Thanus 56

Kiromir’s face poised into a steeled mask when he came from Sorin’s home. I had taken over some of the dictations while he negotiated. They had given us a few acres to set up camp, and I reached out to other caravan members who still traveled. They appeared to be safe, but anything could change. Letti, Mesin, and Dimal were safe and would be there in a few hours. They burned rubber to get here.

The singles, men, and women who had taken route before they had left had all been given orders to pick up every single tent from every store along the way that they could afford. Things would get worse.

The songbirds had twenty or thirty tents available just from their own stores and stocks, but we never planned for something like this. Kiromir was thankful they had the common sense that they did.

“Mir!” I called out to him as he jogged up to me, the love gone from his eyes as he took charge of the situation. He nodded to me and caught my arm with a gentle touch that I didn’t miss. I gave him what updates I could about the tents, and he nodded.

“You’re a good compliment to me,” he said, the coldest praise he could give, but totally something Lowak would have said. He always reverted to his dad whenever he stressed out, putting on face.

We tossed tents up, redirecting kids to the areas the Songbirds had set up for their play. A lot of it involved consoling sobbing parents.

“Listen, Wanderers! I expect you to tell everyone that’s on the road. Rolyn and the Sentinels have betrayed us. We have reason to believe that the Grells are in on it, and the Horizons aren’t safe. The Songbirds are taking us in graciously, but we are not without losses this day. Niala and Gaffriel have been taken. I have reason to believe they’re still alive, and I pray that is the case. We must treat our injured and rebuild. If you snuck a phone in here, please destroy it. The government knows who and what we are. Assume all communication forms are bugged.” He always seemed so much taller when he spoke.

“Niala isn’t us, and they won’t act on her behalf. They’re acting on Gaff’s,” Kiromir had told me.

Kiromir had her for twelve years, adopted her, raised by our flock, and respected by many, but she would never be one of us.

With night approaching us, drivers rolled in. They unloaded supplies as quickly as possible, bringing in everything we could spare without revealing their boundaries. The Songbirds hid this land well. I noticed so many of them had their wings out and felt safe to do so.

We went our separate ways and wound about until Kiromir found me as the sky grew dim.

We gravitated towards one another. No blush dusted over Kiromir’s cheeks, but I brought my hand to his anyway to squeeze. He squeezed back and gave me a lick of his fire. It sent cool bliss through my veins.

“Niala and Gaff,” He said in a whisper, speaking his mind.

“She’s smart. She’ll get them out of it.”

“But she’s got Gaff to hold her back.” Kiromir’s voice cracked in a hoarse whisper.

“We can only hope he’s gotten better.”

Kiromir let himself slump.