasn’t had any training.”

“Thank you, Belen,” I said, giving him a sweet smile.

The rest groaned. Quain threw a rock at him. Belen caught it in one hand. While the men joked, I added the remaining ingredients to my soup. I fished a few hot embers from the fire and placed the pot over them. As I stirred the liquid, my thoughts returned to Kerrick’s comment. My excitement over the chance to go into town warred with the unappealing prospect of Kerrick teaching me how to match the forest’s song. Perhaps Belen could instruct me instead.

When the soup was done, I made a show of letting Belen try it first since he had defended me.

“Fine with me,” Quain quipped. “He’ll also be the first one to keel over, killed by Avry’s cooking.”

“But what if I used a heavy poison?” I asked. “One that sinks to the bottom and only kills the men who eat the last couple of bowls?”

Quain stared at me as if he wasn’t sure if I joked or not. “You have an evil mind,” he hedged.

“Thank you.” I grinned.

“Aren’t healers required to take an oath not to harm anyone or something like that?” Loren asked.

“After we complete our apprenticeship, we travel to the Guild House and work there for a year, demonstrating our knowledge to the Elders. At the end of that year, we graduate. During the ceremony, we swear an oath not to intentionally cause harm or death to another.” Unless in self-defense.

“But you zapped Flea, and hurt the merc leader,” Loren said.

“I didn’t graduate. Therefore, I haven’t taken the oath.”

My revelation caused a ripple of…not quite concern, but unease. Belen’s hands suddenly went to his throat. He wheezed and gasped, then slumped over.

Everyone but Kerrick jumped to their feet. I knelt beside him. Was he allergic to parsley? His body shook and I touched his shoulder. He was laughing.

I played along, fussing over him, apologizing for not waiting long enough for the poison to sink.

When the three men inched closer, he sat up. “Gotcha!”

They yelled, then scolded him for his prank.

Still laughing, he said, “I can’t believe you fell for it. Why would Avry poison us when she could have let me die, and Flea get eaten?”

“Besides,” I added, “I wouldn’t want to waste good poison on you guys.”

“Ha. Ha. Not funny,” Flea said.

“Is there such a thing as a good poison?” Loren asked.

“Actually, there is,” I said. “The fulip plant is poisonous, but if you dry it, crush it and mix it with ginger water, it becomes a remedy for an upset stomach.”

“You seem to know what you’re doing. Why didn’t you graduate?”

“The plague came before I finished my apprenticeship.”

The humorous mood faded in an instant. The plague had ruined all our futures. I served the rest of the soup, but noticed everyone but Belen waited until I swallowed a few mouthfuls before they ate. Joking aside, they still didn’t trust me.

“Stop overthinking it. Your head is getting in the way of your feet,” Kerrick said.

“That makes no sense,” I said, stifling my frustration.

I had been walking through the woods all morning and getting nowhere. Back and forth outside the cave, I tried to copy Kerrick’s silent movements.

“It’s all in how you step and how you distribute your weight.”

He watched while I made another pass.

“Use your hips more.”

“Like this?” My hips swayed with each step. I felt ridiculous.

“No. Not like that.” He came up behind me. “Let me show you.”

When Kerrick grasped my hips, his magic flowed over me, igniting a tingling warmth in places it shouldn’t.

“Why are you pulling power?” I asked.

“Am I?” He sounded surprised.

“Yes.”

“Habit, I guess. Keeping my connection with the forest just in case. Ignore it.”

Easy for him to say. He didn’t have someone leaning against his back sending him distracting vibrations.

“Walk like you did the last time,” he said.

As I stepped, he corrected my gait. We did a couple passes. I understood what he had been trying to explain, but when he released me, I wasn’t so sure.

“That’s better. Try again.”

I did. Again and again and again. All afternoon, which normally would have been unpleasant, but there was a big difference in personalities between Kerrick the teacher and Kerrick the leader.

“That’s it,” he said. “You got the technique. Now you need to—”

“Practice.” My words to Flea had come back to haunt me.

“Right. I’ll give you two days.”

“And if I don’t improve?”

“I’ll go with Flea to the market. But if you do improve, you’ll graduate.” Humor lit his gray eyes—they had changed color to match the winter forest.

“As long as graduating doesn’t involve swearing an oath.”

“Oh, no, wouldn’t want to do that. Besides, you’ve been true to your word. That’s all I need.”

I spent the next two days practicing in the woods on my own. It was refreshing to be by myself for a few hours. And without the pressure of someone watching me, I could focus all my energy into listening to the forest’s song. Once I knew what sounds to listen for, I wondered how I had missed them before.

After my two days of practice, Kerrick announced we’d all play a game of hide-and-seek. “If she can find everyone, she wins.”

“Sweet,” Flea said.

“The rules are…” Kerrick waited for everyone’s attention. “You can’t stay in one hiding place too long. You have to switch spots to give her a chance to hear you.” He paused dramatically for a moment. “Ready. Set. Go!”

Chapter 10

The game of hide-and-seek was on. The men scattered into the woods. I turned my back to the forest, facing the outer rock wall of the cave.