I couldn't stop the tears from filling my eyes or the words from tumbling off my lips. "You've already hurt me. You broke my heart by leaving, by going back on your promise to me. You said you'd always be there for me, fighting right by my side against the Reapers, and you left - you just left. Without even giving me a chance to say good-bye, or to tell you that I understood."
"I was afraid you'd try to convince me to stay," he whispered. "And that I'd let you."
"I know," I whispered back. "I know that you just wanted to get away after what Agrona and the Reapers did to you, but it hurt all the same. It still hurts, knowing that you'll be leaving again the second we get back to the academy and Nickamedes is okay."
Logan didn't say anything. I got to my feet and turned away so he wouldn't see me brushing the tears from my eyes. I'd just finished wiping the last of them away when I realized I could see daylight through the cavern entrance - real daylight and not the twilight world I'd been in with Nike and Eir.
I drew in a breath, lifted my chin, and faced Logan once more. Because no matter how much I would have liked to find someplace to curl up into a ball and cry, we still had to hike the rest of the way down the mountain so we could get the ambrosia flower to Nickamedes in time.
"It's light outside," I said in a dull tone. "We should get moving. Ajax and the others will probably come searching for us soon."
Logan nodded. We didn't look at each other as we got ready to leave.
I packed up my sleeping bag, grabbed my backpack from the bed of needles and grasses, and hoisted it onto my shoulders. I also walked over to the wall where I'd propped up Vic last night. The sword let out a wide, jaw-cracking yawn, then regarded me with a sleepy purple eye.
"Good," he said. "You're up. That means I can finally get some sleep. Don't wake me unless there is something to kill."
Before I could even say anything, he'd snapped his eye shut. Less than a minute later, he started snoring and talking in his sleep.
"Bloody Reapers . . ." he mumbled. "Going to kill them all . . ."
Vic didn't stir as I picked him up and belted the scabbard around my waist.
With that task complete, there was nothing left to do but to finally turn and face Logan again. He had gotten to his feet, although he was a bit wobbly. He clutched at his side, but he seemed to be a little stronger than the day before. I took a sip of water from the bottle I'd been carrying in my backpack, then gave him the rest. He downed it in one gulp. I also offered him the last packet of granola that I had, but he shook his head, telling me he didn't want it. Neither did I, so I stuffed it into one of my pockets.
"Can you walk?" I asked. "Do you want me to check your wound again?"
He shook his head. "I can make it, with your help. I think we should leave the bandage alone. Otherwise, the wound might start bleeding again."
I nodded, stepped forward, and slid my arm under his shoulder. We fell silent, although he leaned on me as we slowly headed outside.
When Logan and I stepped out of the cavern, the cold was like a slap in the face, and the bitter chill instantly seeped through all my layers of clothes.
But the worst part was the snow.
More than a foot of the white stuff had fallen overnight - a thick, heavy, wet snow that would be difficult to walk through even if Logan wasn't injured. Not to mention the fact that we were deep in the forest, and I didn't have a clue as to where the trail was - or how to find it.
"Where's the trail from here?" Logan asked, voicing my thoughts.
"I have no idea. Maybe the gryphons can take us back to it."
Our movements in the cavern had woken the gryphons, and they'd followed us outside, screeching, yawning, and stretching, shaking off the last of their sleep as Logan and I had. I helped Logan lean against the side of the cavern while I went in search of the leader. He was standing outside with the others, with the baby snuggled by his side.
I looked at the adult gryphon, wondering if he'd really been with Eir in the clearing earlier, but I had no way of knowing.
I cleared my throat. "Um, so I was wondering how my friend and I can get back to the trail? You know, so we can walk the rest of the way down the mountain?"
The gryphon cocked his head to the side, as if he didn't understand what I was asking. I pumped my arms up and down by my sides and marched in place, trying to show him what I wanted. The gryphon stared at me a moment longer, then dropped down onto his belly in the snow. He screeched, spread his wings wide, and then waggled them at me before making a little hopping motion, like he was about to take off into the air. He did that over and over, but I didn't understand him any more than he did me. I looked at Logan, but he shrugged.
"Don't look at me," he said. "I don't speak gryphon."
"Oh, it's so bloody obvious," Vic grumbled. "He wants you to ride him."
I looked down at the sword. "I thought you were going to sleep."
"Hard to sleep with all this bloody screeching going on," he muttered. "Apparently, I have to translate as well as stand guard. My work is never done."
I ignored the sword's snit and faced the gryphon again. "Do you really want us . . . to ride you?"
He nodded.
I shook my head. "I don't think that's a good idea."
The gryphon narrowed his bronze eyes and screeched again. He wasn't going to take no for an answer. And really, we didn't have another choice anyway. Not if we wanted to get off the mountain in time to get the ambrosia flower back to Nickamedes.
"Come on, Gypsy girl," Logan said, grinning. "It'll be fun."
I sighed, thinking that his idea of fun was far, far different from mine.
I helped Logan climb up onto the gryphon's broad back; then I got up in front of him. I also grabbed Ran's net out of my backpack and used it to tie Logan, Vic, and myself to the creature - because I really, really did not want to fall off. I also hoped the net would make the three of us that much lighter. I'd seen Black rocs carry more than one rider, and the gryphon probably had the same sort of strength, but I figured it wouldn't hurt.
The gryphon seemed amused by my wrapping the net around and around all of our bodies, and he gave a little huff, as if he was laughing at me.
"What?" I muttered. "In case you haven't noticed, you're the only one with wings here. Logan and I can't fly like you can. If we fall off, well, we won't even have time to scream on the way down."
The gryphon let out another huffing laugh.
Finally, when I was as ready as I could be, I gently put my hand down on the gryphon's head and smoothed out his bronze fur.