Although Skye was trussed like a bird on its way to the slaughterhouse, his instincts told him this trip was different from the last. His guards and he had left the city a few hours ago, and already his hands and arms were numb. Without the fire in his cell, he was blind in the absolute darkness.

Skye, do not speak aloud. I am following in your footsteps. He grunted in surprise, stumbling in mid-step. The paka truly was lonely if she was willing to follow a Pyranni prisoner to another city.

He tried to formulate in his mind what he wanted to say to her, not sure she would hear. His skepticism obvious, he asked, Have you ever been outside the city proper?

There was a hint of defensive pride in her voice when she replied. I am a Paka. I have never before had reason to leave Luthis, but I will follow you and your guides to Areth.

He smirked at her choice of words. Guides sounded so much better than guards. After a brief silence, she hummed in satisfaction. I have your scent as well as your direction.

Why are you wasting your time following a known enemy of your people?

A feminine snort traveled through their mental link. You think I’m wasting my time consorting with an enemy warrior. I, however, know I am pursuing the only option open to preserving my sanity. You are the sole individual who can hear me speak. I have no idea why the God and Goddess have placed us on intersecting paths, but I am not one to question their motives.

Her next words were spoken with a soft pant, as if she raced to shorten the distance between them. Perhaps we have met for a short while, in which our differences can be ascertained, and we both move on. But perhaps there is a plan for us that surpasses even our understanding of the world. I cannot guess. Until our path is laid out for us to see, I will follow you to Areth.

It chilled him to hear her speak of the God and Goddess with such conviction. Skye was jabbed in the back with the spear before he realized he’d stopped in his tracks. The rope jerked his hands forward, and he rolled his shoulders to loosen the strain.

Some time passed before Eiren’s soft-spoken voice came to him again. I’ve reached an intersection of tunnels. I believe you have taken the middle route, but I do not want to take the wrong one.

I cannot see in the dark. I am blind. I cannot tell you which one we entered.

He was grateful no pity entered her voice when she responded. I understand. It is said no Pyranni can see underground. Your eyes need the sunlight. Each of us has our strengths and weaknesses. Your strengths lie along another path. An image of her ears swiveling forward in excitement floated to him. Ah. I have your scent. You did in fact take the middle tunnel.

After a short pause, and in a voice that sounded vaguely hopeful, Eiren said, From your voice, I believe I am moving faster than your group.

Skye grunted in affirmation. Will anyone look for you upon your quick disappearance?

Will anyone come for the silent one? The bitterness of her words was not lost on Skye. I believe all Pakas and Kurites will breathe a sigh of relief to see I have left the city at last. My inadequacies will no longer be on blatant display for all to see. For reasons I cannot explain, I make everyone uncomfortable. She then whispered in shame, I am treated by many with disdain and by others as a beggar who has nothing to offer the city. No male wants to chance their young are born with the same affliction. I have never had any friends, and I am left alone to my own devices.

Skye could not help but be intrigued by this view of the Kurites. He had no words he could give her, and he was unsure if he should give her any. The more he learned of the Kurite society, the more similarities he found between the Pyranni and Kurite cultures. Many Pyrannis feared individual differences, especially those with disfigurement or loss of sight or hearing.

He sympathized a little with Eiren’s plight. She had survived despite her difficulties living in the Kurite society. The tidbits of information he learned about the paka made him feel guilty for using her. Disgruntled and less sure of the course he’d set for himself, Skye reminded himself the paka was only a tool to be used.

When he again felt more aligned to his task, he changed the subject to one that would keep both their emotions out of their link. Besides us, what is between here and Areth?

Before I left to follow you, I studied a map of Kureto. There are several routes one can take to Areth. I believe the most likely route is through the city of Malkese. That route has many places to stop and is well travelled. Unfortunately, for tonight neither you nor I will spend the night in the comfort of a waystation.

He snorted out loud, half laughing at the resignation in her voice. You are a paka.

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I am, she replied hesitantly.

He smiled into the grim darkness and taunted, Surely, one night in the tunnels is nothing for one such as you.

Heavy silence stretched between them. Then he realized what he’d done. Skye made a noise loud enough for the man trailing behind him to jab him with the butt of a spear. He staggered sideways before grabbing a better hold of the rope with both fists. She broke through his wall of indifference with such ease.

Perhaps she felt his sudden unease, for she continued as if he hadn’t spoken. Tomorrow, you should reach a cave where there is a natural spring. This will give you the opportunity to replenish your water bags with fresh water. Your guards will probably rest there for the night.

Are there any major cities between Luthis and Malkese?

There is a small farming village called Olun a couple days on the other side of the spring. From Olun, a week of walking is required before the city Malkese is reached. Skye heard a slight pant through their link.

