Hauk watched as Sumi and Darice began the climb he’d taken with Keris so long ago. It helped his mental state that Sumi was completely calm and did appear extremely accomplished, and the two of them weren’t going at each other’s throats verbally. Still…

He had a bad feeling.

Thia put her arm around his waist while he watched them. “It’ll be fine, Uncle Hauk. You’ll see.”

He smiled down at her, hoping she was right and he was wrong. And he refused to move until they were out of sight. Only then did he return to sit and watch them through the scope in Sumi’s rifle.

While he watched, Thia went to gather rocks for her little brothers.

“So who was the first mother hen? You or Fain?”

He dropped the scope to glare at Bastien. “Meaning?”

“You two are so much alike. It’s actually scary.”

That’s because they were always having to watch out for each other. Between their parents and Keris, the only affection he and Fain could count on was from themselves.

And as Sumi and Darice vanished completely from his sight, he heard a strange sound. “What was that?”

Bastien scratched at his chin. “What?”

“That sound?”

“I don’t hear anything.”

Thia stood. “I do… Someone’s coming.”

Hauk moved to draw his blaster, but before he could, three darts went into his chest. The paralytic hit him instantly as he saw similar darts fly into Bastien, Thia, and Illyse.

Before he could ID their attackers, he passed out.

Sumi was impressed with Darice’s skill as he climbed up to her. “Who taught you?”

“My mother mostly. But Dancer’s been taking me for small climbs since I was little. Maybe once or twice a year. He’s really good at it. He actually free climbs a lot with his friends.”

She remembered seeing that from the photos. He and his friends appeared to enjoy it as a favorite pastime. With and without gear. “I’m surprised he’d ever climb again, after what happened.”

“Dancer’s very brave. He started climbing within a year of his fall.”

The fact that he defended his uncle, and was so complimentary, stunned her. It was as if he finally saw the truth of Dancer’s personality, and not the lies his mother had filled him with.

Tying in, Darice paused to look down. His eyes widened as he realized how high above the ground they were.

“You okay?”

For several heartbeats, he didn’t speak.

“Darice? You still with me, hon?”

His eyes filled with tears.

“Darice!”

He blinked twice. “S-s-sorry. I just… I never thought about how far Uncle Dancer fell with my father.” He swallowed hard and licked his lips as he twisted to stare down the sheer drop. “I’ve never been this high before. Mostly we’ve done indoor climbing.”