Chapter VI, Reading 3

Kewero smiled. "There will be time enough for you to understand and to master the knowledge you need to fight your enemies. There is no point in rushing your lessons."

"As you wish, Kewero." She smiled and realized her face was chapped from the cold and was slightly windburn.

"You may put your horse in there," Kewero said as she pointed toward an opening of a smaller cave. "When you are through, come back here and then I will see to your needs."

Flindra led Deru into the smaller cave. Her nose gave her evidence that this small cave had sheltered horses before. It was spotlessly clean, but there was a lingering scent of horses. It was a pleasant odor and reminded her of the barn back home. Fresh hay had already been placed in a recess in the wall. There was fresh water pooling around a spring in a natural basin towards the back of the cave. The overflow from the spring trickled down a crack and disappeared behind the cave wall. This kept the floor from becoming wet.

She slipped the bridle off so Deru could start eating the hay. Then she removed the saddle and placed the tack on a wooden rack several feet above the floor. She left her bow, quiver of arrows, hatchet, and bedroll under the rack. While the horse stood contentedly and ate, she brushed him to remove the sweat and dirt lingering in his coat. When she was through, she sighed and leaned against him.

"We made it, Deru," she whispered while she slipped her hand beneath his mane and patted his neck. "I feel like I've been traveling for an eternity. It seems so long ago that I left home."

Deru turned and looked at her. His mouth was full of hay, which he rubbed against her face as he tried to nuzzle her. Flindra couldn't help but laugh. He smelled her face and hair and then returned to his hay.

She gave him a parting pat and stood back. With another sigh - this one more tired than the first - she picked up her saddlebags and went out to Kewero.

"Are you warming up, my dear?" Kewero asked when she saw Flindra approach.

"My toes are still a bit cold, but I'll be fine."

"I suspect that you're being too stoic and aren't quite telling me the truth, Flindra. You still look cold, but I'll fix that. Follow me."

Kewero led her through a winding passage in the cave complex. As they walked, Flindra could sense the air around her was getting warmer. They finally stood before a pool of water. Steam was rising from the surface. She grinned happily for nothing could be better than a hot bath after being cold for so long.

"Take off your clothes and bathe. I will find you something clean to wear," Kewero said and left Flindra alone.

Flindra removed her clothes and folded them neatly on top of her saddlebags, which were near the edge of the pool. She placed her daggers on top of the pile so they would be within easy reach. She did this out of habit and not because of any current threat.

She eased her chilled and tired body into the water. Her toes tingled as the steaming water eased out the lingering cold. In the warmth, she could almost forget her frozen journey here. It was quiet and she relished the absence of the incessant howl of the wind, which had been her constant companion for the last two days. The water soothed her soul as well as her muscles. She relaxed in the warmth and became more than a little sleepy.