In confusion, he asked Eiren, How far is Areth? What Kurite army wastes their time moving one prisoner to Areth? Militarily speaking, it is a waste of time and manpower. They both took a moment to contemplate the situation. They would have spent better time killing me while I was in Luthis.

You have a very good point. I do not know why they are willing to take you so far to Areth. However, I for one am glad you were deemed too important to kill. It is something to ponder. A thoughtful silence weighed down the connection between them for a moment. Eiren said hopefully, Perhaps you can ask your guards.

Without warning, Skye was grabbed from behind, forcing his shoulders to bend painfully backward. The rope around his wrists pulled taut, and he lost his balance, falling to the ground. His head hit the tunnel wall in a glancing blow, and stars danced in the relentless dark. The guard laughed as he knelt down. The man tightened the rope around his ankles and shortened the rope between his wrists and legs. The maneuver forced him into a tight ball around his knees. Standing up, the guard stood over him for a moment, breathing quietly, then crunching footsteps signaled his departure.

Skye grunted. This was the treatment he’d expected from Neal and Nyah. It was something he understood. In an odd way, the treatment calmed him more than anything else since his capture.

What did the guard do, the paka asked in anger.

Skye chuckled roughly before answering, I assume we have stopped for the night. A tingling sensation ran through his hands, warning him the rope was too tight. Wriggling his fingers, he told Eiren, They’ve tightened the rope so I can no longer move. He sighed. It is going to be a long night. What will you do now?

I will stop and rest once I am closer. I left some time after you. I need to travel for another hour at least. Rest. I will speak to you in the morning.

Skye grunted in acknowledgement while he scuttled backward until he hit the solid support of the tunnel wall. Leaning against the wall took some of the pressure off his arms and legs. Eiren’s earlier words proved her naiveté. Like her, he wanted—no, needed answers, but the two guards held their cards close to their chests, reveling in his ignorance. No, he wouldn’t ask the guards anything. After all, a full day of travel and he had yet to learn their names.

Skye fell into a fitful sleep until awakened by the feline’s panicked scream. At first, he looked around, trying to locate the danger in the pitch-black tunnel. When Eiren screamed again, he lunged against the ropes, adrenaline pumping into his system. The paka racing through the tunnels flowed through their mind link.

Feeling her panic, Skye yelled, What?

He felt rather than heard the total hate and fear threading her one word. Rakir.

His surge of excitement was overwhelmed with dread. All Pyrannis grew up hearing stories about the rakir, the pure danger of meeting one in the tunnels, their hunting strategies. How many are there?

There are four. All but one is larger than me. I am trying to find a better place to defend myself.

Skye was so focused on Eiren he didn’t hear a guard approaching him until he was struck across the face with the back of a hand. “Imbecile, do ye want t’ eat or not?”

He licked his lip, tasting blood. The bastard. The guard grunted and then demanded, “Hold out ye hand.” A semi-dry hunk of bread dropped into his open hand. The food was forgotten when Eiren spoke through their link.

I have found a place. They are coming this way faster than I thought. In a soft voice, she admitted, I do not know if I have the energy to fight them off.

He spoke softly to the paka while listening to the man walk back to their makeshift camp. You cannot think that way before a battle. You must keep your mind on the end goal. Your goal is to live.

He heard her hiss in terror, then nothing for a moment. They are here.

Whatever you do, do not let them surround you. He clenched his fist in frustration. When he felt the bread crush in his fist, he bent his head, straining toward his hand. Once he had a decent size bite, he savagely tore off a chunk, chewing without tasting the food. He focused on the battle raging somewhere behind him in the tunnels. On the edge of his consciousness, he heard the men chuckle at his awkward attempt to eat.

But it was nothing compared to the turmoil he felt. He shook his head. The paka did not have a chance. Four against one was never considered good odds. Even worse, compared to other pakas he’d seen, she was small, timid. Untrained.

He reminded himself he shouldn’t care. It didn’t work. His growing attachment to the paka denied him the ability to stop listening for her.

Time passed in slow increments while he waited for word. He heard her yowl and hiss in pain, but nothing else. When he thought the battle should have long since been over, he heard her soft whimper. A vast fissure swept through their link, severing the connection.

He yelled aloud in denial, “No.”

In anger, he stood up, only to fall into the middle of the tunnel. His actions brought the anger of the guards, though he did not feel the pain of their boots slamming into his left side and legs. He’d turned inward, frantically reaching for her, trying to feel something from the female paka. He whispered through their connection, pleading with her, Eiren, talk to me.

The rest of the night passed. He heard nothing from her while lying in the same position the guards left him. He heard nothing but his own thoughts in his head.

Nothing except yawning silence.