Chapter 18 · Tamer of the Ash Wilds - Chapter 18: Don't Chase That Ping

Lin didn't look at Vira. Couldn't. If he did, he'd probably say something stupid, and right now stupid got you killed.

"How long?" he asked.

She didn't answer right away. The silence stretched between them, filled only by the crunch of ash under their boots and Crunch's low rumble somewhere off to his left. The grey beast was pacing, ears flat, nose working the wind.

"Since Zone Four," Vira said finally.

Lin's jaw tightened. Zone Four. That was three zones ago. Three zones of her watching him fumble through routes, take the long way around dead zones, waste supplies on detours that added days to the climb.

"You could've said something."

"Could've." She adjusted the strap on her pack, eyes forward. "Didn't."

"That's it? That's all you're giving me?"

Vira stopped walking. Turned. Her face was half-shadowed in the dim pre-dawn grey, but he caught the edge of something sharp in her eyes. "You want me to apologize? Fine. I'm sorry I didn't hand-feed you every shortcut while you dragged a bloodline anomaly through territory that would've carved him up for parts."

Lin took a step closer.